The Academy Novel

Novel: The Academy

Author: Quinn Anderson

Genres: School Life, Young Adult, Romance

Released: 2018

Part of Book Series: Standalone

Summary: Nick Steele just wants a normal life, cliché or not. He had one once, back in Chicago. Before his father died and he took a year off from college to grieve. Now, he’s starting fresh at a prestigious—but tiny—Catholic university. Adjusting to small-town life will be a challenge, along with making friends and keeping his scholarship. All he wants to do is blend in, get his diploma, and go back home.

But Sebastian Prinsen—campus heartthrob and a notorious player—has other plans. He notices Nick right away and makes a bet with his two best friends: Who can kiss the new kid first? Nick seems immune to Sebastian’s charms, and yet genuine chemistry sparks between them. Even worse, real feelings do too. Sebastian falls more and more every time Nick blows him off, but if he comes clean about the bet, Nick will hate him forever.

The last thing Nick wants is to fall in love while he’s still grieving, but Sebastian feels like home to him. Nick wants that so badly he may ignore the warning signs and risk his fragile heart once more.

Post’s Author Opinion:
Note: This is a personal opinion, it does not reflect YaoiOtaku’s official position towards the novel.

If I would have read this novel during high school, I would probably have loved it. As I am way past high school, I definitely don’t love it, but I somehow can’t say I don’t like it at all either.

The characters are weirdly self aware, they have an explanation for everything, they know where every single behaviour issue originates from and that is just not how things work. These are 19-21 year olds, and yet they are able to psychoanalyse everyone, including themselves, while acting like 15 year olds at the same time.

They do stuff like regular 19-21 year olds too and the combination was so odd. While on one side they were more than well grounded, there was this childish and immature air all around. It’s a really weird combination, but one that somehow made me keep reading. If only because it made no sense.

The internal monologues were tedious at times. I usually don’t have an issue with those, but here, it was just more self psychoanalysis and often they didn’t add anything to the story, nor to the characters, and it was a lot of them. The most internal monologues I ever read in a book that’s not written in 1st person. In terms of character characterisation, not looking spectacular.

Another thing I found to be odd was that when two characters were talking to each other, sometimes their lines and actions felt reversed. I mean one of the character saying or doing something, but making more sense for the other one in the interaction to do or say it.

The plot was so predictable. There was only one thing I couldn’t figure out until it was revealed (that also had a big part in me continuing reading this, I was just so curious), but all the rest, everything regarding the bet, each of the individual characters, their actions and feelings, had no amount of mystery whatsoever.

As odd as this was, I still had fun reading it. I did laugh out loud a couple of times, and I must say it does tick some boxes I like. Can’t say which ones because spoilers, but there were enough good points as to not make me throw the novel into the sun. It just feels off. That being said, not the worse, definitely not the greatest and if you’re reading this in your teens, chances are you are going to love it.

What’s your opinion on The Academy novel? Please let us know in the comments below.