The Swallows

A Novel

By: Lisa Lutz

Narrated by: Abby Elliott, Lisa Flanagan, Michael Crouch, Ari Fliakos, Johnny Heller

Length: 11 hrs

Publisher's summary

A teacher at a New England prep school ignites a gender war - with deadly consequences - in this dark and provocative novel by the best-selling author of The Passenger

“Suspenseful and utterly riveting!” (Tess Gerritsen)

When Alexandra Witt joins the faculty at Stonebridge Academy, she’s hoping to put a painful past behind her. Then one of her creative writing assignments generates some disturbing responses from students. Before long, Alex is immersed in an investigation of the students atop the school’s social hierarchy - and their connection to something called the Darkroom. She soon inspires the girls who’ve started to question the school’s “boys will be boys” attitude and incites a resistance. But just as the movement is gaining momentum, Alex attracts the attention of an unknown enemy who knows a little too much about her - and what brought her to Stonebridge in the first place.

Meanwhile, Gemma, a defiant senior, has been plotting her attack for years, waiting for the right moment. Shy loner Norman hates his role in the Darkroom, but can’t find the courage to fight back until he makes an unlikely alliance. And then there’s Finn Ford, an English teacher with a shady reputation, who keeps one eye on his literary ambitions and one on Ms. Witt. As the school’s secrets begin to trickle out, a boys-versus-girls skirmish turns into an all-out war, with deeply personal - and potentially fatal - consequences for everyone involved.

Lisa Lutz’s blistering, timely tale of revenge and disruption shows us what can happen when silence wins out over decency for too long - and why the scariest threat of all might be the idea that sooner or later, girls will be girls.

Cast of Narrators:
Abby Elliot as Gemma Russo
Lisa Flanagan as Ms. Witt
Ari Fliakos as Mr. Ford
Michael Crouch as Norman Crowley
and with Johnny Heller reading The Announcements

Advance praise for The Swallows

“Wes Anderson meets Muriel Spark in this delicious and vicious battle of the sexes set within a private school. Wickedly fun and wildly subversive but packing an emotional punch, The Swallows is as powerful as it is timely.” (Nationally best-selling author Megan Abbott)

“Sharpen your axes, ladies, and get ready for this fierce, fun, unsparing novel of female rage, power, and friendship.” (Camille Perri, author of The Assistants and When Katie Met Cassidy)

©2019 Lisa Lutz (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“In her witty and charming style, Lutz offers a genre-busting work of fiction that will satisfy readers looking for a seriously engaging read. The story itself is disturbingly plausible, and the humanly flawed characters make choices, good and bad, based on their backgrounds, all blending smoothly into a darkly comedic mystery . . . . This novel keeps readers on the edge of their seats while opening a conversation about public shaming, economic privilege, gender inequity, and revenge versus justice.” (Booklist, starred review)

“Lutz draws on the droll humor and idiosyncratic characterizations that make her Spellman novels so appealing . . . . An offbeat, darkly witty pre-#MeToo revenge tale. The patriarchy doesn’t stand a chance.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“[Lutz] takes no prisoners . . . . She builds her plot cannily and walks a neat line between satire and realism [in a] withering portrayal of how the #MeToo movement plays out in this rarefied setting.” (Publishers Weekly)

Great narration!

Enjoyed the book and how it builds the story. Wish it had developed more the caracters.

Great

Really enjoyed this book. Plot, characters, writing were all engaging and original. Will look for more from this author.

Worth it

I didn’t listen to this right away bc I was on an action book kick-but It was great. Plenty of action in its own way. One out of four narrators was less than stellar (the young woman), but she wasn’t totally awful-just very wrong for the character. Excellent nonetheless.

Impressive!

Very fresh. Original and well plotted with characters you will like and hate and everything in between. The build up is great and interesting with no blah hurry up and get there moments.
It's a book to savor and enjoy.
Good job Ms. Lutz!

Very interesting book!

I loved the development of all of the characters. Almost turning into a lord of the flies crescendo. Some people might be offended by the subject matter but I found it to be a unique book, I enjoyed all of the different characters, and the narrators were excellent

Enjoyable

The book was fun and interesting. It kept me engaged, I didn't like the ending. I would have preferred the agonist be publically outed and get his due. Overall worthwhile read.

Good but implausible

The lack of supervision of teenagers at a private academy was a bit hard to believe. There were just a lot of things that were implausible. But other than that it was a good listen and I liked the narrators.

Love Lisa Lutz

The characters in her books are always so interesting. The teens’ story is not for the prudish but very believable.

The shift of viewpoints throughout

I rather liked this all the way to the last third of it. Without giving away spoilers this started great and was pretty unusual, in a good way for me, in format, but the ending wasn’t satisfying.

A tough listen

I love the books I’ve read by this author, but I can’t say that about this one. This was heavy and hard to like. Barring just a few characters, it was filled with cruelty and damaged souls. The hardest part is that I want it to be a work of pure fiction, a horror novelist’s exercise, but a sickening worry that it’s probably very close to true has prevented me that refuge.