The Academie by Amy Joy

from goodreads

When Allie Thompson graduated, she thought she'd put high school behind her. But when a series of violent outbreaks by teens sends panic surging through the nation, high school is right where Allie finds herself again. Now remolded into what the government calls The Academie, what was once the public school system is now the permanent home of everyone 22 and under.

After a year of college and a lifetime as a model student, Allie doesn't take well to The Academie's militaristic nature or its 16 foot perimeter fences. Remembering all she's left behind, including the boyfriend she's now years away from seeing again, Allie plummets into depression. But when strange things begin to happen and her brother disappears, Allie realizes she must unravel the mystery that is The Academie--before it's too late.



Picture this: You’re done with high school. But after a series of violent acts by teens throughout the country, the government decides that boarding school is now for everyone under twenty two. It’s not regular public school but has been restructured and called The Academie. It’s extremely strict; almost militaristic where everything is not what it seems. Can you imagine having to go back to high school, a place you thought you’d got past and were done with?

For me, the concept of The Academie alone had been hooked. It was so unexpectedly scary! It is compulsory for everyone under twenty two to attend, even if they have a kid to look after or just cannot stand going back to school. For Allie, it is a nightmare and she comes determined to hate the place. The Academie turned her younger brother into a super focused and heartless zombie. And she can’t stop thinking about her boyfriend Bryan who she hasn’t heard from in a while.

I LOVED this book. It wasn’t perfect. But it got a lot of crucial aspects right. It’s always nice to read a book with a concept that stands out. The Academie had that! And while the writing wasn’t fantastic, it did suck me in. The Academie felt very real. It didn’t take long for me to get a feel of the place and the atmosphere of dodginess. Allie’s journey was one I felt truly a part of. It was also great that The Academie wasn’t automatically this stereotyped hell house. There were advantages to the system, very minute advantages that got cancelled out by all the horrors, that weren’t left out.

I liked the characters well enough. Allie was a little shallow and whiny at times but aren’t we all? The relationship between Bryan and Allie drew me in. As a whole, they seemed more than the sum of the parts. I could believe that they would be together for a long time! Some parts of the book took my breath away and the twist at the end had me shell shocked.

As for how I felt about the unexpected twist, I’m not sure. I wasn’t sure after reading the book and I’m still not sure. But it definitely left me open mouthed! Could the book have been about more and in general, been so much more than it ended up being about? I think that in a formulaic way, yes. But it wasn’t a total letdown. In its own way, it was a good turnaround of events!

But here’s what I’m sure about: The Academie has an AMAZING concept and it’s a quick read. You will either LOVE the climax or not like it at all. But you will definitely miss out on something if you don’t pick this book up! The book felt like a standalone novel but I just found out that there’s a sequel that will be out soon called The Academie II: The Silent School. I’m not sure which direction the series is headed but I’ll be super psyched to read it!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars