Review: For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

Author: Samantha Downing

Publisher: Berkeley

Publication Date: July 2021

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

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

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

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

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

For Your Own Good is a book about a school with horrible, selfish teachers and teens who have to deal with them.  Well, there is a bit more to the story, but that is how I would describe it.  I read this a little while ago and had to sit on my thoughts for a while.   In the end, I ended up with mixed feelings about the book.

I did enjoy the book plot wise.  I was compelled enough to keep reading.  It was relatively fast paced and I was never bored.  It's told through several points of view.  I liked the twists and the ending left me satisfied.  What I didn't love were the characters.  They were all horrible people.  I really hope there are no teachers like them in my kids' high school.  I had a hard time finding anyone to root for.  Maybe the teens, but only slightly.  Despite my not loving it, I would still recommend trying it out.  I think that the plot is the best part of the book  If you don't mind horrible people, then you might like it.