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Bad Habits
AN APPLE BEST BOOK OF FEBRUARY
"It is almost impossible to find the words for a truly original novel such as Bad Habits, a primal scream of a book that could be written only by this author at this time. Amy Gentry is in utter control of this anaconda of a story as it twists, squeezes and lashes out at the reader. And all the reader can do is stare helplessly back, mesmerized. In case it's not clear, I loved it."
--Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of The Sunburn and Lady of the Lake
A whip-smart psychological thriller from the author of Good as Gone (a New York Times Notable Book), in which a grad student becomes embroiled in a deadly rivalry that changes her into someone unrecognizable to her struggling family, her ambitious academic friends, and even herself
Claire "Mac" Woods--a professor enjoying her newfound hotshot status at an academic conference--finally has the acceptance and admiration she has long craved. But at the conference's hotel bar, Mac is surprised to run into a face from a past she'd rather the moneyed, effortlessly perfect Gwendolyn Whitney, Mac's foil, rival, and former best friend.
When Gwen moved to town in high school, Claire--then known as Mac, a poor kid from a troubled family who had too much on her plate--saw what it meant to have. Money, sophistication, culture, the very blueprints to success. Mac had almost nothing, except the will to change. Change she did, habitually grinding herself to work as hard as straight-A Gwen, even eventually getting admitted into the same elite graduate program as Gwen. But then Mac and Gwen become entangled with the department's power-couple professors and compete head-to-head for a life changing fellowship. The more twisted the track toward success becomes, the more Mac has to contort herself to stay one step ahead--which deception signals the point of no return?
Jack-knifing between Mac's world-expanding graduate days and the crucible of the hotel and its unexpected guests, Bad Habits follows Mac's reckoning between her hardscrabble past and tenuous present. What, exactly, did Mac do to get what she has today? And what will she do to keep it? With taut, powerful prose, Amy Gentry asks how far we'll go to get what we want--and whether we can ever truly leave the past behind.
"It is almost impossible to find the words for a truly original novel such as Bad Habits, a primal scream of a book that could be written only by this author at this time. Amy Gentry is in utter control of this anaconda of a story as it twists, squeezes and lashes out at the reader. And all the reader can do is stare helplessly back, mesmerized. In case it's not clear, I loved it."
--Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of The Sunburn and Lady of the Lake
A whip-smart psychological thriller from the author of Good as Gone (a New York Times Notable Book), in which a grad student becomes embroiled in a deadly rivalry that changes her into someone unrecognizable to her struggling family, her ambitious academic friends, and even herself
Claire "Mac" Woods--a professor enjoying her newfound hotshot status at an academic conference--finally has the acceptance and admiration she has long craved. But at the conference's hotel bar, Mac is surprised to run into a face from a past she'd rather the moneyed, effortlessly perfect Gwendolyn Whitney, Mac's foil, rival, and former best friend.
When Gwen moved to town in high school, Claire--then known as Mac, a poor kid from a troubled family who had too much on her plate--saw what it meant to have. Money, sophistication, culture, the very blueprints to success. Mac had almost nothing, except the will to change. Change she did, habitually grinding herself to work as hard as straight-A Gwen, even eventually getting admitted into the same elite graduate program as Gwen. But then Mac and Gwen become entangled with the department's power-couple professors and compete head-to-head for a life changing fellowship. The more twisted the track toward success becomes, the more Mac has to contort herself to stay one step ahead--which deception signals the point of no return?
Jack-knifing between Mac's world-expanding graduate days and the crucible of the hotel and its unexpected guests, Bad Habits follows Mac's reckoning between her hardscrabble past and tenuous present. What, exactly, did Mac do to get what she has today? And what will she do to keep it? With taut, powerful prose, Amy Gentry asks how far we'll go to get what we want--and whether we can ever truly leave the past behind.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 2, 2021
137 people are currently reading
3174 people want to read
About the author
Amy Gentry
13 books556 followersAmy Gentry is the author of the novels Good as Gone, Last Woman Standing, and Bad Habits, as well as the 33 1/3 book about Tori Amos's Boys for Pele. Also a critic, she has reviewed for the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Review of Books, Paris Review, LitHub, and Electric Literature, as well as writing introductions for two books in the NYRB Classics line. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Chicago and lives in Austin, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
July 20, 2020
This is my favorite book from this author so far. ;)
February 19, 2021
Bad Habits firmly cements Amy Gentry as a novelist who writes powerful thrillers about the darkest corners of the human heart. Clare, known as Mac during her youth, wants desperately not to be poor and stuck in her dead-end town. And when dazzling, rich Gwen enters her life in high school, the two become fast friends, best friends. They decide to attend graduate school together, both embarking into a prestigious program called just that.
The Program is both a skewering of academia and a deep, dark dive into how far prople will go to get what they want and the damage it can cause to not just to others but to themselves.
As always, Amy Gentry writes beautifully about the darkness that's hidden in all of us and what happens when it's unleashed and more frighteningly, how we can try and try to escape who we are and how that can never happen.
For those (like me!) who love novels about the coldness of the human heart and the destruction it can bring-not just physically but emotionally/psychologically--this is an absolute must read.
The Program is both a skewering of academia and a deep, dark dive into how far prople will go to get what they want and the damage it can cause to not just to others but to themselves.
As always, Amy Gentry writes beautifully about the darkness that's hidden in all of us and what happens when it's unleashed and more frighteningly, how we can try and try to escape who we are and how that can never happen.
For those (like me!) who love novels about the coldness of the human heart and the destruction it can bring-not just physically but emotionally/psychologically--this is an absolute must read.
April 12, 2022
Bad habits, bad habits, bad habits.
I have to kick my bad habit of relying on trusted authors to consistently deliver compelling reads.
Another bad habit of mine? Not doubting the accuracy of the promotional paragraphs that publishers write to sell books.
Amy Gentry has always been one of my "go-to" authors.
When the release of Amy Gentry's "Bad Habits", her new 2022 "whip-smart psychological thriller" was announced -- I was in.
Little did I know that "Bad Habits" was NOT a "whip-smart psychological thriller".
Instead, it was a very, very, very slow-burn introspective saga of a bisexual graduate student's dysfunctional family, her liaisons and friendships, and her difficulty in navigating power struggles at a university.
I trusted author Amy Gentry and, therefore, I listened to the entire book (UGH!); with optimism and hope that it would get better. (It didn't).
I listened to the audiobook read by Rebecca Lowman. The narration was excellent but the book was not.
One star rounded up.
I have to kick my bad habit of relying on trusted authors to consistently deliver compelling reads.
Another bad habit of mine? Not doubting the accuracy of the promotional paragraphs that publishers write to sell books.
Amy Gentry has always been one of my "go-to" authors.
When the release of Amy Gentry's "Bad Habits", her new 2022 "whip-smart psychological thriller" was announced -- I was in.
Little did I know that "Bad Habits" was NOT a "whip-smart psychological thriller".
Instead, it was a very, very, very slow-burn introspective saga of a bisexual graduate student's dysfunctional family, her liaisons and friendships, and her difficulty in navigating power struggles at a university.
I trusted author Amy Gentry and, therefore, I listened to the entire book (UGH!); with optimism and hope that it would get better. (It didn't).
I listened to the audiobook read by Rebecca Lowman. The narration was excellent but the book was not.
One star rounded up.
December 25, 2020
How far would you go to protect the position you've worked so hard to achieve? Claire, formerly known as Mac, has been trying to be good enough, to climb the academic ladder, mostly to prove herself better than Gwyn, her best friend from college. Gwyn was wealthy and smart, the girl who had it all, while Claire came from a poor family with an addict for a mother and a special needs sister, and had to work hard to stay at the top in school, help her family, and to get an enviable position at a respected college. This jealous competition is deeply rooted.
This story kept my attention and was a good thriller. I was surprised by some of the characters' actions and the story was captivating.
Thanks to Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through Netgalley for an advance copy.
This story kept my attention and was a good thriller. I was surprised by some of the characters' actions and the story was captivating.
Thanks to Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through Netgalley for an advance copy.
October 5, 2020
Wow! In
Bad Habits
Amy Gentry deftly explores power struggles and their subtle—and not so subtle—shifts and consequences. As the truth of what happened one night a decade ago claws its way to the surface you’ll be switching your allegiances from left to right and back again. Whip-smart, and beautifully written,
Bad Habits
is one hell of an exploration of what can happen when friendship tangos with an insatiable appetite for success and control. This novel is unexpected, surprising and has a diabolical ending I won’t forget any time soon.
July 8, 2021
HA... there are many ways to determine how good a book is. But one that ends with a quiet evil smile forming on your lips and continues even after the cover is closed and the front cover is reexamined for the last clue, can only be an indicator of sheer genius.
Amy Gentry has written an excellent novel of deeply traumatized personalities deliquesced by poverty, family dissolvement, ambition and achievement in business mixes and twists in the powerful setting of educational institutions. Gentry exposes the ruthlessness of academic competition that incites backstabbing, nail clawing, and psychological struggle of planting one's flag on the top of the heap of graduate advisors and students alike, to win the awards and fellowships so highly coveted and necessary for a lucrative career in academia. The story is bone-chilling in many ways.
I spent half of the book attempting to link the deceptive clues Gentry offered, only to find that I was a long way off. The plot is sharp, smart, and written in breviloquent language that mirrors the academic flare! WELL DONE, MS. GENTRY I will be back for more!
5 stars
Happy Reading!
Amy Gentry has written an excellent novel of deeply traumatized personalities deliquesced by poverty, family dissolvement, ambition and achievement in business mixes and twists in the powerful setting of educational institutions. Gentry exposes the ruthlessness of academic competition that incites backstabbing, nail clawing, and psychological struggle of planting one's flag on the top of the heap of graduate advisors and students alike, to win the awards and fellowships so highly coveted and necessary for a lucrative career in academia. The story is bone-chilling in many ways.
I spent half of the book attempting to link the deceptive clues Gentry offered, only to find that I was a long way off. The plot is sharp, smart, and written in breviloquent language that mirrors the academic flare! WELL DONE, MS. GENTRY I will be back for more!
5 stars
Happy Reading!
September 9, 2020
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of BAD HABITS by Amy Gentry in exchange for my honest review.***
Mac, a former child pageant winner until her father left the family, now a poor teenager often forced to care for her autistic sister, feels lucky to be befriended by Gwen, a wealthy, brighter girl. Later, Mac follows Gwen to a prestigious grad school called The Program. Ten years later, now called Claire, she encounters Gwen in a hotel bar and the former friends confront the reason for their estrangement.
AS GOOD AS GONE was one of my favorite books, so I was excited to receive an ARC of BAD HABITS. BAD HABITS is a better book than my enjoyment of it. For me the book started off strong. I empathized with Mac and her situation as a child and teen. She began losing me in grad school and by the time she was Claire, I didn’t like her one bit.
BAD HABITS is purposeful steeped in academic pretentiousness, imbalances of power and lack of ethics, which I normally love. I prefer books that have someone to root, even if the character is unlikable. Claire had a coldness that prevented me from rooting for her. Amy Gentry wrote that descent into sociopathy in a completely believable and understandable way. Her meticulous attention to detail and character is part of her strength as a writer.
BAD HABITS is another solid effort from Amy Gentry.
Mac, a former child pageant winner until her father left the family, now a poor teenager often forced to care for her autistic sister, feels lucky to be befriended by Gwen, a wealthy, brighter girl. Later, Mac follows Gwen to a prestigious grad school called The Program. Ten years later, now called Claire, she encounters Gwen in a hotel bar and the former friends confront the reason for their estrangement.
AS GOOD AS GONE was one of my favorite books, so I was excited to receive an ARC of BAD HABITS. BAD HABITS is a better book than my enjoyment of it. For me the book started off strong. I empathized with Mac and her situation as a child and teen. She began losing me in grad school and by the time she was Claire, I didn’t like her one bit.
BAD HABITS is purposeful steeped in academic pretentiousness, imbalances of power and lack of ethics, which I normally love. I prefer books that have someone to root, even if the character is unlikable. Claire had a coldness that prevented me from rooting for her. Amy Gentry wrote that descent into sociopathy in a completely believable and understandable way. Her meticulous attention to detail and character is part of her strength as a writer.
BAD HABITS is another solid effort from Amy Gentry.
November 15, 2020
A smart mystery thriller of economic class, ambition, personality, and to what lengths a person will go to fight, and keep, their hard-won position in life.
Bad Habits is the story of Claire, a professor enjoying the pinnacle of her career with a noteworthy presentation at an elite hotel, when she is shocked to see her nemesis and former best friend, Gwen, in the hotel bar. Waking up the next day, addled from a serious hangover, Claire struggles to see through her foggy memory and what she may have said to Gwen the night before. She needs to know “how much” Gwen knows. As her mind reels, Claire takes us back to her teen years when she first met the wealthy and sparkling Gwen, and to their post-grad college years, when everything fell apart.
Well-constructed and well crafted, Bad Habits keeps the reader guessing as to what exactly Claire is so desperate to keep hidden and why.
If there are any critiques about this novel, there are two small things that come to mind: 1) The lackluster title, which doesn’t intrigue a reader nor describe the novel’s content in any meaningful way; and 2) It suffers a bit in comparison to a similar story this reader recently reviewed, Susie Yang’s White Ivy. While the story line of Bad Habits is a lot more satisfying and sensical than White Ivy, it flagged behind a bit in both wit and sense of place.
Sure to be a favorite of those who love a thriller that keeps you guessing, Desiree did find Bad Habits an enjoyable read that’s worth the reader’s time.
A big thank you to Amy Gentry, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for providing a free Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.
Bad Habits is available February 2, 2021 in Hardcover, Paperback, Audio CD, and for Kindle. For a copy of Bad Habits, please consider purchasing from BookShop.org, the online bookstore that donates 75% of the book’s profit margin to independent bookstores. Desiree does receive a small commission if you purchase through this link, however, she shares this out of her enduring love for corner, indie book stores everywhere.
#BadHabits
#AmyGentry
#MarinerBooks
#HoughtonMifflinHarcourt
#NetGalley
Bad Habits is the story of Claire, a professor enjoying the pinnacle of her career with a noteworthy presentation at an elite hotel, when she is shocked to see her nemesis and former best friend, Gwen, in the hotel bar. Waking up the next day, addled from a serious hangover, Claire struggles to see through her foggy memory and what she may have said to Gwen the night before. She needs to know “how much” Gwen knows. As her mind reels, Claire takes us back to her teen years when she first met the wealthy and sparkling Gwen, and to their post-grad college years, when everything fell apart.
Well-constructed and well crafted, Bad Habits keeps the reader guessing as to what exactly Claire is so desperate to keep hidden and why.
If there are any critiques about this novel, there are two small things that come to mind: 1) The lackluster title, which doesn’t intrigue a reader nor describe the novel’s content in any meaningful way; and 2) It suffers a bit in comparison to a similar story this reader recently reviewed, Susie Yang’s White Ivy. While the story line of Bad Habits is a lot more satisfying and sensical than White Ivy, it flagged behind a bit in both wit and sense of place.
Sure to be a favorite of those who love a thriller that keeps you guessing, Desiree did find Bad Habits an enjoyable read that’s worth the reader’s time.
A big thank you to Amy Gentry, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for providing a free Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.
Bad Habits is available February 2, 2021 in Hardcover, Paperback, Audio CD, and for Kindle. For a copy of Bad Habits, please consider purchasing from BookShop.org, the online bookstore that donates 75% of the book’s profit margin to independent bookstores. Desiree does receive a small commission if you purchase through this link, however, she shares this out of her enduring love for corner, indie book stores everywhere.
#BadHabits
#AmyGentry
#MarinerBooks
#HoughtonMifflinHarcourt
#NetGalley
February 2, 2021
BAD HABITS is everything I love about Amy Gentry's work: smart, thrilling, engrossing, dark, twisted, and brilliantly written. For me, it was also a window into the fascinating and deeply disturbing world of competitive academia. I highly recommend Gentry's other books as well!
January 3, 2021
Claire "Mac" Woods is now a well-respected professor in academia--making her the person she's always dreamed of becoming. But ten years ago, she was just Mac. A poor student at university: part of The Project, with her best friend Gwen Whitney. When Gwen moved to Mac's hometown, her life changed. Through the lens of Gwen's wealthy life, Mac saw another future for herself than one with an addict mom; a sick sister; and a deadbeat dad. But while part of The Project, Gwen and Mac are sucked into the power dynamics of a married professor couple, with disastrous consequences. Meeting by accident a decade later, the two are hashing things out--but will uncovering long buried secrets do anyone any good?
This was a well-done and suspenseful book, but it took me a while to get into it for some reason. Mostly by design, the characters are incredibly unlikable and nearly impossible to feel any attachment for. Even Mac, our supposed protagonist, has her irritating and questionable moments. I think of this book as dark and twisted people doing dark and twisted things. But, there's some delight in that, sometimes, right? Because Gentry gives us really twisted people and what happens can be really dark.
If you're someone who came up in academia, this book will really hit home, as most of our characters' motivations center around getting ahead in that world. Mac envies Gwen and her "easy" life more than anything. And the two professors? Well, I'm not sure I can even *explain* them without giving away any spoilers. Let's just say it's a cutthroat world out there.
There are certainly some twists here--more at the end, where things pick up. There's an "event" that we know happened, and we don't really find out what transpired until near the book's conclusions. At times this is suspenseful; at others, frustrating. Is the power grab that's happening really worth it all? Only our characters can truly say, I suppose.
Overall, this a dark and sometimes slow-moving novel, but it has its share of surprises. It will be especially intriguing if you love academia-themed novels and power-grabbing characters. 3 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in return for an unbiased review. It is available 2/2/2021.
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This was a well-done and suspenseful book, but it took me a while to get into it for some reason. Mostly by design, the characters are incredibly unlikable and nearly impossible to feel any attachment for. Even Mac, our supposed protagonist, has her irritating and questionable moments. I think of this book as dark and twisted people doing dark and twisted things. But, there's some delight in that, sometimes, right? Because Gentry gives us really twisted people and what happens can be really dark.
If you're someone who came up in academia, this book will really hit home, as most of our characters' motivations center around getting ahead in that world. Mac envies Gwen and her "easy" life more than anything. And the two professors? Well, I'm not sure I can even *explain* them without giving away any spoilers. Let's just say it's a cutthroat world out there.
There are certainly some twists here--more at the end, where things pick up. There's an "event" that we know happened, and we don't really find out what transpired until near the book's conclusions. At times this is suspenseful; at others, frustrating. Is the power grab that's happening really worth it all? Only our characters can truly say, I suppose.
Overall, this a dark and sometimes slow-moving novel, but it has its share of surprises. It will be especially intriguing if you love academia-themed novels and power-grabbing characters. 3 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in return for an unbiased review. It is available 2/2/2021.
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ PaperBackSwap ~ Smashbomb
February 20, 2021
Once again, Amy Gentry has written a book I could not put down. BAD HABITS is a rich, compelling story about ambition, privilege, and the toxicity threaded through academia. The protagonist, Mac, was born without the wealth or advantages of her best friend, Gwen, but when she follows Gwen to grad school, she believes she will finally carve a place for herself among the elite. What she finds, instead, is a tortuous program, shifting allegiances, and dangerous mind games. All of it comes to a head one night when tragedy strikes—or is orchestrated—creating a memory that Mac works to put behind her for the next ten years. But the past comes roaring back when she runs into Gwen again, and old secrets threaten to upend the successful career that Mac has built for herself. This book is filled with deliciously complex characters, each with layers upon layers that keep revealing themselves right up to the final page. Amy’s writing is impeccable, each sentence sharp and precise, cutting to the bone every time. I really enjoyed the narrative structure of the book—cutting back and forth between the past (Mac’s time in “the Program”) and the present (scenes at a hotel where Mac is forced to confront what she’s tried to bury). Both storylines are taut with tension, intersecting in ways that skillfully illuminate the novel’s themes. If you love dark academia, you will devour this book.
September 26, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this macabre view of academics. I had a much longer review that I accidentally erased, but I think that sentence sums it up.
File Under: Pretty Little Grad Student Liars
File Under: Pretty Little Grad Student Liars
August 21, 2020
I have been a Twitter fan of Amy Gentry for a long time, but due to my bad habit (haha, see what I did there) of prioritizing ARCs, I hadn't read any of her published work yet. So I jumped at the chance to download this forthcoming release, and I'm so glad I did. I will now be prioritizing her backlist.
BAD HABITS is a deep character study, with professor Claire/Mac Woods as its center. As the novel opens, Claire is a professor who has just finished giving a keynote at a conference. She's at the hotel with a young graduate student she plans to take back to her room - when she spots her ex-best friend, Gwen, at the bar. After years of not seeing Gwen, Claire wants to reconnect. But there is a sordid reason why they haven't been in touch - and the story is unfurled in flashbacks, when Claire went by her first name, Mackenzie/Mac. The women grew up together and went off to the same school, Dwight Handler University, to study an esoteric field called "Emerging Studies." But the magnetic woman who ran the program - Bethany Ladd - drove a wedge between them. And Mac realized just how far she could go to get what she wanted.
There is so much good stuff in this book - from the deft, surprising writing to the subtle turn of the plot. Tension simmers on every page, from Mac's background of growing up with a mother on drugs and a sister with special needs, to the secrets Bethany carries with her that seed the entire Emerging Studies program. There's also humor, highlighting how ridiculous academics can get when they get all up into their own thoughts. The thrills are a slow burn, but once the suspense ratchets up, readers will be glued to the pages. I'm excited to recommend this one to my fellow writers and library patrons.
BAD HABITS is a deep character study, with professor Claire/Mac Woods as its center. As the novel opens, Claire is a professor who has just finished giving a keynote at a conference. She's at the hotel with a young graduate student she plans to take back to her room - when she spots her ex-best friend, Gwen, at the bar. After years of not seeing Gwen, Claire wants to reconnect. But there is a sordid reason why they haven't been in touch - and the story is unfurled in flashbacks, when Claire went by her first name, Mackenzie/Mac. The women grew up together and went off to the same school, Dwight Handler University, to study an esoteric field called "Emerging Studies." But the magnetic woman who ran the program - Bethany Ladd - drove a wedge between them. And Mac realized just how far she could go to get what she wanted.
There is so much good stuff in this book - from the deft, surprising writing to the subtle turn of the plot. Tension simmers on every page, from Mac's background of growing up with a mother on drugs and a sister with special needs, to the secrets Bethany carries with her that seed the entire Emerging Studies program. There's also humor, highlighting how ridiculous academics can get when they get all up into their own thoughts. The thrills are a slow burn, but once the suspense ratchets up, readers will be glued to the pages. I'm excited to recommend this one to my fellow writers and library patrons.
February 15, 2021
I raced through this Secret History-esque dark academia thriller that combines the realistic details of grad school -- the free food after a job talk, the not-a-question-but-a-comment Q&A sections, the hunger for acknowledgement that brews tension among classmates and professors alike -- with the twisty, electrically charged suspense of all my favorite thrillers. Mac's thirst to prove herself and the complicated questions of class and money, and how these unspoken issues factor into an Ivy Tower setting that's supposedly 100% cerebral and "above" such matters, make this an unforgettable read.
March 4, 2021
The beautifully/scary thing about postgraduate education is that you don’t have to embellish to create an effective ambiance for a thriller. This is especially the case with the casual paranoia stemming from imposter syndrome and codependency that’s far too common in many humanities PhD programs. Most people who’ve never spent much time in academe probably only heard about the psychological tortures possible in an advisor-student dynamic when the case against famous queer theorist Avital Ronell filed by a former lover/student was made public. I sometimes wonder if the reason why so many humanities academics came to Ronell’s defense rather than the student’s was because competitive programs are unbelievably awful for student health.
Those of us who make it to the other side are all kind of numb to the awful things that can happen regardless of discipline. There are so many messed up things that are commonplace: seminars designed by professors to help them work out their next book (rather than prioritizing teaching students), the weird financial grift that provides the financial backing to most of our research (too real), guest speakers being puffed up before an invited lecture only to be torn down in the Q&A, and rather than mourning a tragedy with any decency, some choose to instead milk the moment as the inspiration of a new publication.
It’s all hard to believe from the outside, but those of us in it see these unbelievable things on a regular basis. It’s no wonder there’s a flourishing of Academic Thrillers in publishing these days. All Amy Gentry had to do was turn up the volume on a few choice dials to craft this story. And boy, is it a tightly crafted story! At many points the satire is pitch perfect. When the research topic hit a bit close to home (with the sudden appearance of an ethnomusicologist, no less), I howled in delight. So ridiculous, and yet it could totally happen. I know of a musicologist in an interdisciplinary humanities program and he totally could have done this type of research. Thanks for that, Amy Gentry.
Alas, some of the twists towards the end bent credulity (well, not unlike Awad’s Bunny, which is also too much fun for survivors of grad school), which is why I dropped the score a tad. Still, I highly recommend it. I could not stop reading this book...
Those of us who make it to the other side are all kind of numb to the awful things that can happen regardless of discipline. There are so many messed up things that are commonplace: seminars designed by professors to help them work out their next book (rather than prioritizing teaching students), the weird financial grift that provides the financial backing to most of our research (too real), guest speakers being puffed up before an invited lecture only to be torn down in the Q&A, and rather than mourning a tragedy with any decency, some choose to instead milk the moment as the inspiration of a new publication.
It’s all hard to believe from the outside, but those of us in it see these unbelievable things on a regular basis. It’s no wonder there’s a flourishing of Academic Thrillers in publishing these days. All Amy Gentry had to do was turn up the volume on a few choice dials to craft this story. And boy, is it a tightly crafted story! At many points the satire is pitch perfect. When the research topic hit a bit close to home (with the sudden appearance of an ethnomusicologist, no less), I howled in delight. So ridiculous, and yet it could totally happen. I know of a musicologist in an interdisciplinary humanities program and he totally could have done this type of research. Thanks for that, Amy Gentry.
Alas, some of the twists towards the end bent credulity (well, not unlike Awad’s Bunny, which is also too much fun for survivors of grad school), which is why I dropped the score a tad. Still, I highly recommend it. I could not stop reading this book...
July 29, 2020
“Every year, I know which of my students is going to get the Joyner. My students
don’t know, but they know I know. I have never been wrong
about who was the best fit. Not once.” She tented her fingers in
front of her. “Some might say I have a knack for choosing the
right horse.”
This is a quote from Machiavellian Bethany, graduate professor of students Mackenzie and Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn is the uber clever, ultra rich, beautiful, cultured friend of MacKenzie, the poor girl; the scholarship kid who is desperate to achieve, prove herself, and do well. The girls met in high school when Gwen moved to their town, arrived at school and overwhelmed MacKenzie and others. It was then in high school that MacKenzie became competitive, working ultra hard to get all As and be as good as Gwendolyn, who excelled academically and always got As. All MacKenzie has is a strong will and perseverance. Her mum tells her that she gave her an unusual name as she wanted her to be special and successful.
Her hard work pays off. She gets into the same elite graduate programme as Gwen. Then at graduate school, Bethany prompts her to behave in ways she normally wouldn’t with the lure of the prestigious and sought after Joyner prize. Bethany manipulates MacKenzie by telling her that Gwen is the smartest student she has ever taught but that MacKenzie is stronger than Gwen, and because of that she could sweep the Joyner prize from under her nose. MacKenzie and Gwen compete furiously to gain this coveted Joyner prize.
MacKenzie is now a professor, enjoying her superior status as she attends an academic conference. She feels elated and invincible as she has achieved the acceptance that she has craved for so long. Others envy and admire her. In the bar, she meets her old friend and rival, Gwen. This is a shock to her as she is confronted with the memories of the tactics she engaged in to win the Joyner prize. Has the past well and truly caught up with her? Could she be exposed and possibly lose all that she has fought so hard to gain and now holds dear?
This is an engaging psychological thriller. I found it absorbing and I recommend it to others.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a frank review.
don’t know, but they know I know. I have never been wrong
about who was the best fit. Not once.” She tented her fingers in
front of her. “Some might say I have a knack for choosing the
right horse.”
This is a quote from Machiavellian Bethany, graduate professor of students Mackenzie and Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn is the uber clever, ultra rich, beautiful, cultured friend of MacKenzie, the poor girl; the scholarship kid who is desperate to achieve, prove herself, and do well. The girls met in high school when Gwen moved to their town, arrived at school and overwhelmed MacKenzie and others. It was then in high school that MacKenzie became competitive, working ultra hard to get all As and be as good as Gwendolyn, who excelled academically and always got As. All MacKenzie has is a strong will and perseverance. Her mum tells her that she gave her an unusual name as she wanted her to be special and successful.
Her hard work pays off. She gets into the same elite graduate programme as Gwen. Then at graduate school, Bethany prompts her to behave in ways she normally wouldn’t with the lure of the prestigious and sought after Joyner prize. Bethany manipulates MacKenzie by telling her that Gwen is the smartest student she has ever taught but that MacKenzie is stronger than Gwen, and because of that she could sweep the Joyner prize from under her nose. MacKenzie and Gwen compete furiously to gain this coveted Joyner prize.
MacKenzie is now a professor, enjoying her superior status as she attends an academic conference. She feels elated and invincible as she has achieved the acceptance that she has craved for so long. Others envy and admire her. In the bar, she meets her old friend and rival, Gwen. This is a shock to her as she is confronted with the memories of the tactics she engaged in to win the Joyner prize. Has the past well and truly caught up with her? Could she be exposed and possibly lose all that she has fought so hard to gain and now holds dear?
This is an engaging psychological thriller. I found it absorbing and I recommend it to others.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a frank review.
August 28, 2021
I picked this book off my library shelves at random, and it did not disappoint! Mac was one of the most compelling main characters I've read in a while. I found her narrative voice witty and sharp, just like the rest of her character. It was well paced, and the switches between "current" time and the past did a lot to keep the book moving forward without being confusing. Gwen was a great foil for Mac, and she managed not to fall into a stereotype even though the "perfect girl" is a common trope. The fast-paced academic drama mixed with the realistic struggles of Mac's home life kept everything feeling urgent and important. I was on the edge of my seat in the end.
My one critique of this book would be that the inside blurb and the quote on the back cover were HIGHLY misleading. They made it sound like Mac is a serial killer and this book is about her committing murder after murder. That wasn't true at all. In reality, we only learn about the murder at the end of the book - the rest is spent on cutthroat academia and Mac's relationships with the people around her. Still a great read, but falsely advertised in my opinion.
My one critique of this book would be that the inside blurb and the quote on the back cover were HIGHLY misleading. They made it sound like Mac is a serial killer and this book is about her committing murder after murder. That wasn't true at all. In reality, we only learn about the murder at the end of the book - the rest is spent on cutthroat academia and Mac's relationships with the people around her. Still a great read, but falsely advertised in my opinion.
August 16, 2020
I read alot and rarely find one that grabs my attention but turns out to be so disappointing. Did NOT finish, I read to about 70% and it occurred to me that I wasn't enjoying myself, it wasn't an escape, I didn't like a single character or care what happened to them. Reading it was depressing. Life is too short!! Here's my thoughts on what I did read: It's obvious the author is very smart because the professor's ramblings are so 'deep' that even the MC is confused. Not the place for that, unless you want to make your readers feel dumb? Do you know what an ethnomusicologist is? That's the sort of thing you will learn in this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. The opinions expressed in this Review are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. The opinions expressed in this Review are my own.
September 26, 2020
This book is such an excellent examination of class and status and power and people, and it explores how all of that plays out in the toxic structures of academia. Considering my own traumatic experiences in grad school, I found it a healing read in its own fun little way.
This is Gentry at her finest, sharp and crackling and incisive. I love Mac, in all her ugly, ruthless glory.
Thanks to the author for giving me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is Gentry at her finest, sharp and crackling and incisive. I love Mac, in all her ugly, ruthless glory.
Thanks to the author for giving me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2020
I've read Amy Gentry before so was really excited to be able to read her newest book before it releases, but was a little disappointed with the overall story. The premise was great, but I think the greatness of what the story could have been got lost in the details and in the unlikeable characters; I just didn't like any of the characters, there was nothing redeemable about any of them. So ... that's that, I guess.
March 23, 2021
A story of “Grad School Gone Wrong,” BAD HABITS is a sharp and suspenseful addition to the campus crime genre, aka “Dark Academia.”
Mackenzie (“Mac”) is initially thrilled when she and her high school best friend Gwen are both admitted into a highly competitive grad school program. Gwen comes from money but Mac is from a working-class family with a special-needs sister she is trying to support. Because of this, Mac desperately believes the advanced degree—and a potentially lucrative fellowship—are her one shot at the financial stability, education, and sophistication she’s craved. However, as the competition for the fellowship and the flirtatious machinations of a faculty power-couple begin to erode their friendships, Mac begins to question how far she will go to succeed.
The plot moves briskly between two timelines, the stress-filled days at “The Program” and a chance meeting ten years later at a swanky LA hotel. From the beginning you know something UNSEEMLY happened in grad school (affairs, betrayal, murder??) and as details get doled out in small salacious bites I found myself reading at a fevered pace.
Author Amy Gentry turns a satirical—but not unaffectionate—eye towards the grad school (in the humanities) experience. More than once, I had to do a Google search on a philosophical concept mentioned or class description (“Feminist Diasporas”??) to determine whether it is real or invented. (And I write this as someone who cares deeply about this world and the students within.)
The dense and clever plot does encounter a few hiccups at the end, but an earlier review tipped me off to these items so when the less plausible points arose, I was able to take them in stride.
In the end, I found this to be a highly suspenseful read, and once the hook was set I could not turn the pages fast enough. Slightly over-the-top but still character driven, this novel may appeal to fans of THE SECRET HISTORY and THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY.
I’m hoping this novel continues to garner attention, because I found it to be an engaging and propulsive read.
Mackenzie (“Mac”) is initially thrilled when she and her high school best friend Gwen are both admitted into a highly competitive grad school program. Gwen comes from money but Mac is from a working-class family with a special-needs sister she is trying to support. Because of this, Mac desperately believes the advanced degree—and a potentially lucrative fellowship—are her one shot at the financial stability, education, and sophistication she’s craved. However, as the competition for the fellowship and the flirtatious machinations of a faculty power-couple begin to erode their friendships, Mac begins to question how far she will go to succeed.
The plot moves briskly between two timelines, the stress-filled days at “The Program” and a chance meeting ten years later at a swanky LA hotel. From the beginning you know something UNSEEMLY happened in grad school (affairs, betrayal, murder??) and as details get doled out in small salacious bites I found myself reading at a fevered pace.
Author Amy Gentry turns a satirical—but not unaffectionate—eye towards the grad school (in the humanities) experience. More than once, I had to do a Google search on a philosophical concept mentioned or class description (“Feminist Diasporas”??) to determine whether it is real or invented. (And I write this as someone who cares deeply about this world and the students within.)
The dense and clever plot does encounter a few hiccups at the end, but an earlier review tipped me off to these items so when the less plausible points arose, I was able to take them in stride.
In the end, I found this to be a highly suspenseful read, and once the hook was set I could not turn the pages fast enough. Slightly over-the-top but still character driven, this novel may appeal to fans of THE SECRET HISTORY and THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY.
I’m hoping this novel continues to garner attention, because I found it to be an engaging and propulsive read.
September 29, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
Bad Habits.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Bad Habits is not so much a thriller than it is about an ambitious young woman struggling to overcome her childhood obstacles and emulate her BFF, a young woman born into wealth and privilege.
Claire Woods is a respected professor, but over a decade ago, she was Mac, a scrappy teenager with a druggie mother and a mentally challenged sister.
Gaining admittance into a prestigious school and pursuing her academic dreams has led Mac down a road of corruption, jealousy and spite and she will do anything to keep what is rightfully hers. And rightfully taken.
For the most part, the writing was good, but the content was dull.
I was not interested in reading about students studying snotty subjects and the backstabbing politics and hypocrisy in academia.
I didn't like Mac, but I didn't dislike her.
I admired her for her loyalty and devotion to her sister, supporting her family when she had so little support of her own.
I felt her dependence on her BFF, Gwen, was a cliche of so many of these types of books, the standard trope of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks envying the friend who has everything; money, privilege, good parents.
I was looking for a standard mystery/thriller but the narrative is about Mac and how she survived the rigors of the fancy schmancy school, her dealings with a manipulative professor and how she got to where she is now.
There are some coincidences including the true identity of Mac's father that was hard to suspend disbelief in.
This wasn't for me but I think some readers will enjoy it.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Bad Habits is not so much a thriller than it is about an ambitious young woman struggling to overcome her childhood obstacles and emulate her BFF, a young woman born into wealth and privilege.
Claire Woods is a respected professor, but over a decade ago, she was Mac, a scrappy teenager with a druggie mother and a mentally challenged sister.
Gaining admittance into a prestigious school and pursuing her academic dreams has led Mac down a road of corruption, jealousy and spite and she will do anything to keep what is rightfully hers. And rightfully taken.
For the most part, the writing was good, but the content was dull.
I was not interested in reading about students studying snotty subjects and the backstabbing politics and hypocrisy in academia.
I didn't like Mac, but I didn't dislike her.
I admired her for her loyalty and devotion to her sister, supporting her family when she had so little support of her own.
I felt her dependence on her BFF, Gwen, was a cliche of so many of these types of books, the standard trope of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks envying the friend who has everything; money, privilege, good parents.
I was looking for a standard mystery/thriller but the narrative is about Mac and how she survived the rigors of the fancy schmancy school, her dealings with a manipulative professor and how she got to where she is now.
There are some coincidences including the true identity of Mac's father that was hard to suspend disbelief in.
This wasn't for me but I think some readers will enjoy it.
March 2, 2021
I requested this book after reading a CrimeReads.com article Amy Gentry wrote about the "Dark Academia" genre, which she describes as "...the gothic, bookish online aesthetic that adopts The Secret History as its foundational text. We are now living, belatedly, in the age of Tartt." HELLO, YES, PLEASE. I first read The Secret History while jammed up in a crappy loft bed in a college dorm room in 1993, and despite having read one zillion books since then, I can still remember how blown away I was when I read it. Foundational, indeed.
ANYWAY - From the very start of Bad Habits, you know Claire/Mac has done some terrible things in her pursuit for academic glory. Her family life is garbage -- her dad vanishes never to be seen again, her mom is a manipulative narcissist with a drug problem, and her younger sister requires constant care. Mac is desperate to reinvent herself to escape the constant, looming threat of failure, and uses this fear and her tumultuous family history to justify the many. MANY shady choices she makes on her quest for improvement.
She uses her best friend, the always perfect Gwen (smart, beautiful, charming, with a wealthy, intact family), as her aspirational goal, while resenting Gwen's charmed life at every turn. Everyone in this book (except Tess) is unapologetically terrible, and I loved it.
My only (minor) complaint is that the final sneaky reveal at the end felt unnecessary -- the story and characters were strong and layered enough without needing an extraneous "twist" thrown in, but whatever - FIVE STARS.
* thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the review copy
ANYWAY - From the very start of Bad Habits, you know Claire/Mac has done some terrible things in her pursuit for academic glory. Her family life is garbage -- her dad vanishes never to be seen again, her mom is a manipulative narcissist with a drug problem, and her younger sister requires constant care. Mac is desperate to reinvent herself to escape the constant, looming threat of failure, and uses this fear and her tumultuous family history to justify the many. MANY shady choices she makes on her quest for improvement.
She uses her best friend, the always perfect Gwen (smart, beautiful, charming, with a wealthy, intact family), as her aspirational goal, while resenting Gwen's charmed life at every turn. Everyone in this book (except Tess) is unapologetically terrible, and I loved it.
My only (minor) complaint is that the final sneaky reveal at the end felt unnecessary -- the story and characters were strong and layered enough without needing an extraneous "twist" thrown in, but whatever - FIVE STARS.
* thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the review copy
August 7, 2020
This was a pretty fast paced thriller, focused on academia profession and all the chilling, disturbing, competition, and absolutely insane lengths people will go to make it! It was well written, chilling in parts, a bit shocking and disturbing! I couldn’t give a full 5 stars, because it didn’t quite give me that unputdownable thrill I get with my 5 stars! I did find it to be an original and generally unique story, which shows that no matter where you get you will never be happy, unless you first feel happiness and content with yourself! I loved seeing this theme in every arrange of socioeconomic, races, sexes, and education! It was very thought compelling! Sure to give you a few good chills and gasps!
Will make sure to buzz it around and use low Amazon reviewer number on release date!
Will make sure to buzz it around and use low Amazon reviewer number on release date!
August 13, 2020
This was a good, fast paced read on a cozy winter/rainy night when you have trouble going to sleep. It
is a story about friendship, ambition, toxic behaviour and the toll that a toxic person can take on the bearer.
Mac (a successful hotshot professor) runs into Gwen after 10 years at a hotel bar. They had been good friends once but have grown apart and this coincident meeting turns out to be a blast from the past for Mac.
Mac has supposedly risen from the ashes and carved out a great and successful life for herself inspite of domestic troubles and emotional and financial setbacks back home.
Mac is driven into a rage filled rivalry with Gwen (who is just impeccable in her eyes)and it changes her completely. It drives her into a downward spiral which ends up incapacitating her.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the e ARC in exchange of an honest review.
is a story about friendship, ambition, toxic behaviour and the toll that a toxic person can take on the bearer.
Mac (a successful hotshot professor) runs into Gwen after 10 years at a hotel bar. They had been good friends once but have grown apart and this coincident meeting turns out to be a blast from the past for Mac.
Mac has supposedly risen from the ashes and carved out a great and successful life for herself inspite of domestic troubles and emotional and financial setbacks back home.
Mac is driven into a rage filled rivalry with Gwen (who is just impeccable in her eyes)and it changes her completely. It drives her into a downward spiral which ends up incapacitating her.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the e ARC in exchange of an honest review.
March 28, 2021
A delicious thriller that will be highly entertaining to anyone familiar with the utterly surreal environment of elite graduate programs in the humanities...
November 20, 2020
Maybe you think your grad school experience was bad - Mac and Gwen's was definitely worse. These high school friends ended up at The Project, an elite graduate program with the prize of a lifetime: the exclusive Joyner fellowship. As Mac and Gwen go head-to-head academically and personally, Mac has to start playing dirty. Years later, Mac has reinvented herself as successful professor Claire...but the problems start anew when she runs into Gwen at a conference.
Having spent 4 years in grad school, I love a good academic novel. The Program is a perfect grad school dystopia: unintelligible lectures, cutthroat faculty, and inappropriate professor-student relationships. Mac is clearly in way over her head. I liked that Gentry covered Mac's difficult childhood and showed how much easier academia is when you come from means, like Gwen does. The drama and twists keep coming, making this a cross between a thriller and a character study. I enjoyed the book, but the ending was a bit over the top, making this more of a 3.5 star read for me rather than a 4 star.
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
Having spent 4 years in grad school, I love a good academic novel. The Program is a perfect grad school dystopia: unintelligible lectures, cutthroat faculty, and inappropriate professor-student relationships. Mac is clearly in way over her head. I liked that Gentry covered Mac's difficult childhood and showed how much easier academia is when you come from means, like Gwen does. The drama and twists keep coming, making this a cross between a thriller and a character study. I enjoyed the book, but the ending was a bit over the top, making this more of a 3.5 star read for me rather than a 4 star.
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
August 5, 2020
I've read all of Gentry's books to date, and this one is by far my favorite. It's by turns a taut psychological thriller and a gripping family drama packed with suspense and poignance. The best part about it, though, is how deeply personal it feels - a testament to Gentry's tightly woven story and fascinating characters, to be sure, but most of all to her mastery as a novelist. Highly recommended!
Read
February 5, 2021Deliciously dark, funny, and I did not see the ending coming AT ALL. The author is an upcoming guest on my podcast, This Creative Life with Sara Zarr. Find it in your favorite podcast app!
July 5, 2023
Bad Habits is a dark academia book that explores the many types of relationships one can have in the academic environment.
Mackenzie Claire Woods has always been jealous of her best friend Gwendolyn Whitney. They met while still in high school, and as much as Mac admired Gwen, this admiration was always coated in jealousy. Jealousy because Claire never struggled financially, or with a dysfunctional family. It seemed as if everything Gwen got, she got it easily, while Mac struggled. Gwen not only was accepted to a better college, she also had the financial means to support her in her choice. Mac barely got by, but she did get her degree. When Gwen announces that she has decided to apply for a postgraduate program called simply ‘The Program’, Mac decides to join her in the hopes of finally balancing the scales according to her standards.
They are both accepted. But their journeys there couldn’t be more different. Once again, it becomes clear that the two of them are navigating the world very differently. While Gwen can dedicate all of her time to studying, Mac needs to balance studying with working so she can afford rent and other expenses. She needs to drop out of classes because they coincide with her work schedule, and she feels she is constantly behind o her readings for the lectures. Again, she is resentful of the fact that her friend seems to have it easy, while she has to struggle. The dynamic of these two friends is one of the highlights of this book. And the fact we got to see the construction of this relationship from so early on, years and years before they even got into The Program, helps build more layers and density to the two of them.
Another thing is that we get to see the two ten years in the future, in the chapters that show us “the present moment”. In them, Mac who now attends by Claire, is an esteemed academic professor who is giving a lecture at an important event. And she happens to cross paths again with Gwen, years after they have seen or spoken to each other. The chapters that show “the present” are short, but they are great to build up the tension in the novel. Making the reader curious to know what happened to drive the two friends apart, and for Gwen to have dropped out of academia for good.
A second relationship that is very important in the story, is the one between Mac and one of her professors, Bethany Lard. She discovers of a fellowship that could change things significantly for her and seeks the professor for guidance and help. The two of them end up in a sexual relationship, which provides a comment on the nature of power in academia, and how it is uneven, providing ground for manipulation and more. This relationship was also incredibly constructed. Mac and Bethany are similar in so many ways, and different in others. And Mac is so desperate to succeed, she will do anything.
Although the book does feature many facets of the academic life and of its players, there is a significant focus on a thriller atmosphere throughout the novel, which renders some of its rhythm a bit different than other DA books. It also makes for very simple writing, one that left me unsatisfied at times. Even though the book is only a little over three hundred pages, there was some repetitiveness in the tension and suspense at the end section, which made the story seem dragged.
This is one of those books that is hard to rate, because it was enjoyable for the most part, and yet there are certain things you can’t overlook. It made me glad to pick it up though, which is why I settled for a 3-star rating. It was a good read, but flawed. I would recommend this to readers of dark academia who have read a lot from the genre and are looking for new and different approaches. But be mindful that in terms of writing, this is more on the lacking side.
↠ 3 stars✨
Mackenzie Claire Woods has always been jealous of her best friend Gwendolyn Whitney. They met while still in high school, and as much as Mac admired Gwen, this admiration was always coated in jealousy. Jealousy because Claire never struggled financially, or with a dysfunctional family. It seemed as if everything Gwen got, she got it easily, while Mac struggled. Gwen not only was accepted to a better college, she also had the financial means to support her in her choice. Mac barely got by, but she did get her degree. When Gwen announces that she has decided to apply for a postgraduate program called simply ‘The Program’, Mac decides to join her in the hopes of finally balancing the scales according to her standards.
They are both accepted. But their journeys there couldn’t be more different. Once again, it becomes clear that the two of them are navigating the world very differently. While Gwen can dedicate all of her time to studying, Mac needs to balance studying with working so she can afford rent and other expenses. She needs to drop out of classes because they coincide with her work schedule, and she feels she is constantly behind o her readings for the lectures. Again, she is resentful of the fact that her friend seems to have it easy, while she has to struggle. The dynamic of these two friends is one of the highlights of this book. And the fact we got to see the construction of this relationship from so early on, years and years before they even got into The Program, helps build more layers and density to the two of them.
Another thing is that we get to see the two ten years in the future, in the chapters that show us “the present moment”. In them, Mac who now attends by Claire, is an esteemed academic professor who is giving a lecture at an important event. And she happens to cross paths again with Gwen, years after they have seen or spoken to each other. The chapters that show “the present” are short, but they are great to build up the tension in the novel. Making the reader curious to know what happened to drive the two friends apart, and for Gwen to have dropped out of academia for good.
A second relationship that is very important in the story, is the one between Mac and one of her professors, Bethany Lard. She discovers of a fellowship that could change things significantly for her and seeks the professor for guidance and help. The two of them end up in a sexual relationship, which provides a comment on the nature of power in academia, and how it is uneven, providing ground for manipulation and more. This relationship was also incredibly constructed. Mac and Bethany are similar in so many ways, and different in others. And Mac is so desperate to succeed, she will do anything.
Although the book does feature many facets of the academic life and of its players, there is a significant focus on a thriller atmosphere throughout the novel, which renders some of its rhythm a bit different than other DA books. It also makes for very simple writing, one that left me unsatisfied at times. Even though the book is only a little over three hundred pages, there was some repetitiveness in the tension and suspense at the end section, which made the story seem dragged.
This is one of those books that is hard to rate, because it was enjoyable for the most part, and yet there are certain things you can’t overlook. It made me glad to pick it up though, which is why I settled for a 3-star rating. It was a good read, but flawed. I would recommend this to readers of dark academia who have read a lot from the genre and are looking for new and different approaches. But be mindful that in terms of writing, this is more on the lacking side.
↠ 3 stars✨
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