Disclaimer: Some links in my review for They Never Learn by Layne Fargo are affiliate links. If you click them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. Whether or not you make a purchase is entirely up to you.
A version of this book review first appeared in The Lesbrary.
Trigger Warning: This review discusses themes of rape and sexual assault. Proceed at your own discretion.
Summary
Carly Schiller is finally away from her abusive family, but her freshman year at Gorman isn’t going well either. When a boy at a party sexually assaults Allison, her roommate, tensions rise, and it all ends in tragedy.
In the future, Scarlett Clark teaches English at Gorman and has an unexpected pastime — murder. Scarlett finds wrongdoers, rapists, and all-around creeps to target and bring to justice the way the justice system should have but failed to do.
Plot of They Never Learn
The way I pitch this book is as the meme, “I support women’s rights, but I also support women’s wrongs.” Even though Carly and Scarlett turn to violence to exact justice, it’s a visceral satisfaction that’s easy to fall into. And while you’re waiting for it all to come crashing down, the unexpected happens: a happy ending.
Character Development
Carly befriends her roommate and starts to fall for her. Along the way, she becomes close with Allison’s childhood friend, Wes. But when Allison experiences rape, Carly insists on bringing her friend to the hospital and taking the issue to the school. This causes a rift that begins to tear them apart. No one treats Allison’s situation as she thinks they should.
Meanwhile, in Scarlett’s timeline, her most recent kill brings the authorities too close. Her colleague and the victim’s ex-wife, Dr. Mina Pierce, finds her out. And it doesn’t help that there’s a palpable connection between her and Mina.
Depiction of Men & Masculinity
Almost all the men throughout the book represent the worst of toxic masculinity and the patriarchy, so it’s easy to sympathize with Carly and Scarlett as they lose control. The blatant perpetuation of rape culture from authority figures who should protect them infuriated me.
Wes turns out to be a Nice Guy™, showcasing one of the more sinister types of male entitlement. He believes that because he offers Allison and Carly friendship, they owe him a sexual and/or romantic relationship.
The only decent men in the entire story are Scarlett’s gay, married colleagues. This is the most problematic aspect of the book, as the only good men are gay is a tired and stereotypical trope.
Conclusion & Rating of They Never Learn
Fargo’s writing is fast-paced and propels the story. It’s hard to put the book down as you flip back and forth between Carly’s and Scarlett’s stories to see how they converge.
Rating: ★★★★★
You can buy a copy of They Never Learn here.