I spent more than thirty years in education, so it’s hard for me to resist a psychological thriller set in a school. That’s exactly why I read The Teacher’s Pet by M.A. Hunter. You just know there are going to be buried secrets, unreliable characters, and a setting that feels familiar.
3/5 stars ★★★☆☆
Click to buy on Amazon or read the summary for this book.
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pages: 312
Published on: June 10, 2026
📚 Judi’s Report Card
🎓 School Setting: A
The school environment felt authentic, and as a former teacher, I could easily picture the day-to-day reality.
😲 Twists: B+
The mystery kept me guessing, even when I thought I had it figured out.
🧠 Neurodiversity Representation: A
Laura’s autism was portrayed thoughtfully, especially her sensitivity to sound. It felt authentic.
❤️ Characters: D
I never really connected with any of the characters, and that’s always hard for me in a psychological thriller. I don’t have to like everyone, but I do like having at least one person to root for.
🧩 Plot Consistency: C
A few inconsistencies pulled me out of the story and kept it from being a stronger thriller. There were also a few moments that left me wondering, “Why was that even included?”
📖 Readability: B
The pacing was solid enough that I wanted to keep turning the pages to see how everything came together.
🏆 Final Grade: B-
This one had all the ingredients for a great psychological thriller, and I was invested enough to keep reading. Unfortunately, a few plot inconsistencies and a cast of characters I didn’t care about kept it from making the honor roll. 📚
My Thoughts on The Teacher’s Pet:
School Environment:
One thing that this book definitely got right was the school environment, especially because it’s a small school. The main premise of the book is that a teacher becomes romantically involved with a 15-year-old student. Unfortunately, I’ve known a colleague who crossed professional boundaries with a student, so that part of the story felt believable. It’s incredibly sad that these events do happen in schools today.
I did laugh at the antics/discussions in the staff room and in the classroom at times. As a language arts teacher in a middle school, I could definitely relate to this part of the book.
The Plot:
There were enough twists in the story to keep me guessing, but there were also some inconsistencies that didn’t make sense. For example, if no one was supposed to have known about the relationship that happened twenty years ago, why would the administrator mention it to Laura when she interviews her for the teaching job? I also didn’t understand the conversation Kerry had with Laura near the end or why it was important to the story. It felt like it was building toward something that never really happened.
The Characters:
I always enjoy books when a character with autism is portrayed. The world needs to learn more about neurodiversity. It was woven into the story naturally, and shows that there are people on different parts of the spectrum. In the book, Laura has this thought that I loved, “If there’s one thing that really grates on me, it’s when neurotypical people claim everyone is ‘a bit autistic’. It’s not possible to be a ‘a bit’ anything when your brain is wired differently. And it’s misinformation like this that devalues how challenging life can be.” Being that the author is autistic as well, I’m sure this quote came from the heart.
Acknowledgements:
I’m a glutton for a good acknowledgement note, and I enjoyed Hunter’s different thoughts. My favorite part was, “I believe our teachers do a wonderful job in difficult circumstances, and whilst not all of them are perfect, I believe deep down they all want to see the students in their care shine. If I was in charge, teachers and all in the emergency services would be on higher wages than footballers and social media influencers.”
I like that he included this quote since teachers were not portrayed in the best light in this book. It’s tiring to see how teachers are judged in society based on movies, books, tv shows, and commercials. I sort of rolled my eyes during this story as well (especially since a teacher leaves to go to a pub during lunchtime), but with Hunter’s Acknowledgements, it helped.
My Rating:
The Teacher’s Pet has an interesting premise, a realistic school environment, and enough twists to keep me reading, especially once I got into the second half, but the inconsistencies and my dislike of the characters kept it from being a standout thriller for me. I may have only given the story three stars, but I’d give that cover an A+.
Where to Buy The Teacher’s Pet and More:
Buy The Teacher’s Pet by M.A. Hunter on Amazon (It’s also a KU book)
- Read more of my book reviews: Visit my library
- Missed my Top Books of 2025? Check out the full list here
📚 What to Read Next
If you’re looking for another psychological thriller after finishing The Teacher’s Pet, I’d recommend these three:
- The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards | Buy on Amazon
- Read my full review here
- Why? If your favorite part of The Teacher’s Pet was trying to figure out who was telling the truth, this one is right up your alley. I changed my mind more than once while reading it, and I loved trying to put all the pieces together.
- Cross My Heart by Megan Collins | Buy on Amazon
- Read my full review here
- Why? I don’t know about you, but I love a thriller where I don’t know who to trust. While The Teacher’s Pet kept me guessing with its mystery, Cross My Heart pulled me in because of the complicated relationships and secrets between the characters.
- The Anniversary by Alex Finlay | Buy on Amazon
- Read my full review here
- Why? Every once in a while I finish a thriller and immediately want to tell everyone to read it. The Anniversary was one of those books. If you’re looking for a page-turner you’ll be thinking about after you finish the last page, I’d start here.
Disclosure: Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and M.A. Hunter for my free copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
To read more books by M.A. Hunter!
Let’s Chat!
As a teacher, I couldn’t help comparing this fictional school to real life. Have you ever read a book that reminded you of your own job or life experiences?
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