They Never Learn

Layne Fargo is an American author known for psychological thrillers featuring assertive female characters. Her first novel, the thriller Temper, was published in 2019, followed by They Never Learn in 2020. She also collaborated on Young Rich Widows, which was released in 2022. Fargo has master’s degrees in theatre and library science, and she worked as a librarian before becoming a novelist. Her background is evident in her writing: Her novels depict campus life and professional theatre, and include characters with a strong interest in literature. Fargo is also the co-host of the Unlikeable Female Characters podcast, which focuses on women writers—especially those who create “unlikeable” female characters who do not conform to societal standards of behavior and morality. The hosts aim to help listeners understand the complexity of such characters, and see them as worthy of interest and even empathy. Fargo’s dedication to “unlikeable” women is evident in They Never Learn, as her characters refuse to accommodate toxic behavior and twisted morals for the sake of being “likeable.”

They Never Learn depicts a university campus where male professors disrespect their female colleagues and prey on female students, male students victimize their female classmates, and administrators ignore reports of on-campus sexual assault.