A Darker Mischief by Derek Milman was a fast-paced, queer, dark academia thrill. Everything that happens is connected to another event, another person, or another place on campus. The key to making it through it all is your willingness to test all your limits.
Cal is an outsider. He struggles to find his place on campus and has fallen into hopelessness when all of a sudden, Society extends an invitation to pledge and compete in order to join their ranks.
Along the way he finds Luke. Charming, handsome, erratic Luke. The further they go into the rush process, the closer Cal and Luke become. Luke pushing Cal just a little bit further than Society seems to push him.
Luke calls Cal, Lonely Hearts and for some reason, it was a perfect nickname for Cal. He was lonely and he still is even within Society. People see him, but they see him as a means to achieving more.
It’s very clear how far the physicality of their relationship goes. Even as a YA book there are places it is spelled out to readers what these two boys are up to, but it’s very fade to black at the same time.
I found myself much more focused on each of the ‘explos’ Cal went on and his process of figuring out how to best the rest of the pledge class. I was there rooting for Cal to make it through the end, even when there were moment by heart broke for him and wanted him to just go home.
Things I did not like? For the first 120 pages, I can not tell you how many times Cal said he was from Mississippi, but I swear everyone on Essex campus had to ask him at least twice. It was that much. We got it. No need to bash us over the head with it.
The ending felt a bit abrupt, but I do think that was intentional. Especially, with the last few pages we got. Almost a where are they now update. I was glad to see just how a lot of it played out.
The pacing was spot on. Once I got into it, I did not want to put this book down.

Thank you Scholastic and NetGalley for the eARC. If you’re a fan of twisted mysteries this is for you. This is like a much more dark Natalie D Richard’s novel. Cal and Luke are truly the poet and the painter together. Every time I thought I had something figured out a small detail would add another layer and keep me guessing. I truly wasn’t expecting the ending and thoroughly enjoyed this read.

I will never say no to any dark academia, and this one is no different!

any book set in New England is an automatic yes for me, and to add in a secret society AND a spooky old boarding school, I was sold. The plot twists just kept coming too, holding my interest every chance they got.

Luke, however, gets a no from me. I loved Cal as a main character, but his love interest was not it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scholastic for the e-arc!

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little while to get through, but I think that had more to do with me not being in the mood to read, as I enjoyed the story every time I would pick it up.
One of my favorite parts of this book was the dialogue. It was so blunt and there were rarely any dialogue tags. Normally, this would take away from the story, but it really helped add to the growing unease. It also made it harder to figure out other characters'intentions.
Also, while the book never felt slow, the story was definitely more of a slow burn than a fast-passed thriller. Each part gets a little darker and it makes it easy to see how Cal is able to justify his actions.
The ending is... honestly, I don't know how I feel about the ending. It isn't bad by any means and it fits the story, I just can't stop thinking about it.
Anyway, I liked this book a lot and I highly recommend it, especially if you are into dark academia.

A Darker Mischief was an intriguing book with a secret society and uncovering secrets within the school.

Cal was such an amazing and complex character. The heart of the story revolves around Cal feeling like he doesn’t belong anywhere. We see him struggle with identity and sense of belonging throughout the entire book. Society gives him the opportunity to belong, but how far will he go to fit in?

I did not love the pace of this book. Some parts were really slow and hard to get through, while others were so fast that they blended together. I was often confused during this book, which is why I gave this 3 stars. The writing style was great, especially for this type of story!

Thanks NetGalley and Scholastic for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don’t have words! I honestly think that this book left me with more questions than answers. I adored the main character; he was complex, and the author portrayed his angst and frustrations well. The mystery aspect of the story was significant, though most of it I didn’t get; I loved it nonetheless as you bonded with the character in his total confusion. The romance in the book was also excellently written. The tension, the nicknames, and the mystery associated with Cal and Luke’s love story made me speed through this book.

Honestly, the atmosphere that the author creates sucks you into the mystique associated with the characters and story. Though the ending didn’t match the rest of the book, it was satisfying, and I’m so happy that I could read this story—another must-read for this year!

Thank you, NetGalley and Scholastic, for allowing me to read such a remarkable story in exchange for my honest review!

First, Thank you so for the chance to read the story.
I love a dark academic ya story. It was a secret society.

I felt like it did fall flat in the end and was a slower pace than I expected but I really did enjoy the book.

I REALLY wanted to love this one - on paper, it has pretty much everything I love in a book: queer YA dark academia! Mystery and intrigue and secret societies! But alas…

Spoilers below!!

I'm not usually this critical in reviews, but this book really got to me for some reason. If you read and loved the book/haven't started it yet and want to go into it with an open mind, skip this review!

What was good: the architecture/exploration aspect is really unique and interesting, and I think could’ve been even more technical and specific. I'm from Mississippi, and it’s always fun to see a little state representation!! Not a lot of state pride there though with the whole “fleeing a brutal hate crime” plot, but I’ll take what I can get, I guess...

And now for the other stuff. First are the issues with the plot itself: it’s almost nonexistent. Pretty much nothing happens, interesting or otherwise, after the first 50 pages of the book. Even the ending wasn’t compelling or satisfying because the reader is told what will happen on the actual first page (which sometimes works! but here does not).

The secret society is deeply unbelievable - why is it SO niche? Why does it align so perfectly with Cal’s interests and research? Why do so many students care, and why do the students have a seemingly unlimited amount of free time? Also, all the riddles that Cal figures out early on are somewhere between impossible and nonsensical. There are a lot of plot holes and doors that are opened just to never be closed properly (Luke’s childhood, what happened to Brett in juvie, what’s going on with Jeffrey and those kids Cal was friends with at the beginning of the story, Pinky’s entire storyline, etc).

As for characters, Luke is just awful. He’s really, really annoying, and despite Cal insisting that he’s incredible and deep and so easy to fall in love with, all I could think about was how terrifying his angry outbursts are and how manipulative every single thing he does is. I kind of thought something satisfying would come of this in the end, but it just doesn’t, really. The whole confrontation between them seems so random and sad, and uncharacteristically brutal on Cal's part. (And god, the nicknames...)

The writing style is largely bare bones and straightforward, but occasionally I found myself being thrown into an elaborately detailed description of something like Luke’s eyes without having previously known Luke was even in the room. Over and over, things just tend to happen without any indication of how we got there.

The pacing isn’t great, and there's a lot of telling what Cal is learning and doing and VERY little showing. He talks about how he’s learning to see and describe things beautifully and artfully, but we don’t get any of that coming through in his actual point of view despite everyone insisting he’s a “poet". Cal’s thought processes throughout are unexpected and hard to follow - he’ll react to a clearly terrifying situation with nonchalance, or an extremely normal interaction with unwarranted suspicion. “You’re so hot and damaged” is just not a real response to “I punched my dad in the face."

I get that writing Gen Alpha as a Millennial would be hard, but none of the characters use the internet/social media in believable ways at alllll, and the dialogue (both in person and over text) is so bizarre. I’ve been out of high school for a good few years now, but I cannot imagine this is how high schoolers talk to each other. I can’t even come up with a specific example, because every conversation is full of the same kind of disrespect/passive aggressive confrontation/SUDDEN YELLING/hushed apologies/I’M SO RANDOM XD peanut butter and jelly joke????

Basically, nothing about this book makes literally any sense. And yet I finished it! I absolutely didn’t hate it. Despite all its flaws, I think with some restructuring (and if the uncomfortable and random sex were removed), this would actually make a better Middle Grade novel than Young Adult.

As always, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!! Not my cup of tea, but could totally be someone else's!

I loved this book, it was unique, and addictive. Queer dark academia is now going to be a regular for me!!! I feel in love with Cal from the very beginning. There were quite a few twists I didn’t see coming!

4.5/5
Rounded up

Thank you Netgalley and Scholastic Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"A Darker Mischief" by Derek Milman is a YA dark academia book that takes you into the secretive world of Essex Academy, where nothing is quite as it seems. Cal Ware goes from being the town misfit to navigating the enigmatic corridors of Essex Academy. This is a book that focuses on secret societies within a private academy, which is something I always love exploring. There is some bullying as well as some thrills demonstrated throughout the book.

I really enjoyed the character development in this book as Cal struggles with identity and belonging, which helps craft a character who resonates with authenticity and depth. While this is a pretty standard character troupe (new student trying to fit in at an exclusive academy), I found the way that Milman depicted this growth felt fresh and unique. If you have ever had the same experiences as Cal (going to an exclusive academy, joining a “secret” society) then you will definitely be able to relate to Cal. The atmospheric setting of Essex Academy was also a highlight of the book as the setting and descriptions that went along with it adds an extra layer of intrigue, drawing you into its shadowy depths from the very beginning of the book. A dark academia book absolutely requires strong descriptions and a specific kind of atmosphere, which Milman definitely accomplished in the book.

There are a lot of thrills and suspense throughout the book; Milman's writing style is engaging and evocative, which kept me interested in the book as the plot progressed. The plot itself was fast-paced, and I was able to finish this book pretty quickly. I did find the ending to be a bit underwhelming compared to the rest of the book. Some of the dialogue was also a bit cliché and unrealistic, which sometimes pulled me away from the story. However, the storyline as well as the compelling characters kept pulling me in.

Overall, fans of dark academia and twisty thrillers will find much to love in “A Darker Mischief.” I definitely can’t wait to read more from Milman.

I am so conflicted about A Darker Mischief, because there are so many things to love about it, and yet it just didn't click for me.

What I loved:
-the dark academia setting is beautifully done. I found myself lost in the world that Milman created. It felt both realistically drawn and eerie, and I think this balance works very well
-the queer rep. I appreciated that Cal and Luke's relationship was not all sunshine and roses, and it felt very realistic for two queer sophomores struggling with their budding sexuality. I also liked how their relationship dynamics play out across the hyper-masculinity of Luke's world (high school sports + secret societies) in particular. Again, not something I've seen in dark academia and really well done
-the twists and turns were great! While I did see some of them coming, there were many that I didn't. The villain is not who you expect, and I liked the mystery of it all
-"compulsively readable" would aptly describe A Darker Mischief

What I didn't:
-The Secret History comp led me to expect dense, meaty prose alongside the atmosphere, but the prose here was...very light? It definitely feeds into that page turner feel, and I think many teens will be drawn to Milman's accessible writing, but it didn't grab me
-I struggled to connect with Cal's motives. While they feel realistic for a teen--fitting in especially--the people he wants to fit in with don't feel particularly decent or cool? I really struggled with why in particular Cal would be drawn to the society
-no spoilers here, but Gretchen, who ends up being a major part of the plot, felt like more of an afterthought at times. She was very present in the beginning of the book and the end, but gets lost somewhere in the middle, to the point that I almost forgot about her

Again, this is definitely a personal taste thing! I really appreciate that Milman's characters are sophomores, and I think it'll capture that age group very well (a lot of YA that I've read lately has 18 year old MCs, so I definitely love seeing more of a true YA feel).

Many thanks to NetGalley, Scholastic, and Derek Milman for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I wish I could say that I liked this book more than I did, at least based on how excited I was from reading the blurb. I didn't hate it, but some parts of the book just didn't connect to me, it had the vibes and world building and I liked the main character but otherwise... kind of a let down, sadly.

I love the frame of the story. I’m never going to turn down a spooky old boarding school, and when you throw in a secret society and a healthy dose of gay? I’m in. The Skulls is one of my favorite guilty pleasure early 2000s movies and this seemed to be along those lines.
Ultimately though, some of the pieces of the book just didn’t come together for me. I wasn’t a fan of some of the characters or the dialogue, and was mostly let down by the ending.

I did really enjoy the main character though, and the cover is swoon worthy. The atmosphere of the book is amazing, along with the world building.

Again I love this book cover. They say not to judge a book by the cover but….thats what draws me in first to be honest.

I loved the blurb of this book when I read it. Boarding schools, queer characters, and secret societies usually make for a very enticing read. There were some parts of this book that i struggled to connect the pieces on while others easily came together. Overall it was a really decent read.

Cal Ware captured my heart from the start. His journey from a small-town misfit to a student at Essex Academy was an amazing adeventure. Derek Milman masterfully portrays Cal's struggles with identity and belonging, making him a relatable and endearing character. And let's talk about that cover—absolutely gorgeous!

The atmosphere Derek Milman creates is nothing short of mesmerizing. From the eerie opening to the tension-filled climax, I was on the edge of my seat, eagerly flipping pages to unravel the secrets hidden within Essex's walls. The integration of the secret society into the fabric of the story felt seamless, adding layers of intrigue to an already captivating narrative.

Twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end, and while I appreciated the closure the ending provided, I must confess it didn't quite live up to the rest of the book for me. Nevertheless, the journey was undeniably thrilling, and I couldn't tear myself away.
However, no book is without its flaws, and for me, it was the dialogue that occasionally fell short. At times it felt disjointed or unrealistic, pulling me out of the story momentarily.

"A Darker Mischief" is a captivating tale that will transport you to a world of intrigue, secrets, and unexpected twists. Fans of "The Secret History" will find much to love here, but Derek Milman's unique voice and original plot ensure that this book stands on its own merits.

I dunno if it's me, but this book was a mess.

Everything that happens after Cal got into the society is jumbled and shown so poorly. Like, Cal keeps mentioning all these places on the campus, but I couldn't picture any of them for the life of me. The sequence of events also felt so disconnected and out of pocket; I felt like I wasn't reading a story, anything with a cohesive narrative. Cal and Luke kiss at one point, but then Luke breaks it to tell him he stabbed someone out of nowhere?? It came out of nowhere, but Cal finds it hot, and he keeps telling the reader Luke's cringe is edgy and so punk. God, it's been so long since I found a pair as irritating and grating at Cal and Luke.

If you found this review confusing and nonsensical, those are the exact same ones I have for this book.

Overall, I do not recommend. My brain felt like it turned into goop from trying to process this whole book.

A scholarship student at an illustrious boarding school discovers a secret society that could be the answers to all his problems, or the ruination of everything he holds dear, including his new relationship with a bombastic rich boy. ⁣
⁣:⁣
I really liked this novel. The secret society story was compelling and I loved the main character. There were twists I wasn’t expecting and the plot flowed well throughout the book. I didn’t love the ending as much as the rest of the book to be honest. It did tie up all the loose ends, just not in the way I was hoping. I still liked the book overall and would recommend it thus romantic, dark academia young adult novel to readers who enjoy those genres.

A Darker Mischief is a dark gothic academia with a secret society. Essex is a boarding school that Cal transfers to as a sophmore. From Mississippi, he doesn't feel like he fits in with the rich, elite of the school. He came to Eesex for a fresh start, but has not found a place that he can belong. After stumbling across the school's secret society, he rushes to become part of it. Luke is a mysterious sporty guy with a dark past. Cal finds himself drawn to him and the mysteries that come with. As Cal becomes part of the society the tasks become darker and riskier.

A Darker Mischief sounded from the premise very promising. A story about a dark secret society at a school, amazing! A queer romance, so good! The one problem was that I didn't enjoy it. On paper, this book was everything I wanted but I just didn't connect with it. I didn't like the characters or how the story played out. It seemed like there was a lot of extra that didn't add to the story. The pacing of the story also dragged on.
The formatting of the ebook that I read was also very strange. There would be different character dialog on the same line with the only indicator that it was spoken by someone else was the quotation marks.

Overall, this story was not for me.

This book has definitely been a struggle for me to get in and even at 30% it’s still not something that’s resonating with me. I feel that there’s disconnect with the writing but I am grateful for having received this arc!

The cover of this book is what caught my eye. Mostly because I don't see many books that feature a white/Asian male love interest. I liked the writing style and found it easy to consume while still keeping my attention.