25 Boarding School Books That Take You Right Back to Class

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I don’t really talk about this particular period of my life, because my hope has always been to simply forget it or pretend it never happened, but I actually attended boarding school, and that time was honestly the worst period of my life. 

I’ll talk about it more in another post, where I plan to get even more personal with you all, but suffice it to say, it was not fun.

For a few years, I couldn’t bring myself to read any books that dealt with bullying or were even set in boarding schools. 

But I slowly got back into them, especially when dark academia books started becoming popular and I wanted to check a few out. 

I worked on myself and gradually started being able to enjoy these kinds of books again, and I’ve read some pretty amazing ones.

I didn’t mean to get so dark with you guys, but it came out anyway. 

All this is just to say that I’ve come across some truly amazing books set in boarding schools, and they are the absolute best. 

I feel like boarding schools make the most fertile ground for thriller books and dark academia stories, and I’ve read quite a few of them – those are the ones I’m sharing in this post.

Remember to always check the content warnings before picking up any of these books so that you can have a safe, enjoyable, and pleasurable reading experience.

Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young

This book gave me goosebumps. It’s set in a fancy girls-only boarding school called Innovations Academy. 

The girls are trained to be perfect and obedient, but something very creepy is going on behind those strict rules. 

Mena and her friends start to uncover secrets about who they really are and why they’re being controlled. It’s so full of twists you won’t see coming, and I love how these brave girls refuse to stay silent. 

It really made me think about how important it is to question what we’re told and stand up for ourselves.

If you like fierce friendships, girl power, and shocking secrets, you’ll be hooked. This story is thrilling, empowering, and a bit scary, but in the best way.

The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall

The Narrow is a deadly river near Eden’s boarding school, with rumors about ghosts and curses. 

Eden becomes a companion to Delphine, a girl who mysteriously survived the river but now lives in hiding. 

As Eden gets closer to Delphine, they start sharing scary secrets, and Eden realizes something ghostly is after them. 

The book gave me chills, especially when Eden wakes up to wet footprints or sees shadows moving around.

I thought it was really cool how their friendship grows even with so much fear around them. 

If you love a ghost story with a big heart and a twisty mystery, this one will keep you reading late into the night.

Tiny Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton & Sona Charaipotra

Gigi, Bette, and June study at a super-competitive ballet school in New York, where everyone is ready to lie, cheat, and sabotage to shine. 

Gigi just wants to dance, but her health might stop her. Bette feels crushed under her famous sister’s shadow, and June is terrified her mom will make her quit. 

I felt for these girls even when they made bad choices because their dreams mean everything to them. 

This story shows how pressure can change people and friendships. It’s juicy, dramatic, and also a little heartbreaking. 

If you like Pretty Little Liars vibes with ballerinas, this book is perfect. 

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

This book made my heart so warm and a bit achy too. 

Cash comes from a small Appalachian town where he’s faced loss and hard times, but he stays strong for his best friend Delaney. 

When she gets them both scholarships to a fancy prep school, Cash is torn – he wants to chase big dreams but also protect the family who raised him. 

I thought Cash was such a kind, caring friend, and reading about how he grows and changes was really inspiring. 

The story is about love, loss, and figuring out where you belong.

So, if you like books that make you feel hopeful and remind you of what matters most, this one is absolutely beautiful.

People Like Us by Dana Mele

Kay is a soccer star at her boarding school with a shiny new life – until a girl is found dead in the lake, and Kay’s secrets start to slip out. 

The dead girl leaves behind a scavenger hunt that could destroy everything Kay built. 

It felt like watching a thrilling mystery unfold, with lots of twists and suspects. 

I loved how it explores what we hide to protect ourselves and how fast that can unravel. Kay is flawed but brave, and I couldn’t stop rooting for her. 

You’ll love this book if you enjoy scandals, secrets, and suspense at a fancy school.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Ellingham Academy is a school for brilliant teens who love solving riddles, but a horrible crime haunts its past – the founder’s wife and daughter were kidnapped, and the only clue was signed Truly Devious. 

Stevie, a true-crime lover, comes to the school to solve the mystery. But then strange things start happening all over again.

I thought Stevie was such a cool and relatable main character, and the book made me want to play detective right alongside her.

The story mixes old clues with new dangers perfectly. If you like mysteries, riddles, and schools with secrets around every corner, this book is so much fun.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Idlewild Hall was a boarding school for girls no one wanted, and in 1950, one of them vanished. 

In 2014, a journalist named Fiona comes back to the abandoned school, still hurting from her sister’s murder. When another body is found, Fiona starts digging up secrets long buried. 

It’s so chilling, with a ghostly atmosphere that gave me shivers.

I liked how it showed strong friendships even in scary times, and the writing was beautiful and thoughtful. 

If you love mysteries with a ghostly twist, and brave girls trying to right old wrongs, this is a perfect read.

This May End Badly by Samantha Markum

Doe and her Weston School friends have been in a prank war with Winfield Academy for years. 

But now their schools might merge, and Doe is desperate to protect the place that feels like home. 

She teams up with a rival’s cousin to fake date and keep the boys away, but real feelings sneak in. 

There’s also a serious side when Doe stands up for younger girls against a creepy teacher. 

I loved how funny the pranks were but also how the story showed bravery and kindness. It felt honest about what really matters. 

Honestly, you’ll adore this if you want a boarding school story with big laughs, sweet romance, and a strong heart.

The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross

Brienna grows up at Magnalia House, studying her passion for knowledge, hoping to find a patron. 

But things don’t go as planned, and she’s swept into a plot to bring back a queen and change two kingdoms forever. 

I loved how Brienna slowly found her strength, even when she doubted herself. 

There’s a bit of rebellion, a sprinkle of romance, and so much beautiful world-building. 

I felt like I was right there with her, cheering her on.

If you love books with brave girls, hidden truths, and a medieval boarding school setting full of secrets, you’ll find this one amazing. 

It’s a story about choosing who you want to be, no matter what.

The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman

Jane comes back to her old boarding school as a teacher, haunted by a tragedy there twenty years ago.

As a student, she and her roommates were close until terrible things happened in their senior year, leaving Jane the only one left. 

Now, new tragedies begin, and Jane’s secrets threaten to surface. 

I loved how atmospheric this story was – it made me feel like I was right there by the dark, quiet lake. 

It’s both sad and thrilling, and it shows how hard it is to leave the past behind.

If you enjoy eerie boarding school stories full of hidden memories, twists, and suspense, this one will pull you in and not let go.

Again, remember to check the trigger warnings before you even try to read any of these books. 

The goal is to enjoy the story, and you really don’t have to slog through hundreds of pages of something that ends up dredging up your own traumas.

But if you did enjoy this post, let me know which books you think you’re going to add to your reading list.