Apr 12, 2025
Dark Academia is a book genre and aesthetic that talks about and has storylines in the academic life, especially in elite schools or universities. There is a dark and mysterious background, and mind-bending twists that keep people hooked.
Canva
In Dark Academia books, the characters are always extremely passionate and intelligent, there is a conversation around art, literature, and more, and we can usually see elitism between groups that eventually leads to dark results.
canva
Often called the foundation of the Dark Academia genre, ‘The Secret History�?is about a tight-knit group of classics students at a small liberal arts college. But one wrong decision leads to a murder, and then a web of lies, and a life of guilt.
PENGUIN-UK
Another book in the Dark Academia genre is ‘If We Were Villains�? The story is about a group of students studying Shakespeare, enacting his plays, and even living life like the characters of his play.
Flatiron-Books
A mix of Dark academia and thrilling heist, ‘Portrait of a Thief�?features a group of Chinese American college students who are recruited to steal back stolen Chinese art from Western museums.
Tiny-Reparations-Books
Another amazing book in the dark academia genre is ‘The Atlas Six�?where men and women fight to be included in the Alexandrian society, an elite society that will only recruit five people and give them infinite riches, power, and more.
Tor
Another iconic book in the genre, this one is about a young girl who returns to her former boarding school, this time as a teacher, and gets trapped in the murder case of her former roommate.
Viking-Pr
‘Never Let Me Go�?is considered to be a mix of dystopian and Dark Academia genre. It is about an isolated, but conventionally perfect school that prepares its students for a certain donation.
Faber-Faber
Another thriller in the list is ‘The Maidens�? a book set in Cambridge University, and follows a woman who becomes obsessed with the idea that a charismatic professor who teaches Greek tragedies is behind a series of murders on campus.
Celadon-Books
Another strange story is ‘Bunny�?by Mona Awad, which follows a bunch of students in a prestigious university. It starts with the acceptance of the ‘outsider�?in the ‘Bunny group�? and the events that happen after.
Bloomsbury-Publishing
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