Kings Page
Welcome (or welcome back) to my book review column. With everyone returning to school for the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, I thought I’d start off by reviewing some fun “back-to-school” books. These books aren’t necessarily about school, but all of them have some scholarly/academia-related aspect. I hope that one of these will catch your eye!
THE ST. AMBROSE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS by Jessica Ward
When Sarah Taylor arrives at the exclusive St. Ambrose School, it’s clear that she is carrying more baggage than just what she carries in her hands. With her shabby, all-black clothes and the bottle of lithium hidden away in her drawers, it’s clear she isn’t like the majority of the students attending the school. And this makes her the perfect target for Greta Stanhope, St. Ambrose’s queen bee, who appears to be determined to make Sarah’s school life miserable.
In her efforts to brave Greta’s increasingly malicious pranks, Sarah befriends her roommate Ellen “Strots” Strotsberry, a strong-willed, no-bullshit athlete, and makes an ally out of their terribly handsome RA, Nick. With Strots and Nick by her side, Sarah hopes she can make it through the semester despite her recent bipolar diagnosis, mountains of schoolwork, and Greta’s malevolent stunts.
This, to me, is a pretty perfect back-to-school book; Goodreads puts it best, defining it as “Heathers meets The Secret History,”—which is quite accurate. This book is a fun, twisting thriller set in a private academy, which was immediately intriguing to me. But what kept me hooked was the main character. Sarah’s characterization and character arc were amazing. I loved her development and how she soldiered on to find her inner strength throughout the book, despite her bipolar disorder and depression. Everything she had to struggle through only made me a more intriguing character. Also, I got a lot out of the mean girls in the book. I really did hate them—which I think stands as another testament to how good the characters are. It was by no means a perfect book—parts of it were boring, and I found other parts of it to be lacking—but I still enjoyed it. This book may be more centered around the “thriller” and “mystery” aspects, the aspects of the books that center around the school make this book an ideal back-to-school read. Whether you’re interested in reading this for the mystery, for the thrill, or for the academia aspect, I recommend that you do read it. 4/5 stars.
BABEL by R.F. Kuang
In 1828 in the midst of a cholera outbreak, Robin Swift finds himself orphaned in Canton, yet his fate changes when he is whisked away to England by a mysterious Professor Lovell. In London, Robin trains for years—learning Ancient Greek, Latin, and Chinese—all in preparation for the day that he enrolls at Babel, Oxford University’s prestigious translation institute, to learn the art of translation—and more importantly, magic. Translation brings magic to life through the lost language in silver bars, and England’s institute of translation has given them unparalleled power and control across the globe.
While Oxford might have been all Robin ever dreamed of, he realizes that—as time goes on—he is a Chinese boy living in Britain, a boy betraying his motherland and working for the enemy. As he continues his studies, Robin comes to be stuck between Oxford and the mysterious Hermes Society, which pledges itself to fight against colonialism. Robin cannot decide which side to take—yet when Britain pursues an unjust war against China, Robin must finally make his decision.
By the time I finished this book, I was practically in tears. This book tore me apart with its detailed storytelling, vibrant characters, and treacherous relationships. Robin, Ramy, Victoire, Letty, and every other character—even if they were just a side character—were meticulously designed. Robin, especially, felt so real. The conflicts and decisions he’s forced to grapple with make his story so much more powerful. Not only were the characters amazing, but their relationships with one another were too. It broke my heart to watch the characters, their relationships, and the story unfold—but I also thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a gorgeous story. But if that isn’t enough to convince you to read this book, I just thought I’d mention that its setting in Oxford and central plot regarding languages/translation makes it perfect for back to school. So if you’re looking for something that’s part academia, part magic, and part fantasy, Babel is the book for you. 4/5 stars.
BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN by Jessica Knoll
On a Saturday night in Florida in 1978, a man breaks into a female student dormitory at Florida State University. Once in the house, he goes from room to room, murdering several students before fleeing the scene. In the days, weeks, and years following the crime, he will become one of the most famous serial killers in the United States. But here’s the catch—he was observed committing the crime.
Pamela Schumacher, chapter president of the sorority and key witness in the case, along with the other survivors of the crime, will be forever changed by this incident. They are no longer people—they are victims. Yet despite this, in this book, they tell their arguments. They are the masters of their stories. And they are determined to catch and punish the perpetrator, despite the incompetency of the police and the idolization of the public.
You might not think of this book as a back-to-school read, but since it’s (partially) set on a campus, I thought I’d include it. I read this book over the summer, and I thoroughly enjoyed it; it was such a fun read! I liked that it wasn’t your typical criminal thriller book—it was so much more than that, with its exploration of characters, relationships, the criminal justice/law system, and the world as it was in 1978. Reading this, I truly felt like Knoll thought through every aspect of her book. I felt immersed in the feel and “aura” of the 1970s, as well as connected with every one of her characters. I loved her characters so much that I looked forward to the ending of each chapter (where the perspective would shift to a different person) because I enjoyed getting to know how they all behaved, thought, and related to one another. In the end, I came for a simple horror but left with something so much more—which is why I think you should read it! I’d rate it a 4.5/5 stars.
And that concludes this month’s book reviews. With school starting up, now is the perfect time to start a new book. I recommend that you check out the San Marcos library or a local bookstore to find one that’s perfect for you. I hope you enjoyed and I hope to see you again next month!