Dark Academia Books: Thrills, Obsession and Social-Emotional Learning for Middle and High School Readers

By Tina Parmar | January 29 2026 | Children'sEducation

Dark academia books are set in schools where secrets and power shape the story. Grounded in realistic fiction student life, these titles explore mystery and suspense, with some books incorporating fantasy or magical elements.

Because these stores center around relationships and decision-making, they naturally connect to the social and emotional experience students navigate every day. That makes them useful for classroom discussions and SEL-focused instruction.

Social Emotional Themes in Dark Academia

  • Ambition and Academic Pressure – How students navigate expectations, competition, and self-worth.
  • Peer Influence- Loyalty, manipulation, and group behavior.
  • Identity and Inclusion – Exploring fitting in, standing out, and finding one’s place.
  • Decision-Making- Choices and accountability.
  • Friendship – Trust, secrecy and shifting relationships.

Dark academia lets students explore relationships, tough choices and identity all while getting lost in gripping stories. These titles make dark academia a must-have for every middle and high school classroom and library.

Check out the complete collection here!

Check out more SEL titles here!

 

9798217234875
Stranger Things meets Twilight in this haunting gothic romance! A teen girl is swept into an opulent world of love, lies, and ghosts after she moves in with the wealthy, mysterious family she never knew she had. Book One in the Grove Hollow series, this is an 80s dark academia-tinged tale full of fated love, a cursed amulet, and twisted family secrets.
$20.99 US
Jul 07, 2026
Hardcover
432 Pages
Delacorte Press
World

9798217026982
A new dark academia mystery that begins a year after a student’s mysterious disappearance when his brother finds clues that can help him and his friends solve their boarding school’s most elusive puzzle—and find his brother dead or alive.
$19.99 US
Apr 28, 2026
Hardcover
400 Pages
Delacorte Press
World

9780593805787
An explosive dark academia thriller set in the world of the BookTok sensation Win Lose Kill Die, where secret societies and lethal ambition run the show. "A thriller author to watch!"—Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying
$12.99 US
Sep 02, 2025
Paperback
384 Pages
Delacorte Press
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780593811016
DARK ACADEMIA...WITH DEMONS.A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets—including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic—in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn’t even consider turning it down.Agathion is everything Page has ever wanted: a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion's halls--the only problem is, they're all keeping secrets from her. Page doesn't know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots--roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried.
$12.99 US
Feb 18, 2025
Paperback
464 Pages
Delacorte Press
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780593698716
"The perfect dark academia read, filled with murder, twists, a jaw-dropping mystery and very privileged people doing deliciously bad things." —Danielle Valentine, New York Times Bestselling author of Two Sides to Every Murder A page-turning murder mystery set at a prestigious New England boarding school about how telling the truth can come at a deadly price from the New York Times bestselling author of They Wish They Were Us and The Counselors.
$19.99 US
Feb 04, 2025
Hardcover
336 Pages
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
World

9780593527726
An INSTANT New York Times bestseller!An INSTANT USA TODAY bestseller!An INSTANT Sunday Times bestseller!A modern-day YA romantic fantasy series opener about a glamorous magical world of social elites, forbidden love, and a dark magic that could destroy it all. Now in Paperback!"Dazzling and deceptive. The perfect escape!" – Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Ballad of Never After"The forbidden love story of my wildest dreams!" – Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis
$13.99 US
Sep 03, 2024
Paperback
432 Pages
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780593303733
Enroll in this boarding school thriller about a group of prep school elites who would kill to get into the college of their dreams...literally.
$12.99 US
Sep 06, 2022
Paperback
336 Pages
Ember
World

9780593305850
For fans of Wilder Girls and Ninth House, comes a dark, twisty, atmospheric thriller about a boarding school haunted by its history of witchcraft and two girls dangerously close to digging up the past.
$12.99 US
Aug 09, 2022
Paperback
384 Pages
Ember
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780525645610
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!"Celebrates the resilience of girls and the earthshaking power of their friendships. An eerie, unforgettable triumph." --Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn"Wilder Girls is so sharp and packs so much emotion in such wise ways. I'm convinced we're about to witness the emergence of a major new literary star." --Jeff VanderMeer, New York Times bestselling author of AnnihilationA feminist Lord of the Flies about three best friends living in quarantine at their island boarding school, and the lengths they go to uncover the truth of their confinement when one disappears. This fresh debut is a mind-bending novel unlike anything you've read before.
$12.99 US
Jun 02, 2020
Paperback
400 Pages
Ember
US, Canada, Open Mkt