Gothic literature has always held a special place in my heart. Some of my all-time favorite classics are gothic, and in my head, dark academia has always felt like a modern parallel.
Gothic lit is moody and haunting. It lingers in that space between beauty and dread. Dark academia just takes that same gothic energy and moves it out of crumbling castles and drops it into ivy-covered campuses.
Along with secret societies and questionable friendships that lean into obsession, ambition, and the absolute danger of brilliance– the heart of it all really lingers just the same.
May left me feeling emotionally wrecked but in a scholarly way.
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Here’s what I read in May:
The Secret History
by Donna Tart
Why I Picked It:
Considered THE dark academia book; the blueprint to this genre! The Secret History is dark academia in its purest form. I just had to start the month off strong with the best of the best.
My Thoughts:
As soon as I finished the last words I thought “what a ride.” A more definitive ending surely would have been less jarring, less haunting. The ambiguity lingers, and honestly, my mind is still tangled in it.
If We Were Villians
by M.L. Rio
Why I Picked It:
This is another highly talked-about dark academia books I see scrolling social media, often mentioned alongside The Secret History. I knew it had to be on my May list.
My Thoughts:
So tense, so haunting, and so beautifully written. Complicated romantic entanglements alongside Shakespeare references, right up my alley! Moody perfection.
Vicious
by V.E. Schwab
Why I Picked It:
I’ll read anything Schwab writes (Addie LaRue owns a piece of my soul), so this was a must.
My Thoughts:
Obsession and rivalry (at this point I am seeing such a pattern to dark academia), Victor and Eli’s attempt at playing god made for such a brutal and fascinating look into power and revenge.
Society of Lies
by Lauren Ling Brown
Why I Picked It:
Honestly? Goodreads challenge achievement unlocked! And it just so happened to fit my dark academia theme, which felt like an absolute win.
My Thoughts:
Probably the “lightest” of my May reads, but still sharp. It highlights how far people will go to belong in elite spaces and the fallout that inevitably comes when those lies come to light.
A Separate Peace
by John Knowles
Why I Picked It:
At this point in May, I wanted a classic, something quieter and shorter to balance the chaos I was enduring.
My Thoughts:
This one broke my heart in such a subtle way. Friendship, rivalry, betrayal! It all felt so unnecessary, but painfully human and understandable. It carries such heavy themes: war, lost innocence, and the fragility of fleeting youth.
Bunny
by Mona Awad
Why I Picked It:
Mt final read for May! I kept seeing this paired with dark academia suggestions alongside The Secret History and If We Were Villians. I had no idea what I was walking into.
My Thoughts:
And now? I still have no clue what I read. It was a total fever dream. It’s satire, it’s horror, it’s pink and it’s glittery and grotesque all at once. I gave it 5 stars just for the ride.
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