Time for the next category in the RWC 2017 Reading Challenge.
Category #16: A book set in a school
It’s time to go back to school for many people, so let’s apply that to our reading list as well. Simple enough, right? The idea is to read anything set primarily in a learning environment. This will most likely be fiction, but it’s also possible to find nonfiction options that will work. Also, many Young Adult (YA) novels center around schools.
Here are some from my shelves:
 |
Looking for Alaska (John Green)
This YA novel was Green’s first big hit and it’s not without controversy. Miles leaves his boring life for a boarding school, where he meets Alaska Young. She’s crazy and self-destructive and changes Miles’ life forever. |
 |
Shades of London series (Maureen Johnson)
The final installment of this YA series hasn’t been released yet but I’m looking forward to it. It’s set at a boarding school in London. The first book revolves around Jack the Ripper and copycat murders. From there, things go paranormal, including a team of ghost detectives. |
 |
Thirteen Reasons Why (Jay Asher)
Unless you’ve been offline for the last several months, you’ve heard of the Netflix series based on this novel. It’s about a teenage girl who commits suicide, leaving behind a series of tapes naming all the people who contributed to her misery. Again, a fair amount of controversy surrounds this book (and the tv adaptation), but it was an interesting read and conversation starter.
|
 |
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Iain Reid)
Perhaps a bit of a cheat, most of this book takes place in a car, not a school. However, the pivotal ending is in an abandoned school. It’s a conversation between a man and his girlfriend who are driving to his parents’ secluded farm. Along the way, they encounter a storm, both in the weather and their relationship. This may not be my favorite book ever, but the twist ending fascinated me. |
 |
The Lost Girl (Sangu Mandanna)
YA sci-fi/fantasy. Not the genre I most often go for, but the concept here was interesting. In the future, families can order “copies” of their loved ones. These “copies” are kept secret, raised to be identical in case something happens and they need to replace the original. Eva, however, isn’t happy about not being allowed to have her own life. When she’s called in to replace Amarra, she struggles not to blow her cover. |
 |
The Secret Place (Tana French)
This is the 5th book in the Dublin Murder Squad series. It’s not vital to read all of the books, though it is helpful. In this story, there’s a murder involving students at a boarding school – and a clue left on a secret message board. |
What will you read to complete this category? Leave a comment below with your thoughts about these or any I may have missed.
If you have suggestions for books that fit in future categories, let me know. I’ll include your name (and a link, if you like) when I share those suggestions.
