Book Review: For Your Own Good

Synopsis:

Belmont Academy is a prestigious private school complete with interfering parents, overeager students, and one teacher who just wants to teach them all a lesson.

Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the elite school which is home to the best and brightest.

He says his wife couldn’t be more proud — though no one has seen her in a while.

Teddy really can’t be bothered with a few mysterious deaths on campus that are looking more and more like murder. Or with the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is pushing Belmont students to their full academic potential.

All he wants is for his colleagues — and the endlessly meddlesome parents — to stay out of his way. If not . . . well, they’ll get what they deserve.

It’s really too bad that sometimes excellence comes at such a high cost.

Review:

Samantha Downing’s debut novel, My Lovely Wife, a deliciously mind-bending thriller, was a huge success. Full of diabolical, unimaginable plot twists and turns, it left many readers shocked, amazed, and amused by Downing’s pernicious imagination. But My Lovely Wife was just the tip of the crazy iceberg. In He Started It, Downing ramped up the madness, telling the story of three siblings who went their separate ways many years ago but are forced to reunite for a road trip in order to claim their respective shares of their grandfather’s estate. Alliances are formed and splinter, the siblings betray each other, secrets are revealed, and it concludes with a pulse-pounding, controversial finale.

Downing’s high school experiences provided inspiration for For Your Own Good. Two things come to mind when she recalls those days, she says. “Pressure and confusion,” common sentiments, provide the impetus for the story. She recalls “peer pressure to fit in, to belong, to be accepted. There was pressure from parents to get good grades and get into college. Then there were the teachers. Many were good, some even great, and a few were terrible. Pressure came from all of them, either to do better, try harder, or act different.” Downing relates that as she worked on For Your Own Good, it became her most personal book even though, unlike her characters, she did not attend a private school or hail from a wealthy family. But back then she spent most of her time “navigating through the maze of what people wanted from me and what I wanted for myself.” A few of the incidents in the book (“the non-murderous ones,” she points out) were inspired by actual events. Readers will agree with her assessment that myriad “competing interests and agendas are what made high school the perfect setting for my next thriller.”

Teddy Crutcher has finally achieved his goal. He has been named Teacher of the Year at Belmont Academy, the exclusive and prestigious private school from which he, unlike many other faculty members, did not graduate. Teddy is dedicated to his profession and his pupils. He fervently believes that it is his responsibility to ensure that his students turn out to be the best people they can be. So long as they conform to his moral and ethical standards, of course . . . which are questionable, at best. Teddy enjoys injecting “a little drama” into the lessons he delivers. Because unlike his students, he did not have a privileged upbringing. “No one told him that right and wrong aren’t always what they appear to be. he had to learn that for himself. He also had to learn that lying isn’t an option; it’s a necessity.” So if Teddy has to make specific things happen, engineering the desired results, he will. No matter whose life might be changed as a result of his efforts.

If only people understood how difficult it is to teach students to be better people. He tries and tries and tries, and yet sometimes, even he can’t help them. Not that he’s going to give up. He never gives up. It’s for their own good.

Teddy is yet another fascinating and diabolical character created by Downing. As she reveals Teddy’s thoughts, it is clear that he sincerely and wholeheartedly believes his opinions and actions are well-founded and justified, and that he is performing an important service by bettering his students and, thus, the world. For instance, he poses on social media as a friend of his students, especially one of his brightest, Zach. He knows the behavior is “borderline self-destructive,” but his curiosity outweighs his good sense. After all, it’s the only way to keep track of what is happening in his students’ lives. And that information is critical to his ability to carry out his responsibilities.

Teddy resorts to all sorts of repugnant methods to control what happens at Belmont. For instance, he alters the coffee pods in the teachers’ lounge. He slips some of the coffee drinkers cold medicine. Others calm down with a dose of Valium or sleeping pills. He gives his most talented students lower grades than they deserve, including Zach, a senior with straight A’s, a bright future, and overbearing parents who expect Zach’s tuition to ensure that he continues receiving great grades. In Teddy’s estimation, “Zach is a smug little bastard who has no appreciation for anything or anyone except himself.” The paper he submitted deserved an A, but Teddy graded it more harshly. “If Zach were a better person, he would’ve received a better grade.” Because, after all, “Teddy is just helping everyone. Doing what’s best for them.” That’s Teddy’s mission, even though he feels perpetually unappreciated.

Sonia Benjamin, a Belmont graduate, is known to the students as Mrs. B. She’s a good teacher who oversees The Bugle, the school newspaper. The students love her. Teddy arranged for her to have a very bad day at school, but she recovers and returns just in time for the celebration of her ten-year anniversary at the school. To commemorate Teddy’s ten-year anniversary, there was just a small gathering in the teachers’ lounge and his ten-year pin was delivered to him via his department mailbox. “But Sonia is different. As a former Belmont student, she’s part of the family.” Teddy doesn’t approve and arranges an unpleasant surprise for Sonia that goes horribly wrong, even though he only “meant to ruin her party. Just a little.”

Courtney Ross, a junior who is the newspaper editor, is Zack’s good friend. Her mother, Ingrid, is a member of the Belmont Academy’s board of directors — the group that selects the Teacher of the Year. When Courtney is wrongfully accused of a horrible crime, Teddy has to act to maintain control of the situation.

For Your Own Good is replete with shocking plot twists and surprising revelations. As with her previous books, Downing surrounds Teddy with a cast of compelling supporting characters, including one who was previously victimized by Teddy, and has returned to teach at Belmont and extract revenge. And a former math teacher, Frank Maxwell, who had a mental breakdown and, following treatment, embarked on a new career in the ministry. Frank knows a great deal about Teddy and his personal life.

In For Your Own Good, Downing takes the relatable experiences of high school students, teachers, and parents to exaggerated, perverted extremes to pen an engrossing and completely entertaining mystery. The story is not just tautly-constructed, inventive, and clever, it is imbued with dark hilarity. The story moves at a steadily brisk pace, and Downing intensifies the dramatic tension as Teddy begins piecing together clues about what is actually happening to his life — and why. But is it too late for Teddy and his psychopathically well-intentioned machinations? In true Downing style, she delivers a stunning but conclusion to the story. Readers will be anxious to see just what Downing comes up with next.

Excerpt from For Your Own Good

Part One

Entitlement has a particular stench. Pungent, bitter. Almost brutal.

Teddy smells it coming.

The stench blows in the door with James Ward. It oozes out of his pores, infecting his suit, his polished shoes, his ridiculously white teeth.

“I apologize for being late,” James says, offering his hand.

“It’s fine,” Teddy says. “Not all of us can be punctual.”

The smile on James’s face disappears. “Sometimes, it can’t be helped.”

“Of course.”

James sits at one of the student desks. Normally, Teddy would sit right next to a parent, but this time he sits at his own desk in the front of the class. His chair is angled slightly, giving James a clear view of the award hanging on the wall. Teddy’s Teacher of the Year plaque came in last week.

“You said you wanted to talk about Zach,” Teddy says.

“I want to discuss his midterm paper.”

Zach’s paper sits on Teddy’s desk — “Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby: Was She Worth It?” — along with Teddy’s rubric assessment. He glances up at James, whose expression doesn’t change. “An interesting topic.”

“You gave him a B-plus.”

“Yes, I did.”

James smiles just enough. “Teddy.” Not Mr. Crutcher, as everyone else calls him, and not Theodore. Just Teddy, like they are friends. “You know how important junior year grades are for college.”

“I do.”

“Zach is a straight-A student.”

“I understand that.”

“I’ve read his paper,” James says, leaning back a little in his chair. Settling in for the long argument. “I thought it was well written, and it showed a great deal of creativity. Zach worked very hard to come up with a topic that hadn’t been done before. He really wanted a different perspective on a book that’s been written about ad infinitum.”

Ad infinitum. The words hang in the air, swinging like a pendulum.

“All true,” Teddy says.

“But you still gave him a B-plus.”

“Zach wrote a good paper, and good papers get a B. Exceptional papers get an A.” Teddy picks up the rubric and holds it out toward James. “You can see the breakdown for yourself. Grammar, structure, mechanics . . . it’s all here.”

James has to get up to retrieve the paper, which makes Teddy smile inside. He folds his hands and watches.

As James starts to read, his phone buzzes. He takes it out and holds up a finger, telling Teddy to wait, then gets up and walks out of the classroom to take the call.

Teddy is left alone to think about his time, which is being wasted.

James asked for this meeting. James specified that it had to be after hours, in the evening. This is what Teddy has to deal with from parents, and he deals with it ad infinitum.

He stares at his own phone, counting the minutes as they pass. Wondering what James would do if he just got up, walked right past him, and left.

It’s unfortunate that he can’t.

If Teddy walks out, James will call the headmaster and complain. The headmaster will then call Teddy and remind him that parents pay the bills, including his own paycheck. Belmont isn’t a public school.

Not that he would get fired. Just six months ago, he was named Teacher of the Year, for God’s sake. But it would be a headache, and he doesn’t need that. Not now.

So he stays, counting the minutes. Staring at the walls.

The room is orderly. Sparse. Teddy’s desk is clear of everything except Zach’s paper, a pen, and a laptop. No inspirational posters on the wall, no calendars. Nothing but Teddy’s recent award.

Belmont Academy is an old school, with dark paneling, solid doors, and the original wood floors. The only modern addition is the stack of cubbyholes near the door. That’s where students have to leave their phones during class, an idea Teddy fought for until the board approved it. Now, the other teachers thank him for it.

Before the cubbies were installed, kids used their phone throughout class. Once, several years ago, Teddy broke a student’s phone. That was an expensive lesson.

Five minutes have passed since James walked out. Teddy starts to pick at his cuticles. It’s a habit he developed back in high school, though over the years he got rid of it. Last summer, he started doing it again. He hates himself for it but can’t seem to stop.

Time continues to pass.

If Teddy had a dollar for every minute he was kept waiting by James and every other parent, he wouldn’t be teaching. He wouldn’t have to do anything at all.

Eleven minutes go by before James walks back into the room.

“I apologize. I was waiting for that call.”

“It’s fine,” Teddy says. “Some people just can’t disconnect.”

“Sometimes, it’s not possible.”

“Of course.”

James takes his seat at the desk and says, “Let me just ask you straight out. Is there anything we can do about Zach’s paper?”

“When you say do, Mr. Ward, are you asking me if I’ll change his grade?”

“Well, I thought it was an A paper. A-minus, maybe, but still an A.”

“I understand that. And I understand your concern for Zach and his future,” Teddy says. “However, can you imagine what would happen if I changed his grade? Can you appreciate how unfair that would be, not only to the other students, but also to the school? If we start basing our grades on what parents think they should be, instead of teachers, how can we possibly know if we are doing our job? We couldn’t possibly know if our students were learning the material and progressing with their education. And that, Mr. Ward, is the very foundation of Belmont.” Teddy pauses, taking great joy at the dismayed look on James’s face. Not so arrogant now. “So, no, I will not change your son’s grade and threaten the integrity of this school.”

The silence in the room is broken only by the clock. The minute hand jumps forward with a loud click.

James clears his throat. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to suggest anything like that.”

“Apology accepted.”

But James isn’t done yet. They never are.

“Perhaps there is some extra work Zach can do. Even if he has to read a second book and write another paper?”

Teddy thinks about this while staring down at his hands. The cuticle on his index finger already looks ragged, and it’s only the middle of the term.

“Perhaps,” he finally says. “Let me give it some thought.”

“That’s all I ask. I appreciate it. So does Zach.”

Zach is a smug little bastard who has no appreciation for anything or anyone except himself. That’s why he didn’t get an A.

His paper was good. Damn good, in fact. If Zach were a better person, he would’ve received a better grade.

Teddy’s old Saab is the only car left in the parking lot. Everyone else has cleared out, including the sports teams and the other teachers. Tonight, he’s the last one. He unlocks the door with his key— no electronic gizmos on this car—and sets his briefcase in the back seat.

“Mr. Crutcher?”

The voice makes Teddy jump. A second ago, the lot was empty, and now there’s a woman standing behind him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” she says.

She is tall and curvy, with dark hair, cut at the chin, and plum-colored lips. She wears a simple blue dress, high heels, and what looks like an expensive handbag. He’s seen enough of them to know.

“Yes?” Teddy says.

“I’m Pamela Ward. Zach’s mother.”

“Oh, hello.” Teddy stands up a little straighter. “I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“No, we haven’t.” She steps forward to offer her hand, and Teddy gets a whiff of her. Gardenias.

“I’m afraid you missed your husband,” he says, shaking her hand. “He left about twenty minutes ago.”

“I know. He told me.”

“Yes, we —”

“I’m sorry I missed the meeting. I just wanted to stop by and make sure everything has been taken care of.” She looks him straight in the eye. No fear. Not of him or of being alone in a parking lot at night.

“Taken care of?” he says.

“That you’ll do what’s best for Zach.” It’s not a question.

“Absolutely. I always want the best for my students.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that,” she says. “Have a good evening.”

“And you as well. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

With a nod, she turns and walks away.

Now, he sees her car. It’s across the lot. A black crossover, which almost disappears in the night. So does she.

Teddy gets into his car and watches in the rearview mirror as she drives away.

Before this evening, he had never met James or Pamela Ward. Unusual, considering Zach is a junior. Teddy makes a point of attending every orientation, parents’ night, and fundraiser, as well as every sporting event. The big games, anyway. People know Teddy Crutcher, and most have also met his wife, Allison.

He was surprised when James emailed and said he wanted to meet. Teddy looked him up online and learned he worked in finance. Not surprising—half the Belmont parents work in finance. It made James a little less interesting, a little more pedestrian. A little more manageable.

Now, Teddy knows even more about James, and about his wife. Not that it matters. Not unless he can use it to his advantage.

~~~~~~~~~~

From the front, Teddy’s house looks like it could be abandoned. Broken slats on the fence, overgrown garden, sagging porch. He and his wife had bought it as a fixer-upper and started with the electricity, the plumbing, and the roof. Everything had cost more than expected and took longer than it was supposed to. He still isn’t sure which one ran out first, the money or the desire, but they’d stopped renovating years ago.

The inside is a little better. The rooms were painted and the floors refinished before they moved in.

He almost calls out for his wife, Allison, but stops himself.

No reason to do that.

The good thing about having such a large house is having more than enough space for Teddy and his wife to have their own offices. Hers faces the back and was supposed to have a view of the garden and a pond. That never happened.

His office is in the front corner of the house. He had envisioned staring out at his lawn and a freshly painted fence around it. Instead, he keeps the drapes shut.

His inbox is filled with messages from students asking about assignments. They want extensions, clarifications, more explicit instructions. Always something. Students today can’t just do as they’re told. They always need more. Half of Teddy’s job has become explaining things a second, third, or even fourth time.

Tonight, he ignores the emails and pours himself a tall glass of milk. He doesn’t drink it often — dairy has always been an issue — but he likes it. This evening, it’s a treat. Something to help him think about what to do with Zach.