I loved this book. Initially I was a bit blah about it, it seemed to be trudging along, then my mind was blown, and I really loved how it all came together, so perfectly. And the epilogue gave us a great wrap up.

Now, it’s a little bit far fetched. It’s basically the story of a serial killer on campus in a university. But you get the back story, the victims are always horrid, and you’d feel like killing them yourself.

This is my second Layne Fargo book this year, and I enjoyed this more than The Favourites which was a great book too.

‘They Never Learn’ by Layne Fargo is a thriller which combines dark academia with feminist vigilantism to create a twisty and shocking read that gripped me from murderous start to killer finish. The book stars literature professor Dr. Scarlett Clark, whose meticulously planned slayings of campus creeps are equally chilling and thrilling, and timid student Carly Schiller, whose eyes are opened to toxicity throughout her freshman year.

I really enjoyed the switching perspectives, and the way the two women’s tales intertwined in a shocking manner mid way through the novel. I consumed the pages hungrily as Scarlett built up to her biggest kill yet despite a dangerously astute investigation into campus suicides that threatened to uncover her trail of bodies and Carly’s relationships with her roommate Allison and one of her lecturers Alex became more intense.

Without spoilers, I would say that the book managed to surprise me a lot, and wove its way to a very satisfying ending - key ingredients of a good thriller. This gets four stars from me and I’d really recommend it!

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Random House UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Deeply disturbing tale of feminine rage and vigilantism. I was gripped with the two women’s stories. Is Scarlett amorally grey villain or a justified vigilante. I found myself routing for her and it keeps you guessing to the end.

First I would like to thank Netgalley for giving me early access to this book, all opinions are my own.

This was such a good book to get me out of a reading slump! They Never Learn is a book that perfectly embodies female rage within a dark psychological thriller. We follow our main character Scarlett who is a well respected english professor who is well respected in her field, but she has a secret - whilst others stay quiet about the assult they face she takes it into her own hands to take action against these predators and has been killing them off, one by one.

We also follow Carly, who is the opposite of Scarlett. She is a timid freshman who is scared to let people in to get to know the real her. Struggling the new dynamics of college and trying to fit in and make friends, while her home life isn't great.

It's not clear at first how these stories of 2 very different women will intertwine, but I ws so enthralled switching from each persons perspective I couldn't put it down. This story really perfectly female rage to the point where you know Scarlett is a killer and yet you root for her, you want her to succeed with her crimes. Honestly so good 4 Stars!

Scarlett is academic and studious, she’s also a serial killer with a significant body count. She’s spent years ridding the world of bad men, making their murders look like suicides and accidents. She’s really good at it too, but now there’s someone investigating the murders, and it’s another woman. How close to the truth will she come?

Carly is awkward and different, and she’s just trying to get by at college but when she starts getting closer to her roommate, trouble is never far away.

This for every reader who loves angry women, vengeful women, clever women, feisty women, queer women, and every woman in between! You will LOVE these women and their bat sht lives. I couldn’t get enough of the writing style, short sharp chapters with cliff-hanger after cliff-hanger. The dialogues are natural, the descriptions vivid and pace will give you whiplash!

I went into this expecting something quite silly and playful, and I ended up with so much more. Carly and Scarlett’s stories are beautiful as much as they are dark and twisty. I will be recommending this book to everyone.

While rage and women’s rights are some of my favourite topics, this book felt very repetitive and that really did make it less enjoyable than I was expecting.

I think that this will appeal to the booktok crowd and people much younger than me. As while the murders were well written there was a lack of substance in places.

3.5⭐️

The Favourites is my favourite book of the year so I had high hopes for this, however I will say I'm definitely not a thriller girlie so I probably shouldn't have gone in with such high hopes.

This book is definitely we support women's rights and we support women's wrongs. It follows a dual timeline, where we see our FMC take revenge on the disturbing men around her. It screams unhinged woman & female rage, which I am all for (in my books).

It just didn't quite hit for me, I found it a little boring in parts and also a little unbelievable that every single man around her was a douche - I get that's the point of the book, it just felt a little too on the nose for me. I feel like Scarlett didn't have much depth as a character past I hate men and I will kill them all and get away with it.

I will say there was one twist I didn't see, but that must just be because I don't read thrillers much.

This is a fast read and if you like women serial killers, you might like this one.

Thanks to @netgalley and @vintagebooks for the e-arc.

Really good book which I will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

You can definitely tell this book was written before The Favourites, Layne Fargo's recent successful book. Its a good read but very formulaic. Very simple structure and story. Won't be remembered after reading.

They never learn-4.25⭐️

“unhinged women” are the best when it comes to thrillers and this book definitely delivered 🙌🏻

i had such a great time reading this. it’s gripping from the start, with sharp writing and a killer plot that keeps you hooked till the end.

we go back and forth between timelines, with a bit of teen drama and how it all began and everything is put together brilliantly.

while it doesn’t rely on huge twisty reveals, the story still takes some intense turns. a few incidents had me wide-eyed especially the way it all wrapped up. i found myself rooting for the female lead the whole time, even though i knew what she was doing wasn’t exactly right.

loved how the revenge angle played out in this one ……so satisfying. overall, it’s a solid read and definitely worth picking up👍🏻

Thankyou @netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for the ARC in return for an honest review

This was a captivating and thrilling book that ticked a lot of boxes for me.
There are two narrators: Scarlett - the lecturer/serial killer (but only if bad guys) and Carley - a student and friend of a victim of sexual assault.
This book showcases classic female rage and has ‘How To Kill Men & Get Away With It’ vibes, only a lot darker. I loved the development of the characters even though I found Carly annoying. The plot was fast paced and I was engrossed early in the book. I felt the rage of Scarlett at times and the frustration of Carly and about half way through the book I felt my jaw hit the floor after a shocking twist. I’m not sure how Scarlett managed this spree of murders but hey, it’s a book and an enjoyable one at that!
So glad I got to read this one because it’s been on my list for a while.

'They Never Learn' by Layne Fargo was first published in the US in 2020 and entered the UK market in July 2025.
This Dark Academia thriller is told from the perspectives of two people. Scarlett is a college professor who is also murdering predatory men on campus, undetected until now. Carly is a student who is seeking revenge when her best friend was sexually attacked at a party during Freshman year. The two narratives are eventually connecting with some unexpected twists and the story is captivating until the end.
This is a brilliant feminist dark thriller that touches some difficult issues like misogyny, suicide and sexual harassment.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Books for the ARC.

Scarlett Clark is a professor at Gorman University, however, nobody is aware of her revengeful secret, disposing of men who have abused women and gotten away with it. She has been killing men for years, but like all serial killers, one messy murder is causing a big investigation. Alternatively, student Carly is just trying to survive her freshman year, but something is strange with her roommate.

I read The Favourites in January and absolutely loved it, so couldn’t pass up the opportunity of reading this one. It was so refreshing. I’m not usually really into psychological thriller books, but this was great. Also the reveal of how the stories intertwined was great, the little bluffs that Fargo put into the start of the story so you didn’t guess were great too.

Although it’s been out in the states for a good few years, it’s only recently been published in the UK off the back of the success of The Favourites (I think), but I’d definitely recommend it.

I knew I wanted to read this so was completely shocked to find out I had another read it
Was such a good book I loved it twice
Great characters good story brilliant twists an unique book

This entertaining thriller is about a woman who won't let men who hurt women get away with it.

Scarlett is an English professor. In her spare time, she keeps an eye out for men who offend women. There are plenty of them around her. In her eyes, every man is a potential rapist, unless he is gay.

Carly is a student at a college. She befriends her roommate, Allison, and soon develops a strong protective instinct towards her. When Allison is sexually harassed by a fellow student while drunk, something dark awakens in Carly.

I've read similar books before about women who kill men who abuse them. So far, this book doesn't offer much that is new. However, it is a good, quick read. After just a few chapters, I could see how the two narrative levels were connected and what the twist was. The problem here is that every man is portrayed as a monster. Even a hitherto likeable character suddenly turns into a creep towards the end. I found that a bit much. Scarlett herself is especially problematic, She admits that she is a monster and will therefore never experience genuine intimacy. Nevertheless, she believes that what she does is necessary and just. She hunts predators, but she is one herself. She waits for signs in a man so that she can act on her deep rage. She is a serial killer who always feels the urge to kill. The fact that she chooses victims who are not particularly likeable does not make the murders any better or more justified. The glorification of her actions at the end will certainly not be comprehensible to every reader.

However, anyone who simply wants to read a well-written thriller and can put all moral concerns aside will be well entertained. The novel is smoothly written, with short chapters alternating between the perspectives of Carly and Scarlett, inviting you to read on quickly. However, if you dislike having an unsympathetic and hypocritical main character who justifies her lust for murder, this is not the book for you.

Rating - 3.5⭐️

Scarlet was very young when she realised the justice system was a mess, that men got away with sexual and domestic crimes far too easily. So she decided to take matters into her own hands. Now working at a university it is almost too easy for her to get revenge, she is spoilt for choice when it comes to terrible men, that is until her acts of justice begin to catch up with her. Carly, a student, walks in on her best friend being assaulted and finds herself in deep with the trauma and effects these crimes can have, so what will she do about it?


Up to 65% I was loving this. I was loving the dual POV, Scarlets chapters were full of feminine rage which I loved. But then it started feeling a bit slow and the ending was a bit anticlimactic.
That being said I really enjoyed this and thought it was a breathe of fresh air with amazing LGBTQ+ representation.

"even in his final moments, i doubt he learned his lesson. but i didn't kill him to teach him a lesson; i killed him to carve him out of this world like a tumor. and i’d do it again."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

book: they never learn
author: layne fargo

so, when i received this book it came with an information page that had two quotes which stood out to me; “Chappell Roan please, I'll give you two bucks and grilled cheese to turn this into a music video” and “This one goes out to all my bitches who visibly had a big gay crisis watching Taylor Swift perform ‘Vigilante Shit’ at The Eras Tour.” and if you know me in the slightest, you’ll know how SOLD i was! this book is a wild ride! i adore layne fargo and the atmosphere that's created in their books! i read both this and ‘The Favourites’ last month and i already know that i will read whatever layne releases! this book is female rage personified, and as somebody who has a LOT of female rage bottled up, i appreciate the representation 😂

this was everything that i was expecting and more! if you enjoyed the mindf*ck series by s.t abby or serpentine valentine by giana darling (and supporting women’s wrongs), you will love this book!

although, yes, this is about a female vigilante, that wasn’t the scary part of this novel. the scary part was how the men acted, it felt so true to real life and like stories we are constantly hearing from other women, it sent a chill down my spine. i recommend this to anyone who has ever been wronged by a man. (though check TWs)

read if you enjoy:
🧡 female rage
🧡 plot twists
🧡 bisexual rep
🧡 dual POV
🧡 dual timeline

(thank you so much to @instabooktours for accepting me on this book tour and netgalley for the EARC! 🧡)

📚🧡🦋🌼

They Never Learn wraps up female rage and violence into a story of trauma. It’s a captivating tale of a vigilante feminist serial killer. I loved some of her inner thoughts and plans, very much an evil villain yet one that has you questioning your own morals and what’s right and wrong. At times the black humour was elegantly done. I enjoyed the two timelines, I feel this really kept the pace up for the book and took you on a journey. I feel like this is almost a female Dexter in a way. You will have to read it yourself and let me know your thoughts on that. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Layne Fargo had me hooked from the opening page.
The writing is compulsively readable, with short chapters and shifting points of view that keep the pace brisk. While Scarlett is technically a villain, she is written in a way that readers may find themselves rooting for her despite her methods.
Parallel storylines intertwine which makes it even more engaging.
Recommended for: fans of thrillers with strong feminist themes, morally gray protagonists, and campus settings.
Content warnings / trigger warnings:
Abuse (physical, emotional, and sexual) Suicidal thoughts and self-harm.

I enjoyed this psychological thriller
It was a nice change to have a little feminist rage story
Full of twists and turns
I didn’t seem some coming but I could see where it was going towards the end
Overall it was an enjoyable read for me