The Academy Series: Altered & Shattered

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The Academy Series, #1

Publisher: Escape Artist Press

Young Adult Thriller/Romance/Sci-Fi

When Toni, Joseph and Charlie arrive at their new boarding school, they are glad to leave their families – and respective problems – behind. Isolated as boarders, they meet a handsome senior with a personality like iced snake’s blood, teachers with a penchant for physical punishment, and four other outcasts who reveal that their being brought to the Academy wasn’t random at all. When the arrivals discover that their new school is engaged in “behavior modification” through electric shocks, isolation, restraints, and an ever-evolving set of methods to “fix” them, they declare war on their Academy. During their campaign of sabotage, they fight, hate, scorn, love, and begin to uncover the reasons why they were brought to the school. But as their war against the school escalates beyond their control, will they become the very things the Academy believes they are: dangerous, delinquent – and mad?

My Impressions: 
WOW is all I can say. Talk about one really messed up school and some pretty deranged and easily manipulated parents to allow their kids to come here! This book really did have it all: mystery, romance, teen angst, suspense, intrigue, conspiracy...name it its here somewhere amongst these pages. So glad I stopped my procrastinating in reading this one because once I picked it up I did not want to put it down.

There were some parts that got a little confusing at the beginning trying to keep all the kids separate and the background information on them, mainly because they were introduced really quickly one after another. Once I rapped my mind around who was who and their skill set and background the book flowed really smoothly. The strength and resilience of these characters is amazing. Just when you think things cannot get worse something else horrible happens.

I really liked this cover. Its what made me want to read this series. Something really creepy about two different sets of eyes watching you as you stare down a weird corridor with lightening creeping through the windows. When I started reading this book the cover made more and more sense and really captured what the story is about. These kids are not paranoid-they are hunted, sought after and in serious trouble with almost no one to trust and turn to but each other and even that is not safe.

I really thought this whole book was nothing but pure fiction. That was until I read about "Therapeutic Boarding Schools" from a post someone else had made. My mind was blown away that schools like this really exist and are legal with very few laws they follow! As a social worker I am disgusted and now know what to advocate for next. A book that was full of twists and turns throughout took on a whole new meaning all of a sudden. Here is just one article I found on these types of schools: http://astartforteens.org/use-caution-when-considering-struggling-teen-schools. 

This YA book series is an easy one to recommend. My 14 year old daughter already stole my copy when I started reading the second book!

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The Academy Series, #2

Publisher: Escape Artist Press

Young Adult Thriller/Romance/Sci-Fi

School’s in session at J. Alter Academy, and for Toni, Joseph, Ann, Charlie, and their boarder friends, that means they are still at the mercy of its draconian ways. While suffering the harsh consequences of their attempted escape, the seven teens must also contend with the formidable Headmistress and her taste for human experimentation — with the boarders as her favorite subjects. The seven friends play a delicate, dangerous game as they seek to discover the secrets behind their school and their own unique abilities. Yet as they move closer to uncovering the truth, will one of them be forced to pay the ultimate price?



 My Impressions: 
This book picks up where the first one left off and really you need to read the first book to really get a good idea of what has happened for the full effect. If you decide not to, you can read this as a stand alone, but I think you personally miss out on alot of information that is not given. Although the author does a great job of reintroducing the characters as they appear.

These seven "troubled teens" are still trying to find away to overcome their obstacles in life and within the school walls. The action picks up really quick and the teens have learned to control their powers more and learned new ways to work the system. The one thing that really separates this book out from the first one is you get alot more insight and background to the school itself, the adults and the mission they have. You also get more background into the kids and what life was like before the school and into each of their thought process since coming to the school. Its really hard not to get attached to these kids and to be pulling for them to escape and get away from the school, the experiments etc, but at the same time you start to get a more rounded picture of what is happening and you feel for the faculty of the school as well. But I still feel the ends do not justify the means.

 I am once again left  blown away at the creativity and writing style of Aubrey-just amazing. Its been a while since I read a book with such a unique twist. I can highly recommend this series to youth and adults alike.

About the Author
Aubrey Coletti is the twenty-one-year-old songwriter, dancer, and author of the Academy series novels Altered and Shattered. She is currently working on the third book in the Academy series.
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I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of Pump Up Your Books Review Crew.