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.

Samantha Downing is incredible. She writes about the most diabolical characters and actually makes them funny. I’ve read all her books and I think this must be the most deliciously wicked yet. This must be the book of the summer. Loved it.

This book grabbed my attention from the start and held it all the way through. Although the story gets a little far fetched, this is allowed as artistic license. A hugely entertaining read, beginning with Mr Crutcher marking down the work of privileged students he thinks unworthy of top grades.

I never repeat the blurb. This was a speedy read, but having started well with twists, it just continued to twist in all directions until the plot became almost farcical and stretched any semblance of credibility just a tad too far.

I’ve been a big fan of Samantha Downing and was looking forward to this book but it didn’t quite hit the spot for me unfortunately! Not sure why as it’s well written but I just couldn’t connect to anything about it-characters, plot or storyline. I did read to the end so I must have become invested at some point but it just wasn’t for me this time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Sadly this book missed the mark for me. After being wowed by Samanthas fist book the last 2 have underwhelmed me. This book follows Teddy, who somehow managed to win teacher of the year; which I found strange as he was so unlikeable as a character. We follow him as he poisons another teacher, accidentally kills a parent before poisoning many people and killing a few more. I really didn't feel this book hit the spot, however I can see from other reviews many did enjoy it perhaps its not for me.

It's difficult to say much about this book without giving away too many spoilers! I loved Samantha Downing's other novels so was excited to read this. Set in a private school and told from many different perspectives, I found it a little difficult to follow the plot at times. A parent dies on school grounds and this brings police attention to the school as more tragedies occur. I think there's a good story in here but the narrative is just too confusing and unclear at times.

For Your Own Good was an enjoyable read, I really wanted to see Teddy brought to justice. I marked the book down a little as I felt it lost me nearing the end when the ex student came to be a stand in teacher, it felt a little unrealistic and drawn out.

A lot of characters, multiple viewpoints and some really nasty people! However I enjoyed it. recommended.

I like this author
Always for some reason I pick her up and think oh another thriller good but when I get into it I realise she’s not as formulaic as others and I’m generally intrigued by all the characters
This is a fun read ,had thrills , mischief and dastardly characters .
Great location though yes know been done before just enjoyed the antics inside it ,and most teachers at one point need a lesson or two themselves lol
Liked how they were all prittety flawed and ego driven .
A delight of a quick thriller u will race though not knowing who’s next

A brilliantly written book as always by Samantha Downing, I wasn’t sure about knowing all the details when the characters didn’t. I usually like being able to guess the twists and turns rather than knowing what is going on. Having said that, it is still worth a read! The book itself is great it’s just the format I was unsure on.

A strange and quite unique story. The psychopathic murderer has convinced himself that all his actions are for the benefit of his students. A few twists but the ending was a bit weak.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the advance copy of this book.

I have read previous work by this author so was excited to read this one.

It was very hard to stick with due to the sheer amount of narrators and perspectives it is told from.

The storyline is very good but is hampered by the narration and it does take work to not put it down for a bit.

I would still reccomend it but only to people that are ready for a heavy, possibly confusing read..

I think I may have been in the minority but I was really disappointed in this book. The characters felt flat and I struggled to connect with any of them. There were no twists or turns in the plot to keep things exciting - it was simply much of the same - and things moved pretty slowly. Pleased others enjoyed it, but just not one for me.

DNF at 53%. Too many POV's. Switching amongst them with no warning. Can't keep the characters straight. At 53% I have realized I don't know what is going on and I don't care. Maybe it is me and I am in a bad reading place right now. I have DNF'd 2 of my last 3 books and I usually DNF once every 2 years but I just couldn't go on with this one. I think this author isn't for me. I liked The Lovely Wife well enough, then I really didn't like He Started It, but at least I finished that one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to give this books a try.

Ah man I loved this. So much fun.
I went into this blind and I advise you to do the same. I only read it as I had read some of the authors previous work and loved it.

This one doesn’t disappoint. Set in a private high school, we have a cast of characters who vary from vein to mischievous to outright psychotic.
The story is brilliant. You’re unsure what way it’s going to go at the start as you are introduced to strange character after strange character.

The story is brilliantly told and laced with black humour throughout. Even though there’s lots of serious crimes committed here it just an absolute blast to spend time with these mad and funny characters.

I can’t think of a bad thing to say about this. It kinda had a bit of a Dexter vibe to it.
If you like your thrillers laced with black humour and fun story telling this one is definitely for you.

May thanks to the publishers for providing an ARC through Netgalley.

Teddy Crutcher is the English teacher at Belmont Academy a prestigious private school where he has finally won the Teacher of the Year Award – he is beyond happy. From the outset we are aware of Teddy’s inner voice – he believes he is superior, clever and acts for the good of the students. His methods are somewhat unorthodox but he believes they are in the best interests of the students.

The death of a parent in the school grounds draws police attention to the faculty and as more deaths occur even Teddy is being looked at.

A somewhat unusual book that keeps you guessing as to how it will turn out. Worth a read.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

For Your Own Good was nothing like what I expected! Filled with twists and turns, unlikable but remarkably real characters and a murder mystery like no other. Each chapter threw a new spanner into the works and I absolutely flew through the pages.

Teddy is the best teacher, being voted teacher of the year just proves the point. Not having grown up with the ‘benefits’ his students are used to he feels it’s his job to show them the realities of life, sometimes taking them down a peg or two, after all he wants the kids to reach their full academic potential. A death at the school puts an unfortunate kink in his plans, and then someone starts digging into Teddy’s life, he realises that if he wants to complete his plan he’s going to have to up his game. It’s really too bad that sometimes excellence can come at such a high cost.

For Your Own Good is told from multiple perspectives: Teddy, Frank & Sonia Teachers at Belmont Academy, Zach a student there and Fallon an ex student of Teddy’s. They are all unreliable narrators which makes for an intriguing and twisty book because you’re never quite sure who you can trust. None of them are overly likable, though some are definitely worse than others, they all have their privileges and pride though it presents differently for each of them.

Downing gives us an entirely relatable and real school experience with Belmont Academy, from the teachers who care more about their own praise and accolades than that of their students, to the parents who heap pressure and unattainable goals on their kids. Through the POV’s you get to see the school from both a teacher and student perspective and as an adult it definitely made for some humorous moments.

It’s actually really hard to talk about this book without giving away spoilers. Downing is a master of keeping you as the reader on your toes and there are SO many plot twists as well as different storylines to get your head around. I buddy read this with Susan and we had so many ideas of what happened/who did it/why, but they kept changing throughout the book, just as you think you have the plot down a new character appears or a new twist is thrown in & you’re right back to the beginning again.

Fans of adult thrillers are sure to love this, I haven’t read any of the authors other works but Susan assures me this is her best. Her quick witted writing style makes for a quick and easy read, though the story is certainly not quick and easy. If you like your narrators unreliable and your stories slightly convoluted then this is for you.

I found it a little hard to get into this book at first because of the writing style, which at times felt a little cold and distant. However, about a third of the way through I found I couldn’t put it down, and then finished it in two sittings.

I enjoyed the multiple viewpoints, Theo’s machinations and the setting of the school environment very much, and felt the plot moved at a good pace with enough intrigued to keep me hooked.

However, I felt a little let down by the end because what happened to one of the main characters (no spoilers here!) happened ‘off the page’ and I really wanted to be in the scene with them to see how they felt/what they thought, to make it satisfying and round off the viewpoint.

I would definitely read other books by Samantha Downing, this one just wasn’t quite a 5 star for me.

With thanks to the author, Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

At the start I had high hopes. Especially after loving Downings debut. But sadly this was underwhelming and even anti climatic.
I think its possible that, for me, this had too many POVs that I started to muddle them up a little. But also Teddy and Zach were the only really interesting characters, so I think just focusing on them not people like Fallon, who was kind of bland, would have been more interesting.
I found I would zone out in some POVs because they just wasn't as interesting to read.
The pacing was fast with short enough chapters you can fly through this book if you want. That was no issue for me. Downing writing is amazing for this.
Even though I said Zach and Teddy were the most interesting characters I still disliked both of them. Teddy for obvious reasons, but Zach I still can't pinpoint why I disliked him. I felt sympathy for him with how he was treated by his parents and Teddy. But I still didn't like or trust him.

The ending just felt anticlimactic. I expected some big twist last minute but it just fell flat for me. Sure there were twists throughout but at the same time I felt wasn't shocked by any of them. In a way it felt like too much was given so twists weren't really twists for me.

I gave this 3 stars because despite not really enjoying it I was still intrigued enough to keep reading. 2 stars felt too low considering.