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My Review:Title: The Academy
Author: Emmaline Andrews, Evangeline Anderson
Published by: Indie
Release Date: August 2, 2012
Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 244
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Retelling
Potential Triggers: View Spoiler »
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2020 Reading Assignment Challenge, Lenoreo's 2020 Retellings Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:
Blurb:The Academy
Where things are not always as they seem…My name is Kris Jameson and I’m a student at the Royal Academy. I’m at the top of all my classes, what they call a “model student.” There’s only one problem—the Academy is an all boys school and I’m a girl.
It started as a prank when I took my brother’s place. But things got complicated when I caught Broward, the school bully, in a compromising position. They got even worse when I was assigned my roommate—the handsome but enigmatic North who saved me several times from the bully’s attacks.
Now the consequences of my deception are coming back to haunt me. The penalty for fraud at this exclusive school is much worse than simple expulsion—I could lose a hand. Worse, so could my beloved brother.
With so much at stake, it’s imperative that I keep my secret safe. And the person I’m closest to, North, is the one I have to be most wary of.
The trouble is, I think I’m falling in love with him…
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
4.5 stars — Fabulous! If you love movies like She’s The Man, this will fit your bill. The main plot isn’t unique, but I loved the new setting of in the future. What a strange imagination the author has, and it was definitely not a utopic future. Not always as lighthearted as the Amanda Byne’s fare, it was a bit macabre in places actually. But it fit. Loved Kris and North, and their struggles with their strange feelings. All in all, it was a perfect Lenore read….
ON REREAD:
3.5 stars — I find that when I reread books that I read 5+ years ago, sometimes my tastes have just changed. In this case my brain is more aware of some things, and that’s where this book didn’t succeed quite as well as the first time. But the thing is, despite those cringey things, I was still hella entertained. Like, if I could just accept that those setbacks were there, I could let them go and move on with the good stuff.
So what were the things that made me cringe? Well, being a SUPER LOOSE Twelfth Night retelling, it seems like toxic masculinity always comes into play. It was rampant in this one, but what gave me pause is that it’s not seen as a good thing necessarily. But it does involve a lot of stereotypes. The other thing that had me cringing was the inevitable play around LGBT/gender queer themes. It’s hard to avoid, but I don’t feel like this story did a *great* job of being sensitive in this area. But I hate to say it, a lot has changed in the last 8 years since this was published. So proceed with caution if either of those things will make you Hulk mad.
I forgot how freaking harsh some of the elements of this future society were. I mean, the state of Victoria was the worst, but the rules at the Academy alone about punishment and shiznit was just kind of…awful.
So there’s all that. But I still really enjoyed Kris. I still really enjoyed Kris and North, and their little dance. Some things were hella corny, some things had my eyebrows raising, but in the end I came out of it feeling the fulfillment of a reread guilty pleasure.
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