As you may or may not know, I work in a school and after a wonderful summer, it’s time to go back 😭 In the spirit of back to school though, I thought I’d share some books set in school that are worth a read. Whether you’re going back to school yourself or have left school in the rearview mirror, hopefully you’ll fall in love with one of these YA or Adult novels.
Young Adult Books
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
This is by no means a new recommendation by me. I read this series for the first time four years ago and have since reread the first book. I just think it’s so fun and cute and an overall great time.
Lara Jean has dealt with all her crushes by writing them love letters and hiding the letters away in a box. So, what happens when those letters get mailed out and one of them is for her sister’s ex-boyfriend? Fake dating, ex-childhood friends to lovers, popular guy and not so popular girl, and general teen drama ensue.
This is such a sweet coming of age love story and personally I love when there are letters involved. I will admit to loving the first book the most out of the trilogy, but I still think it’s worth a read. Then, once you’ve finished the book you can watch the movie adaptation on Netflix! (In my opinion the first one is the only one worth watching, but feel free to let me know if you disagree).
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
I actually read this both physically and listened to the audiobook and would recommend both, so do whatever works for you! This is the perfect read if you like true crime podcasts, thrillers, and murder mysteries.
For her senior project, Pip reexamines the closed murder-suicide case involving two teens in her small hometown. When she realizes the case may not be as open and shut as it was made to seem, she takes on the investigation and brings the murderer’s brother along with her.
This was such a thrilling and twisty story and I actually gave it 4.5⭐️. It’s the first in a trilogy, so if you enjoy it then you’ll already have your next reads lined up. Also, now would be a prefect time to get into Pip’s story because the BBC is turning it into a television show! You can see Holly Jackson’s Instagram announcement post here.
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
By now I think I’ve read five of Christina Lauren’s novels, and Autoboyography has probably got to be my favorite from this author duo. Their writing always has a way of sucking the reader in and making everything on the page just come to life so beautifully.
Tanner, an out and proud bi teen, found himself back in the closet when his family moved from California to Utah. Now just months away from college and freedom to once again be himself, he falls in love. Sebastian is a young Mormon who is mentoring Tanner’s writing seminar after successfully selling his own novel the year before. Read as these two try to navigate the next four months together.
Once you pick this novel up, you won’t want to put it down. At times witty and heartfelt, it threads the needle of also balancing being devastatingly heartbreaking. It examines what it means to grow up and be yourself and makes you consider what it might be like to grapple with being yourself when surrounded by those who would not support you.
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
This is such a fun start to a really interesting and unique series. It’s perfect for any fan of mysteries and detective stories, especially if you’ve watched Sherlock or Elementary.
Charlotte Holmes is a descendent of the famous Sherlock Holmes and in true familial fashion, she finds herself embroiled in solving a mystery at her Connecticut prep school. She, along with Jamie Watson, must race to solve the case and clear their names before they get charged with murder.
I love the twist that Cavallaro puts on the Sherlock story and how the characters are true descendents of Sherlock and Watson. This is a perfect series to get sucked into this fall as there are four novels, each with their own cases and ensuing drama. My personal favorite was book 2 so it’s definitely worth sticking around. I would also highly recommend the audiobooks for the Charlotte Holmes series; the narrators did a fantastic job at bringing these characters to life.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
I read this series a few years back now, but I’ll never forget how atmospheric the story was. Its paranormal aspects read as unique when this was published at a time that paranormal stories were thriving.
Blue has always known that she will be the one to cause her true love’s death. This becomes more of a looming problem when she meets Gansey, a rich boy that goes to private school, and his friends. Blue joins the rest of the Raven Boys on Gansey’s quest. What are they looking for and will they find it before sinister consequences catch up with them?
With its rich cast of characters, The Raven Boys and the three books that follow will transport you to a world of mystery, intrigue, and magic. This is perfect for anyone who loves found family and adventure stories–think Six of Crows or Outer Banks.
Adult
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Ah, another familiar recommendation and the first book in one of my favorite series, the All Souls trilogy. This is the perfect pick for anyone who grew up loving Charmed, Twilight, or The Vampire Diaries. A paranormal romance but for adults who also love history and academia!
Diana is a scholar who accidentally calls up a bewitched manuscript that has been missing for centuries. The spellbound witch who wants nothing to do with her magical past finds herself at the center of a dangerous hunt for the manuscript. With few options, she ends up relying on Matthew Clairmont, a mysteriously ancient vampire who wants to protect her. Drawn together by forces beyond their control, characters from all sides will do everything they can to keep them apart.
When I tell you I am obsessed with these books I’m not kidding! I gave every single book of the trilogy 5⭐️! A badass witch and a hot, mysterious, old vampire fall in love and have to fight everything and everyone to be together and save the world? Yeah, sign me up! I will say that if at any point you feel the historical or academic parts are dragging, just push through because it’s totally worth it. I promise! I’d would be shocked if you don’t fall in love with Matthew and Diana’s story.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
An absolutely delightful read that you must pick up if you haven’t already. This was one of the first books I read in 2022 and it really stuck with me the rest of the year as a benchmark for contemporary romances.
Do to some unexpected circumstances, Ph.D. candidate Olive finds herself fake dating hot young scientist and professor, Adam. Through all the fake dating shenanigans that ensue, Olive finds that the tyrant of Stanford’s labs might not be so bad after all.
This story will take your through a rollercoaster of emotions in the absolute best way possible. To quote my own review: “I found myself laughing, and crying, and screaming throughout.” Also this is a bit of a spoiler for the romance but if you’re into “he falls in love first” romances than this is the one for you! Also, yay for women in STEM rep! If you don’t already know, that’s kind of Ali Hazelwood’s thing, so check out her work if you’re interested in that.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
It is 100% true that if you read this book, it will be the most devastating, emotional, heart shattering book you read in your life. It’s a lot and I would not go into it lightly or without checking trigger and content warnings if those are things that you need. However, this is also one of the most beautifully written stories I’ve ever read and will ever read in my life. Yanagihara is a master of prose and will make your soul ache for the characters as you read their journey.
Follow the lives of four friends with wildly different backgrounds and aspirations. Through decades, you’ll get to learn their stories and relationships, but it all keeps coming back to Jude. The haunting trauma of his past increasingly affects his present as he deteriorates into a broken man. What will end up happening to Jude and will his friends be there for him when his life shatters?
Literally, any description that you read of this book will not be enough to encompass the absolute pain you will be getting into by reading it. That said, I’m putting it out there as an option since it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. If you’d like to read my full review and get some recommendations you can check out this post. Stay safe out there and don’t make yourself read things that will trigger you or negatively affect you!
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
I’ve got to be honest and tell you I was not a huge fan of this book. I only gave this 3⭐️ when I read it two years ago. However, I think it has more to do with the fact that dark academia isn’t really my vibe. If you’re a fan of Bunny, Ninth House, or If We Were Villains and somehow still haven’t read this, then go do that. If you have read The Secret History then maybe you’d like the titles I just mentioned.
A group of students studying Classics are pushed further and further into obsession, deception, and murder, all while under the influence of their charismatic professor.
Beyond dark academia, if you enjoy a mystery thriller full of unreliable narrators, corruption, and questioning morality then this might be the one for you.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
This happens to be the only book on this list that I have not actually read. However, it’s one I’ve been dying to read for ages. I watched the movie like a decade ago and just haven’t worked my way up to reading it because I really do think I’ll love it. It’s what the friends over on Books Unbound would consider a mashed potato book. (Go check out their podcast if you want to know what that means!)
As children, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques andmysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were. Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special–and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together. Suspenseful, moving, beautifully atmospheric, Never Let Me Go is a modern classic.
Wish me luck reading this sometime soon! If you pick this up, make sure you go and watch the movie as well.
As usual, please let me know if you pick any of these up and what you think of them. If you have any more books set in school you think any of us should read, don’t hesitate to comment them down below!
