Belmont Academy is a prestigious private American school with a long solid reputation which teacher of the year Teddy seeks to uphold, however those that get on the wrong side of him do seem to suffer the consequences. This is a great thriller with multiple characters who have their own agenda and a very woven web of revenge with increasingly alarming results. Teddy is a great but terrifying character with his own, admittedly questionable, moral code and a genuine belief that everything he does is to make his students the best they can be. I was amazed how the death of a parent lead Teddy and events to totally spiral out of control in his bid to protect a student which kept me guessing just how this would all end.

Great book that even though you know what's going on you are totally drawn into the storyline.
O read this book in one sitting. Great characters and storyline.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

I have enjoyed this authors work in the past but wasn’t so keen on this one . It was a bit slow and not really tense enough . Didn’t really like the characters and the story had a predictable ending . Sorry only 3 stars from me

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

I wouldn’t say this is my favourite Samantha Downing book, it is a good story but it was a little bit predictable and I think I was expecting more twists and turns. I liked the characters in the book though, the character of Teddy is especially interesting, seeing how he feels like he’s doing the right thing for his students and his arrogance. I’ve read this is being turned into a tv show so it will be interesting to see what they do with that..

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy a Samantha Dowling book, this one didn't disappoint. Well written, good fun and suspenseful. A recommended read.

What can I say about this book? Well, i loved it.
After reading He Started It and loving it, you can imagine my excitment when I got approved for this one. It lived up to all my expectations and was a truly outstanding story. The darkly comic moments are something i will not be forgetting in a hurry,

I read My Lovely Wife from this author and really enjoyed it. I think this book is as good as that. Very good domestic thriller, with good writing and interesting characters. Recommended.
Thanks a lot for this copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC. I loved this creepy, clever book. If you like psychological thrillers you'll love this!

A dark, mystery book about a strange teacher who seemingly gets away with murder.

It's not a bad book, but, I'm afraid it wasn't for me. It's got a few twists and turns and is well written, I just found it to be an OK read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about Teddy, he has been voted teacher of the year in the prestigious private school he works at. On the tenth anniversary function of a well loved female teacher one of the parents dies. Soon the case is treated as murder and the press are all over this story. Teddy finds his private life scrutinised and doesn’t feel valued by the school. Teddy will do anything for his students even though it is definitely not what they want but he justifies it by saying it is for their own good. As Belmont Academy is desperately trying to save its reputation the body count and suspects begin to climb.

I have to admit I was a bit conflicted as to whether I should read this book as I don’t normally enjoy books set at school. I am so glad that I decided to read this. There is a LOT happening in this book. The story is told from multiple points of view. Some of the characters are likeable but most are not. There are a lot of characters to keep up with. The action does not stop all the way through and it is a book that will certainly have you up all night turning those pages. I have to say that towards the end I felt that things had gone too far. I am not a huge fan of the ending but it was such a fun read.

Unfortunately I don’t think this book was for me. I really loved Samantha Downing two previous novels but this one just wasn’t it for me. I think what really put me off at first was the mentions of COVID at the beginning which I just really didn't like and more generally I just couldn’t get into the characters and the story.

I still look forward to trying her future books because as a whole I do think she’s a great writer.

I loved Downings previous books but this one was not as good as her previous ones. The plot was not gripping & I found it hard to get into It took a while to get going & wasn't as exciting as her other two novels.

I have read two previous books by Samantha Downing and enjoyed them very much so was looking forward to this book.

The story is set in a prestigious school and follows teacher of the year Teddy, student Zach and a host of other characters. When people start dying at the school who could be to blame.

Like the previous books I thought I was in for a fun read, not to be taken seriously. For the first part the book did start out that way. As the story progresses I started to lose interest. I felt the story was getting boring and it just seemed to drag on. I nearly DNF the book but carried on skipping a lot of the pages.

Very disappointing this book was for me. If it had have been my first book by this author I would be inclined not to read anymore.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the opportunity to read the book.

Yes!!!! Yes! I’m so relieved! This was great. In 2019 I read one of the best mystery debuts I’d ever read, My Lovely Wife, and then I was beyond disappointed with the author’s next outing in 2020, He Started It. They were world’s apart for me, so to say I’ve been incredibly anxious about For You Own Good, isn’t even covering it. But this was everything and more I was hoping for!

Welcome to Belmont Academy, one of the best private schools that prepare students for Ivy League colleges and churn out future leaders. The school is so successful because its teachers really care about helping its students. Well, except for one. Teddy Crutcher hates how entitled some of his students are, and loves to “teach” them lessons, say, by low grading papers when it really is an A+ paper. That’s how Teddy and Sonia, a fellow colleague, and Zach, one of their students, comes to blows. Their disagreement on how to be the best influence on their student sets into motion a tragically thrilling series of events, that’ll ruin the school’s reputation and maybe even everyone’s lives.

For Your Own Good is an intoxicating exploration of the worst traits of people. Through the book’s setting of a prestigious private school, the book is packed with elitism, entitlement, arrogance and serious superiority complexes…All of which cumulates to dastardly plotting, a possessive need for revenge and so much murder.

Everyone’s miserable and they’re all terrible. For Your Own Good has terrific characterisation. No one is likeable, which was precarious at times since I tend to need at least one likeable narrator, but Downing balanced out the perspectives well to not alienate me and completely discourage me from continuing. Downing is the best author I’ve read who can craft complex and dislikable characters, yet still keep me engaged.

I honestly didn’t know who to root for in this. On the one hand, you’ve got Teddy who genuinely thinks being hard on his students is a form of disciplining them, rather than terrorising them. Then you’ve got Sonia, who is so self-involved with how much she cares about her image manifests as appearing to care about her students, rather than caring about how well she’s liked. She reminded me so much of Mrs Richardson from Little Fires Everywhere. Then there’s the side characters, like Zach and his parents, and Teddy’s previous student Fallon, all of who are deeply flawed as well.
Basically… they’re all awful… but in an awfully fun and entertaining way.

My only criticism of the book is I felt the climax took its while to get to the point. The last 10-15% felt really spun out. But on the whole I really enjoyed the way the story was spun. We know the crime that’s been committed and its outcome, so the story builds around all the potential ways someone could be the culprit. It was thrilling to see everyone suspicious of and villainising one another, and their subsequent anxiety and paranoia multiplying. My mind was jumping from theory to theory along with the characters.

If you love Downing’s other books, especially My Lovely Wife, you can’t miss this. It’s the perfect thrill to get caught up in this summer. With short and punchy chapters, combined with alternating perspectives, the momentum was great from the beginning to the very last page. Can’t wait to see what Downing writes next!

Thank you kindly to Michael Joseph and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I hadn't read the blurb and had no idea what to expect from this book, but it very quickly became apparent that what we were getting was a black comedy set in a private school. Sounded entertaining, and it was.

English teacher Teddy Crutcher was awarded Teacher of the Year at the prestigious Belmont Academy - an accolade he considers no more than his due - although he seems to despise most of the students and staff, even to the point of murder.

As the body count rises, #HomicideHigh starts trending, and the FBI get involved (though they don't seem to have a clue where to look), there's not much mystery for the reader, as for the most part we know pretty much what's going on and why - the only unknown is how far it will all go.

Teddy doesn't consider himself a monster (does anyone?), although he kind of is, and in his mind all of his actions are entirely justified, even if they do sometimes have unintended consequences. It's ironic that Teddy, who reviles the arrogance and entitlement of some of his students, is ultimately perhaps the worst of them all, convinced of his own superiority and right to direct events to what he perceives as the greater good. If there's one thing that exemplified Teddy's character for me, it's probably what he does to his wife Allison - who, unlike the Belmont students and teachers, he believes he loves - which is an almost throwaway part of the plot yet felt very telling.

There are a number of POVs here - Teddy, student Zach, teachers Sonia and Frank, ex-student Fallon - but I never found that to be confusing, as thankfully it's all written in third person.

A twisted tale of poison, narcissism, false imprisonment and revenge... a very enjoyable read with a great cast of characters.

A note to add that reading other NetGalley reviews has been fascinating, with such a wide variance of views that I wonder if some people were reading the same book. (I know, not unusual, but it seems especially notable in this case.) Some found it a twist-packed thriller, some expected a twist-packed thriller and were disappointed, some considered it an enjoyable black comedy which wasn't intended as a thriller at all (I'm in that category), some thought it was boring and hated it. Well, there's always a few of those. Readers will make up their own minds.

While listening to the Nerdette podcast, a book reviewer recommended this if you're looking for a completely bonkers thriller (and really, when am I not?). So I was even more excited to realize that I already had a copy! This book certainly lived up to that review. Set in an elite academy (where you kinda want to hate everyone to begin with) this story goes on so many wacky twists and turns that started wondering if the author had one of those crazy walls with string going from one post it note to another just to keep up with everything. A fast & fun read.

For Your Own Good is such an interesting book to review...because whilst it wasn't quite the thriller that I had anticipated, it was still a really enjoyable.....and different read.

This is a really original, wicked sort of thriller. There's a lot of pettiness, a lot of murder and a lot of suspicious behaviour. Everybody seems guilty of something at Belmont, but we don't know what!

Whilst the plot and style of writing was very unique, to me this was kind of a 'corny thriller'. You know whodunnit, and you know who keeps on 'dunning it'.....so there's no mystery or suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat. However, there are many characters, all with a secret, all with a suspicion....and in the end it all comes together.

While this wasn't the typical thriller that I usually reach for, it was still an enjoyable read. if you're not into dark, gory thrillers, you'll enjoy this twisted, crazy, murder filled story.....where Teddy just wants what is best for his students...right?

3.5 Stars rounded up.

2021 is the year almost all my favorite authors have disappointed me in one way or another. Can we skip to 2022 please??

This book left me so unsatisfied it’s unreal 😩

I can’t say I completely disliked it because it still had amazing tension, but after having read My Lovely Wife and He Started It I was sure this was going to be another five stars and that I would love the unlikable characters. Maybe it’s my fault for expecting something along those lines instead of noticing right away that this book is a bit of a departure from those earlier books. Though in my defense, I also called this one boring halfway through, and that’s definitely not on me.

I can pinpoint exactly what didn’t work for me in this book: the multiple povs and the way pretty much nothing was kept from the reader. I feel like having that many povs made everything slower and less impactful. All of these characters meant something to the plot, and that’s fine, but they also had a lot of stuff to say that wasn’t exactly needed.
Having Teddy’s pov made the book drag too. I think this book would have worked better without it. Reading about him from the outside would have probably made the plot more intriguing, especially because I wouldn’t have had some info from the get-go.

Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the twisty way this book unraveled in typical Samantha Downing fashion. My favorite character was Zach, I found him fascinating because he was a perfectly built character. His contrasting behavior and relationship with his parents sparked my interest in him from the beginning. I can see a pattern here because in every one of her books I always love this SD character type.
On the other hand, I was never really interested in Teddy because I found him too annoying and a bit cartoonish, but the plot still managed to keep me on my toes for a while. Until the ending lol. I’m not a fan of how this book concluded. It wasn’t shocking or insane, just very confusing and eye roll-worthy, It’s probably going to be a very divisive ending and I’m curious to see where other readers stand on this when the book comes out.

Thank you to Micheal Joseph for the arc, I’m so glad I got to read this book early! ❤️

I loved this author's first book, but I really struggled with this. After being intrigued at the start, it soon got a bit flat. I felt I didn't really get to know the characters so wasn't invested in what was happening. Not for me I'm afraid.

I loved Downing’s first book and so this already had a lot to live up to and I’m afraid it just didn’t work for me. The characters were intricate but just a bit flat overall. The plot seemed to be over-complicated and there were no sudden twists either. I was hugely disappointed.