A+ is a harrowing exploration of academic failure, psychological trauma, and a distorted quest for perfection. The book examines how Dwayne Lee becomes consumed by an unachievable goal: the “A+” grade for his gruesome dissections.

The novel explores the origins of psychopathy through the “Old McDonald’s nursery rhyme, which serves as a bridge between Dwayne’s childhood and his adult crimes. By adopting this as he kills, Dwayne re-enacts this early childhood trauma, demonstrating how the corruption of innocence can lead to a complete lack of empathy. He leaves his dissections where his professor, Professor Stone, finds them while his jogging every morning.

Dwayne uses a variety of masks—the very polite student, Dwayne Lee, and the attentive boyfriend, Mark Franks. The most dangerous individual is the one who appears normal—the monster next door. There is a contrast between Dwayne’s unremarkable exterior and the elaborate, professional violence of his basement dissections.

The text examines the power dynamics between the mentor and the student. Dwayne’s revenge is psychological: he aims to inflict harm on Professor Stone by turning the animals the Professor loves into graded objects. This shows that Dwayne’s goal is not just to kill, but to force his teacher to acknowledge his improvement and skill, even if that acknowledgement comes through terror.