Prep School for Serial Killers

By: Tara Platt

Narrated by: Tara Platt

The world isn't what it used to be. Generations ago, governmental experiments on the water supply had the unintended side effect of suppressing empathy in the population. While some retain a modicum of connectivity, those who, like Anathema, test highest on the Psychopath Scale, are recruited as an elite few who get funneled into boarding schools that direct their talents toward becoming assassins. If they survive the graduation ritual of Kill Slip Day, that is.

With friendship a foreign concept and family only a vague idea from the time before the War, the only comforts Anathema knows are the pride she takes in her exceptionally deadly skills, and the few stolen moments in which she gets to unravel a long-gone student's hidden journal which she's discovered in her room. Within its pages, she finds the first fellow human she's ever related to: Mary. Mary's existence initially mirrors her own, despite the decades separating them, and Anathema's eyes are opened to a larger truth the more she follows Mary's journey.

As the journal's mysteries seep into her reality, she draws the attention of some powerful forces at the school. Anathema becomes a valuable pawn in a larger game than she realized, and she starts to question the history she's been taught and the role in which she's been cast. Her budding desire for self-determination leads her to the recognition that the only way out is through the very bloody hurdles of her fellow assassins-in-training at the Prep School for Serial Killers.

©2022 Tara Platt (P)2022 Tara Platt

It's Tara Plat, come on--also the book is good

So this is a YA novel. YA novels are kind of hard to consume for me sometimes. They really do like to put heavy stuff in, and this is no exception--it's got mentions of torture and things. My own time in school growing up was pretty miserable, and sometimes that stuff just brings up bad memories.

The thing is, the main character Anathema is 98% psychopath and it ends up working well. She really excels in her environment and emotionally stays above it. There might be twists down the road (I'm on chapter 18), but it's easier to deal with heavy subject matter when your viewport for the story has this calculated look. I actually have situational low empathy; I find it very easy to "tuck away" empathy. I don't know Tara's background, I'm kind of curious about it now, but anyway--this all struck me as very realistic for low empathy, rather than common misconceptions.

Our main character isn't really sadistic. Sadism--desiring a specific inherent emotional state from another person, that's close cousins with empathy. Anathema isn't anti-social either, she works with other students when there's a clear benefit. She's open-minded, is able to see good qualities in people. Empathy has pros and cons, basically.

Highly recommend

This book is amazing. The characters are wonderfully written and the world building is spectacular. You truly feel like your accompanying Anthima on her journey. This is an excellent read.

Fantastic!

Loved every second! This one hooked me pretty quickly and didn't let go. The passion behind the words as Tara narrates her own book, is amazing.

Intriguing and unique

I’m currently in the middle of listening to this YA novel but what I’ve heard so far it’s truly amazing. The story keeps you intrigued and has me envisioning the dialogue vividly. I genuinely recommend you give this book a listen/read. It’s gonna be worth your while!!

More Please

I loved it; I can’t wait to see where this story goes in the future!
The story goes to a lot of dark places and the protagonist’s journey is quite suspenseful and heroic. I believe this is Platt’s first proper novel and there’s a lot of promise here for a saga of epic proportions. More please!