Boarding school! It’s the place where all the unsupervised drama happens! Check out these Best Books Set in Boarding Schools! Included are my top recommendations for young adult contemporary books, young adult paranormal, and young adult mystery/thriller books set in Boarding Schools. Updated for Fall 2025!
Best Books Set in Boarding Schools
Boarding school settings are so much fun. Boarding school stories often incorporate traditions (like secret societies and prank wars).
Boarding school books can lean paranormal. They can be poignant coming-of-age stories. The absence of meddling parents means that the characters can have free rein to do all kinds of adventurous and romantic things.
This Best Books Set In Boarding School post includes:
YA Mysteries and Thrillers Set in Boarding Schools: see my Quick Picks here
YA Paranormal Books Set in Boarding Schools: see my Quick Picks here
YA Contemporary Books Set in Boarding Schools: see my Quick Picks here.]
My Quick Picks for Best YA Boarding School Mysteries and Thrillers
See the full list with my comments and links to my reviews below!
- Best academic atmosphere AND Best Academic Rivals Romance: A Study in Drowning
- Best hate to love romance: The Society for Soulless Girls
- Best mystery (and podcast elements!): Nothing More to Tell
- Best social justice themes: Ace of Spades
The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman (2025)
- Dual narrative
- Murder witness vs amateur detective
A girl who has to come back to boarding school after the tragic murder of her roommate and roommate’s boyfriend butts heads with the ambitious editor of the school newspapers, who wants to crack the case.
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid (2023)
My review of A Study in Drowning
Why A Study in Drowning is on my list:
- Super-atmospheric boarding school setting
- An academic rivals romance, which is perfect for a boarding school list
- Just the SLIGHTEST hint of the paranormal
- Anxiety rep
- A competition
- Perfect for Harry Potter fans!
Everyone’s Thinking It by Aleema Omani (2023)
Why Everyone’s Thinking It is on my list:
- British setting
- Class and diversity rep
- A very Pretty Little Liars vibe
The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosovo Jackson (2023)
Why The Forest Demands Its Due is on my list:
- Male main character
- Social Justice Themes
- A horror bent
They’re Watching You by Chelsea Ichaso (2023)
Why They’re Watching You is on My List:
- Secret society
- Missing person case
- Creepy vibe
Very Bad People by Kit Frick (2022)
Why Very Bad People is on my list:
- Secret society
- Social justice themes
- Family secrets!
Check out my review of Very Bad People!
The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven (2022)
Why The Society for Soulless Girls is on my list:
- Hate to love f/f romance
- Creepy boarding school vibes
- Retelling of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde!
I read this one in September 2023 – check out my review!
Nothing More to Tell by Karen McManus (2022)
Why Nothing More to Tell is on my list:
- Town and gown rivalries
- Podcaster/journalist element
- A really puzzling mystery!
For more details, check out my review of Nothing More to Tell!
Don’t Breathe a Word by Jordyn Taylor (2023)
Why Don’t Breathe a Word is on my list:
- Past/present storyline
- 1960s setting (in the past)
- Strong feminist slant
- Unforgettable characters
The New Girl by Jesse Q. Suntano (2022)
Why The New Girl is on my list:
- Jesse Q. Sutanto does it all, from adult comic mysteries to YA mysteries
- Explores class issues at boarding school
The Ivies by Alexa Donne (2022)
Why The Ivies is on my list:
- Girl squad solidarity vibes
- College admissions stress
People Like Us by Dana Miele (2018)
Why People Like Us is on my list:
- Main character with a secret past
- Mystery scavenger hunt
For all the details, check out my People Like Us review!
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallero (2016)
Why A Study in Charlotte is on my list:
- Gender-flipped Holmes and Watson story
- Connecticut boarding school setting
- First in a series!
I enjoyed this book that was inspired by Sherlock Holmes!
Read my review of A Study in Charlotte!
They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman (2021)
Why They Wish They Were Us is on my list:
- Reformed mean girl
- BFF murder to solve
- Holly Jackson vibes
The Deceivers and Scammed (Vale Hall series) by Kristen Simmons (2019)
Why The Deceivers is on my list:
- Boarding School con artists
- Con artist in love with her mark
Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide (2021)
Why Ace of Spades is on my list:
- Modern Dark Academia
- Social justice themes
- Secret society
For all the details, check out my Ace of Spades review!
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee (2021)
Why a Lesson in Vengeance is on my list:
- Witchy vibes
- Sophisticated girl gang
- F/f romance
How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao (2022)
Why How We Fall Apart is on my list:
- Diverse characters
- NYC private school setting
- Modern Gossip Girl vibes
For all the details, check out my review of How We Fall Apart.
Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor (2013)
Why Prep School Confidential is on my list:
- Realistic boarding school characters
- Great mystery
- An under-the-radar gem that you probably misses
Also Known As by Robin Benway (2013)
Why Also Known As is on my list:
- A lot of humor
- NYC private school setting
- Espionage and spy elements
Check out my review of Also Known As on YA All Day!
Best Books Set in Boarding Schools: YA Paranormal and Fantasy Books
My Quick Picks for Best Boarding School Paranormal
- GOATs (Greatest of All Time): Vampire Academy series, The Curseworkers series and The Raven Cycle
Immortal Consquences by L.V. Marie (2025)
- At a boarding school on the edge of the afterlife, students battle for life … or death
Our Wicked Histories by Amy Goldsmith (2024)
A woman goes to the home of some creepy friends from her boarding school.
The Society for Soulless Girlsby Laura Stevens (2023)
A new girl attends a boarding school at which four students lost their lives in a mystery fire finds a book in the library with a soul-splitting ritual.
The Harrowing by Kristin Kiesling, illustrated by Rye Hickman (2024)
A psychic teen is sent to a boarding school for kids with special powers.
They Thought They Buried Us by Nonieqa Ramos (2024)
A girl gets a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school, and starts having troubling dreams.
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (2024)
A girl at boarding school gets teh attention of a secret society and tries to solve the disappearance of her roommate.
Youngblood by Sasha Laurens (2022)
- A “Vampire Academy” for the 2020s!
- An f/f romance
- a murder mystery!
Crave series by Tracy Wolff (2020)
Yes, MORE boarding school vampires! Or is this Twilight-inspired?
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (2007)
- A 2010s YA paranormal classic
- Set in an actual boarding school for vampires
- One of the best forbidden YA Romances for All Time
- AND one of the great YA BFF stories too.
- The book was WAY better than the movie
If you love vampire stories check out my Best YA Vampire Books!
And if you want to read (or re-read these, check out my series of posts called St. Vladimir’s Summer School” Vampire Academy Revisited. Part one is here!
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (2012)
- Town/Gown tensions in a small Southern town
- A rich boy/poor girl romance
- A bromance of guy friends
- A doomed romance vibe
Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young (2019)
- Feminist themes
- Dystopian all female boarding school
- Great girl power vibes
Check out my review of Girls here!
White Cat by Holly Black (2010)
- A crime family
- A cursed protagonist
- Doomed romance
Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn (2013)
- Psychological suspense
- Creepy vibes
- What did I just read?
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (2010)
- Hijinks at a witchy boarding school
- Filled with snarky humor!
- A great love triangle
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (2011)
- Paranormal goings-on at a fancy boarding school in England.
- Pro tip: chew your food VERY carefully
- Jack the Ripper is … back?
Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson (2018)
- Creepy boarding school story
- A notorious murder from the 1920s
- The contemporary students trying to crack the case
- A romance (of course!)
A Great and Terrible Beauty (The Gemma Doyle series) by Libba Bray
- A paranormal series set at a British boarding school in the late 1800s
- Sisterhood, spiritual experimentation
- A super cool vibe!
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
- A remote boarding school for girls is quarantined when a plague strikes
- A missing student
- A creepy virus (too soon?)
Check out my list of YA Books About Pandemics!
Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl
- Groundhog Day vibes
- Friend group with an impossible choice to make
Best Books Set in Boarding Schools: YA Contemporary and Coming of Age
My Quick Picks for Best YA Contemporary Boarding School Books:
- Most fun to read: XOXO by Axie Oh (for Kpop fans) and Noteworthy (for fans of Pitch Perfect)
- Most romantic: XOXO by Axie Oh, Save Me by Mona Kasten, Anna and the French Kiss – for similar titles, check out my list of Best Books for Fans of Emily in Paris!
- Most original: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
- Royal Vibes: Romancing the Throne – if you love Royal Romance, check these titles out!
Save Me (Maxton Hall #1) by Mona Kasten (2025)
- Hate to love, rich boy/poor girl boarding school romance
- TONS of drama
- Like Gossip Girl set in the UK
When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Niven (2025)
- Students in a writing workshop compete for an irresistible prize.
- But secrets will be spilled and friendships betrayed.
The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom by Allison L. Bitz (2023)
- Theater kids
- Finding your confidence
The Chandler Legacies by Abdi Nazemian (2022)
- Five teens in the Circle, a coveted writing group
- Friendships are born and secrets are revealed.
- Can they change the long-standing culture of abuse at Chandler?
Briarcliff Prep by Brianna Peppins (2022)
- A historically Black boarding school
- What do you do when your sister is dating a bad guy?
Fraternity by Andy Mientus (2022)
- YA Historical fiction
- LGBTQ themes
- A covert club for gay students
- A touch of the occult
This May End Badly by Samantha Markham (2022)
- Prank wars
- A girl squad
- A fauxmance!
The Year After You by Nina DePass
- After a tragedy, a girl enrolls at an elite Swiss boarding school, hoping to escape her past.
Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon
- A Beauty and the Beast revenge story set at an elite boarding school.
- Also check out Of Princes and Promises which is the second book in the Rosetta Academy series.
Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein
- An angsty teen navigates first love and family troubles while at boarding school.
XOXO by Axie Oh
- LA musician who falls for a Kpop star.
- “runaway celebrity in disguise” plot
- “American in a foreign boarding school” feel that reminded me of Anna and the French Kiss.
Check out my review of XOXO here!
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
- Feminism
- Boarding school pranks
- This is an oldie but a goodie!
- By the author of We Were Liars
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
- Unrequited love at the American School in Paris.
- Fish out of water story
- Read it for the travelogue.
- Read it for the iconic 2010s YA romance.
Noteworthy by Riley Redgate
- A boarding school rom com with social commentary – who doesn’t love a story that’s romantic AND smart.
- Story of a girl who dresses as a boy to audition for an all-male acapella group.
- LGBTQ rep
- And pranks!
Check out my review of Noteworthy!
Looking for Alaska by John Green
- This has all the Green hallmarks:
- an unattainable girl
- a quest
- snappy dialogue.
Romancing the Throne by Nadine Courtney Jolie
- Royal romance
- Two sisters + one gorgeous royal at a posh British boarding school.
If you love books like this, check out my Royal Romance book list!
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
This is a strange and magical book by one of my favorite authors. Don’t expect everything to make sense right away. Just go with it!
Are you looking for TV series and shows about boarding school? Here are a few suggestions:
Riverdale, Seasons 4/5 feature Jughead enrolling at the very sinister Stonewall Prep
Get Even is a Netflix adaptation of a Gretchen McNeil novel, but adapted to be set at a British Boarding school
And Looking for Alaska was adapted by Hulu!
The book series that I would love to recommend with this theme is Night School by C.J. Daugherty. I absolutety love It. Love triangle, the mystery, the charm of a British boarding school and lots of events which keep you on the edge of your seat!
Thanks so much – I will check those out!
if we were us is a really good boarding school book too!
Thanks – I need to do another update if this post!
Don’t forget the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter.
That is a good point. It always felt a bit middle grade to me but I think it is probably YA!
Have you read All Girls by Emily Layden, a series of interconnected character studies set at a girls’ prep schoo., or The Swallows by Lisa Lutz? I’m not sure if they’re YA or adult, but I’d have loved them both if I’d read them as a teen.
Hi and thanks so much for the suggestions!
I did try reading (and consider including) All Girls by Emily Layden. For me it was way too many narrators. When I’m trying to make a decision on what to include on a “best” list I usually let the Goodreads rating overrule my own dislike if the rating is high. But All Girls has a 3.22, so I left it off.
If there’s anyone out there who loves that format of short narratives from a whole bunch of characters, they should try it!
I LOVE Lisa Lutz and have not read this book but am going to check it out and add it, so thanks very much for putting it on my radar 🙂