Academy for Liars

Hardcover, 464 pages

English language

Published Sept. 17, 2024 by Penguin Publishing Group.

ISBN:: 978-0-593-63830-9

(2 reviews)

Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.

Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because—like everyone else at the school—she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.

After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion’s heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.

As Lennon continues in her studies, her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered …

Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.

Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because—like everyone else at the school—she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.

After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion’s heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.

As Lennon continues in her studies, her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns, for it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption...and it’s a test she’s terrified she’s going to fail.

3 editions

enne📚 reviewed Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

An Academy For Liars

3 stars

This is a "dark academia" book about a down-on-her-luck college dropout Lennon who receives a mysterious phone call congratulating her on being accepted to the interview stage at Drayton College, a place she's never heard of and that she definitely didn't apply to. Drayton is a place where people learn the (magic) art of "persuasion", of forcing other people and sometimes the world into doing whatever you want (at the cost of great physical pain and harm). See also: exlusive school clubs and social hierarchy, an incredibly problematic relationship with mysterious academic advisor Dante, and unspoken mysteries about the school itself and its past.

This book's plot pulled me along via reveals about the world and Dante, but character-wise it was far too light. It felt like plot rather than personality pushed the characters forward; I got to the end and didn't feel like I had a solid sense of …

This is a "dark academia" book about a down-on-her-luck college dropout Lennon who receives a mysterious phone call congratulating her on being accepted to the interview stage at Drayton College, a place she's never heard of and that she definitely didn't apply to. Drayton is a place where people learn the (magic) art of "persuasion", of forcing other people and sometimes the world into doing whatever you want (at the cost of great physical pain and harm). See also: exlusive school clubs and social hierarchy, an incredibly problematic relationship with mysterious academic advisor Dante, and unspoken mysteries about the school itself and its past.

This book's plot pulled me along via reveals about the world and Dante, but character-wise it was far too light. It felt like plot rather than personality pushed the characters forward; I got to the end and didn't feel like I had a solid sense of who anybody was. There were also a number of worldbuilding details that I wished got built on more, but were only mentioned offhand or for a plot point and then not brought up again. My overall conclusion was that I enjoyed this as I read it, but the more I marinated on it, the more shallow it felt.

Esteban Torres

rated it

Nov 14