The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy

lalareads2 - THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY BOOK REVIEW BY GRACE ISESELE The sinister sweetness of splendid academy is a beautiful book about three witches who open an academy to feast on the children that attend. When eleven year old Loreli finds out the secrets inside the school, it`s up to her to stop the witches and save the children. I loved the book with all my heart, the plot made me more and more curious as I continued reading. The book taught me that nothing is ever as it seems. It showed me that you should always wonder, let your imagination spark and grow till it`s so strong you can`t even stop it. Anyone who wants to read a book about fantasy, witches and bravery should definitely consider reading this book.

July 9, 2012
Loftin debuts with a smart, fresh, and thoroughly modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Nothing is going right for 11-year-old Lorelei Robinson. Her mother’s death has torn her family apart, her father has married a woman who doesn’t like kids, and her school just burned down. Good thing a shiny new school popped up over the weekend, and it’s awesome: there are all-you-can-eat meals, endless bowls of candy on the desks, a playground to die for—and students only attend classes when they want. Lorelei’s new friend Andrew is sure there’s something suspicious about the way the students can’t stop eating (his own weight issues have taught him food awareness), and Lorelei soon comes to agree. The darkness that Loftin layers over her story makes this a mesmerizing read, though some grisly details may be too much for sensitive readers. By incorporating real problems that children face—the death of a parent, peer pressure, bullying, obesity, and learning disabilities—Loftin anchors her characters and creates a fantasy that feels simultaneously classic and new. Ages 8–12. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary and Media.

July 15, 2012
A pinch of Grimm, a dash of Greek mythology and a heaping helping of fresh chills make for an irresistible contemporary fairy tale centering around a food enchantment. A sparkling new school pops up in Lorelei's neighborhood, and events conspire to make her and her brother enroll. Not that they resist--Splendid Academy has the most phenomenal playground they've ever seen, and Principal Trapp lets the kids run in the halls. As icing on the cake, food's provided constantly, especially desserts. Everyone's desk contains a magically refilling candy bowl, and the lunches and (oddly non-optional) breakfasts are succulent feasts. Rules barely exist; teachers balk only when a student doesn't eat enough. Even at home, Lorelei awakens with "a sick, twisting hunger that felt like teeth chewing at my insides." Readers familiar with "Hansel and Gretel" will smell the reason why these teachers push food. Lorelei is smart, but two obstacles block her: knowledge that "there [i]sn't an adult in the world who would believe" the preposterous truth at the school's core, and emotional baggage from her mother's death a year ago. In clear, accessible prose with a sense of immediacy, Loftin smoothly melds Lorelei's conviction that she's "done something unforgivably evil" with the deadly danger hovering at school. Refreshingly, Lorelei's learning disability (dysgraphia) is simply a fact of life, not a literary symbol. Deliciously scary and satisfying. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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