This was a disappointing Did Not Finish for me. I had really looked forward to this novel due to all the good buzz — it made many best of 2019 lists — plus the high school debate angle intrigued me (at the risk of outing myself, I was a high school debater), but I found the writing too dense/confusing and ultimately, reading this just felt like work. I hate giving up on books, but a few years ago I decided that time is too precious to waste any of it on a book I’m not enjoying. Also, there are too many other good books waiting in the wings! So, I gave up on The Topeka School and moved on. As always, your mileage may vary.