Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - They Never Learn

It's really fun to be inside the head of a serial killer like Scarlett—someone I truly sympathize with, understand her motivations, and root for. I don't even want to call her deplorable. Questionable, sure. But fascinating and an intriguing protagonist. Carly and her storyline were a little less enthralling to follow... at least for the first half. The plot twist mid-way through the book

where you find out that Carly is Scarlett, and that that portion of the novel is set in the past

really shifted the direction of that plot and built up the intrigue. This book isn't a literary masterpiece or anything, but it is fun and an exciting read.

I think there's plenty to unpack in the feminism of the novel and the way that race and sexuality and class intersects with misogyny could certainly have been unpacked, but... ultimately I just don't think that's something this book meant to do; it's dealing more with the impact of sexual assault and the lack of response and support for girls and women who face various violence at the hands of men.

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chughes5's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The best book I've read all year! I was hooked from the beginning and never knew what would happen next.

I'm so glad there was a happy sapphic ending that we never got in Killing Eve.

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alilbitofeveryth1ng's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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msradiosilence's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

TLDR; 3 rating, I love women’s wrongs, I love queer women, but there is something missing here.

Content warnings at the bottom. :)

I am a sucker for bisexual female main characters, and this one kills men who hurt women?? It sounded so far up my alley. I went in hoping Scarlett and Carly would team up and take down all the horrible men on Gorman’s campus but that’s just…not exactly what happened.

So Scarlett and Carly are the same person. I figured that out just a little bit before the reveal, so cheers!

I really appreciated Carly’s arc, but because the time was ambiguous, the four or five page chapters and then the switches back and forth between Carly and Scarlett did give me whiplash in a few places. I understand why (to keep you on the edge of your seats during tense moments) but there was something lost in the back and forth.

I’ve seen a lot of people complain about how there’s quite literally a single man in this book who is a genuinely good guy, and it’s sort of explained away because he’s gay. I think people pointing this out are missing the fact that Scarlett is a horrendously unreliable narrator. Someone described this as genderbent American Psycho, and while I’ve never read that book, I’ve seen plenty of reviewers who bite back at incel misogynists who look up to Patrick Bateman enough to realize that the comparison is likely an apt one. Scarlett is so consumed with her belief that men ain’t shit, and while it’s very likely the men she kills haven’t committed crimes egregious enough for the reader to sentence them to death, Scarlett’s had enough. She reads a lot into situations, often colored by her own trauma, and since this is from her perspective, we should take her observations with a grain of salt (in most cases). With the exception of Drew, all the men in this book read as horrible predators, and we as the audience only have Scarlett to rely on until another character confirms it (Mina with Kinnear,

Mikayla with Jasper

, jury’s still out on Stright). But whether you believe Scarlett or not, the point is she’s unreliable, but these men are still pretty awful.

And that’s the point, isn’t it? It’s a cautionary tale against trust, because it’s not always the ones you don’t know. Scarlett is a dream, and one that I’ve heard quite a few of my friends echo. Because even in the year of our lorde 2023, the doctors and the deans in Carly’s storyline are still saying the same shit. I saw it happen in undergrad to friends of mine. We have a long, long way to go before the events in this book are only the work of fiction.

Anyway. I thought the book was fine but it didn’t change my life. So, solid three stars.

Rating: 3

Would I recommend? A tentative yes, but mostly for the TWs and content.

Content warnings: Graphic: Fire, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Gore, Grief, Sexism, Cursing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content (about sexual assault), Sexual content (on page, consensual), Sexual harassment, Blood, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, and Violence. Moderate: Death of parent, Rape (mentioned, not on page), Alcohol, Domestic abuse, and Suicide (mentioned). Minor: Torture (mentioned), Car accident, and Drug use

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aimzthereader's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Vigilante feminist killer book with some great twists and very well written! I loved this. I love when an author writes an excellent full complex character that you should be rooting against because they are a murderer but then you find yourself rooting for them…

I like the two different views. I felt the author went seamlessly between Scarlett and Carly . She also starts and ends every chapter excellently which makes the book super propulsive. There are a few things that are far fetched which is why it’s a 4.5 instead of a 5 but tbh I’m okay with it because of how well written this book was. I loved the feminist feeling, how sexual assualt was handled , and also the lgbtqia rep. I will for sure be checking out more from this author.

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sinnabookz's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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cultbyproxy's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

There is so much to say about this book and certainly not enough words to say it.

In this thriller, English professor meets serial killer in a gripping story that brings female serial killers to the forefront. This book is not only a show of pure literary excellence from Layne Fargo but a truly twisted and primal take on feminism (and beautiful queer and bisexual representation). The use of dual-narration gives the reader great insight, and with a morally grey protagonist Fargo executes a storyline of vengeance vs victimhood with twists and turns that leave the reader constantly guessing.

Do you root for the killer or their victims? Who is the true underdog? Were the crimes worthy of the punishment? Is vigilante justice the answer? And is my love for the protagonist worthy of my own psychological evaluation?

The only way to find out is to keep turning the page and that is certainly not a problem, because Layne Fargo will leave you wanting to know more.

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