From magic to murder, these novels set at boarding schools are full of secrets and page-turning plots to keep readers guessing.

Bonnin, Elisa A. Lovely Dark and Deep. 400p. Feiwel & Friends. Mar. 2025. Tr $20.99. ISBN 9781250888570.
Gr 6 Up–Faith is a rising senior at Ellery West, a school for magic. She is from a non-magical family and is an immigrant to the U.S., challenges compounded by being “Red Striped” (labeled as dangerous and isolated from most other students and forced to wear a uniform marked with a red stripe) after she witnessed a fellow student disappear into the forbidden forest. With the newly found family of fellow Red Stripe students, Faith must navigate the school year to graduate without being kicked out and having her magic repressed. Along the way, she and her new friends uncover a cruel colonialist crime at the school’s origin. This book is infused with the real-world immigrant experience of the author, who was born and raised in the Philippines, educated in the U.S., and is currently living and working in Germany. The Red Stripe students include characters of various ethnicities, neurodiversities, sexual orientations, and gender identities; these characteristics are relevant to the plot of the book, as at times it is questioned whether a student’s background and characteristics influence their treatment by the school. VERDICT A strong entry point into dark academia fantasy, recommended for all libraries serving YA readers.–Tammy Ivins

Goodman, Jessica. The Meadowbrook Murders. 336p. Putnam. Feb. 2025. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780593698716.
Gr 9 Up–Amy wakes up after a night of partying in the woods at her New England boarding school to discover her beloved roommate Sarah and Sarah’s boyfriend Ryan were violently murdered in their suite while she slept right next door. Her proximity to the crime scene makes her first in line to be questioned by the police, but Amy knows she didn’t have anything to do with their deaths. The school insists upon a new roommate, but prying journalist Liz and her desire for a fellowship-winning story are the last thing Amy and her boyfriend Joseph, who is the son of a coach but not a Meadowbrook student and therefore not allowed on campus, need. As the investigation heats up, Sarah and Ryan’s secrets begin to be revealed, and it turns out that Amy may not have known her as well as she thought. Both Amy and Liz will need to be careful as they pick apart those secrets or they may find themselves in the killer’s way, too. Compelling if not always entirely likable characters are tangled in a web of desperation and hidden motivations; short chapters and good pacing keep the pages turning, while red herrings keep the solution just out of reach. VERDICT A cutthroat boarding school story recommended for purchase where murder mysteries are particularly popular –Allie Stevens

Rose, Elle Gonzalez. The Girl You Know. 288p. Bloomsbury. Feb. 2025. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781547616039.
Gr 9 Up–Now that her twin sister Solina has been murdered, Luna feels completely alone. Their mother died years ago after which their father succumbed to alcoholism, and Luna has been working 80-hour weeks to afford Solina’s private boarding school, Kingswood Academy. Desperate for answers and well aware that her poor, Puerto Rican sister’s death is not going to be taken seriously by law enforcement, Luna convinces her beloved roommate/guardian Tiffany (who is trans, Black, and fiercely warm and protective) to drive her to Kingswood, where she will pretend to be Solina for as long as it takes to find out what happened to her. When she arrives, what she finds instead is a series of lies Solina has told that may lead her to the killer; no one at Kingswood is who they claim to be. An unrealistic set-up can be easily forgiven in the face of this incredibly fast-paced and twisting mystery exploring how little we sometimes know those closest to us. Haunted by the fight that was their last conversation, Luna experiences violent and aching grief as she discovers Solina’s real reasons for wanting to leave Kingswood and decides who she wants to be moving forward, as well as just how much vengeance to exact, and against whom. VERDICT Fast and furious; a must-buy anywhere gritty murder mysteries circulate.–Allie Stevens

Wilkinson, Lili. Unhallowed Halls. 464p. Delacorte. Feb. 2025. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780593810989.
Gr 9 Up–Outcast Page Whittaker accepts a scholarship to an elite boarding school deep within the moors of Scotland, after a traumatic incident at her previous school in Florida leaves her once again friendless and withdrawn. Agathion College is an unconventional school, with its curriculum focusing on classic literature and philosophy instead of the standard high school subjects. Page longs for a place to fit in and starts to believe that Agathion is that place. But her new group of friends, the staff, and school itself hold dark secrets, and she’s somehow connected to them. As her birthday rapidly approaches, Page is horrified to discover that Agathion has ties to dark magic and demons. The first half of the book is its strongest, playing into the mystery and atmosphere of dark academia. Any teenager will empathize with Page as she struggles to not only adjust to a new school but also with her ingrained fear of being too different from her peers. But as the plot unfolds and the supernatural elements are introduced, the story begins to stumble. The pacing becomes inconsistent, and there are too many plot elements—Scottish mythology, philosophy, classic literature, dark academia, and demonic lore—to take this to the deeper level the author intends. The emphasis on Page’s menstrual cycle and endometriosis diagnosis, a great opportunity to represent hidden disabilities, is instead used to justify her ability to save the world despite a severe stab wound. VERDICT A mild introduction to dark academia that will leave seasoned readers wanting more.–Kara Jonson