The Truants

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It’s been described by a reviewer as The Secret History meets Agatha Christie. The first half is set on a university campus (not explicitly named, but quite obviously the UEA) and is seen through the eyes of Jess Walker, a first year undergraduate. Jess longs for a life more extraordinary than the suburban world where she grew up, falls in the thrall of various characters, and makes some bad choices. The second half of the book is set on a remote island off the coast of Sicily, at which point the pace and atmosphere become more like that of a thriller. It was atmospheric, intriguing, pretentious, and everything I want and more from a dark academia story, but I do have to say this centers more around a group of people who met in an academic setting where their lives interconnect and secrets are revealed, rather than the story centering around the academic institution and their studies. So I’d keep that in mind, if you’re looking for a dark academia read. It was very conscious! I made Lorna a teacher and expert in Agatha Christie, and there is a murder mystery element to the book and plenty of references, buried or otherwise, for die-hard Agatha Christie fans. But I was also influenced by a real life episode in Agatha’s life: her famous eleven-day disappearance. The idea of people disappearing, both literally and emotionally, became a running theme through the book. The Truants sounded right up my street with a cast of non-conforming rebel students, but I must admit that I was astounded to find this is Weinberg's debut novel as it's such an accomplished, original book. It revolves around main protagonist, Jess, and her current feelings of being the centre of attention when she has only ever blended into crowds seamlessly to become anonymous. Campus novels don't usually work out well for me as I'm not such a big fan but this had everything associated with the subgenre but with more tension and the suspenseful atmosphere Weinberg creates is clearly a rare and raw talent. Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.

The Truants - Kindle edition by Weinberg, Kate. Literature The Truants - Kindle edition by Weinberg, Kate. Literature

I am writing to tell you just how crushed I am by this news. Since I first read your masterpiece The Truants I have considered your scorching and irreverent commentary as something of a manifesto for life. I applied to this university purely so that I could be taught by you, and on receiving a place immediately requested to study in either of the modules that you offer this term. Since my place in "The Devil Has the Best Lines" was confirmed at the beginning of the summer I have completed the reading list, including a full immersion in the gin-soaked minds of Hunter S. Thompson, Zelda Fitzgerald, and John Cheever. It will operate as a grant-maker making grants to registered charities in support of its objects for the public benefit and as such is not providing any treatments directly.

This is the type of non-literary book that has literary aspirations...however, its laboured attempts to imbue its story and characters with a certain dose of moral ambiguity or depth ultimately fall flat. lorna’s teaching style is one that blurs the boundaries between classroom and personal space—a practice which forced her to leave her last position, the details of which are murky and scandalously titillating. lorna sees something in jess’ raw clay, or in her naked adoration of her, that is appealing enough to befriend and mentor her, intensifying jess’ covetous regard. The influence of Agatha Christie is evident in the book. Was this a conscious decision as you were writing? Jess Walker's life is just beginning: away from her large family for the first time she's come in to her own with a tight knit group of friends and a coveted spot in author Dr. Lorna Clay's course on Agatha Christie. The CIO will make grants to UK registered charities : The Teenage Cancer Trust, Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, Save The Children and Childline.

The Truants by Kate Weinberg: Summary and reviews - BookBrowse

The Truants provides the readers an insight to the heady mind of a nineteen-year-old as she first ventures into the wide world outside of the stifling confines of family life. Our protagonist, Jess, journeys to university and experiences the sweet nectar of partial freedom that awaits her there. But something much more longed for also appears: Lorna Clay. Her idol, her new English professor and her, soon to be, so much more. Christie was 36 years old at the time of her disappearance. On the evening of December 3, 1926, she drove away from her house in Berkshire, England. Her car, a green Morris Crowley, was later found in a ditch close to the city of Guildford (40 miles away), and Christie herself had vanished. A mesmerizing novel of infatuation and betrayal, reminiscent of Muriel Spark and Donna Tartt. Kate Weinberg makes a stunning debut! Jess is eminently sympathetic and likable, and Weinberg skillfully depicts the headiness of the transition to college life.” The charity Family Lives has estimated that as many as 64,000 children skip school each day in the UK. Legal requirements

A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.