Dark academia is generally categorized as moody and mysterious narratives that usually take place in the confines of a school. Think dark libraries, Gothic towers, and secret campus societies. The school is buzzing with intrigue and the walls threaten to crumble under the weight of its secrets. Characters will stop at nothing to find answers, especially when dead bodies start popping up. This is in no way an inclusive list of the genre but is a good place to start. School’s in session and no one can be ready enough.
Saint Perpetua’s College stands isolated in the deep forgotten hills of Massachusetts. During Laura Sheridan’s first day of class, she’s propelled into an academic rivalry with Carmilla, beautiful and enigmatic. They both get drawn into the confidence of Dr. Lafontaine, a poetry professor who holds a dark obsession with Carmilla. As their rivalry blossoms into something more delicious, they become tangled in a sinister game of politics where secrets are currency. They must decide what they’re willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of knowledge.
A young New Yorker grieving his mother’s death is pulled into a gritty underworld of art and wealth in this “extraordinary” and beloved Pulitzer Prize winner from the author of The Secret History that “connects with the heart as well as the mind” (Stephen King, New York Times Book Review).
Addy Hanlon and Beth Cassidy have always been best friends. Beth calls the shots, and Addy carries them out. Now as seniors who rule their intensely, competitive high school cheer squad, they’re feared and followed by the other girls until a young, new coach arrives. Coach Colette French draws Addy and the other cheerleaders into her life, and only Beth remains outside the Coach’s golden circle, unsettled by the new regime. But a suicide forces a police investigation on the Coach and squad. Addy tries to uncover the truth behind the death in this dark, beautifully written story.
The prestigious Armitage Academy is shaken to its core when the beautiful, aloof Claire Harkness is found dead in her dorm room one spring morning. From the local police detective to the various staff and faculty, everyone who was connected to Claire has their lives upended. Everyone wants to know what happened to Claire, but more importantly, where the baby she secretly gave birth to is. Madeline Christopher, an intern in the English department, is in the center of the investigation. She’ll have to investigate the relationship between the school’s students and adults. As she gets roped in deeper and deeper into the case, the dark intricacies of adolescent privilege at a powerful institution are exposed in this gripping story in the tradition of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.
Emily Hoang is a writer and editor, who is obsessed with haunted houses, ghosts, and dreams. More info can be found on her website.
