Adult dark academia · Crime thriller · Psychological suspense
Blood on the Honor Roll
Tampa, 1996. Sixteen-year-old Benedetto ‘Benny’ Corsico has spent most of his life fighting—for respect, for survival, and against the future everyone says he deserves. One final arrest leaves him with a choice: juvenile detention or Blackthorne Preparatory Academy, an elite boarding school where wealth buys silence and cruelty hides behind tradition.
The story
Enter the darkness.
Tampa, 1996. Sixteen-year-old Benedetto ‘Benny’ Corsico has spent most of his life fighting—for respect, for survival, and against the future everyone says he deserves. One final arrest leaves him with a choice: juvenile detention or Blackthorne Preparatory Academy, an elite boarding school where wealth buys silence and cruelty hides behind tradition. At Blackthorne, Benny collides with the Crown Eight, a ruthless circle of privileged students who rule through humiliation and violence. With brilliant outsider Milo Bellini, compassionate teacher Mr. Weather, and Veronica DeLuca beside him, Benny uncovers a buried legacy of blood beneath the school’s polished halls. As secrets surface and revenge turns deadly, he must decide whether surviving Blackthorne is worth becoming the monster it tried to create.
© 2026 Brandon Burnside. All Rights Reserved. This book and its original expression may not be reproduced, distributed, adapted, or republished except as permitted by law or with written authorization. View the complete authorship and rights notice. Request written permission for cover or excerpt use.
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