These Violent Delights

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. From the publisher - At Windemere School for Girls, one of America’s elite private schools, Dr. Gregory Copeland is the beloved chair of the English Department. A married father with a penchant for romantic poetry—and impressionable teenage girls—he operates in plain sight for years, until one of his former students goes public with allegations of inappropriate conduct. With the help of an investigative journalist and two additional Windemere alumnae who had relationships with Copeland as students, the unlikely quartet unites to take him down. Set in modern-day Los Angeles, These Violent Delights is a literary exploration of the unyielding pressures and vulnerabilities that so many women and girls experience and analyzes the ways in which our institutions and families fail to protect or defend us. A suspenseful and nuanced story told from multiple points of view, the novel examines themes of sexuality, trauma, revenge, and the American myth of liberty and justice for all.

As more and more accounts come out about sexual harassment (Matt Lauer! Kevin Spacey! etc. etc. etc.) this book could not be more timely, but what makes it important is that it is about trusted teachers and their underage students vs. the typical "Hollywood Casting Couch" tradition. The book is wonderfully written and well-thought out and was totally enjoyable to read.