Reviewed by Danelle Petersen for Readers' Favorite

The Teacher Inside Me by Anthony Auswat is about obsessive love and embracing your true identity. Liam is in love with his high school teacher, Mr. Hilton, who’s happily married and completely oblivious to it. Being a closeted gay and crushing on someone you know will never reciprocate those feelings is beyond unfair, not to mention extremely frustrating, until Mr. Hilton asks him to stay after school one day. Things take a wild turn when Mr. Hilton sends Liam a compromising picture of himself, which he insists is an accident. However, when Liam is asked to tutor Mr. Hilton’s wife but finds him home instead, Liam starts to wonder what Mr. Hilton’s true intentions are. However, Mr. Hilton could simply be a caring husband who wants to see his wife excel in her chosen career. If only Liam had known, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did.

Explosive and intoxicating, The Teacher Inside Me is a heart-racing thriller wrapped in an emotional whirlwind. Anthony Auswat’s writing skills are captivating as he gives readers complex characters and a smoldering plot. Tension-driven, this book provides seductive storytelling with a sharp edge. Seeing Liam and Mr. Hilton struggle with their identities was hard; they reminded me of the many people who struggle with their sexual orientation and are ashamed of or hide their true selves at the cost of their happiness. People still stigmatize the LGBTQ+ community and don’t bother educating themselves on the topic, which is extremely unfair. I liked how Liam’s character developed; his progression was slow, but it paid off as Liam became more mature and grounded. A realistic and ingenious story.