For Your Own Good

Holy crap, I whipped through this one. Normally, I leave the audiobooks primarily for the car and switch to the print books I'm reading simultaneously when I'm not driving, but I actually brought this one inside with me so I could keep listening. So many turns! I kept getting whiplash, but it never really felt unbelievable at all. I will say that... ***SPOILER WARNING***

Almost from the beginning, Frank became my precious, dumb, cinnamon roll, and I was going to have to throw hands if anyone hurt him. When he did what he did at the end, I found myself almost *proud*, which is a pretty good sign of how wrapped up in the story I'd become. Also, I actually yelled out loud at the very last point wrap-up, which I did NOT see coming.

Loved it!

This is the fourth work of fiction that I’ve read by Samantha Downing. My Lovely Wife turned me off – even if it was brilliant. The characters were just a tad too twisted and unlikeable. He Started It was not as clever, and again the book hosted a group of unlikeable characters that didn’t interest me, in the least. But THEN, I read the Novella, Sleeping Dogs Lie, and that is when I fell in love with Downing. When I finally got my hands on a copy of For Your Own Good, I never stopped grinning from page one ‘til the end of the book. FYOG has a large cast of characters, mostly unlikeable – but the unlikeable kind that you can’t help relishing.

Zach and Courtney are two classmates and besties in the elite Belmont High School. show more When Courtney’s super officious mom, revered member of the PTA, dies unexpectedly of poisoning as a school event, Courtney soon finds herself incarcerated and charged with her mother’s death. Zach knows it is not true and throughout the novel devotes himself to furtively investigating and manipulating situations to clear Courtney’s name and set her free. The main protagonist, Teddy Crutcher, is a burnt-out teacher and loser, who will never reach the Headmaster position at Belmont, where he teaches (or will he?). His greatest achievement seems to be a plaque outside his classroom awarding him the title of Best Teacher of the previous year. When that plaque disappears, Crutcher goes from looney to ballistic. Crutcher’s resentment toward his “entitled” pupils and colleagues manifests itself in peculiar ways. We learn later on in the novel, the reason why he is estranged from his soon to be ex-wife, and just how low he could go to destroy the future dreams of one of his pupils (later colleague). He was clearly always a self-centered certifiable wacko but his unhealthy (double entendre intended) proclivity toward horticulture blossoms (sorry about that) as he creeps ever closer to the point of no return. The character of Crutcher totally rocks throughout this novel.

Lots of seemingly innocent Belmont staff, students, and board members drop like flies – poisoned all of them. We know for certain who poisoned the first victim….and who poisoned the last. Were all the victims killed by the same murderer? There are plenty of kooky characters in FYOG, but crawling inside the heads of Teddy Crutcher and Frank Maxwell the crazy newly religious zealot, is a real hoot. Both characters were so delusional they cracked me up and had me flipping pages wildly until the end of the novel. I thought the ending was hilarious and the epilogue was sweet. show less

Belmont Academy is an exclusive coeducational high school that caters to affluent youngsters with lofty goals. Many of the parents who send their children to Belmont pressure their offspring to earn high grades and participate in extracurricular activities that will impress college admissions officers. One such student is Zach Ward, a handsome and charming boy who wraps most of his teachers around his finger. A notable exception is Teddy Crutcher, Zach's cantankerous English teacher. Crutcher resents the fact that Zach's parents are rich, entitled, and obsessed with their son's academic achievements. Just for spite, Teddy refuses to give Zach an A, even when the young man turns in an outstanding essay.

"For Your Own Good," by Samantha show more Downing, is a creepy, darkly funny, and satirical look at the toxic environment that pervades an elite private school. This novel is also an examination of the joyless inner life of certain parents, instructors, and pupils, who manage to elicit both our dislike and our pity. Crutcher, who is a competent enough instructor, is also a vicious and devious malcontent who tries to aggrandize himself at others' expense. He harbors a particular dislike for Sonia Benjamin, a colleague who is popular and proud of her close relationship with her students. Sonia adores Zach, a decent and hard-working kid who wants to be himself, not a clone of his domineering father. Meanwhile, Teddy's former pupil, the bitter Fallon Knight, has good reason to loathe Crutcher, and she is determined to exact her revenge.

The faculty is stunned when one of the parent organizers of a special event collapses and dies. The autopsy reveals that she was poisoned. This is only the first in a series of crimes that earn the school intense media scrutiny and the uncomplimentary nickname, "Homicide High." Who is behind the mayhem and what would motivate someone to harm innocent people? Belmont is an unwholesome institution in which selfishness, arrogance, cynicism, and duplicity can actually boost one's chances for success. Crutcher may be a ruthless villain, but he is not the only one who harbors ill-will towards others. In this twisted but stylish, fast-paced, and entertaining page-turner, Downing reminds us—with tongue firmly in cheek—that evil can be found in the most unexpected places. show less

I've read all three of this author's books and my favorite thing about her suspense thrillers are not so much that you are on the edge of your seat about "whodunnit" because you pretty much know which characters are more twisted than the others. It is her wry humor in every book, the way she tells the story, the wit of the characters (twisted or not) is clever and I often find myself smiling even as people are getting murdered. (Maybe I'm twisted.)
In this story, we know Teddy has "issues." He's been caught in lies by more than one person. But is he the only one unhinged?
It's a multi-layered plot with underlying themes of parental expectations, what wealth can do to a person, and how teachers affect students lives.
Thanks to NetGalley show more and the publisher for providing me another fun and twisted thriller by this author! show less

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing is a 2021 Berkley publication.

Wickedly Good!

The prestigious Belmont Academy takes a shocking downward turn when a student, Courtney Ross, is accused of killing her overbearing mother.
Enter Teddy Crutcher, the newest recipient of the ‘Teacher of the Year’ award, a man harboring some deep resentments towards his successful and affluent students- and Zach Ward, Courtney’s best friend.

Zach and Teddy have butted heads in the past, but each of them is determined to help Courtney, which triggers a domino effect… and bodies just keep piling up… which garners the school its own hashtag-

#Homicide High

If you like dark humor and smart, twisty psychological thrillers, you will love this book!

show more Downing examines the dark side of teaching, private school politics, parental involvement, and the way students become pawns, at the mercy of those who hold their futures in their hands..

For their own good...

I love Downing’s writing style and how seamlessly she can switch between first-person narratives, giving the reader the viewpoint of both the teachers and the students. I found myself gasping out loud one minute and laughing out loud, the next.

Overall, a thoroughly entertaining psychological thriller from the first page to the last!!

4.5 stars show less

The only author I can think to compare to the experience I had reading this book is Liz Nugent. Samantha Downing is definitely in the savage category too!

I kind of love a book where there’s nobody really “good” to root for. I hate to admit this, but I kind of wanted Teddy to get away with it. He’s so evil, but being in his head I was just like- hell yeah go for it! And I knew it was on the table because in a book like this, any ending is possible.

I respect the fact that no character is safe- death is on the table for any and everyone. A very fun read- and I will read more from this author!

I knew I was going to love this book, but even knowing that, I was in no way prepared for the journey I just had.

The stories within stories, the nonlinear plot, all of the various connections and intertwining characters. Pure whimsical magic. There is so much to unpack in this book, it's complex and perfect. I want more books like this book.

I love that Erin doesn't shy away from using a vocabulary higher than a high school level. Her way of writing shows that she knows the rules yet chooses to break them. I freaking love this book. It is like being able to see every aspect of a story from all of the characters. The messages are so profound and magical. I am not one to re-read books but this will be on my re-read list.

While the main show more story is Zachary's journey, it intertwines with 3 books that he finds during his journey. (Sweet Sorrows, Fortunes and Fables, The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor) The stories within these books are written into The Starless Sea for us to get a deeper understanding of what Zachery is experience, and the stories of other people he meets. The final 'book' in this book is Zacharys friend Kat's diary.

The ending is unexpected yet perfect. I 100% teared up. If you have the chance to listen to the audiobook I seriously recommended it. The various people they used to tell this story added to the story itself. Perfect choices for each voice/book match up.

All stories need an ending, and a beginning. Leaves me wondering so much, yet knowing that everything was also answered. ugh. the. perfect. story. show less