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The Boyfriend Academy
Not yet published
Expected 9 Apr 26Love is forbidden. Truth is dangerous. Survival is everything.
Ganymede’s is no ordinary boarding school. Behind its spiral towers and manicured lawns, boys are forged into the men society demands – strong, obedient, perfect. Graduate, and the world is yours: a home, a career, a wife. But fail… and you’re no longer useful to society.
For Dylan Cecil it should be simple: keep his head down, survive graduation, and earn his place. But when his friend, Blake, disappears, Dylan can’t silence the questions gnawing at him, even as whispers of danger shadow the school’s gilded halls.
As June’s trials close in – eight tests that will decide who is worthy of manhood – Dylan is haunted by Blake’s absence and drawn to Roman Edwards, a boy as magnetic as he is unknowable.
In a world rebuilt on order and obedience, Dylan must decide: will he become the man the academy wants – or the man he really is?
Ganymede’s is no ordinary boarding school. Behind its spiral towers and manicured lawns, boys are forged into the men society demands – strong, obedient, perfect. Graduate, and the world is yours: a home, a career, a wife. But fail… and you’re no longer useful to society.
For Dylan Cecil it should be simple: keep his head down, survive graduation, and earn his place. But when his friend, Blake, disappears, Dylan can’t silence the questions gnawing at him, even as whispers of danger shadow the school’s gilded halls.
As June’s trials close in – eight tests that will decide who is worthy of manhood – Dylan is haunted by Blake’s absence and drawn to Roman Edwards, a boy as magnetic as he is unknowable.
In a world rebuilt on order and obedience, Dylan must decide: will he become the man the academy wants – or the man he really is?
431 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 9, 2026
10 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Strange
6 books75 followersAuthor of The Boyfriend Academy: The must-read gripping dark academia debut for 2026.
J. S. Strange lives in Wales surrounded by books, and his three cats. With an interest in the occult, the esoteric, and the paranormal, J. S. Strange often finds himself waiting for Halloween, or thinking how he can make his home more supernatural. Author of The Boyfriend Academy, J. S. Strange is also working on murder mysteries with gay male leads.
He also writes as Jack Strange, with titles including Look Up, Handsome and 25 Days in Athens.
J. S. Strange lives in Wales surrounded by books, and his three cats. With an interest in the occult, the esoteric, and the paranormal, J. S. Strange often finds himself waiting for Halloween, or thinking how he can make his home more supernatural. Author of The Boyfriend Academy, J. S. Strange is also working on murder mysteries with gay male leads.
He also writes as Jack Strange, with titles including Look Up, Handsome and 25 Days in Athens.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 8, 2026
Awe, I find this a hard one to review. When I read the blurb, I was over the moon and convinced this would be at least a four or five star read, maybe even a new favorite.
At its core, The Boyfriend Academy is a great dystopian dark academia novel set almost a hundred years from now. The theme is compelling: toxic masculinity is fully gone, men can cry, be soft, be caring. They’re taught to respect women. Women are safe with men, and men are safe with women. The boys graduating from Ganymede get to live perfect lives with perfect wives in perfect villages. But what about autonomy? What about diversity? What about choosing your own way of living? What if you don’t want a partner? Or what if you want a same sex partner?
I really liked Dylan and Roman, and I loved the overall story. When I look at the world today, I want women to be able to walk the streets without fear and for femicide to disappear. I also want everyone to be able to make their own choices and be fully themselves. So even though I think The Boyfriend Academy feels more YA than adult, that’s okay, because thematically this is an important story that should reach all ages. Overall the writing was pretty strong, for one exception: filter words (wonder hit the jackpot with 79 times, but realize, knew, remember and others were used a lot too). I wonder why editors don’t cut them more often.
The biggest reason I struggled to review this story is the worldbuilding, which contains significant gaps: timeline issues and logical inconsistencies.
The most obvious example is that chapter one starts in 2105, and three years later it’s still 2105.
There are also structural issues I can’t fully explain without spoilers. The book often behaves as if the characters have no lives beyond the school grounds. Significant events occur that would normally involve family, yet the story keeps everything contained within the school until it suddenly doesn’t.
The story suggests that once the boys graduate, the world opens up to them with a career, a home, a wife. But the book never explains how they get from school to those futures. There’s no mention of higher education, apprenticeships, or any real path toward a career. It simply assumes they’ll move to a hamlet and start families.
Sadly, I was more convinced by the premise than by the execution in the end. And I don’t think that’s entirely on the author. Dear publisher and editor, another round of editing, especially around the world building gaps (and the filter words), might have made a huge difference. It’s a shame, because this is an intriguing dark academia debut with so much potential. It could have been a glorious five star read, even with the plot twists I guessed. But with a sigh, I just rounded down my 3.5 star rating to three stars. That ending was great, though, and if there will be a sequel, I’ll definitely read it.
Thank you, Harper360 and NetGalley, for this ARC.
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At its core, The Boyfriend Academy is a great dystopian dark academia novel set almost a hundred years from now. The theme is compelling: toxic masculinity is fully gone, men can cry, be soft, be caring. They’re taught to respect women. Women are safe with men, and men are safe with women. The boys graduating from Ganymede get to live perfect lives with perfect wives in perfect villages. But what about autonomy? What about diversity? What about choosing your own way of living? What if you don’t want a partner? Or what if you want a same sex partner?
I really liked Dylan and Roman, and I loved the overall story. When I look at the world today, I want women to be able to walk the streets without fear and for femicide to disappear. I also want everyone to be able to make their own choices and be fully themselves. So even though I think The Boyfriend Academy feels more YA than adult, that’s okay, because thematically this is an important story that should reach all ages. Overall the writing was pretty strong, for one exception: filter words (wonder hit the jackpot with 79 times, but realize, knew, remember and others were used a lot too). I wonder why editors don’t cut them more often.
The biggest reason I struggled to review this story is the worldbuilding, which contains significant gaps: timeline issues and logical inconsistencies.
The most obvious example is that chapter one starts in 2105, and three years later it’s still 2105.
There are also structural issues I can’t fully explain without spoilers. The book often behaves as if the characters have no lives beyond the school grounds. Significant events occur that would normally involve family, yet the story keeps everything contained within the school until it suddenly doesn’t.
The story suggests that once the boys graduate, the world opens up to them with a career, a home, a wife. But the book never explains how they get from school to those futures. There’s no mention of higher education, apprenticeships, or any real path toward a career. It simply assumes they’ll move to a hamlet and start families.
Sadly, I was more convinced by the premise than by the execution in the end. And I don’t think that’s entirely on the author. Dear publisher and editor, another round of editing, especially around the world building gaps (and the filter words), might have made a huge difference. It’s a shame, because this is an intriguing dark academia debut with so much potential. It could have been a glorious five star read, even with the plot twists I guessed. But with a sigh, I just rounded down my 3.5 star rating to three stars. That ending was great, though, and if there will be a sequel, I’ll definitely read it.
Thank you, Harper360 and NetGalley, for this ARC.
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January 19, 2026
I absolutely loved The Boyfriend Academy. It’s set in a futuristic United Kingdom that’s trying to rebuild after society has collapsed, with a boys’ boarding school designed to turn students into the “perfect men” for a new, controlled world. But when Dylan realises he’s gay, he no longer fits into that vision, and as he starts to notice things at the Academy that don’t quite add up, darker secrets begin to emerge.
This isn’t just a dark academia romance, it’s a coming-of-age story about unlearning what you’re told to be and deciding who you want to be instead. Dylan’s internal struggle feels raw and real, especially as the pressure to conform increases. The tension is constant, emotional, and at times genuinely unsettling, but it’s balanced by a really touching, forbidden love story.
This isn’t just a dark academia romance, it’s a coming-of-age story about unlearning what you’re told to be and deciding who you want to be instead. Dylan’s internal struggle feels raw and real, especially as the pressure to conform increases. The tension is constant, emotional, and at times genuinely unsettling, but it’s balanced by a really touching, forbidden love story.
January 4, 2026
I loved this. A futuristic United Kingdom that is working to rebuild after the collapse of society, a boarding school for boys to turn them into the perfect man who will then go on to work perfect jobs in a new perfect society. But when the mmc is gay, that doesn’t fit into the new society, and when he starts to notice imperfections in the school he uncovers dark secrets which could damage everything the monarchy is trying to rebuild.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Love is forbidden. Truth is dangerous. Survival is everything.
Ganymede's is no ordinary school.
Here, boys are forged into the men that society expect.... forged to be strong, obedient... perfect in every way...
Graduate, and the world is yours. Home, doting wife, and a career.
Fail... and you might as well not exist.
For Dylan, the idea seems so simple at first. Keep his head down, graduate, and he gets everything that a man would dream of.
Until his friend goes missing... and questions begin to flood his mind... questions he shouldn't have while in Ganymede's halls...
As the final trials that will determine whether he is the man that society demands or not loom ever closer, those questions linger in the back of Dylan's mind... and he finds himself drawn to a mysterious and yet attractive boy... and he must decide if he wishes to be the man that society demands him to be...
or the man that he wants to be.
From the cover alone, The Boyfriend Academy pulled at me like the softest little whisper... as if from a novel of dark knowledge whispering for me to learn its secrets... And when I began?
I fell hard.... and proceeded to devour this within a manner of two days. J.S. Strange has truly created a novel that is well-worthy of standing beside the other greats when it comes to dark academia... blending a beautiful story of romance (and even better, it's queer romance!), of coming of age and growing into adulthood... in a dystopian universe that holds all the elements of dark academia that you could ever desire... of secret societies, dangerous trials, and an immaculate school setting.... not only that, but J.S. Strange has managed to make this so much more... blending elements commonly found in mystery novels, or thrillers... adding to the tense, gripping atmosphere.
Overall, The Boyfriend Academy is an absolute masterpiece, and one that will most definitely linger in your mind for ages to come afterwards... not just for the message of sweet love, no matter how forbidden...This was my first work from the desk of J.S. Strange, and I will definitely be spreading the word to the rest of my book-loving friends about this novel. I look forward to reading more works from him, and (hopefully) delving back into Ganymede's halls...
Special thanks to Grace Edwards at One More Chapter for the invite to read this in advanced! Additional thanks go to HarperCollinsUK, One More Chapter, and Netgalley for this copy to read in advanced. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and the rest of my reviews may be found at: https://littlereapling.wixsite.com/fa....
Ganymede's is no ordinary school.
Here, boys are forged into the men that society expect.... forged to be strong, obedient... perfect in every way...
Graduate, and the world is yours. Home, doting wife, and a career.
Fail... and you might as well not exist.
For Dylan, the idea seems so simple at first. Keep his head down, graduate, and he gets everything that a man would dream of.
Until his friend goes missing... and questions begin to flood his mind... questions he shouldn't have while in Ganymede's halls...
As the final trials that will determine whether he is the man that society demands or not loom ever closer, those questions linger in the back of Dylan's mind... and he finds himself drawn to a mysterious and yet attractive boy... and he must decide if he wishes to be the man that society demands him to be...
or the man that he wants to be.
From the cover alone, The Boyfriend Academy pulled at me like the softest little whisper... as if from a novel of dark knowledge whispering for me to learn its secrets... And when I began?
I fell hard.... and proceeded to devour this within a manner of two days. J.S. Strange has truly created a novel that is well-worthy of standing beside the other greats when it comes to dark academia... blending a beautiful story of romance (and even better, it's queer romance!), of coming of age and growing into adulthood... in a dystopian universe that holds all the elements of dark academia that you could ever desire... of secret societies, dangerous trials, and an immaculate school setting.... not only that, but J.S. Strange has managed to make this so much more... blending elements commonly found in mystery novels, or thrillers... adding to the tense, gripping atmosphere.
Overall, The Boyfriend Academy is an absolute masterpiece, and one that will most definitely linger in your mind for ages to come afterwards... not just for the message of sweet love, no matter how forbidden...This was my first work from the desk of J.S. Strange, and I will definitely be spreading the word to the rest of my book-loving friends about this novel. I look forward to reading more works from him, and (hopefully) delving back into Ganymede's halls...
Special thanks to Grace Edwards at One More Chapter for the invite to read this in advanced! Additional thanks go to HarperCollinsUK, One More Chapter, and Netgalley for this copy to read in advanced. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and the rest of my reviews may be found at: https://littlereapling.wixsite.com/fa....
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Boyfriend Academy by J S Strange
Love is forbidden. Truth is dangerous. Survival is everything.
And this book absolutely wrecked me in the best way.
From the very first page, The Boyfriend Academy pulls you into Ganymede’s, a prestigious and terrifying boarding school where boys are molded into society’s version of perfect men. Obedient. Controlled. Heteronormative. Graduate and you’re rewarded with a future. Fail and you might as well disappear. The stakes are brutal and suffocating, and the atmosphere is pure dark academia perfection.
Dylan Cecil just wants to survive. Keep his head down. Follow the rules. Graduate. But when his friend Blake vanishes without explanation, the cracks in Ganymede’s polished exterior start to show. Secrets seep through the walls. Questions become dangerous. And then there is Roman. Quiet. Magnetic. Impossible to read. The kind of person who makes you question everything you were taught to believe.
What I loved most about this book is how deeply it explores identity and repression. This is not just a dark academia romance. It is a coming of age story about unlearning what the world demands of you and deciding who you want to be instead. Dylan’s internal struggle felt raw and real, especially as the trials approach and the pressure to conform tightens. The tension is constant. Emotional. Psychological. And at times genuinely unsettling.
The romance is soft and aching and dangerous in the way forbidden love always is. Every interaction between Dylan and Roman felt loaded with meaning. Stolen moments. Lingering looks. The fear of being seen and the longing to be known. My favorite part was watching Dylan slowly reclaim his sense of self through that connection. It was beautiful and devastating at the same time.
The setting deserves its own standing ovation. Spiral towers. Secret societies. High stakes trials. A school that feels alive and predatory. J S Strange blends dark academia with dystopian elements and thriller level tension so seamlessly that I could not put this down. I devoured it in two days and immediately wanted to reread it.
Tropes and vibes
Dark academia
Queer romance
Forbidden love
Coming of age
Secret societies
High stakes trials
Dystopian control
If you liked dark academia with teeth, stories about identity and rebellion, queer romance under pressure, or books like The Secret History, Never Let Me Go, or A Deadly Education, you need to read this.
This was my first book by J S Strange and it absolutely will not be my last. Ganymede’s will haunt me for a long time.
#TheBoyfriendAcademy #JSStrange #SecretSociety #HarperCollinsUK #DarkAcademia
Love is forbidden. Truth is dangerous. Survival is everything.
And this book absolutely wrecked me in the best way.
From the very first page, The Boyfriend Academy pulls you into Ganymede’s, a prestigious and terrifying boarding school where boys are molded into society’s version of perfect men. Obedient. Controlled. Heteronormative. Graduate and you’re rewarded with a future. Fail and you might as well disappear. The stakes are brutal and suffocating, and the atmosphere is pure dark academia perfection.
Dylan Cecil just wants to survive. Keep his head down. Follow the rules. Graduate. But when his friend Blake vanishes without explanation, the cracks in Ganymede’s polished exterior start to show. Secrets seep through the walls. Questions become dangerous. And then there is Roman. Quiet. Magnetic. Impossible to read. The kind of person who makes you question everything you were taught to believe.
What I loved most about this book is how deeply it explores identity and repression. This is not just a dark academia romance. It is a coming of age story about unlearning what the world demands of you and deciding who you want to be instead. Dylan’s internal struggle felt raw and real, especially as the trials approach and the pressure to conform tightens. The tension is constant. Emotional. Psychological. And at times genuinely unsettling.
The romance is soft and aching and dangerous in the way forbidden love always is. Every interaction between Dylan and Roman felt loaded with meaning. Stolen moments. Lingering looks. The fear of being seen and the longing to be known. My favorite part was watching Dylan slowly reclaim his sense of self through that connection. It was beautiful and devastating at the same time.
The setting deserves its own standing ovation. Spiral towers. Secret societies. High stakes trials. A school that feels alive and predatory. J S Strange blends dark academia with dystopian elements and thriller level tension so seamlessly that I could not put this down. I devoured it in two days and immediately wanted to reread it.
Tropes and vibes
Dark academia
Queer romance
Forbidden love
Coming of age
Secret societies
High stakes trials
Dystopian control
If you liked dark academia with teeth, stories about identity and rebellion, queer romance under pressure, or books like The Secret History, Never Let Me Go, or A Deadly Education, you need to read this.
This was my first book by J S Strange and it absolutely will not be my last. Ganymede’s will haunt me for a long time.
#TheBoyfriendAcademy #JSStrange #SecretSociety #HarperCollinsUK #DarkAcademia
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Reading this, I couldn’t help but think of a quote from the Handmaid’s Tale “Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for some.”
If your favorite assigned reading in high school was A Separate Peace (it was mine)… you’ll probably enjoy this book. That’s one of the reasons I was so drawn to it. The writing is great! The plot fell a bit flat for me in some parts. I guessed a lot of twists from the beginning. I found myself wondering a lot about the hamlets and family structures. There was a bit of a plot hole about the boys disappearing. (SPOILER) We find out that they’re being experimented on to isolate the genes that cause them not to be deemed perfect. But it’s never explained to us how some of them end up living off the land separate from the country. Maybe we did, and I just missed it? I assume they ran away.
It was also a bit outlandish to me that the monarchy is so focused on conformity and perfection, yet there’s the outcasted people living seemingly very close to the school and no one is hunting them? The monarchy is just letting them go on existing?
I liked how we can assume that Dylan’s young life is paralleling his father’s life. He mentions several times that he feels like he’s living for a man he barely knew, but in the end, I feel that Dylan knew his dad like the back of his own hand. He is his dad, in a way.
My favorite line (and a stroke of genius writing) was when they graduated and Dylan listened to the clapping for Roman. “Cheering for the death of Roman and I.”
Overall, I really liked it. I just wish some plot holes/world building issues were addressed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.
If your favorite assigned reading in high school was A Separate Peace (it was mine)… you’ll probably enjoy this book. That’s one of the reasons I was so drawn to it. The writing is great! The plot fell a bit flat for me in some parts. I guessed a lot of twists from the beginning. I found myself wondering a lot about the hamlets and family structures. There was a bit of a plot hole about the boys disappearing. (SPOILER) We find out that they’re being experimented on to isolate the genes that cause them not to be deemed perfect. But it’s never explained to us how some of them end up living off the land separate from the country. Maybe we did, and I just missed it? I assume they ran away.
It was also a bit outlandish to me that the monarchy is so focused on conformity and perfection, yet there’s the outcasted people living seemingly very close to the school and no one is hunting them? The monarchy is just letting them go on existing?
I liked how we can assume that Dylan’s young life is paralleling his father’s life. He mentions several times that he feels like he’s living for a man he barely knew, but in the end, I feel that Dylan knew his dad like the back of his own hand. He is his dad, in a way.
My favorite line (and a stroke of genius writing) was when they graduated and Dylan listened to the clapping for Roman. “Cheering for the death of Roman and I.”
Overall, I really liked it. I just wish some plot holes/world building issues were addressed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was completely pulled into The Boyfriend Academy. On the surface, Ganymede’s feels like one of those elite boarding schools where perfection is the goal, but the more you read, the more you realize how dark and controlling this world really is. Boys aren’t just being “educated,” they’re being molded into a very specific version of manhood, and the consequences of failing are terrifying.
Dylan’s story really stuck with me. All he wants to do is keep his head down, graduate, and earn the future he’s been promised, but when his friend Blake disappears, it’s like a thread gets pulled loose, and suddenly he can’t ignore how wrong everything feels. And then there’s Roman, who is magnetic, mysterious, and impossible for Dylan to stop thinking about. Their connection adds this aching layer of longing and confusion that feels so real, especially in a place where love is forbidden and being yourself is dangerous.
The constant pressure of the trials, the whispers about what happens to boys who don’t measure up, and Dylan’s growing fear and doubt make the book feel tense in that slow, creeping way. But it’s also about identity, courage, and choosing who you want to be, even when the cost is high. It’s unsettling, emotional, and really thought-provoking, with a quiet tenderness beneath all the darkness.
Thank you to NetGalley, J.S. Strange, and One More Chapter for the eARC of this book.
Dylan’s story really stuck with me. All he wants to do is keep his head down, graduate, and earn the future he’s been promised, but when his friend Blake disappears, it’s like a thread gets pulled loose, and suddenly he can’t ignore how wrong everything feels. And then there’s Roman, who is magnetic, mysterious, and impossible for Dylan to stop thinking about. Their connection adds this aching layer of longing and confusion that feels so real, especially in a place where love is forbidden and being yourself is dangerous.
The constant pressure of the trials, the whispers about what happens to boys who don’t measure up, and Dylan’s growing fear and doubt make the book feel tense in that slow, creeping way. But it’s also about identity, courage, and choosing who you want to be, even when the cost is high. It’s unsettling, emotional, and really thought-provoking, with a quiet tenderness beneath all the darkness.
Thank you to NetGalley, J.S. Strange, and One More Chapter for the eARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Boyfriend Academy had a really fresh and original premise. That was what first drew me to request a review copy, and the idea in and of itself did work well in the book. It covered some interesting themes and explored several key societal issues. Given that, I wanted to like it more than I did, but unfortunately it did have some issues. At nearly 500 pages this was a reasonably long read, and sometimes it felt it. Some chapters I was engaged, but in others I found myself becoming bored and wishing things would move along a little faster. Dylan was a fairly well rounded character, but everyone else, even Roman, felt a little under-explored. Likewise, the world building felt a bit lacking in places. There were some holes in the explanations and I still had questions when the book ended. The ending itself could be taken as an end, but it also left the possibility of a sequel, so it was hard to know what the author's intentions were, unless the ambiguity was to give them the freedom to decide whether or not to write more later. In the end, I have decided to rate this as a 3.5-star read. I did have some issues with the way the text was executed, but the idea behind the story was good, so it is worth a look for that alone.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Having loved Jack's Look Up, Handsome, as soon as I heard about this I immediately added it to my tbr and couldn't wait to read it. So much so that the moment I was approved I started reading it right away. And wow. What a book!
Set in a futuristic Britain, where the monarchy will give you everything you could need for the perfect life, so long as you do as you are told, Dylan has been given a space at Ganymedes, an illustrious school for turning boys in men. Perfect men. But what unfolds couldn't be further from the truth. As his studies progress, slowly Dylan uncovers dark secrets about the school. Conspiracies, lies. But the more he learns, the more dangerous his situation becomes...
I adored this book so much. I absolutely devoured it and I am left gasping for more. The tension builds all the way through Jack's immaculate prose. At times I found it chilling and deeply personal. As someone who hid their sexuality as a teenager and was sure that if it was revealed then I would be shunned from society, reading about a world where that has become a reality was very close to home.
I cannot praise Jack and this book enough. I need book 2 right now!
Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for my arc!
Set in a futuristic Britain, where the monarchy will give you everything you could need for the perfect life, so long as you do as you are told, Dylan has been given a space at Ganymedes, an illustrious school for turning boys in men. Perfect men. But what unfolds couldn't be further from the truth. As his studies progress, slowly Dylan uncovers dark secrets about the school. Conspiracies, lies. But the more he learns, the more dangerous his situation becomes...
I adored this book so much. I absolutely devoured it and I am left gasping for more. The tension builds all the way through Jack's immaculate prose. At times I found it chilling and deeply personal. As someone who hid their sexuality as a teenager and was sure that if it was revealed then I would be shunned from society, reading about a world where that has become a reality was very close to home.
I cannot praise Jack and this book enough. I need book 2 right now!
Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for my arc!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Book Review: The Boyfriend Academy by J. S. Strange
Imagine a world where same-sex attraction is illegal, your partner is assigned, and love is something you are expected to learn in a classroom. The Boyfriend Academy turns that premise into a quietly devastating study of control, desire, and obligation. The men enrolled in the academy are drilled, graded, and corrected on how to perform intimacy, but what they want is rarely considered.
This book is quietly heartbreaking. You watch the characters try to reclaim their desires and dismantle the system from within, only to realize they must still live the lives that were planned for them. Beneath the story’s precise observation of rules and control is a melancholy question: what happens when love is not yours to choose and desire becomes something you are forced to manage?
Strange’s writing is sharp and measured, balancing critique with clarity. The story moves quickly but leaves a lingering weight, making you think about the absurdity of systems that attempt to optimize human connection while erasing the messy, real parts of it. This is a book that is clever, incisive, and quietly devastating all at once.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest and unbiased review.
Imagine a world where same-sex attraction is illegal, your partner is assigned, and love is something you are expected to learn in a classroom. The Boyfriend Academy turns that premise into a quietly devastating study of control, desire, and obligation. The men enrolled in the academy are drilled, graded, and corrected on how to perform intimacy, but what they want is rarely considered.
This book is quietly heartbreaking. You watch the characters try to reclaim their desires and dismantle the system from within, only to realize they must still live the lives that were planned for them. Beneath the story’s precise observation of rules and control is a melancholy question: what happens when love is not yours to choose and desire becomes something you are forced to manage?
Strange’s writing is sharp and measured, balancing critique with clarity. The story moves quickly but leaves a lingering weight, making you think about the absurdity of systems that attempt to optimize human connection while erasing the messy, real parts of it. This is a book that is clever, incisive, and quietly devastating all at once.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest and unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Are you as perfect as can be, or do you still need to correct some small errors of your being?”
In the year 2105, Ganymede’s is a boarding school that polishes young men to perfection.
This is a coming of age and sexual awakening story of Dylan, a gay teen struggling with his feelings and trying to keep it hidden from those around him because being gay is illegal and could be punishable by death, while also navigating his school and the odd occurrences going on.
Overall good story but the world building lacked a little for me. I absolutely enjoyed the mystery of what was really going on at Ganymede’s! It was such an emotional story and honestly heartbreaking that Dylan and Roman had to make the choices they were forced to make.
The ending was absolutely NOT what I was expecting so 👏🏻 for that JS Strange. It definitely felt like a second book coming which I will 100% read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. Opinions are my own.
January 5, 2026
WOW what a book to start 2026 with ❤️
I don’t remember the last time I stayed up until 4am because I couldn’t put a book down
This dystopian world that Jack has created is quite a scary one for anyone who tried to hide that they were gay because in this world it is illegal and could lead to death or banishment
I absolutely loved the characters in the book you really feel for the main character Dylan and root for him to find his happy ending
I was on the edge of my seat by the end of the book
This is a 5 star book for me and is out April 9th go and pre-order your copy now you won’t be disappointed
I NEED BOOK 2 ❤️💛💚🧡💙💜
I don’t remember the last time I stayed up until 4am because I couldn’t put a book down
This dystopian world that Jack has created is quite a scary one for anyone who tried to hide that they were gay because in this world it is illegal and could lead to death or banishment
I absolutely loved the characters in the book you really feel for the main character Dylan and root for him to find his happy ending
I was on the edge of my seat by the end of the book
This is a 5 star book for me and is out April 9th go and pre-order your copy now you won’t be disappointed
I NEED BOOK 2 ❤️💛💚🧡💙💜
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This one delivers exactly what you'd expect from a dark academia premise—a repressive boarding school, secret societies, and a tense, forbidden romance. The mystery around the missing friend and the high-stakes trials are engaging and keep the pages turning.
However, the world-building felt a bit thin, and the social rules of the society outside the school were hard to picture. Some of the plot twists were predictable, and the characters, while likable, didn't fully break out of their archetypes. It's a solid, entertaining read for the genre, but it didn't quite leave a lasting mark. Good, but not that great.
However, the world-building felt a bit thin, and the social rules of the society outside the school were hard to picture. Some of the plot twists were predictable, and the characters, while likable, didn't fully break out of their archetypes. It's a solid, entertaining read for the genre, but it didn't quite leave a lasting mark. Good, but not that great.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When I was in high school, I had to read A Separate Peace. It was my first time reading a novel like that, and I remember being surprised at how interesting I found it. This books feels like a modern-day dystopian take on that novel.
While some of the political takes felt a little heavy handed, Strangers wove a magnificent tale of coming of age, in a dark academic and dystopian setting. Add in queer characters, and I was all in.
I found myself devouring this novel, trying to read it in between tasks at work, and staying up late to get through it. I’m looking forward to the next installment.
While some of the political takes felt a little heavy handed, Strangers wove a magnificent tale of coming of age, in a dark academic and dystopian setting. Add in queer characters, and I was all in.
I found myself devouring this novel, trying to read it in between tasks at work, and staying up late to get through it. I’m looking forward to the next installment.
January 22, 2026
I picked this book up because I love the author and the front cover was to die for. I’m so glad I did because I dropped everything else I was reading and immediately focused on flying through this perfection. The dark academia theme isn’t one I’d normally pick up but I was hooked from page one. Dylan is a complex character, there’s so much strength and bravery to his character, more than he ever knew and watching him grow into that was a captivating. There were little parts of the puzzle weaved into this book that I enjoyed unravelling as we progressed and the ending was perfect. I obviously want, need and demand more. Thank you for the opportunity of reviewing such a wonderful book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3/5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the story in this book. Reading this was an amazing start to 2026, and this is definitely going in my top dark academia books for the year. The only thing I truly struggled with while reading the book was the world-building and the timeline, but other than that, the overall message and story shone very hard. I am over the moon to have received this ARC and can't wait to read more from the author.
3/5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the story in this book. Reading this was an amazing start to 2026, and this is definitely going in my top dark academia books for the year. The only thing I truly struggled with while reading the book was the world-building and the timeline, but other than that, the overall message and story shone very hard. I am over the moon to have received this ARC and can't wait to read more from the author.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Boyfriend Academy's core message is accepting your awesome gay self in a world that's definitely out to get you.
The main character Dylan doesn't shy away from vulnerability, and as narrator wears his heart on his sleeve. His aching need to belong and how he fits in with his new world order society is deftly woven in with the dark academia setting.
It does get a tad heavy handed and repetitive at times - especially passages about Roman, the love interest, which read as more traditional YA and I found myself getting frustrated with.
3 stars, and thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the ARC.
The main character Dylan doesn't shy away from vulnerability, and as narrator wears his heart on his sleeve. His aching need to belong and how he fits in with his new world order society is deftly woven in with the dark academia setting.
It does get a tad heavy handed and repetitive at times - especially passages about Roman, the love interest, which read as more traditional YA and I found myself getting frustrated with.
3 stars, and thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Talk about a book that will absolutely wreck you - this is it. This book is a dark academia book that reads like a dystopian reverse of The Handmaid's Tale where men are molded into what society wants them to be. It is strange, dark, emotional and very raw. I loved the character arcs in this book because it is just raw, vulnerable and exposed as the FMC fights to decide if he should be what the world wants or who he was created to be.
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January 23, 2026DNF 16%
Although I loved the premise for this book, I wasn’t a fan of the writing, with some characters and the world building feeling under developed. Having said that this book touches on some important themes that I’m glad to read about.
Summary: Dylan navigates Ganymede’s strict boarding school, seeking answers after Blake’s disappearance, amidst trials and growing feelings for Roman.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book, all thoughts are my own
Although I loved the premise for this book, I wasn’t a fan of the writing, with some characters and the world building feeling under developed. Having said that this book touches on some important themes that I’m glad to read about.
Summary: Dylan navigates Ganymede’s strict boarding school, seeking answers after Blake’s disappearance, amidst trials and growing feelings for Roman.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book, all thoughts are my own
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