Academy 7
Grade 8 Up—In this futuristic tale, two teens with mysterious and difficult pasts meet at the universe's most prestigious and demanding school: Academy 7. Aerin, a foreigner and fugitive slave, knows she does not belong here. Dane, the rebellious younger son of the Alliance's most powerful leader, enrolls partly to thwart his father's control over his life. From the beginning of the school term, Dane's cocky, contrary nature and Aerin's extraordinary combat and computer-savvy land them both in trouble with the school's administrator, a powerful member of the Alliance Council. Aerin, secretive and estranged from nearly all social contact, and Dane, bad-boy, rich-kid heartthrob, are unlikely allies. Each holds a key to information that could cause political repercussions throughout the Alliance, and an uneasy truce develops as they are repeatedly thrown together. The story's pacing, intrigue, and subtly romantic overtones are consistently engaging, but the use of pen and paper and easily hacked computer systems seem anachronistic, and a few futuristic details may need a strong visual imagination. Such effects hardly detract from Osterlund's impressionistic and evocative storytelling style, as the plot moves at light-speed, and the setting and characters are believable.Academy 7is a satisfying, refreshing portrayal of two smart, desperate, and unhappy young people struggling to make sense of—and better—the world their parents bequeathed them.—Roxanne Myers Spencer, Western Kentucky University, Bowling GreenEND