Anne Applegate

Camden is now in boarding school. She is a bit bummed because she had a terrible fight with her BFF before she left but soon the stresses of boarding school seem to take most of her time. See in boarding school you are with the mean girls 24/7. Heck they are your roommate. And what is with that creepy guy who seems to be a big dog with the school? He just comes and goes. And then one of her friends just disappears leaving all her stuff. Oh, she went back home. Right...

I really enjoyed this show more book. Camden is a great character. She is funny and independent. She is a good friend. I figured out the twist kind of early, but it did not make it any less entertaining. This is a really good choice for teens and tweens. show less

I have to admit that I was sort of afraid to read The Last Academy, due to some not-so-positive reviews that were populating the blogosphere. Luckily, I went ahead and took the plunge, because I am definitely one of those in the minority who really enjoyed this book. Don't get me wrong - I can see why it would strike some as weird or "bad" - but for me, the atmosphere and use of mythology were enough to keep me fully engaged in the characters and plot and eagerly turning the pages until the show more end.

Camden was an interesting main character. She's having to deal with a fallout with her best friend, Lia, as well as adjusting to a new school clear across the country from where she grew up. While she did strike me as a bit younger than she was supposed to be, I still ultimately liked how she took the steps necessary to come to terms with her life and the strange occurrences that happen at the school. I don't want to spoil anything, because part of this book's draw for me personally was the way the suspense was written. While I figured out what was going on fairly early on, I still enjoyed watching Camden's journey into the truth and how it impacts her future.

One thing that was done incredibly well in this story was the way the setting was written. You get a definite spooky vibe from the school and its faculty, and the way the author involved the paranormal aspects into the plot were first-rate. Camden is well aware that there's something not right with her new school, and I liked the way she continued to delve into the students' stories and try to figure out what was going on with her classmates and herself. Again, it becomes pretty apparent early on what the ultimate truth is going to be, but I still found plenty within the pages to keep me invested in her story.

The Last Academy was a good mix of suspense, mythology, and paranormal. It's a quick read that ultimately left me quite satisfied, not only with the plot but also with Camden's personal journey. If you like spooky reads full of atmosphere, and don't mind figuring out the "twist" before the main character does, then I think you'll like this one quite a bit. I know I did!

An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-last-academy.html

The great part of this story is the part I can't really talk about without giving away the amazing plot twist. But I'll try! In dealing with the issues the book deals with, including the falling-out with Cam's friend back home, The Last Academy is brilliant. The name of the school should have given it away to me, but I somehow skipped over that at the beginning of the book! Anyway, it's as show more scary as this issue should be, but it has such tenderness and soothing elements as well. And lots of good crying spots!

Cam is wonderful - essentially a good girl who starts experimenting with mischief. I love the big scene when she breaks all the rules. There's a sense of terror as she thinks she'll be found out at any second, and then there's the utter exhilaration when she gets back to her room and realizes she got away with it - or thinks she has.

I'm not entirely sure what purpose the romance serves in the plot, but in any case it was a great relationship to follow. Starting with irrational infatuation over a guy she knows simply as hot, Mark moves to being a real, real person, with issues of his own to muddle through. His story does add a lot to the overall story and the understanding that Cam comes to eventually. show less

The Good: An interesting premise with a great cast of characters. Well written and I honestly could have found myself loving this book if not for some major foreshadowing issues.

The Bad: The entirety of this book hinges on one big reveal and the repercussions of what that discovery means. That usually works well, but when you see the big reveal coming a third of the way through the book it's a huge letdown to be proved right. It's just too obvious, to the point where I found myself wondering show more why no one on the road to publication suggested vague-ing the situation up a bit. show less