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The time has finally come for Sang Sorenson to be formally introduced to the Academy. Protocol dictates the boys keep the details of Sang’s official introduction to the Academy a secret from her. The only thing they can advise her to do is to work on what will become her mantra: She is determined to stay with her team, no matter what.

Despite her wishes, however, the boys are second-guessing her place with them, concerned for her safety. With dangers all around and threats closing in, some of the boys are questioning if this is the right time to bring her to meet the Academy at all.

Sang is challenged with being the brave face among them and instilling the confidence needed to keep her with them. However, in order to appear compliant with the Academy’s rules, she has to be willing to listen and try their suggestions. As the boys have suspected and feared, the council wants to see how she’ll work with a different team. An all-girl team. She has no choice but to go along with the proposal or risk losing a shot at the Academy.

But when the Academy’s inner world is revealed to her, Sang knows that she’s finally found her place—somewhere she belongs—and she sees a future with them. The deeper she gets, the more she sees how she can make a difference. Learning what she is capable of and the impact she can have, she feels obligated to help. There’s so few girls, and they need her.

The guys try to stick to their plan, but every team must pay their debts, and the cost of keeping her might be more than any of them can afford.

It’s up to Sang alone to prove to the Academy where she truly belongs—but can she resist the call of a new team that needs her?

The Academy, Inside

485 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2016

393 people are currently reading
3230 people want to read

About the author

C.L. Stone

58 books4,353 followers
C. L. Stone likes :chocolate_bar: and #findingburiedtreasure. Her books are about :revolving_hearts: and @dark_themes and #chocolatechippancakes.

If lots of book boyfriends scare you...run. Run now.

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5 stars
3,470 (61%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
Profile Image for Pao.
140 reviews48 followers
May 7, 2017
IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME!

Sadly, not for us. Only for those in the world of:

First Kiss is book 10 in the Ghost Bird series. Can you believe it?! Book 10 already. We've all been for a while in this crazy and lovely universe, and by this point, I think we are all completely and utterly obsessed.

I longed for this book with all my heart since C. L. mentioned each Academy guy would have his own book. So there's no surprise I ended up loving it.

Because my sweetie, my baby, my favorite and most handsome nerdling FINALLY got his time to shine: Kota Lee❤.



*le sigh*

I'm probably biased but who can blame me?

Kota is mostly, though not entirely the reason why I loved so much First Kiss. I mean:

*Itty bitty spoilers*
♥ It's Christmas time in The Academy! Filled with lots and lots of cute, sweet, surprising and sometimes angsty moments.
♥A really fun holiday trip ;).
♥Kota, Nathan, VICTOR OMFG, Gabriel, Luke, NORTH OMG, Silas, Mr. Blackbourne *sniff* and the man with no chill, Dr. Green.
♥More and more Academy.
♥Secrets revealed, those that were burdening both Sang and the guys.
♥Kissing, kissing and more kissing ;).
♥New characters.
♥Drama, drama, drama. Because, what is The Academy without it?
♥Scarab bettle crowd showing up ;).

After this book, I think the best and worst is yet to come.

I'm scared but beyond ready for Black and Green ;).
Profile Image for Leah Rhodes.
3 reviews6 followers
July 26, 2021
Yes, I did read The Healing Power of Sugar in one night. And YES! I'm very sad that I am once again waiting for the next book.

I want it now!
I want it YESTERDAY!

If you are a #1 fan of this series you understand my pain right now, but I WILL wait and be VERY happy when it is written to perfection.

Who do we think it is?
Dr. Green because he was her first kiss.
Or maybe Kota because I've been hearing that.
I DON'T KNOW!

Either way, I CANNOT WAIT!

Love you all!
Profile Image for Katrin.
88 reviews21 followers
May 16, 2016
So, apparently all the guys will get to know about Sang's shower phobia in this book FINALLY!!!


Ha. Ha ha. HAHAHA FIRST KISS WHAT?!?!

Kota Kota please let this be Kota's book pleeeeeeeeeease.
Profile Image for Lina.
98 reviews42 followers
May 11, 2016
CONFESSION: I am pretty much obsessed with this series.

Ghost Bird Cast

I can't really downplay this; I'm not embarrassed. I found out about this series three days ago, and three days later -- and many charges to my Apple account -- I have finished all ten Ghost Bird books. (Same with the other Academy series, but that's a story for another day.)

Yes, I read a fuck ton. If you've read these books, you probably understand the addiction.

A lot of people are claiming this series is a guilty pleasure, and maybe it is. After all, the reverse harem story line (as well as a lot of the boys' personalities and reactions to Sang's adorableness) are very anime -- and animes are often associated with guilty pleasures. But just because it reads like a guilty-pleasure-you-obsess-over-and-can't-stop-reading-no-matter-what-fictional-or-real-life-events-occur-around-you doesn't mean it isn't absolutely AWESOME.

EXHIBIT A: SANG

Sang Sorenson

A lot of people prefer the badass heroines; I prefer the adorable ones.

Always.

I mean, don't get me wrong: I love girl power and it totally rocks when a heroine kicks ass. But lately I've been finding that so many so-called "badass" heroines are forced and over-the-top with their "I can handle myself and don't need no man" attitudes. I have always preferred the sweet, adorable, kind-hearted girls that lead novels without being over-the-top.

In Sang's case, her shyness and sweetness are totally believable and not at all forced. She's genuinely so adorable that I want to hug the shit out of her ninety-nine percent of the time, and the way she interacts with the boys always put a smile to my face. She may be shy, but she has bloomed over the course of ten books into a selfless leader, a worthy playmate, and a bantering dork to match the boys. She always surprises me with her quirks and never, ever falls flat, despite how easy it is for quieter characters to do so.

"Gabriel?" I asked in a quiet voice, a finger pinching my lower lip. "Will you go in there?"
"I don't want to go in there," he said. "You go in there."
"There might be a spider," I said. "You should go see."
"I don't want to see a spider."
I stepped closer, but still held his hand, taking him with me. [...] "I can't pee on a tree. I don't have a... the... plumbing."
"Ha," Gabriel said with a chuckle. "You almost said penis. That's so cute."


See? She's so adorable! And the boys are SO sweet on her. I love their dynamic so much more than the asshole vibes that seem to be popular in book boys nowadays because that isn't realistic. All my guy friends are hilarious and fun, some a little shier, but they're always kind and they never treat girls like crap the way a lot of YA and NA heroes tend to start. That's an exaggerated stereotype I absolutely hate. Maybe these Academy boys are of the sweeter side of things and impossibly perfect (even North, as dark and brooding as he is), but they are a lot more genuine than the giant asshole cookie cutter.

Everything about this series seems strangely believable, despite the reverse harem plot and complicated Academy idea. I love when books integrate small, real-life details I can relate to because it makes it more realistic. And the romance is very slow-burning and sweet (none of them kissed Sang on the lips until like book five!), which it perfect for building characterization and individuality amongst each of Sang's perfect boys.

Which brings me to...

EXHIBIT B: THE BOYS

He curled his fingers at me, urging me to stand in front of his desk. "Come on. I'll show you," he said quietly.
"Show me what?"
He wriggled his eyebrows. "How I'm going to win your little heart."


Um, okay. The amount of hotness in this series actually puts me at risk of Meltdown Syndrome. I've certainly already encountered Swoon Central and Fanning Fantasyland. I didn't think I could love the Academy boys more, but boy was I wrong!

When I first started this series, there were so many hot boys part of Sang's harem that I wondered how the heck I'd be able to tell them apart emotionally. But only a few books in and I already felt like I knew each of the nine boys' personalities even more than I understood a lot of heroes in books with only one love interest. By this tenth book, the Academy boys now occupy the top nine slots on my book boyfriends list. Their characterizations may follow a few cliches, but they're still SO good that you could describe the way one of the boys reacts to certain things and I'd know exactly which one you're talking about.

Award for dorkiest, funniest, most adorable cast? Hell to the yes.

There's giant Greek Silas, who looks intimidating at first glance but is actual a huge, protective, adorably cheeky teddy bear who tells random jokes to cheer Sang up when she's upset.

[Silas] put his hands on his hips. "What do you get when you cross an elephant with a kangaroo?"
I cringed. "What?"
"Great big holes all over Australia."


Luke is the happy-go-lucky prankster who seems to jump headfirst before thinking but will always put his family first and would do anything to be there for them (like taking off on his own to chase Volto despite the dangers or learning sign language at the off-chance his new stepbrother would talk to him).

Gabriel shrugged and then got a pancake pillow to the face.
"Smell it," Luke said, holding it to Gabriel's nose. "Pancakes..."


Then there's North who is dark, passionate, health-obsessed, and always fiercely overprotective of those he cares about, even if it means they'll be annoyed with him. His family's safety always comes before his own personal feelings and what people think of him. He's definitely one of my favorites.

"I don't know if I can take this the whole way," North said, reaching for the volume control.
Silas's hand shot out, blocking North before he could touch the volume. "No. Please," he said. "Don't make her stop."
North frowned. Silas nodded toward the rearview mirror. North gave Silas a questioning look, then glanced back at us in the mirror before returning his gaze to Silas. "You fucking pervert."
Silas raised a dark eyebrow. "What? Pervert? Do you see her face? She's so happy."
"Oh," North said and sat back. "Never mind."


And don't get me started on Gabriel... (He was ridiculously cute in this book with all his "camping buddy" stuff.)

He reached up to rub at his nose, sniffing. "Fuck me," he said. "I don't want to get up, but I have to take a piss."
I moaned, not wanting to get up, either, but knowing I should. I wanted to stay in bed all day, for the rest of camp, until it was time to get in the car and leave.
Gabriel turned, pressed his lips against mine and then kissed my nose. "Trouble."
"No," I said quietly. I kept my eyes closed and hung on to him. "I don't want to get up yet."
Gabriel pressed his mouth to my cheek. He kissed the spot. "I can hold it for a minute, I guess."


Etcetera, etcetera...

Plus, they're all just so hilariously funny together.

HOWEVER. Victor has always been my favorite with his absolute sweetness, musical talents, and ability to understand Sang better than almost everyone else -- except maybe the perfect Owen Blackbourne -- because Victor is a sweet introvert like Sang herself... but in this book? Holy wowza! I fell more and more in love with him through each page, and by the end of the book after the shower scene, I was ready to throw away the rest of the boys just to be able to hold his hand. He's too amazing, my heart actually cries a little every time he gets book time.

I thought of things to say, but the others talked so fast and freely that I never got a chance to say anything at all. I finished my hot dog and chips before anyone else because they were talking so much, seeming to forget about food.
The only other one who was quiet was Victor. He finished his plate, too, and then I felt his hand on my leg. He squeezed encouragingly.
I held onto his leg, too.


The way Victor's always by her side, silently supporting her when her shyness makes her feel cripplingly awkward? *sigh* That's the kind of hero that doesn't get enough credit.

Now that I swooned over the characters, let's move onto...

EXHIBIT C: THE PLOT

There's something about the Ghost Bird series that is just so damn addictive -- and it's not just the epic multi-hot-boy romance or the original-and-wicked-cool idea of the Academy. (Can I enroll?!)

It's ALL THE LITTLE DETAILS that make it so easy to relate to and even easier to love. Like when the boys let Sang paint their nails all sorts of colors for her birthday, or when marshmallows make everything better.

In this book, it's:
♡ camping with the boys and the Academy.
♡ the adorable Christmas they spend together as a family and

♡ also

This book just made me so effing happy. And the last few chapters were my absolute favorite.

IN CONCLUSION:

Re-read my review if you're confused. The characters are awesome. The boys are awesome. The story is awesome. This series is awesome. Everything is awesome. It's just plain fucking awesome.

Now please excuse me while I go cry in the corner waiting for the next book, Black and Green, to come out.

Have fun reading!

xoxo
LINA
Profile Image for Brittney.
180 reviews20 followers
May 1, 2016
After Reading:
I am so glad that Kota was able to have his moment with Sang in this book. C. L. Stone kills me with this cliffhanger and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book. Sang also has moment with some of the other guys in this book and her shower fear comes out!

Before Reading:
Gimme. Gimme. Gimme.
It is Kota's time to shine!
Or Mr. Blackbourne?
249 reviews32 followers
July 7, 2016
I think this is the part where I jump off the Academy train. Last book it was obnoxious fatphobia. This one had gynophobia and a minor screed against feminism. (Did I think gynophobia was a real thing before today? No, no I did not. So, uh, yeah, I guess C L Stone taught me something.)

I'm totally here for the wish fulfillment male harem fantasy. I want Victor and Silas in particular to be about ten years older so they can be in a much better book. I really liked that these books scratched a lot of my favorite narrative kinks. But I'm done paying $3.99 for any of them. and I'm certainly not paying actual money to read anything that feels so blatantly like the worst parts of all the slash fic I read back in the day, where vaginas were gross and any girl that showed up was an impediment to the boys kissing. Only in this book, there isn't even any boy kissing, there's just a whole heaping helping of "not like the other girls." And yes, Sang has some compelling reasons for her gynophobia. But they were reasons the author made up. One abusive female was surely enough; but now there are at least three. And I think that's a really shitty and toxic message to give to the teens actually reading these books.

Profile Image for The Romance Book Disciple (Samantha).
2,116 reviews361 followers
September 20, 2020
I love these books so much. Gah! The feels, man!!! I'll post my full review soon on The Book Disciple

Updated review: Still loved it, but the narrator was super whiny for this book. It hasn't been an issue up until now. Also, Kayli is such a bitch. Its no wonder I gave up on that series. She is so angry and petulant.
Profile Image for Spoon.
168 reviews
June 22, 2017
This installment redeemed this series for me in so many ways. I'm trying not to gush and it's already been a few days. I finally got to see the Sang I've been waiting 9 books for. The capable, confident LEADER, the girl who can jump into a situation despite her fears--without the boys. The girl every character has called amazing since book 1. I saw her, and I loved her.

This is also the first book where I felt I understood Meanie better. He loves Sang, no doubt, and he would protect her with his life, but I also felt a bit of envy, that the guys don't hold her to same standard he's had to struggle to uphold. And at the same time... he doesn't want her held to that standard because he doesn't want her hurt. I've always loved Gabriel but I feel I understood him more in this book.

All the (because I watch an insane amount of anime and dramas) skinship was so enjoyable and natural. I loved it all!

And the Academy... So much information others may have found to be a bit of an info dump, I gobbled up. I loved learning about their structure and seeing the teamwork and how that translated into decisions in the Academy later. I loved that insight, and that's probably not even the half of it.

The ending though... I think I gave book 9, 5 stars... And I'm a little unsure why because I remember after reading it I told myself that would be the last book in the series for me because THINGS. But then I couldn't not read Kota's book, and I'm so glad I did. I'm more impatient than ever for Black and Green. Two of my favorites!!!!! Hopefully I can shorten this later...

Profile Image for Amber Eckstein.
485 reviews4 followers
April 25, 2016
EEEEEK!
This happens to be one of my favorites. OK. So I say that every single time I read a book but honestly this had so many good things about it.
KOTA finally knows!!!
Like now everyone knows about the plan and even though that he knew about the dating. Their first kiss and him counting the first eight was beautiful.
Sean proved so many times over why I loved him so much. Holding Sang while she cried. Amazing.
Victor being the protector that he always he been.
Gabe the freakin' best friend to Sang. I loved how sweet he is. How they are helping one another every chance they can get. Wow.
Kota disappointed me with the shower scene. But Victor amazed me once again why he is in my top 5.
In my opinion they all stole the show but it was LAKE who really got me. I loved her.
I want to know more. GIVE ME MORE LAKE!
It was nice not seeing Volto for once as well.
Marc and Sang changing numbers.
Kayli the female version of North and wanting to talk about their situation.
The girls meeting. EEEKK! So many feels. So little time. I want more. Now. Like yesterday.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mary McFarlane.
662 reviews6 followers
April 26, 2016
OH MY GOD!!!!! The last like 25% of this book was soooo good!!! I was glad we got to see more into the academy and meet other people. I really like Lake and hope we can hear more about her in later books. But the ending of this book just made me so much more excited for the next book!!!
Profile Image for Talltree.
2,081 reviews25 followers
April 26, 2016
O.M.G.
CL Stone certainly hit this one out of the ballpark!!!!
Profile Image for Stacy.
124 reviews
May 29, 2016
God why do I keep reading these books?!?! There's honestly not much progression so far and we've just reached book 10. TEN!!! I'm the idiot that keeps buying them, I get that. I keep telling myself "surely we're going to get something resolved". Nope, not really. Oh ok well yea so she's in the academy for six months. It'll probably be another 20 books before we reach the end of that time.
Just move the story on for the love of God! And then to end it on a cliffhanger like this. Not much truly happened! This book was more filler than anything else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sam.
59 reviews
April 26, 2016
Update:
Ahh this book series just keeps giving and giving.

That ending though... Dun dun duuuuuun!




Getting way too excited over this two word title right now! Ahhhhh I cannot wait!
Profile Image for Geet.
142 reviews
July 26, 2018
There wasn't more of Dr. Green and Mr. Blackbourne 💔 but i'll live .

still here is something from Dr. Green ❤
Dr. Green said " No funky stuff over there or Sang will have to join me over here "💋

again .. Sang disappointed me 💔 she is too slow . I don't understand why she was scared when Erica hugged her ? This is too much . She is comfortable with Kota but she was afraid to get close to his mother ?

We found out more about the academy and how it works .
Profile Image for Jess.
99 reviews
May 19, 2016
UPDATED REVIEW

The FIRST KISS started out slow for me, nevertheless it was still so good because I learned more about the Academy and Sang was able to stand up on her own without the boys. Even Lake intrigued me that I'm hoping to read more about her in the next books. Although I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't get much of Green and Blackbourne, but the next book will clearly highlight the two so I cannot wait! Not to mention that cliffhanger! OH NO.

P.S. Victor was surprisingly my favorite in this one. He was so protective of Sang. *sigh*

++++

I have a feeling that this book is going to be extra special as it is the 10th installment!!!



I'm really hoping it's Mr. Blackbourne's story, because they've never kissed in any way at all!



Although, there's a huge possibility that this book is about Kota, because there was a story build up between him and Sang in the 9th installment. Either way, I can't wait already!!

Profile Image for Hilary Evans.
7 reviews31 followers
October 9, 2016
This book series is absolute garbage. I don't know why I have continued with it as long as I can. This kind of book is why the Donald Trumps of the world can get away with saying and doing the things they do. Having a main character who is so "damaged" that it takes not one, but eight men, to make her "whole" is just ridiculously stupid. She's too afraid to ever tell any of them how she actually feels, which means everything she does is her faking who she is so they like her. Really the only reason I've likely continued with this season is because I have a niece who I care about, and I would like to know what kind of garbage we are feeding to young women today. Shame on this author for adding to the rape culture in this country. I would give it zero stars if I could.
Profile Image for Liis.
668 reviews142 followers
June 8, 2016
For the whole book there were about 3 important things that happened and the rest was just fluff around it. I can see how this would work so so so well for teenage girls. Pity the ending was the best, now I'll have to read the next one as well... :)
Profile Image for Bárbara Tega.
254 reviews12 followers
April 15, 2021
A few moments 5 stars, a few moments 3 stars - because I just keep wondering why the shower is still a problem, how in this universe they will make it work if she don't speak about simple things like a god. damn. shower.
Yes, I'm pissed off.

But I liked the end, specially the ~A~ chapter (nothing new here).
I hated Sang on this book, she pissed me off the whole book. The boys are still a bunch of cinammon rolls and I can't say a single thing about them. Except for Kota. He also pissed me off.

Maybe I'm the problem? Lack of patience? having a bad week? it's possible. And now I'm using the review field as a place to analyze my own life, if you excuse me I'm going to cry on the shower -something that Sang can't do because she still haven't worked on the shower problem! DAMN IT!
Profile Image for Bella.
806 reviews28 followers
April 28, 2016
3 Stars

This series is my guilty pleasure (it was also the first to introduce me to the wonderfully addictive world of reverse-harem). I am always way too eager to get my hands on the next Ghost Bird book, once I've finished the latest release.

With that being said, I'm afraid I'm starting to get pissy. This series is dragggggggggggggging. The author needs to get things moving faster, or I am in serious danger of giving up on Sang and the gang (and that would suck!).

Here's what I loved, and what I didn't...

Thumbs UP

This addition to the series followed the gang to camp! An Academy camp - complete with hundreds of existing Academy members and all the new prospects (and it even included a cameo appearance by the characters from Thief). The camp scenes were fun and introduced all new dynamics between Sang and the guys, and forced Sang to socialize with a lot of people outside of their little clique.

There were some great group scenes with all the crew together (something seriously lacking in the previous book), including some cheesy but sweet Christmas scenes, and a fun snowball fight.

Sang has added one more set of lips to her kissing tally - only one more guy to go! (I won't tell you who)



Thumbs DOWN

Sang's whimpering and spinelessness is getting on my nerves. At this point she should have adopted some of the guys fighting spirit, but she seems to be leaning on them now more than ever, even to do the simplest things. I wish the author would give her more spunk!

The more the story goes on, the more the idea of things working out with ALL of them being with Sang, is ridiculous to me. She is way too innocent to entertain so many guys.

The stupid nicknames are so immature to me - 'Meanie' in particular I despise.

The plot of this series is moving too slowly for me, and it's pissing me off! As I was reading, I felt so many of the chapters were long-winded and could have been edited out completely just to get the story moving along faster. In my opinion, this author is dragging the series out to make more money, and it's just not cool. If I have to wait five more years to get to the end, I will stop reading - I don't want that to happen.

Final Thoughts

Well... now the wait begins for the next book in the series. I seriously hope the next addition offers more to the story and gets things moving faster. It's not that I want this series to end, I'm just afraid of being bored to the point that I'll simply stop caring to read on. At this point I've read too much to let that happen, so the faster this series nears the end, the better! Also, I'm keen to have less PG-13 related action, and more M-rated stuff. One can only dream...


Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,277 reviews58 followers
July 16, 2018
It's time for Sang to be introduced to the Academy, so the group packs up for a camping trip. Anxiety runs high for several reasons: Sang is extremely shy and has a hard time even talking to other Academy students, and she hasn't had any time with Kota yet to see if he will be receptive to "the plan" to keep their group together. Over the course of the week, Sang gets separated from the guys, meets a few new friends, discovers a crucial part of herself, oh and kisses Kota for the first time. Finally! Now maybe they can concentrate on what Hendricks and Volto are up to in the next book!

I like this series, and in my past reviews have praised the slow burn of the romantic plotline. However, I am starting to wonder just how long this series will end up being in the end. Here we are on book 10, Sang has kissed all but one of the guys and everyone is a least aware of what it might take to keep their group together. But each of these guys has an idea of how their future with Sang and the group looks like, and since they are still at the just kissing phase, I'm wondering how long this series will be to get to those futures that they envision. Sang's only 16, but they are daydreaming about buying houses and getting married, etc. At this pace, is that going to happen in book 35 or 50? I still love these characters and the series, it just has me wondering that's all.
Profile Image for Kelsey Terhune.
13 reviews6 followers
April 25, 2016
Another great book

I absolutely love this series, the books keep getting better and better, the only thing I hate about this series is having to wait for the next book :)
Profile Image for Heather Gilbert.
1,772 reviews85 followers
November 14, 2019
Trouble

A camping trip for academy recruits.... what could go wrong? Well, considering this is Sang and her brood... a lot.

A good teenage tale filled with mystery, angst and blooming new love, all wrapped in a CIA’esque type adventure.
Profile Image for Noël.
81 reviews2 followers
June 24, 2021
YASSSS. IT GOT SO MUCH BETTER AT THE END. YESSSSSSSssss.
Profile Image for Searcy.
382 reviews70 followers
June 13, 2018
Re-read review: somewhere between 4 and 20 stars

I think FIRST KISS may be one of my favorite books in the GHOST BIRD series. Perhaps because it is the least 'angsty' and is less juvenile feeling. Perhaps because we start to get some resolution to some of the zillion dangling threads and open issues in the series. Perhaps because that first kiss was so anticipated and full of all the feels. I just know that I loved this one. Couldn't put it down, even though it was a re-read.

The majority of FIRST KISS takes place over winter break, immediately following the mass strep throat incident. It contained very little Ashley Waters drama and no Volto at all. Instead, this book focused entirely on Sang's relationship with the boys, getting them all on the same page, and learning more about the oh-so-mysterious Academy.

- Sweet, sweet Christmas moments with the guys.
- Wonderful, thoughtful gift-giving from Sang to the guys.
- Official introduction to the Academy.
- Sang trying things out with a team of girls.
- Learning and understanding more about the Academy.
- Second to last 'first kiss' (only one more to go!).
- Connection to the SCARAB BEETLE group & series.

And most importantly (and satisfyingly!)...

The majority of Sang's stupidly held closely-held secrets are revealed to both the team and to the Academy. And Sang will finally get some treatment/therapy. Hallelujah! Perhaps there will finally be a true realization of what "trust your family" really means. One can only hope.

And there was official acknowledgement that Sang needs to remain where she is with the team, at least for now. So that Sword of Damocles has been removed from over their heads, at least until Ashley Waters has been resolved. Yay!

The oh-so-satisfying epilogue did end on a terribly distressing note. Because of course everything couldn't end all sunshine-and-roses. Right?

And now, I can't talk any more because I absolutely must move on to BLACK AND GREEN now! Shhh....

Original review: 5 stars

Love it. Hate it. Love. Hate.

But I kinda loved this one :)

UPDATE PROGRESS NOTES:
90.0% "And they are FINALLY going to get her counseling! Thank god!"

88.0% ""Sang" signifies SUUUPPPERcalifragilistic Special Snowflake. Clearly! ;)"

76.0% "Chapter titles foreshadowing something bad that is about to happen - argh! I am all tense and not wanting to keep reading because I am anticipating the bad thing that is coming. Now I know there is going to be some sort of 'Big Misunderstanding' or secret that blows up or fight amongst the group. And that is all I can focus on. It has me not wanting to keep reading."

76.0% "LOL she is finally learning enough about the Academy to take some of the things off the list she is constantly angsting about. So what does she do? Finds something NEW to start angsting over. Holy crow, Sang, it's perfectly alright to just be happy. Angst is NOT required! (pretty please?!)"

63.0% "How could you STILL not remember the emergency whistle Sang? It has come up several times already."

42.0% "You know, a lot of times Sang comes across more like she is 12 or 13 than 16. Or even younger. Her thought process is sometimes so unbelievably juvenile. It may be a while since I was 16, but I swear I don't recall thinking things like "I would do everything they had done and then Kota would think I was brave and capable." Maybe when I was 10?"

28.0% "Seriously, she is gonna end up diabetic with the amount of sugar she eats! 16 year olds shouldn't be in charge of their own lives, no matter how responsible they are!"

26.0% "Utterly, adorably, cavity-inducing-sweet Christmas presents from Sang to the guys :) All the feels!"

23.0% "This has to be the worst Christmas "procedure" ever. It makes it all about just getting as many "things' as possible, and not about savoring the gift exchange experience. Blech!"

12.0% "Argh! The moment you realize you love all of them should be the moment you can start to envision all being together as a family. About the how the plan would look - able to visualize it. Instead, you are so desperate to angst over something, that now it is making you want to leave to make things "easier"? Seriously!? GAH"

8.0% "OMG, yes!! A passcode on a device! (Even if it is a tablet, not a phone). YAAAASSS! About time!"

2.0% "Continuity issue - if she is in the front passenger seat, then the rearview mirror cannot be used to glance at her. That would be Kota in the back seat."

1.0% "Uh...if 96 is her normal temp, then she should have been in the hospital at 103 because she was killing off brain cells!"
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Author 2 books9 followers
May 6, 2016
I began reading this series in 2014 and was so enthused about it I contacted the author. This book took me through laughter and tears and a lot of hope. I began reading it around midnight ( huge mistake) and kept telling myself I would read one more chapter and finish it the next day. At 4 A.M. to the extreme dislike of my family I screamed because it left me hanging and now I will have to wait until she writes a follow up to this one.

Caution: May contain spoilers.

At just a few years away from 50 years old, C.L. Stone has a way of writing Sang that I feel like a teenager again. Sang continues her adventure with the 9 young men who are vastly different but have such affection for Sang that it makes me fill with hope and want my own group in the academy.

The panic I felt from the characters and the decisions they had to make were so vivid that I had to actually remind myself that this was a story and not a real event. As a sufferer of anxiety myself I felt her pain. Stone is a wonderful story teller. To be an author is great but to me a story teller pulls me so into the story that I can actual feel that their feelings are my own.

The camp and the cold were equally as vivid and we learned so much from Sangs experience there. From new abilities and feelings we got to explore a different aspect to Sang. I realized while reading this that maybe I didn't know her as well as I had thought I had before. That was telling in her reactions to the Carly, April, Lake and even Kota's mother. Her little tidbits of feelings that led us down an spiral of emotions at camp took my own breath away and felt tears of empathy trailing down my own cheeks during more than a few of the scenes.

Other than the cliffhanger ending and the brief glimpse of the next book that was included in this ebook, I found the book to be deeply emotional and yet another completely addictive book in the series. I have read them and re-read them all. I will read this one again and share it with my friends that love this genre.

Thank you C.L. Stone for this series and hurry with the next book please.
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