Dickensen Academy

I received this book as a part of Member Giveaway on Library Thing in exchange for my honest opinion.

When the time for high school comes around, Autumn is given the option to attend Dickensen Academy, a boarding school that specializes in fostering creativity in their students. But, there is more to it, in that this creativity is put to a top-secret purpose.

Upon arriving at Dickensen (and even a little bit before her arrival), Autumn becomes aware through her own experiences and in talking to others that something mysterious is going on. It has to do with telepathy, people disappearing or enduring frightening punishments, locked doors, upper-classmen sharing secrets, fences that cannot be crossed, a ban on technology for students show more (though the school itself uses technology to spy on students), and more.

As Autumn overcomes homesickness and tries to put these puzzle pieces of Dickensen Academy together, she is working hard on her studies (which are challenging, exciting, and just plain mystifying). Eventually she learns that the school seeks out creative students because they will become dream conveyors, combining artistic skills of writing and art (to create scripts and design scenery, respectively) with telepathy, and she struggles with mastering the basics of this skill for quite a while.

Throughout the school year, Autumn learns about personal freedom, friendships (and more-than-friendships), and what it means to be herself, both in listening to her own wants/needs and interacting with other people. To top it all off, although her relationships with her mom and brother seem pretty healthy, she must continue to navigate her tumultuous relationship with her father. He is demanding where academics are concerned and very vocal about being disappointed that Autumn's professional interests aren't falling more in line with his own. Autumn is conflicted because she is still under father's thumb, even while she is making her own choices and finding independence at her new school--sort of like the clashing of two worlds that just won't mesh. There is also the fact that, due to the school's secrets, she cannot reveal the true nature and difficulty of the dream class (her lowest grade) to her father, which means he only sees it as failing what should be an easy-A elective class. She may have to leave Dickensen, not just because she continues to be unsuccessful at the core skills of dream conveyance (so the school may ask her to leave, which could involve unusual measures taken to Autumn's memories to preserve their secret), but also because her father feels she cannot be trusted on her own to make the grades and does not understand how hard she is truly working.

I was pretty sure the denouement would end up being something like Autumn learns to focus on the other person during her dream conveyance and not herself, and I was right. While Autumn is self-aware, her motivations in sending the dreams weren't aligned with the task and her thoughts were too muddled with the expectations of other people, and that was why she lacked success. Eventually, a family crisis brings everything to a head (haha, accidental pun!) for Autumn, she gains a new perspective, and she figures out how to be successful at the dream conveyance skill, as well as to be honest with other people about her wants and needs.

The character growth made sense, it was well-written, and the plot was unique and interesting. Autumn wasn't a Mary Sue, which I appreciated. And, although Autumn could be wishy-washy at times and waffled about a lot of things, I think the areas in which she did so made sense, considering she is 15 and everything she had going on. And, she is actually a good example of a strong woman to me, which is refreshing (so many young adults books these days try to create strong women, but fail miserably and end up only doing the opposite). The two best examples of this are when she sets boundaries with her father and her boyfriend. I also liked the subtle reminders of using social media appropriately.

I couldn't really pinpoint any holes or large inconsistencies, which, if you've seen some of my other reviews, says a lot about what I think of the care with which this book was written. I guess the only "complaint" I would have in that area is that we don't really learn for what or whom Dickensen Academy is training these children in dream conveyance. Military work? Medical work? Psychology work? Government work? Some of how the school operates is a little sinister, so, for all we know, if we continue the series Autumn will find out her fears about how this skill used were founded and they put it to nefarious purposes (like espionage, mind control of important world figures, bank robberies, etc.). I think we are left out of this because we learn at Autumn's rate and she is not yet privy to that as a part of her studies and future, but I had wished we as the reader got some sort of glimpse into it.

This is a very enjoyable piece of young adult fiction that will appeal to fans of the Harry Potter series and other similar books about magical or paranormal school chums, Shannon Hale's Princess Academy and Ever After High series, the Circle of Magic and Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce, and maybe even the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger or His Fair Assassin series by Robin LaFevers (though these last two are more adult). I'd say this is definitely geared toward preteen and mid-teen girls, but it was very readable as an adult. I think if I were 13 or 14 I'd be super-duper into this and probably read it over and over. I did go with 4 stars out of 5 because, basically, even though I did enjoy this immensely, it didn't make a huge impact on me (I think if I were a still teen, though, it'd be a 5-star book for me). Seems like it was left open as a series, and, if that is the case, I would certainly read the next one (or, really, anything else new from this author). show less

Dickensen Academy is one of the most refreshing, inspiring and thought provoking books I’ve read in a long time. I read it with my teenage daughters, and it prompted the most inquisitive and deep conversations between us. We discussed new ways of thinking, paradigm shifts and possibilities. This book evokes the feeling of sitting in your favorite chair, sipping a cup of hot tea with your favorite blanket wrapped around you and falling in love with Life all over again. It allowed me to dream like a child again. I kept picturing myself in the book with the characters thinking, “Wow, what an Incredible concept the author came up with. Just incredible.” This should be made into a movie. Not since Harry Potter have I been swept away in show more a fantasy novel with such profound concepts, details and limitless possibilities. Truly a Gem. show less

Dickensen Academy is a boarding school that fosters creativity in its students; it's also a boarding school that trains its students to send and receive dreams. A bit I adored was the teachers at Dickensen using dreams to allow their students to witness historical events and participate in experiences they otherwise couldn't in the waking world. It added a charming lightheartedness to the story that was sometimes needed by the reader as well as by Autumn, who struggles with homesickness, her father's expectations, and with her ability to send dreams. Fortunately she has her new friends and family to rely on and with them--and sometimes for them--she figures it out. #DickensenAcademy #NetGalley

This was such a refreshing novel! I loved the setting, I loved our main character and her decision to succeed. There are so many interesting things happening here, but the most important of all, we see a young teenager develop. That’s what captured me.

In a world where we now lose sight of how to create a moral support for our kids, we have a book about a girl who only wants to succeed and be great in school. Yes, she has a strict family and yes, this is a book in which things can happen as the author imagines them. But Christine Grabowski managed to create a character that should inspire our young generations. Autumn Mattison is starting Dickensen Academy, a boarding school that is out of the ordinary. The school has secrets and its show more students help nurture them. Autumn must be special in order to be fully accepted. She needs to have some special skills or abilities to be able to rise to the school standards. So she pushes herself harder and harder.

The action is very interesting, easy to follow and with twists and unforeseen events. But what mostly captured my attention was Autumn and her relationship with her family, with her new friends and with herself. She experiences a deeper connection with Ben, a friendship that may turn into more. She becomes a more matured version of herself. The academy has shaped her well, as it should have.

As sated a bit earlier in my review, we live in a world where technology dictates. Our kids (generally speaking, as mine are not born yet) spend more time with a video game than face to face interactions and we, as adults, need to guide them to the right direction and teach them how to never give up their dreams and always fight to achieve them. That’s the beauty in this book. I would have wanted to see more from the other characters but all in all, I’m giving it a 4.5 star rating. Beautiful writing, I’ve flown through it. I hope you’ll like it as well show less

An interesting romp through school, tragedy, and dreams—with a bit of mystery. Autumn the MC is intriguing with a solid back story that supports her inner monologue. I enjoyed watching her acclimate to the academy and delve into its secrets. Characters were well written, and the teenage drama and angst wasn’t blown out of proportion. The use of dreams was interesting and thought provoking. I even found the story influence my own dreams one night. I’m keen to read book 2. Nice job!

This is an engaging book by a new author.
I was immediately drawn to the main character, Autumn Mattison, because of her sweet innocence and yet feisty loyalty to friends. Her character depicted the typical teenager trying to fit in at a new school. She grabbed my heart from the first chapter, and the author, Christine Grabowski, took me back to my own school days. The setting descriptions were vivid, the dialogues flowed naturally, and the story line was different from most YA novels, which may be the reason I enjoyed this book so much.

Grabowski’s creation of this much-loved character combined with her clean, crisp writing make this a perfect YA novel. The young characters are richly developed, the story is thought-provoking, and show more the author’s writing style is descriptive and persuasive. Grabowski has thrown a clever spin into the academic story line, and she makes that twist believable. Her relaxed narration of both the simple and complex teenage years makes this novel an easy read but, without revealing too much and having this become a “spoiler” review, what will keep your attention the entire time is the unusualness of the tale.
This novel is perfect for teachers to require of students and parents to suggest for children. Thoroughly enjoyed! show less

The beautiful jacket cover of Dickensen Academy both attracts and intrigues readers, and within the first few pages, like the students themselves, we are caught up in the mystery of wondering why these particular students were invited to attend this little-known, but academically strong, secluded high school.

Through easy and natural conversations and emotions, the author’s beautifully simple writing style and descriptions flow so easily we are surprised at how much we are learning about her characters.

I loved Autumn, through whose eyes and feelings the book is centered, and who herself admits she is too quiet, has a shaky ego, and is nothing special. I also loved the diversity of the characters who were invited to Dickensen, and how show more easy it was to visualize and enjoy each one’s unique personality through Autumn’s thoughts and observations. And lastly, I loved the atmosphere of the school itself and the friendships made. I would have loved to go there. I enjoyed Dickensen Academy and hopefully will be able to read more about Autumn and her friends. show less