Scan barcode
A review by chemistreadingonthejob
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Fascinating concept that falls short of expectation
They Never Learn is a vigilante justice type thriller by Layne Fargo. The story follows two POVs, Dr. Scarlett Clark, an English professor that kills a man every year that is well deserving of murder, and Carly Schiller, a freshman at the same university. Dr. Clark is tired of being walked on and being second rate to a despicable man. She plots the ultimate revenge murder, and positions herself in the investigation, narrowly avoiding detection. Her perfectly controlled life is starting to fall apart at the seams. Carly Schiller wants to avoid connections after finally freeing herself from under her abusive father. This proves to be impossible when she bonds with her roommate Allison. When Allison is sexually assaulted, Carly promises to investigate and get justice.
There aren't alot of LGBTQ+ thrillers, and this was a horrible representation of one. Both of the protagonists had mental battles over their romantic feelings between a supportive female and male friend. It felt forced and inauthentic. I was drawn to Dr. Clark's dark and brilliant personality. I originally wanted her to get away with it, because I honestly thought her victims had it coming. However the second half of the book started to feel more and more unrealistic. This was the same for Carly. I pitied her and wanted her to succeed in finding the man that assaulted her friend. However, I started to feel like both of them were obsessive and unhinged. I didn't like where the story was going. I love a good revenge story, but this was borderline misandry. There was maybe one good man in this entire book. I can't wrap my head around Dr. Clark's motivations for when she first started killing. It was overly dramatic. I wanted to face palm, and yell that's why?! The biggest plot twist was revealed half way through the book and it was the first let down of many. Furthermore, the ending was completely impractical. They basically rode off into the sunset without repercussions. The only saving grace was that I found the writing to be excellent and addictive even with a terribly devised plot. I think the author did a great job at making the twist unpredictable by giving the characters complex personalities keeping time and education in mind. I had high hopes for this popcorn thriller, because there are a surprising amount of good reviews. Unfortunately, I would only recommend this if you don't mind the blatant man hating and delusory. I had to think about this review a long time because I liked the writing, the first half, the setting, and the concept. The conclusion and character development was frustrating and ruined the entire novel for me.
They Never Learn is a vigilante justice type thriller by Layne Fargo. The story follows two POVs, Dr. Scarlett Clark, an English professor that kills a man every year that is well deserving of murder, and Carly Schiller, a freshman at the same university. Dr. Clark is tired of being walked on and being second rate to a despicable man. She plots the ultimate revenge murder, and positions herself in the investigation, narrowly avoiding detection. Her perfectly controlled life is starting to fall apart at the seams. Carly Schiller wants to avoid connections after finally freeing herself from under her abusive father. This proves to be impossible when she bonds with her roommate Allison. When Allison is sexually assaulted, Carly promises to investigate and get justice.
There aren't alot of LGBTQ+ thrillers, and this was a horrible representation of one. Both of the protagonists had mental battles over their romantic feelings between a supportive female and male friend. It felt forced and inauthentic. I was drawn to Dr. Clark's dark and brilliant personality. I originally wanted her to get away with it, because I honestly thought her victims had it coming. However the second half of the book started to feel more and more unrealistic. This was the same for Carly. I pitied her and wanted her to succeed in finding the man that assaulted her friend. However, I started to feel like both of them were obsessive and unhinged. I didn't like where the story was going. I love a good revenge story, but this was borderline misandry. There was maybe one good man in this entire book. I can't wrap my head around Dr. Clark's motivations for when she first started killing. It was overly dramatic. I wanted to face palm, and yell that's why?! The biggest plot twist was revealed half way through the book and it was the first let down of many. Furthermore, the ending was completely impractical. They basically rode off into the sunset without repercussions. The only saving grace was that I found the writing to be excellent and addictive even with a terribly devised plot. I think the author did a great job at making the twist unpredictable by giving the characters complex personalities keeping time and education in mind. I had high hopes for this popcorn thriller, because there are a surprising amount of good reviews. Unfortunately, I would only recommend this if you don't mind the blatant man hating and delusory. I had to think about this review a long time because I liked the writing, the first half, the setting, and the concept. The conclusion and character development was frustrating and ruined the entire novel for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Murder