Literally Dead Book Club discussion

Part 3 begins at chapter 70 (page 299)
A lot of chaos typically ensues in the final 50 pages of a Samantha Downing book, did this one follow suit?

FULL SPOILERS ALLOWED AND ENCOURAGED HERE.

How did you feel about the final developments and overall what are your opinions on the book as a whole?
Will you pick up more from this author?
If you were casting this for a movie adaptation, who do you picture starring as the characters?
What books would you compare this to or recommend others read if they enjoyed For Your Own Good?

I finished and didn't do a part 2 post and now that I am done hard to separate my thoughts. Overall it was ok for me. There were times I got bored but generally moved quickly and I enjoyed how it ended.

I don't think that Samantha Dowing's writing style is for me. I love her concepts but they have yet to thrill me.

I love the casting question, I had a picture Michael Trevino from Vampire Diaries in my head for Zach and Alexandra Daddario for Fallon. I kept thinking of Michael Emerson for Teddy but know he is too old and maybe not good looking enough but he has that energy to me.

Hard to think of comparison, there is a touch of humor in Samantha Downing writing that isn't in a lot of comparable books. A thriller with a bit of humor I would recommend is Finlay Donovan Is Killing It but also think a very different writing style.

This was my first Samantha Downing. I wouldn't say I loved it, but it was an enjoyable read. It all just seemed a bit far fetched and I didn't really find Teddy very convincing. I agree with Samantha that it was the humour that saved it as it didn't take itself too seriously. I enjoyed the complexity of all the various characters, but something about it just didn't quite work. The book it most reminds me of is Half Broken Things by Morag Joss. I look forward to reading everyone's comments and to know if her earlier books are stronger.

I just finished this and I had an absolute blast!
I liked part 1 the best and felt like the story lost some of its appeal half way through part 2 but I still really enjoyed the ending.
I loved the humor of this book, it was just the right about of dark humor/tongue in cheek/ it knows its insane writing that I loved :)

I will definitely pick up the next book samantha downing writes :)
I'm not sure what I could even compare this book to.

I LOVED this! It was such a fun read! Somewhere in part 2, things did dip a bit, but once it picked up again, I could not put this down.

I enjoyed He Started It and My Lovely Wife as well, so I’m definitely going to keep reading Samantha Downing’s books. This might be my favorite of the three.

I wasn't as surprised as I was in previous Samantha Downing's books, but that is okay. I enjoyed the book and was satisfied with the ending. I found it interesting that Teddy got did in by the same thing he did to everyone else (well different poison).

I agree with the above post, talking about there being a good amount of dark humour in this.

As for casting, that is something I need to think about for a bit....

Omg I read this book in a day!
Could not put it down!
I think this is my favourite for this author!

Sjoukje wrote: "Omg I read this book in a day!
Could not put it down!
I think this is my favourite for this author!"

Same! :)

Throughly entertained! Part 2 did take a couple of sips of far-fetched coffee, but I was here for it. I like Downing’s writing and storytelling. It’s been a long time since I’ve been annoyed if someone interrupted my reading. 5-star for me.

Going to see if my library has her other books. Mostly interested in HE STARTED IT.

Charlene wrote: "I wasn't as surprised as I was in previous Samantha Downing's books, but that is okay. I enjoyed the book and was satisfied with the ending. I found it interesting that Teddy got did in by the same..."

I saw your comment in part 2 about Teddy's milk fixation and had to laugh. With how much it came up I assumed it had to be a important to the plot at some point. I am not sure Zach's discovery was all that realistic but it was a fun none the less.

wow I really enjoyed this. even thought the characters were messy. I had a fun time reading this and seeing it all unravel. I did hate how Zach just seemed to know everything from basically nothing. I really wanted Teddy to get away with it even though he was an ass. I just like seeing the main character get away with it. I wasn't a fan of Fallons character and how convinent her placement in the story was. I also don't understand how Frank just took his wife's word for face value and decided then and there he would murder another man. True Christians don't justify killing a man just because they wouldn't let them pray for us and our spouse said they suspect them of murder. The way Frank was so willing to go to jail for murder makes me think there had to be more to his story than being a minister. And I don't know why Allison would be afraid of Teddy targeting her next when she was long gone, Teddy hadn't contacted her since the papers were filed, and she just believed a random email right away. I don't know maybe I'm biased because I just wanted Teddy to get away with it in the end but still get punished in a slick way in the end. I didn't Zach to live and Teddy to die but it was still an interesting book till the very end. That corny last line was funny though. using the name of the book to end the book is a power move lol. My final rating would be a 4.5

Overall I liked this book a lot, but the ending sort of fell flat for me. I would have loved to not have everything resolved at the end, it would have made the book more memorable. I didn't expect Teddy to die though, which was a nice twist. We could have guessed Frank isn't the law-abiding citizen he pretends to be when we look at the scene in the teachers' lounge, where he is looking for any evidence of him 'killing' Ingrid. He obviously doesn't shy away from poisoning people if he feels he's doing 'the right thing'. Actually, that is something Teddy and him have in common...

I will definitely pick up more from this author. I really hope to find the time to read more from Downing, but I've said the same about other book club picks as well. Someday... :D

I kept thinking about 13 reasons why while I was reading this book because of Zach and Courtney, haha. I pictured these two as Ross Butler and Michele Selene Ang from the television series, even though Courtney has blonde hair in For Your Own Good (I think?).

This book made me think of They Never Learn by Layne Fargo as well. With the difference being that the main character here is convinced he's doing what is best for everyone, while Scarlett is aware of how evil she is.

Overall, I did like this. I wasn't blown away by any means, and I am a little unsure about all the hype this received. It was pretty messy, and I was unsure if this was actually going to lead anywhere. Long story short, I gave it 3 stars. I was interested enough to finish it rather quickly, but it's not anything I would write home about. My Lovely Wife was far better and a lot less YA, in my opinion.

This was a wild and weird ride, so many POV's, not sure if I loved the chopping and changing though. I feel like the end was a bit of a let down, I wanted more to happen to/with Teddy,
and to find out about his wife, as initially when I read the blurb of this book, the wife being elusive sounded very suspicious and I thought he had killed her previusly, overall a god book.

Holy crap! That was an excellent book. Its 5 stars from me. READ IT! ITS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. Just, skip the milk. ;)

Idk how I felt about it. The pacing was good as it started and it was still quick, the short chapters are fantastic and it was fun to read but towards the middle, I got bored. I got so bored that I didn’t care if they found out who actually did all the poisonings but I was still intrigued enough to keep reading. The ending just left me feeling meh AT FIRST. But then now that I’ve had time to process how I actually felt I actually think it needed perfect.
Still don’t know whether to give it 3.5 stars because I was bored and not my favorite Samantha Downing or if I should give it 4 stars because of the fast pace and the ending.

Well, feeling nothing special. I expected better developments regarding Frank and more from Allison but was disappointed...
I still don't have anything against the author, may pick up something again.
I'd rate this 3 stars.

I really enjoyed this book! I wasn’t super mind blown at the end like I had been when I read My Lovely Wife. I gave this a 4⭐️!

I like how everything played out and Teddy kind of got what was coming to him in the end. I laughed when it was Frank, because he had been so nervous about potentially killing someone in part one and came off as proud killing Teddy. I will say i’m a little disappointed Allison wasn’t dead.. Teddy kept mentioning worms in his stomach and I thought that might have been a metaphor of killing his wife and burying her somewhere. I will say that Zach having the plaque at the end is just the icing on the cake and great!

I will definitely be reading more of Samantha Downing’s books in the future.

I ended up really enjoying this book. It was quite the ride and I definitely didn't see Frank killing Teddy at the end. Over all it ended up being a 4 star for me

This wasn’t a BANG brilliant…wow! But it certainly entertained me and kept me busy for sure.

Teddy was just a law unto himself wasn’t he? He thought he was doing good things…..in his own justification on things!

Zachs pushy parents were annoying at the start which put something in my mind as to all wasn’t what it seemed.

The appearance of an ex student as a teacher took me on another dimension in my head.

I really enjoyed this book when was said and done and gave it a 4*

I enjoyed this overall, and I liked the way it wrapped up. Maybe this wasn't the best thriller ever written, but I liked the various points of view (particularly from the more unhinged characters). This book solidified the fact that I do like the amateur-kid-detective that no one believes trope, but I wish it had been Zach on his own; Fallon felt like an extra character who wasn't really needed.

Overall, this was fine. This was my first Samantha Downing and I plan to pick up more from her in the future because there were aspects that I did really enjoy. My problem with this book is I was kinda ... bored? I hate saying that because it was interesting but I think it was a little long. I was disappointed with the ending because there weren't any shocking reveals. Sure, it's surprising that Frank killed Teddy but I didn't really care. Since we were following Teddy throughout the book, we basically knew everything that was happening and there wasn't much of a mystery/thriller element to me. I wanted more with Fallon's character and didn't really see a point with her plotline. Overall, I feel "meh." I enjoyed the author's writing and the short chapters were nice but I wanted more.

I really enjoyed the book. I think I'm going to give it four stars just because there weren't really any big twists. I expected (or at least wasn't surprised by) pretty much everything that happened. I was really surprised that Allison wasn't dead, though. I was hardcore expecting that to get dropped in at some point secretly.

I'm definitely interested in reading more of Samantha Downing. I heard that she usually gives out some pretty good surprises, so even if this one didn't deliver, I want to read the ones who do.

I love the casting question! I always try to mentally cast actors (or people I know!) in as many roles as possible when I'm reading a book because I have a hard time picturing it otherwise. Of course, my mental castings aren't limited to the constraints of linear time, so some of the people I envisioned wouldn't actually work anymore, but I saw Teddy as William Daniels (Mr. Feeny) from early-era Boy Meets World. I know he was too old but meh. Zach was teenaged Chad Michael Murray. Fallon was Anna Kendrick. Over the course of the book, I started to see Frank as Joseph Fiennes circa AHS Asylum.

I agree with people who were reminded of They Never Learn. I liked that one a little bit better (that killer had a more compelling cause) but they were both good dark academia reads!

Only because I'm a Downing fan I gave this one 5 stars rounded up. I felt it dragged a while during the second act. And the way she decided to kill off Teddy wasn't the way I would have prefered. It was fast paced but at the same time kinda long. I was expecting more dark academia vibes too. I wrote a very vague review in which I recommended it to people who have liked these movies: Heathers, Election and Teaching Mrs. Tingle, because of the social satire which is on point. The only characters I liked were Zach and Courteney, which I think everyone would agree. About the casting, I read that Robert Downey Jr. is attached to play Teddy. If that is the case I may lose my love for the guy because Teddy is one of the most awful fictional people I've read about. I also think Downey is a little too old for the character, but OK. If not Downey, my choice would be Jake Gyllenhaal. For Zach, Fred Hechinger would be great (he played Connie Britton's son in The White Lotus), Olivia Holt for Fallon (she did great in Cruel Summer). Alexandra Daddario is 35, too old for Fallon and too pretty for Sonia, but we know Hollywood and beaufitul people...
I think those who enjoyed For Your Own Good would also enjoy They Never Learn, The Kind Worth Killing (Peter Swanson), His & Hers (Alice Finney), and For Better and Worse (Margot Hunt)

Courtney wrote: "Overall, I did like this. I wasn't blown away by any means, and I am a little unsure about all the hype this received. It was pretty messy, and I was unsure if this was actually going to lead anywh..."

I agree! This definitely has a more YA feel considering it is an adult novel.

I hated this, sadly. I was bored the vast majority of the time.
These were some of the most one-dimensional characters I have ever read. None of them ever seemed to have any motivation for anything they were doing or the braincells to pull off the "plans" we knew about every step of the way.
Nothing was surprising. Even though there were constant twists, I didn't care about any of them.
Nothing had any impact on anything. I just kept reading and being like, "Oh, OK, that happened. Now that happened. And that happened."
It read very quickly, but I'm still mad I wasted my time at all.
I thoroughly enjoyed "My Lovely Wife" but this was a total miss for me.

I really liked it. It was great! I’m giving it 4 stars. Every single character was despicable! Such a fun time. Kind of bonkers.

And bloody hell! That last line. Zach wanting to become a teacher. "And when he does, he’ll return to Belmont. Someone has to save the kids. It’s for their own good." Full circle indeed!

Wish the writing had been a bit nicer. It wasn’t terrible, just a bit too short and choppy for me to actually like it. Also not a fan of short chapters and 85 chapters spread over 400 pages felt just really ridiculous to me.

It also went on for a bit too long. And I'm not sure why it was divided into three parts. They weren't that noticeably different. The story just continued. Bit random.

Not being from the US, I didn’t fully get the sarcastic/dark comedy vibes in my reading. I was just constantly wondering if stuff like Teacher of Year (with a plaque and everything) and big anniversary celebrations are actually things that happen at American schools.

I already own “He Started It” by Samantha Downing and will definitely read it after this experience.

I finished it yesterday and gave it 4 stars. I had a fun time reading this book but I needed something more in order to be a 5 star. Loved the short chapters and the dark comedy. Also the last line was really good! Definitely gonna read Downing's other books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. A 3.75 level of enjoyment, but still enjoyable. I loved the way everything came full circle. I loved that every character was flawed. I love how even those characters that thought themselves helpful and self-righteous ended up being incredibly flawed. I had a feeling that Frank would end up being the one to kill Teddy, especially the more delusional he became in his zealotry. I can't say that I really pictured any actors in my head when reading this for most of the characters, but for some reason I pictured Sonia being played by this actress named Senta Moses. I also pictured Fallon being played by young Audry Plaza. Those are the only two I really gave distinct faces to while reading, though. I just finished the book "They Never Learn", which I liked a tad more, and I feel that it is a good comparison.

I loved this book. It was compulsively readable and I very much enjoyed all it's sharp little twists that assaulted you out of no where. Samantha Downing is a sneaky thriller writer and it made for a really good time. I can picture her typing out the last line of this novel with a sly smile on her face. This story being in an academic setting made it even better. I am more intrigued than ever to read this author's first book My Lovely Wife which I happen to have sitting on my shelf already.

I watched the live show. Heard some really good slants on certain things in the book.

My thoughts are though, that I loved it. I found it hard to put down. Loved it was set around a school. Loved how the conclusion was.