Samantha Downing is quickly becoming one of my favorite psychological thriller writers. She has developed her own flavor in this genre. Carved out her own niche in this heavily populated category, Her characters remind you of your best friend or an ex-boyfriend maybe. In any case, this was a no holds barred thrill ride. I couldn't race through these pages fast enough. I will easily be recommending this book to not only psychological thriller or domestic fiction fans, but anyone. It was THAT good!

Oh my freaking goodness!!! I have NEVER read a book with so many WTF moments and I’ve never thrown my hand over my mouth in shock so many times as I did in this book! I thought it would be really good but I was not prepared for just how much I would love it) I loathe reviews that give any spoilers at all so I’m begging you to READ THIS BOOK without reading any other details. Do you want twists??? You got ‘em. You want a book that grabs tog by the face from the first page and doesn’t let go even after you finish??? This is your book! I couldn’t stop reading and then I was so upset that I was getting closer to the end because I wanted to keep reading! Ahhh I just want to tell you all the stuff I loved but I want you to be as crazy shocked as I was! I even threw my hand over my mouth in shock while reading the acknowledgements! (She mentions a book club here in my town!) So in summary, I give For Your Own Good 80 gazillion stars. I feel sort of sorry for every book that comes after this one.
Buy. This. Book. I promise you won’t regret it!!!

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Get ready for another wild ride from Samantha Downing!

The story is written in multiple POVs and it’s so entertaining to get into these characters’ heads.

It is one big toxic soup of arrogance, revenge, deranged gamesmanship, lies, trickery, manipulation and murder.

I can’t even count how many times my mouth fell open 😲
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The story takes place at the elite Belmont Academy, where Teddy Crutcher has just been named teacher of the year.....

People start getting sick and dropping dead..... ☠️
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I am keeping this short and recommend you don’t read too much about it beforehand. I don’t say that often, but it’s a good idea to go in blind for this one.

This will definitely be a big Summer Thriller Hit! 🙌

Samantha Downing has done it again! This book is just plain fun. A private school, spoiled students, murders and a shady teacher who wants his students to be better people, even though he really doesn’t like them. This author can certainly write a thriller and this book is as exciting and enjoyable as her others.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

This book is hysterical and completely original: dark academia, but with a wry, humorous tone. I tried to save it for summer reading, but I couldn't resist and had to read it now!

Teddy Crutcher, the anti-hero of our story, is a demanding English teacher and current Teacher of the Year at the illustrious Belmont Prep. His students complain about the work load and his lack of empathy, but he knows that everything he does is for their own good. When he's not grading papers and thinking of new ways to make reading Dante more painful, Teddy likes to celebrate life by cultivating the poisonous plants in his yard, creating fake social media accounts to spy on his students, and then capping off the evening with an ice-cold glass of milk. When he accidentally poisons the overbearing mother of one of his favorite students, Teddy vows to rectify this horrible mistake. This sets off a chain-reaction that makes for some hugely entertaining reading that had me rooting for a certain heroic student- turned detective. For Your Own Good is a must read for your summer vacation, and just might make you question your Teacher's Lounge coffee. . .
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the librarian preview--I can't wait to add this one to our high school library!

Thrillers are my favorite genre and I am fairly picky with them. I've been in a thriller slump and not loving many of my recent reads. My Lovely Wife is one of my top three favorite thrillers ever and For Your Own Good was one of my most anticipated books of the year! I am very happily and enthusiastically giving this one ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

I screamed and did a happy dance when my copy came in and read this cover to cover the same day in one sitting. I stayed up late because I was so hooked and had to see how everything shook out! This is very fast paced, so creative and original, the timing is spot on for when secrets are revealed, and a perfect amount of suspense.
My favorite thing about Samantha's writing is that the little clues and breadcrumbs that are weaved in throughout always come back around so perfectly. No details are left behind and no questions left unanswered. There are some great zingers thrown in here that had me cackling and my jaw dropped a bit when different characters popped up!

Also for book lovers, weaved into this story - this is a book about books. Teddy is a high school English teacher teaching the classics. I really liked his take on certain books and his thought process for different takeaways of characters or themes.

I LOVE a good psycho in a book and this book is full of them. Truly, a gem, and will easily make my top thriller list and will be in my favorite books of the year!

Do not get attached to any characters in this story, because Samantha Downing is fearless in taking anyone out in the story! I think this is only the second book that I read that made my mouth fall open so many times while reading. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen.... I didn't. I loved that the author kept us wondering until the very end how this was all going to work itself out and wrap up. This book was a complete ride from beginning to end and I enjoyed every minute of it. I highly recommend picking up this fast paced intriguing thriller.

I didn't love this as much as Samantha Downing's first two books but I did love the setting. A private school where every character is so flawed you are clueless on who to root for and wondering if everyone has the same agenda.
There was one ultimate villain in this book but every character has motives and intense flaws which makes it super interesting.
I did love the ending but overall I just didn't love this as much as her previous two novels.

There is no better way to spend a Friday night than this right here 🙌🏻 🍨 📖
For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing
Pub date: July 19th 2021
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I cannot believe I was lucky enough to get an eARC of this book! Thank you #netgalley & #berkleypublishing for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I am absolutely obsessed with this book! @smariedowning had me hooked from line one.
A prestigious prep school. Odd teachers. Overbearing parents willing to do anything it takes for their kids to get an A. Mystery. Murder.
I cannot recommend this book enough. Jumping over to amazon to preorder my my physical copy now, because I know it’s a book I’ll pick up again!

Samantha Downing has captured the personalities and attitudes of both teachers and students in her latest thriller, For Your Own Good. She nailed the demanding parents as well.

Riding on a high after winning Teacher of the Year at Belmont Academy, Teddy Crutcher feels compelled to teach some students lessons not necessarily a part of the curriculum. Case in point: Smug Zach Ward and his parents. Wanting Teddy to change Zach’s B+ to an A+ on a paper, the parents confront Teddy in his classroom, making Teddy dislike the teenage twerp even more.

Teddy feels he must push his students to be the best they can be, and he does not care for any interference from meddling parents and other teachers. In fact, he goes to deadly lengths to remove obstacles from his path.

This delightfully wicked tale is Samantha Downing’s third book following He Started It and her debut novel My Lovely Wife, which was nominated for an Edgar award. She lives in New Orleans.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting April 21, 2021.

I would like to thank Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Cut-throat classrooms, devious teachers, and enough poison to fill the staff lounge make this wicked romp into academia wildly entertaining. FOR YOUR OWN GOOD follows ambitious, award-winning, and totally delusional private school teacher Teddy Crutcher on his quest to help his students reach their full potential at any cost. His plot throws prestigious Belmont Academy into turmoil, and as the body count rises, it becomes clear that Teddy's not the only one scheming. When he underestimates one of his current students, and a former student returns to exact revenge on him for past misdeeds, Teddy finds himself caught in a cat-and-mouse game with life-altering, if not deadly, consequences.

Another delightfully dark and wholly original novel by Samantha Downing, queen of the killer thriller.

Fantastic work, Ms. Downing!

I loved this book!

Teddy Crutcher deserves his Teacher of the Year award. He really works so hard to mold his students into promising young adults. Too bad not everyone agrees with his methods. Those that get in the way...well...too bad for them, I guess.

This was a twisty roller coaster of a ride that I enjoyed from start to finish. 5 stars!

What happens when your teacher is out to get you "for your own good"? This one is told from multiple points of view and you know who the killer is (no spoiler). The mystery is: are they going to get caught? I liked this one a lot. The part of the story that's being narrated by a psychopath was fun. I will pick up more of her books. Definately recommended.

This fun, fast-paced, twisty murder mystery was an absolute blast to read. With so many layers of revenge and pettiness, you never really knew what any of the characters were going to do at any given time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for more from Samantha Downing!

Dark Academia is a subgenre that is exploding in the literary world. Think books set in often prestigious academic institutions with danger stalking the hallways and twists and turns lurking around every corner. Acclaimed suspense author Samantha Downing returns this summer with a dark academia novel that is sure to fulfill the cravings of anyone who can't get enough of sinister stories set in schools.

People are dying at Belmont Academy by poison, but no one knows who is toxic among the students and staff. Of course, there are plenty of suspicious people creeping around, including Teacher of the Year Teddy Crutcher, who is a despicably snooty academic sort with an agenda all his own. As the body count rises, many of those who walk Belmont Academy's esteemed halls will find themselves in the hot seat. The FBI are on the hunt for a killer, but just how many people are players in this deadly game?

For Your Own Good was my pick for the 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge's dark academia prompt. I feel that this novel really fit the bill, as it embodies menacing and ominous tones throughout. You definitely get a feel of wealth and privilege as you read this novel, as well as no-holds-barred ruthlessness in the elite's pursuit of getting exactly what they want and feel they deserve. That encapsulates dark academia for me, so if you are looking for a read with these vibes, you will really enjoy this book.

For Your Own Good embraces dark humor and never takes itself too seriously. Be prepared to hate every single character in this novel and scoff at their thoughts and actions. In fact, you may actually want to see them all dead. But perhaps that's the point. With multiple viewpoints and multiple deaths, you may think that you have this mystery all figured out, but just when you think you've solved it, Downing pulls the rug out from under you again and again.

I came to For Your Own Good after reading Downing's first novel, My Lovely Wife. My Lovely Wife was a 4-star read for me, and I didn't enjoy For Your Own Good quite as much, hence I feel like a 3-star rating is appropriate. This novel has many of the characteristics that people love about the suspense genre - a who-dun-it and why, a fast pace, and tons of twists and turns - but as a reader who prefers my thrillers to be more psychological, For Your Own Good didn't capture my attention and admiration 100%.

Teddy Crutcher (Teacher of the Year) may be one of the most psychotic characters I've ever read! He comes up with crazy ways to punish people who deserve it (need a lesson) and honestly he didn't have any redeemable qualities. Yet, I couldn't stop reading! Set at an elite private school, readers get in the minds of students, teachers, parents, alumni and many of these characters are out for revenge and punishment. I was definitely hooked from beginning to end - a great psychological thriller by Samantha Downing! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

This one was a JOURNEY! I love a good prep school drama/mystery and Samantha Downing really delivers this time. You can smell the privilege and wealth immediately on this one.

You know who the bad guy is from the jump but the motives and twists keep coming throughout. A higher body count than I could have anticipated and some smart sleuthing by our sympathetic teen hero make this one a real winner for me!

I posted this on Instagram after finishing this book. I couldn’t wait to share how much I enjoyed For Your Own Good.

Something that really upsets me as an avid reader is when an author I like comes out with a book that I am SO EXCITED to read and then its a huge let down.

That didn’t happen with Samantha Downing’s novel, For Your Own Good.
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First- this was a plot I’ve never seen before so immediately I was drawn into the story of teacher Teddy Crutcher. He has disdain for his entitled students at Belmont Academy and feels its his duty to teach them some hard lessons.
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Second, much like Walter White from Breaking Bad, you can’t help but feel sorry for him. Is he misunderstood?
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Then you have a short cast of other characters namely Zach, Frank, Courtney, and Fallon. I’m not giving too much away here but the story was fresh and compelling, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen and I was intrigued.
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This was just the right amount of suspense, descriptions, dialogue, twists, and turns. I don’t give out a ton of five stars on Goodreads but this book earned every one!
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Now, what on earth can I read to follow this? I’m going to switch genres completely to historical fiction.



USA Today bestselling author Samantha Downing is back with her latest sneaky thriller set at a prestigious private school—complete with interfering parents, overeager students, and one teacher who just wants to teach them all a lesson…

Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the esteemed Belmont Academy, home to the best and brightest.

He says his wife couldn’t be more proud—though no one has seen her in a while.

Teddy really can’t be bothered with the death of a school parent that’s looking more and more like murder or the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is on pushing these kids to their full academic potential.

All he wants is for his colleagues—and the endlessly meddlesome parents—to stay out of his way.

It’s really too bad that sometimes excellence can come at such a high cost.

Coming out on July 20, pre-order NOW.

Thank you so much dear Samantha Downing! You did it again! You fried my last healthy brain cells standing! This is outstandingly smart, extremely high tension, surprisingly twisty! This engrossing, thrilling journey reflects the author’s dark, sarcastic and very smart sense of humor guarantees you sit on the edge of your seat, enjoy your wild ride!

What the hell is happening at one of the most reputable schools of the city? There is a mad scientist lurking around the Belmont Academy to find strangest ways to threat the well being of teachers, students and poor dedicated parents!

Imagine Walter White chose to stay at school, instead of teaming up with Jess to produce pure meth at the trailer and turning into Heisenberg.

Teddy Crutcher is evil soul twin Walter White, chose English as a major instead of chemistry (he chooses breeding poisonous plants in his backyard as a hobby, just like mixing them in his lovely colleagues’ drinks and seeing the deadly results as cracking up his villain laughter), has a big purpose to punish the privileged, spoiled students who take everything they want without showing enough effort as most of the students come from poverty, fighting tooth and nail
to get a proper college degree just like he was.
You don’t want to be on his sh*t list if you want to get accepted by the colleges they’d dreamt of or have a less problematic high school experience because he can turn your life into hell!

Dear Teddy with bleeding cuticles, unhealthy dairy consumption habit, taking tours around the Belmont Academy, giving fake smiles to his colleagues who were the highly achieved old students and even though he’s been awarded as the teacher of the year, he will be always outsider of this secluded environment.

After mysteriously being dumbed by his wife he’s been married for 13 years, his only focus is helping his students to reach their full academic potential. That’s for their OWN GOOD!

Of course performing his chemical tests on his colleagues seems like his other hobby which gets out of control and results with one of the parents’ death. Oops! Now he has to correct his mistake by poisoning his real target to save the wrongly convicted person.

More lives at stake and no need to worry there’s enough deadly plants to feed his enemies! But his plans can be derailed by his old student Fallon who obsessively blames on him about everything going definitely so wrong with her life! And dear Zach who is the latest victim at his sh*t list has to find his way to get out of this uncontrollable madness!

Let the chemical games begin! Don’t worry about Teddy! He’s never gonna be in danger. He is the one who is danger!

This is one of the best entertaining, smart, riveting, addictive, unputdownable, crazy thing I’ve ever read this year! I loved every second of it! All of the characters seriously suffer from warped moral compass. They’re needy, greedy, self centered and dealing with their insecurities in strange ways which made them more unique,one of a kind, irritating!

The conclusion was deliciously smart and fair. My neighbors can still hear my villanelle laughs!
As always I’m giving my five blazing, clever, dazzling, epic, engaging and enjoyable stars!

As a big fan of the author I can honestly say she never disappoints me with her fantastic works!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy I have been waiting for in exchange my honest opinions.

So far, this was my favorite Samantha Downing book to date! A private high school teacher who despises most of his elitist students and the murders are piling up at the school. I really enjoyed the book and the main character, Teddy Crutcher as devious and strange as he was!