Review: Dystopian sci-fi done right
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 10, 2014
Although the idea of a secret organization that snatches kids to remold into something more isn't a new one (Salt comes to mind), The Academy manages to take a fresh, creative approach to the plot. With superb writing and deep characters, this series is rapidly emerging from the pack as something to be taken seriously. The detail and vivid imagery of the dystopian world alone are worth the price of admission.In Book 2 we reconnect with Asa Palmer, who has managed to survive his first semester and is now in his second at the Academy. We're finally told what the Academy's army of mutated child soldiers is for, and why their training was so mercilessly brutal. The sci-fi story is dark, often chilling, and always intense. Some of the questions raised in the first book are at last answered, and you're also given a much better picture of the situations and players involved.While this falls into the category of YA reading, it's plenty strong enough to stand up to older reader's discerning tastes.