“It is is better to know one book intimately than a hundred superficially.”
One of the most popular aesthetics in the literary world remains campus novels and dark academia. These stories whisk readers into the cloistered halls of academics, where ambition, intellect and mystery all converge. Whether it’s secretive societies of elite institutions or the eerie atmospheres of ivy-covered campuses, these books offer a tantalising exploration into the dangers of status, power and belonging. And with the start of the school year kicking off again, we here at What We Reading thought we would compile a list of some of our favourite campus novels and dark academia books for you to take with you into the classroom! From modern classics to hidden gems, these tales all feature the sometimes-shadowy undercurrents that run beneath scholarly ambition, showing that the pursuit of knowledge can be as dangerous as it is enlightening.
The Secret History – Donna Tartt
Kicking off our list of the best campus novels is the founding father of modern dark academia, Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. The story is told through the perspective of Richard Papen, a student who transfers to an elite liberal arts college in Vermont. There, he encounters an exclusive group of maverick and intellectual students led by their mentor, the eccentric professor Julian Morrow.
The group are obsessed with ancient Greek philosophy and culture, and their tight bond soon leads them down a dangerous road. When they begin to transcend the boundaries of normal morality after dabbling in Dionysian rituals, they slip from obsession to corruption, betrayal and, finally, into evil.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Secret History
Death In The Spires – K.J. Charles
A decade on from the grisly murder of Oxford student Toby Feynsham, the case remains hauntingly unsolved. For Jeremy Kite, the crime not only robbed him of his best friend but also took away his whole life. When a letter arrives on his desk accusing him of the deed, he becomes obsessed with finally finding the truth.
Jem begins to track down the individuals who were there the night Toby died. The group he stumbles upon are known as the ‘Seven Wonders’. Previously known for their charm and talent, he is shocked to find them as broken as he is. Nevertheless, the closer he comes to learning what happened that night, the more terrifying attempts the unknown pursuer makes to silence him for good. From the bestselling author of The Magpie Lord, K.J. Charles’ Death in the Spires is a chilling campus novel and gripping historical mystery.
The Four – Ellie Keel
Marta, Rose, Sami and Lloyd all beat out thousands of applicants for a spot at one of the most exclusive private schools in the UK. Each of the four of them had their own reasons for being desperate to attend High Realms, whose alumni can be found muttered across the highest levels of society. As the only scholarship students in their year, the four of them form a crucial friendship as they attempt to navigate the school’s web of honour, loyalty, rivalries and revenge.
But, within the maze of red brick buildings, in between the stables and old library, a sinister wave of violence is brewing. And when one of the four reveals a groundbreaking secret, each of them is forced to ponder what they’re willing to risk to keep their spot at High Realms. One of the best academic noir and campus novels from 2024, Ellie Keel’s The Four is a hauntingly beautiful tale that explores the secretive worlds of elite institutions.
The Magicians (The Magicians #1) – Lev Grossman
Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A high school senior, he’s preoccupied with a series of fantasy novels set in a magical land named Fillory. He then finds himself being unexpectedly admitted to a very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There, he receives a thorough education in the art of modern sorcery.
But, something is still missing for Quentin. Magic doesn’t bring him the happiness or sense of adventure that he had been hoping for. It is only when he and his friends graduate that they learn Fillory is real. But the land of Quentin’s fantasies soon turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he realised, turning his childhood dream into a hellish nightmare. One of the best campus novels, Lev Grossman’s The Magicians is a thrilling and thought-provoking urban fantasy and coming-of-age tale where magic exists and is practised, in the real world.
The Hysterical Girls Of St. Bernadette’s – Hanna Alkaf
For over a hundred years, girls have fought to attend St. Bernadette’s, thanks to its reputation for grooming only the best and brightest young women. Unfortunately, the screaming also comes with it. When a student begins screaming in the middle of class, it sets off a chain reaction that sweeps across the school. By the end of the day, seventeen girls are afflicted by the condition, and St. Bernadette’s reputation is in tatters.
Khadijah has her own scars to tend to, but seeing her friends succumb to hysteria only threatens to rip apart her old wounds. Nevertheless, when her sister starts to scream, she knows that she is the only one who can save her. As she digs deeper into the school’s shady history, she is unaware that a spectre is lurking in the shadows, watching, waiting and hungry for its next victim.
The Bellwether Revivals – Benjamin Wood
Care assistant Oscar Lowe has made a quaint life for himself amid the colleges and spires of Cambridge but is a world apart from the students who study within the hallowed halls of its university. But when Oscar is lured into the chapel at King’s College by the sound of an organ being played, he meets and falls in love with Iris, a beautiful and magnetic medical student. He follows her into a world of scholarship, wealth and privilege. And into the orbit of her older brother, Eden.
A brilliant but troubled musical prodigy, Eden convinces his sister and their circle of friends to participate in a number of disturbing experiments. He believes that music – and his own ability to guide it – has the power to heal others. And he will stop at nothing to prove that he is right. As the fine line between genius and madness begins to blur, Oscar soon begins to fear that danger could be waiting for them all.
Check Out Our The Bellwether Revivals Book Review
Where Sleeping Girls Lie (Where Sleeping Lie #1) – Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Sade Hussein is beginning her third year of high school, this time attending the prestigious Alfred Nobel boarding school. After being home-schooled all of her life, she doesn’t what to expect. What she never would have imagined occurring was that he roommate, Elizabeth, would disappear on their first night together. Or for people to think that she had anything to do with it.
As rumours begin to spread about her, Sade catches the attention of a popular group of girls known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’. She is brought into their fold, and Sade soon falls under the spell of one member of the group in particular, Persephone. However, when another student is found dead, and Sade’s investigations into Elizabeth’s disappearance unearths fresh secrets, she discovers that there is far more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she realised. One of the best YA mystery campus novels, there are secrets behind every corner in Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s Where Sleeping Girls Lie.
Gita Desai Is Not Here To Shut Up – Sonia Patel
It is eighteen-year-old Gita Desai’s first year attending Stanford University, and it is a small miracle that she has even made it to the gates and not been married off by her conservative Gujarati parents. She is determined to preserve her good-girl, model-student reputation, which means no partying, no social life and being content to just fade into the background.
But when childhood memories of her aunt’s desertion and her then-uncle’s best friend reemerge, Gita finds herself ditching the books and living a life of parties and hook-ups night after night. Despite her best efforts, however, nothing can stop the nagging voice in her head telling her that the only way to move forward is to stop shutting up about the past. Another one of the best campus novels, Gita Desai Is Not Here to Shut Up is a 2024 YA book by Sonia Patel.
The Lessons – Naomi Alderman
Tucked away in an Oxford back alley is a crumbling Georgian mansion. The only people who know about it are the ones who have a key to its unassuming front gate. Its owner is the charismatic Mark Winters, whose trust-fund upbringing has left him troubled and unpredictable. Around Mark are a number of impressionable students.
For a time, they live in a charming world of learning, parties and love affairs. But, the university soon proves to be no place for bracing for the real world. When tragedy strikes years later, all of them are thoroughly unprepared. Still one of the best campus novels, Naomi Alderman’s The Lessons is a powerful exploration of how life’s lessons can often come too late, told through the lens of a mercurial and destructive figurehead.
An Academy For Liars – Alexis Henderson
Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart when she receives 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. Like every other student at the school, Lennon has been selected on the back of her unique gift of persuasion, the ability to control others and even matter itself in some cases.
After passing the exam, Lennon embarks on a journey of how to master her new unsettling power. Persuasion has a heavy toll on her body, but she is nevertheless enthralled by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus and by her brilliant classmates. Even more enthralling is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who is capable of both unnerving and captivating her. But, the more her powers grow, the more she discovers about the secret world she has entered into and the tragedies, violence and corruption that come trailing behind it.
It’s Elementary – Elise Bryant
No one is more surprised than Mavis Miller when she accepts a position at the head of the new DEI committee at a local Californian elementary school. After all, she has a feisty seven-year-old named Pearl, a demanding job at a nonprofit, and has to deal with the many complexities that come with a multigenerational household. As one of the few Black parents, she believes this is an opportunity for real change. However, things are upended when she spies the PTA president, Trisha Holbrook, kitted out in yellow rubber gloves, lugging cleaning supplies and a giant black rubbish bag.
When Principal Smith fails to show up for work the next morning, Mavis’ mind naturally jumps to the worst. Determined to get to the bottom of things, she and the dashing school psychologist launch an investigation that will challenge her views on parenting, friendship and school politics in Elise Bryant’s cosy campus novel, It’s Elementary.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
