HOOD ACADEMY

An English girl with a mysterious past discovers her future.

Mia has had a tough life. Her mother died in a car accident, her older brother left to figure out some things, and her father became an abusive monster. The one bit of luck Mia’s had recently is her father’s untimely murder at the claws of a great big furry beast. Now she is newly alone in the world, Mia’s mysterious uncle Sebastian arrives to bring her to Hood Academy, a small private school in Nottingham that trains werewolf hunters. Indeed, werewolves are real and deadly, and Mia’s past is full of them. Secrets are revealed, allegiances are tested, romance blooms, and friendships are forged in this tome that packs plenty of plot and pairs it with lycanthropic mythology and some good old-fashioned star-crossed romance. The enterprise is competently crafted, chugging along and tearing through plot twists and developments that will keep readers engaged. The emotions don’t run deep, but the action sequences are well rendered. All the werewolf-versus-hunter action gives the novel a charming throwback vibe—back to the early 2000s when Twilight was all the rage and the market was flooded with weird creatures that lusted for teen girls. Two secondary characters are repeatedly described as having dark skin in a way that emphasizes the white default for everyone else.

A gothic page-turner.