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The Academy
True love stabs you in the front.
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 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.
Author The Academy, is a complete rewrite of my first novel, In Excess, which is out of print. Like, I gutted it. The plot is similar in places, but I feel confident saying it's a different book.
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 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.
Author The Academy, is a complete rewrite of my first novel, In Excess, which is out of print. Like, I gutted it. The plot is similar in places, but I feel confident saying it's a different book.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2018
20 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Quinn Anderson
13 books130 followersQuinn Anderson is a nerd extraordinaire; she was raised on an unhealthy diet of video games, anime, cosplay, and comics from infancy. Her girlfriend swears her sense of humor is just a bunch of pop culture references wearing a trench coat. She stays true to her nerd roots in writing and in life, frequently drawing inspiration from her many fandoms and writing fanfic: the cheesier the trope, the better. She's attended conventions on three separate continents and now considers herself a career geek. May she live long and prosper.
Her favorite authors include Ursula K. Le Guin, Gail Carson Levine, Libba Bray, and Tamora Pierce. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, spending too much time on the internet, playing fetch with her cats, screwing the rules, and catching 'em all.
Connect with Quinn:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorQuinnAnderson/
Tumblr: quinnandersonwrites
Email: quinnandersonwrites@gmail.com
Her favorite authors include Ursula K. Le Guin, Gail Carson Levine, Libba Bray, and Tamora Pierce. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, spending too much time on the internet, playing fetch with her cats, screwing the rules, and catching 'em all.
Connect with Quinn:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorQuinnAnderson/
Tumblr: quinnandersonwrites
Email: quinnandersonwrites@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 27, 2019
Rating the 1st 55% 1.5 stars
So I had a conversation with myself, it went like this;
Me: Shile, do you really need to read this book?
Me: No! B… But.. It looks really interesting.
Me: Are you even enjoying it;
Me: Ummmm.. Ummm.. Not really.
Me: How many books do you have on tbr.
Me: Well, uncountable.
Me Why the f**k are you still on this then?
Me:………………
Time of unavoidable Death 55%
4 days later and i have only read upto 55%
This story is just too long and nothing really happens. I feel like I have watched this movie before. The plot is: Sebastian one of our MCs makes a bet with his “popular, cool, rich” friends to see who can get a kiss from the shy new kid on the block - Nick our other MC, the scholarship/poor guy. The rest of the plot involves Sebastian chasing after Nick, and Nick resisting while at the same time asking himself why he was resisting. This is plot to most high school movie involving the “bet plot” that I saw back in the day.
The writing was a little bit stilted; the characters were not likable enough, and not well developed.
Nick was whiny, Sebastian was a jerk.
The inner monologues were too much, and too long. I mean why describe every single thing in details, even texts?
This could/ should have worked out but the execution failed.
So I had a conversation with myself, it went like this;
Me: Shile, do you really need to read this book?
Me: No! B… But.. It looks really interesting.
Me: Are you even enjoying it;
Me: Ummmm.. Ummm.. Not really.
Me: How many books do you have on tbr.
Me: Well, uncountable.
Me Why the f**k are you still on this then?
Me:………………
Time of unavoidable Death 55%
4 days later and i have only read upto 55%
This story is just too long and nothing really happens. I feel like I have watched this movie before. The plot is: Sebastian one of our MCs makes a bet with his “popular, cool, rich” friends to see who can get a kiss from the shy new kid on the block - Nick our other MC, the scholarship/poor guy. The rest of the plot involves Sebastian chasing after Nick, and Nick resisting while at the same time asking himself why he was resisting. This is plot to most high school movie involving the “bet plot” that I saw back in the day.
The writing was a little bit stilted; the characters were not likable enough, and not well developed.
Nick was whiny, Sebastian was a jerk.
The inner monologues were too much, and too long. I mean why describe every single thing in details, even texts?
This could/ should have worked out but the execution failed.
June 24, 2018
While I enjoyed this book a lot, I didn't entirely want to pop a ring on its finger, throw my legs in the air, and have its babies.
The odd thing for me about this book was that, since the vast majority of the story had Nick and Sebastian at odds with one another, allowing for lots of on-page time with the side characters, I found myself engaged as much with them as I was with the primary MC's.
The story took place over the first three weeks that Nick and Sebastian knew one another, but in that time, it *felt* as if they had maybe a half dozen'ish real conversations with one another throughout the entire book. There may have been more, but it didn't feel that way to me. : (
The remainder of the pages included tons of internal monologues and interactions between one of the MC's and the side characters, all of whom I loved, BTW.
Sebastian's best friends, Theo and Dante, they totally stole the show for me. I was honestly just as happy to see them work out their issues as I was to see Nick and Sebastian finally get their shit together.
I was actually enjoying the story much more before the bet was revealed and Sebastian allowed his douchey, insecure side to roam free. I got that he was emotionally vulnerable, but duuuuude, you choose *that* to say to a guy that you have feelings for? Nuh uh.
In regards to steam, there were only really two sexy scenes, but they were well-written and pretty hot.
Overall, I think I just needed a lot more "getting to know you" scenes between the MC's and less internal monologuing for me to have been fully convinced that the feels were due to budding love than flaming sexual attraction.
Also, fewer instances of the MC's lashing out, at times a bit brutally, while trying to protect their fragile psyches wouldn't have made me the least bit mad.
I'd rate this story at around 3.5 *big-ole-baggage-laden* stars.
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)
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July 3, 2018
3.25 stars
Overall I liked The Academy, but I really should have loved it given the blurb that reeled me in.
The positives:
I was in the mood for a good old college romance - check
Great blurb that reeled me in - check
YA M/M read - check
The whole "bet seduction" plot - check. I love this trope!
What didn't work:
The pacing - I found it slow and hard going at times
Lack of character building and detail. This is a fairly long book so there was plenty of opportunity to flesh this out.
When I read a romance, I need it to be about THAT couple, and whilst Theo and Dante are great characters, I wanted more on NIck and Sebastian.
Arc received from Netgalley for review.
Overall I liked The Academy, but I really should have loved it given the blurb that reeled me in.
The positives:
I was in the mood for a good old college romance - check
Great blurb that reeled me in - check
YA M/M read - check
The whole "bet seduction" plot - check. I love this trope!
What didn't work:
The pacing - I found it slow and hard going at times
Lack of character building and detail. This is a fairly long book so there was plenty of opportunity to flesh this out.
When I read a romance, I need it to be about THAT couple, and whilst Theo and Dante are great characters, I wanted more on NIck and Sebastian.
Arc received from Netgalley for review.
September 29, 2018
this was, in the worst way possible, like reading a soap opera.
everything was incredibly contrived, and most of the conflict hung on my absolute least favourite romance trope, miscommunication. a bit of miscommunication is fine, but when it comprises most of the conflict, it just seems lazy. both nick and sebastian also really irritated me as characters - sebastian as the proverbial Arrogant Rich Boy But Look He Has Problems Because Rich People Can Have Problems Too! right, okay, fascinating.
everyone was also extraordinarily childish to the extent that this absolutely could have been a story set in high school, and if the explicit scenes were taken out then i could absolutely believe this was written about fifteen or sixteen year olds rather than twenty year olds. they did not behave like they were at university; they barely behaved like senior high school students.
overall, completely and utterly unimpressed.
everything was incredibly contrived, and most of the conflict hung on my absolute least favourite romance trope, miscommunication. a bit of miscommunication is fine, but when it comprises most of the conflict, it just seems lazy. both nick and sebastian also really irritated me as characters - sebastian as the proverbial Arrogant Rich Boy But Look He Has Problems Because Rich People Can Have Problems Too! right, okay, fascinating.
everyone was also extraordinarily childish to the extent that this absolutely could have been a story set in high school, and if the explicit scenes were taken out then i could absolutely believe this was written about fifteen or sixteen year olds rather than twenty year olds. they did not behave like they were at university; they barely behaved like senior high school students.
overall, completely and utterly unimpressed.
June 24, 2018
3.5 stars.
Review to come.
An arc was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Review to come.
An arc was provided in exchange for an honest review.
October 31, 2018
This was a not so stereotypical college romance, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It had some issues, on which I'll elaborate further down.
Nick arrives at The Academy for his senior year after having taken a year off due to the death of his father. Starting over a tiny Catholic college wasn't the plan, but here we are. Nick plans to focus on his studies, maybe making some friends, and then getting his diploma and go home. Still struggling with grief, and on a tight budget, Nick knows that he's dependent on the scholarship he got, and has no plans whatsoever for a college romance or any such nonsense.
Sebastian is the college campus player. When he spots Nick, he makes a bet with his two oldest friends, Dante and Theo, on who can kiss the new guy first - with the provision that the new guy has to initiate the kiss. Sebastian is the proverbial spoiled rich kid. Or so it seems.
Nick doesn't want to give Sebastian the time of day at first, but slowly the ice melts a bit.
With the premise as it is, Nick and Sebastian don't spend a whole lot of time together on page to begin with, though that time becomes more and more as the plot progresses. As Sebastian develops real feelings for Nick, he's terrified of the bet coming out. The author attempted to show us that despite all the material things he has, Sebastian is still yearning for something money can't buy, something that he lost and cannot get back; his insecurities are hindering him, and causing him to covertly lash out and hurt others before they can hurt him.
There are some clever plot twists here as well, which I didn't see coming, so I was pleasantly surprised toward the end.
What didn't work so much for me is that Sebastian and his friends often sounded and acted a lot younger than their actual presumed ages - they read a lot more like moody highschoolers (especially Sebastian seemed very much a jerk) than college juniors. The poor little rich boy trope is a little overused here also, and while Sebastian's background makes for a good explanation of his behavior, I didn't buy the rapidity with which he falls for Nick, especially considering the fact that Nick and Sebastian have no more than maybe 10 or 15 actual conversations with each other over the course of the book. I wasn't sold on there being an actual romantic relationship between them - it felt more like lust than love.
Dante and Theo, Sebastian's friends - those two had their own issue to work out, and they did, and while they're supposed to be side characters, they actually felt more real to me than the MCs, probably because we see them spent more time together on page than Sebastian and Nick.
The author does a fine job writing the steam, and while there are but two steamy scenes in this book, they were pretty damn hot, but also continued to lead me down the path of believing in their lust, not their love.
Probably not my favorite by this author, but a good effort, and an enjoyable read.
** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **
Nick arrives at The Academy for his senior year after having taken a year off due to the death of his father. Starting over a tiny Catholic college wasn't the plan, but here we are. Nick plans to focus on his studies, maybe making some friends, and then getting his diploma and go home. Still struggling with grief, and on a tight budget, Nick knows that he's dependent on the scholarship he got, and has no plans whatsoever for a college romance or any such nonsense.
Sebastian is the college campus player. When he spots Nick, he makes a bet with his two oldest friends, Dante and Theo, on who can kiss the new guy first - with the provision that the new guy has to initiate the kiss. Sebastian is the proverbial spoiled rich kid. Or so it seems.
Nick doesn't want to give Sebastian the time of day at first, but slowly the ice melts a bit.
With the premise as it is, Nick and Sebastian don't spend a whole lot of time together on page to begin with, though that time becomes more and more as the plot progresses. As Sebastian develops real feelings for Nick, he's terrified of the bet coming out. The author attempted to show us that despite all the material things he has, Sebastian is still yearning for something money can't buy, something that he lost and cannot get back; his insecurities are hindering him, and causing him to covertly lash out and hurt others before they can hurt him.
There are some clever plot twists here as well, which I didn't see coming, so I was pleasantly surprised toward the end.
What didn't work so much for me is that Sebastian and his friends often sounded and acted a lot younger than their actual presumed ages - they read a lot more like moody highschoolers (especially Sebastian seemed very much a jerk) than college juniors. The poor little rich boy trope is a little overused here also, and while Sebastian's background makes for a good explanation of his behavior, I didn't buy the rapidity with which he falls for Nick, especially considering the fact that Nick and Sebastian have no more than maybe 10 or 15 actual conversations with each other over the course of the book. I wasn't sold on there being an actual romantic relationship between them - it felt more like lust than love.
Dante and Theo, Sebastian's friends - those two had their own issue to work out, and they did, and while they're supposed to be side characters, they actually felt more real to me than the MCs, probably because we see them spent more time together on page than Sebastian and Nick.
The author does a fine job writing the steam, and while there are but two steamy scenes in this book, they were pretty damn hot, but also continued to lead me down the path of believing in their lust, not their love.
Probably not my favorite by this author, but a good effort, and an enjoyable read.
** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **
July 9, 2018
*Review of an ARC provided by Riptide through NetGalley*
It's always a pleasure to soak myself in Quinn Anderson's words, regardless of what the story is about.
In this case, the premise was beyond interesting, and the excecution was fantastic. TRUE, I had some trouble sympathizing with the main characters, and the whole pull and push, the comings and goings and whatnot got old quite fast. But even then, this still made for a delightful read. It was packed with tension, exquisite, slow-burnish tension, the way I tend to appreciate. Although I could have appreciated it even more if the tension came in a different package, because I felt that the general idea for the situation was slightly unfitting for people the age of our protagonists. There were more issues to sort out in there- of the emotional variety- than there could have been in a "bring your parent to school" day involving Marvel characters. It all made it difficult to root for the characters individually, and much less as a couple.
Or maybe it's my own trust issues talking.
Even when Sebastian and Nick were hard for me to like (and I wasn't particularly Deen's biggest fan, either), I can say I deeply enjoyed Theo and Dante. They were a super fun addition, and I really liked them as people as well, even when they were enablers to Sebastian's unhealthy indulgences.
Another element I found myself enjoying a great deal was the aspect of the Academy, the descriptions of the environment were vivid and colorful in a way that was enriching for the whole reading experience (and this is worthy of noticing because I usually can't be bothered to care about "nice descriptions").
So, to nobody's surprise, I loved this. It was quickly paced and engaging, very easy to read and to keep the reader invested.
What else could I have expecter from one of my favorite authors?
WOW WOW WOW WOWWWWWWWWWW
THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY OF ADDING MORE QUINN ANDERSON TO MY LIFE. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO THISSSSSSSSSS. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.
It's always a pleasure to soak myself in Quinn Anderson's words, regardless of what the story is about.
In this case, the premise was beyond interesting, and the excecution was fantastic. TRUE, I had some trouble sympathizing with the main characters, and the whole pull and push, the comings and goings and whatnot got old quite fast. But even then, this still made for a delightful read. It was packed with tension, exquisite, slow-burnish tension, the way I tend to appreciate. Although I could have appreciated it even more if the tension came in a different package, because I felt that the general idea for the situation was slightly unfitting for people the age of our protagonists. There were more issues to sort out in there- of the emotional variety- than there could have been in a "bring your parent to school" day involving Marvel characters. It all made it difficult to root for the characters individually, and much less as a couple.
Or maybe it's my own trust issues talking.
Even when Sebastian and Nick were hard for me to like (and I wasn't particularly Deen's biggest fan, either), I can say I deeply enjoyed Theo and Dante. They were a super fun addition, and I really liked them as people as well, even when they were enablers to Sebastian's unhealthy indulgences.
Another element I found myself enjoying a great deal was the aspect of the Academy, the descriptions of the environment were vivid and colorful in a way that was enriching for the whole reading experience (and this is worthy of noticing because I usually can't be bothered to care about "nice descriptions").
So, to nobody's surprise, I loved this. It was quickly paced and engaging, very easy to read and to keep the reader invested.
What else could I have expecter from one of my favorite authors?
WOW WOW WOW WOWWWWWWWWWW
THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY OF ADDING MORE QUINN ANDERSON TO MY LIFE. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO THISSSSSSSSSS. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.
August 23, 2018
I received this book through NetGalley. The cover at me at Hello. This was my first m-m book I didn't even read the description. I just really wanted to read this one. I should have read it to know it was about college kids. majority of this book was too YA for me but I understood why. Nick was learning who he was without his family. His dad died and he had to learn how to be on his own and support himself. He was afraid of trusting anyone. He protected his heart a lot so he wouldn't lose another person.
When he walks on campus and sees Sebastian eyes he ended up being dumbfounded. His eyes just pulled him to him. This is where the attraction begins. It was a cute love story. For those of you who are open minded. There are like two sex scenes and its not to descriptive. I actually found myself wanting more and I'm a straight woman.
When he walks on campus and sees Sebastian eyes he ended up being dumbfounded. His eyes just pulled him to him. This is where the attraction begins. It was a cute love story. For those of you who are open minded. There are like two sex scenes and its not to descriptive. I actually found myself wanting more and I'm a straight woman.
Want to read
July 6, 2018
I was given an ARC by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2018
I always appreciate Quinn Anderson’s ability to weave a story. No matter the subject, her stories always contain complex characters, witty dialogue, a dash of humor, and a happy ending. The Academy is just as beautifully written as everything else I’ve read by this truly talented author.
Even though The Academy was a bit too corny for my taste, I’m certain that if you’re in the mood for an incredibly romantic coming of age, hurt/comfort tale this is going to be a huge win for you.
a copy of The Academy was provided by NetGalley for the purpose of my unbiased review
Even though The Academy was a bit too corny for my taste, I’m certain that if you’re in the mood for an incredibly romantic coming of age, hurt/comfort tale this is going to be a huge win for you.
a copy of The Academy was provided by NetGalley for the purpose of my unbiased review
September 6, 2018
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
5 Stars.
Nick is the new guy on campus, arriving at a private Catholic college, which is filled with young adults who have been in school with one another since kindergarten. It's a tight-knit group that's nearly impossible to get into- either you're in our you're out. Then there is the angst and fear of coming out as bisexual in a religious setting...
The initial setup weaved an air of mystery, almost to paranormal levels. The comparison to Twilight I'm about to make is not an insult, only making that leap due to the fact that I just did 2 Saga marathons back-to-back and read half of the first book. Once a Twihard, always a Twihard.
Shiny new toy
Anyway, Nick is the new guy on campus and stumbles upon a dining hall table filled with ethereally beautiful men. Otherworldly acting, the first contact between Nick and Seb hooked me and sank its claws in deep. Not reading the blurb before jumping at the chance to read the novel, I went into it blindly, so this mysterious air did feel paranormal, even though I knew deep-down it wasn't. Intrigued.
Nick is an orphan who is grieving the recent loss of his father/best friend, after taking bereavement leave from school. Unable to afford tuition without his father, Nick is forced to take a scholarship far from his beloved city of Chicago. Nick may be a hard character to connect to for most readers, I believe, but he and I share a spirit animal.
Detached. Logical. Nick is looking for authentic friends, not wishing to play the mating dance filled with lies, evasions, and peacock posturing. He doesn't feed into lust, no matter how strong the pull may be, needing more authenticity from Sebastian. But he's a bit too stuck on himself, coming off as judgmental and emotionless at times, because all of their early interactions are tainted with phoniness, even when Seb accidentally reveals his true self.
Sebastian is the playboy, the boy every boy wants to be noticed by in order to become popular. Rumors swirl everywhere Seb steps, and Nick easily buys into them, simply because Sebastian always seems to be acting, never being real.
Nick and Sebastian are both equally flawed, which draws them into 3D characters who are realistically lifelike. There were times I wanted to wring their necks, but it fit their personalities as well as their ages, 20 and 21, juniors in college.
Push-pull tension, filled with a love-hate vibe, this slow-burn romance is a character evolution as 2 main narrators come to terms with their feelings as they grow up. Nick and Seb's interactions are filled with banter and frustration that waffles between lust and raw emotion.
A minor romance is formed by Seb's meddling best friends, Theo and Dante, who share a few pages of narration. They added a bit of emotion and humor to a otherwise tension-filled novel.
I love to be surprised... there's a bit of a twist that left me shocked, and that's a very difficult thing to do. This forced me to see the novel from another angle, appreciating how it unfolded, and simultaneously rooting for and blaming all four narrators equally- neither good nor bad, all equal due to human nature.
As always, I highly recommend Quinn Anderson to fans of MM romance, especially if you want a mix of humor, tension, angst, lust, and romance.
5 Stars.
Nick is the new guy on campus, arriving at a private Catholic college, which is filled with young adults who have been in school with one another since kindergarten. It's a tight-knit group that's nearly impossible to get into- either you're in our you're out. Then there is the angst and fear of coming out as bisexual in a religious setting...
The initial setup weaved an air of mystery, almost to paranormal levels. The comparison to Twilight I'm about to make is not an insult, only making that leap due to the fact that I just did 2 Saga marathons back-to-back and read half of the first book. Once a Twihard, always a Twihard.
Shiny new toy
Anyway, Nick is the new guy on campus and stumbles upon a dining hall table filled with ethereally beautiful men. Otherworldly acting, the first contact between Nick and Seb hooked me and sank its claws in deep. Not reading the blurb before jumping at the chance to read the novel, I went into it blindly, so this mysterious air did feel paranormal, even though I knew deep-down it wasn't. Intrigued.
Nick is an orphan who is grieving the recent loss of his father/best friend, after taking bereavement leave from school. Unable to afford tuition without his father, Nick is forced to take a scholarship far from his beloved city of Chicago. Nick may be a hard character to connect to for most readers, I believe, but he and I share a spirit animal.
Detached. Logical. Nick is looking for authentic friends, not wishing to play the mating dance filled with lies, evasions, and peacock posturing. He doesn't feed into lust, no matter how strong the pull may be, needing more authenticity from Sebastian. But he's a bit too stuck on himself, coming off as judgmental and emotionless at times, because all of their early interactions are tainted with phoniness, even when Seb accidentally reveals his true self.
Sebastian is the playboy, the boy every boy wants to be noticed by in order to become popular. Rumors swirl everywhere Seb steps, and Nick easily buys into them, simply because Sebastian always seems to be acting, never being real.
Nick and Sebastian are both equally flawed, which draws them into 3D characters who are realistically lifelike. There were times I wanted to wring their necks, but it fit their personalities as well as their ages, 20 and 21, juniors in college.
Push-pull tension, filled with a love-hate vibe, this slow-burn romance is a character evolution as 2 main narrators come to terms with their feelings as they grow up. Nick and Seb's interactions are filled with banter and frustration that waffles between lust and raw emotion.
A minor romance is formed by Seb's meddling best friends, Theo and Dante, who share a few pages of narration. They added a bit of emotion and humor to a otherwise tension-filled novel.
I love to be surprised... there's a bit of a twist that left me shocked, and that's a very difficult thing to do. This forced me to see the novel from another angle, appreciating how it unfolded, and simultaneously rooting for and blaming all four narrators equally- neither good nor bad, all equal due to human nature.
As always, I highly recommend Quinn Anderson to fans of MM romance, especially if you want a mix of humor, tension, angst, lust, and romance.
June 23, 2018
Honestly, I’ll read anything by Quinn Anderson. She has a way of making you fall in love with the main characters and side characters and this book was no different. The book was trope-y but I love tropes so it’s all good. Nick and Sebastian were likable and perfectly flawed. I really enjoyed their story. I also was rooting for Theo and Dante so hardcore.
October 4, 2018
3.75 Stars
Quinn Anderson is one of my favorite authors and I’ve been really looking forward to this book, but unfortunately, it wasn’t my favorite. I understand this book is full of college students, but sheesh, were they all immature, especially Sebastian. *bangs head against wall*
I loved Nick and my heart broke for the loss that he’d suffered. To lose his father and be so alone in the world, I just wanted to give him a big ole hug. Sebastian was another story altogether. I didn’t care for him from the very beginning and his little bet with his friends didn’t help to endear him to me any. He rubbed me the wrong way from the start and even after learning what was taking place in his life and why he acted the way he acted and even after his mostly half-assed apology, he still didn’t win me over.
I loved Theo and Dante, Sebastian’s best friends, and I loved that they were such a huge part of the story. I only wish the author had given them their own story, hmm.. maybe it’s not too late? I would have loved, and would still love, to dig deeper into their backgrounds. *hint hint, nudge nudge*
Although I didn’t care for Sebastian, I do have go admit he and Nick had great chemistry and were smoking hot together.
I’m torn with what to rate the story, because while I didn’t like Sebastian, the story is still well-written and it flowed well. There is definitely no denying Ms. Anderson’s writing talent.
Although not MY favorite, I can still definitely recommend it.
copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Quinn Anderson is one of my favorite authors and I’ve been really looking forward to this book, but unfortunately, it wasn’t my favorite. I understand this book is full of college students, but sheesh, were they all immature, especially Sebastian. *bangs head against wall*
I loved Nick and my heart broke for the loss that he’d suffered. To lose his father and be so alone in the world, I just wanted to give him a big ole hug. Sebastian was another story altogether. I didn’t care for him from the very beginning and his little bet with his friends didn’t help to endear him to me any. He rubbed me the wrong way from the start and even after learning what was taking place in his life and why he acted the way he acted and even after his mostly half-assed apology, he still didn’t win me over.
I loved Theo and Dante, Sebastian’s best friends, and I loved that they were such a huge part of the story. I only wish the author had given them their own story, hmm.. maybe it’s not too late? I would have loved, and would still love, to dig deeper into their backgrounds. *hint hint, nudge nudge*
Although I didn’t care for Sebastian, I do have go admit he and Nick had great chemistry and were smoking hot together.
I’m torn with what to rate the story, because while I didn’t like Sebastian, the story is still well-written and it flowed well. There is definitely no denying Ms. Anderson’s writing talent.
Although not MY favorite, I can still definitely recommend it.
copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
July 20, 2018
~ ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion
This is the first book by Quinn Anderson that I read and it might not be the last one.
Overall I liked The Academy. The beginning was a bit lengthy and I didn't really like Sebastian at first. I was a bit more interested in the relationship of Dante and Theo than the main relationship.
I personally liked the whole drama at the end of the book, compared to a few other reviews I've read.
The chapters were a bit long - I like shorter ones better, but this did nothing to the rating, just my personal preference.
I really liked the writing style of Quinn Anderson and I will probably pick up another book by this author.
I didn't really feel the love between the two MCs, but that's probably due to the fact that the whole relationship took place in two weeks. I felt it in the epilogue though.
Actual rating: 3.75 stars
This is the first book by Quinn Anderson that I read and it might not be the last one.
Overall I liked The Academy. The beginning was a bit lengthy and I didn't really like Sebastian at first. I was a bit more interested in the relationship of Dante and Theo than the main relationship.
I personally liked the whole drama at the end of the book, compared to a few other reviews I've read.
The chapters were a bit long - I like shorter ones better, but this did nothing to the rating, just my personal preference.
I really liked the writing style of Quinn Anderson and I will probably pick up another book by this author.
I didn't really feel the love between the two MCs, but that's probably due to the fact that the whole relationship took place in two weeks. I felt it in the epilogue though.
Actual rating: 3.75 stars
September 25, 2018
I loved the friendship dynamic in this book, both old and new friendships. Theo and Dante were really scene stealers from the get go and I wasn't mad at it.
I was a little surprised that we got their POV in addition to the MCs, but I enjoyed them so much that I was happy to hear part of the story in their voice.
But, this book isn't about them. Not really. It is about Sebastian and Nick and their all around inability to be in the same room without lusting after each other or arguing. After a while, I was over the sniping, one liners and inability to just talk to each other. I wish they had more time in the book learning about one another and actually *liking* the time they were spending together.
I didn't love the story or how it was told, over the course of the 3 weeks the story is told in we go through extreme highs and lows in their relationship. Unfortunately, it felt like the highs were so short lived while we wallowed in the lows. Even as I was frustrated getting there, I was still invested in the characters, their relationship and I was rooting for everyone, I just wish there had been more of a balance.
I also thought it was funny and enjoyed the movie references.
(Also, why did it take me sooooo long to finish this book? I have been reading it for 8 days!)
I was a little surprised that we got their POV in addition to the MCs, but I enjoyed them so much that I was happy to hear part of the story in their voice.
But, this book isn't about them. Not really. It is about Sebastian and Nick and their all around inability to be in the same room without lusting after each other or arguing. After a while, I was over the sniping, one liners and inability to just talk to each other. I wish they had more time in the book learning about one another and actually *liking* the time they were spending together.
I didn't love the story or how it was told, over the course of the 3 weeks the story is told in we go through extreme highs and lows in their relationship. Unfortunately, it felt like the highs were so short lived while we wallowed in the lows. Even as I was frustrated getting there, I was still invested in the characters, their relationship and I was rooting for everyone, I just wish there had been more of a balance.
I also thought it was funny and enjoyed the movie references.
(Also, why did it take me sooooo long to finish this book? I have been reading it for 8 days!)
April 8, 2020
Nick Steele had taken a hiatus from college to care for, and then grieve, his dying father. Fulfilling his promise to return for his degree, Nick enrolls at The Academy, a tiny catholic college in Evanston, Illinois--a near-north suburb of Chicago. There he meets Seb Prinsen--wealthy party boy--and his cadre of hangers-on. There's an immediate attraction, but Nick isn't ready to break out of his grief and Seb's aggressive wooing is off-putting.
Seb is an only child of wealthy parents who are divorcing. He's a dedicated student, and a dedicated partier--with a well-worn fake ID. He and his childhood best pals, Theo and Dante, who are also Academy students have a long-standing competition for the fate of Barbzilla--a mangled Barbie trophy. Seb's dissolving family has made him yearn for simpler times and the challenge of beating his pals at something seemingly innocent. He's intrigued by Nick--from their first meeting--and wagers that he can beat Theo and Dante at getting Nick to kiss him.
Classes go on, and Nick's nerdy roomie is happy to accept Seb's invitations for parties on Nick's behalf. Nick is attracted, but he's not happy. He doesn't like Seb's pushiness. It's actually through conversation with Dante that Nick gets some insight beyond Seb's smarmy veneer. And, he see what Seb's been oblivious to: that Dante is in love with Theo. And, it seems the more that Seb begins to understand about Nick, the more he really wants a true relationship for the first time in his life.
So, the love story here is a little more on juvenile side, for New Adult. The way Seb pursues Nick was on the border of stalkery. The Barbzilla bet was totally middle-school, but it gave a good sense of Seb's emotional development. He's been a neglected child and always acted out for attention. Nick claims to see those vulnerabilities within a slew of drunken texts Seb leaves him by way of pouting that Nick skipped his fab party. Nick's gravitas seems to mellow those tendencies, and foster more grown responses. It's a bit of a slow burn--page count wise--to get the physical on, in accordance with Nick's hesitance for jumping into a relationship. It isn't a lot of actual time however. The coupling of Seb and Nick is complemented by Dante and Theo making their commitment, too. That was kind of fun.
In all, it's a breezy read with a silly bet sparking an attraction that grows between two lonely souls who truly need connection. The epilogue leaves no doubt of the HEA.
Seb is an only child of wealthy parents who are divorcing. He's a dedicated student, and a dedicated partier--with a well-worn fake ID. He and his childhood best pals, Theo and Dante, who are also Academy students have a long-standing competition for the fate of Barbzilla--a mangled Barbie trophy. Seb's dissolving family has made him yearn for simpler times and the challenge of beating his pals at something seemingly innocent. He's intrigued by Nick--from their first meeting--and wagers that he can beat Theo and Dante at getting Nick to kiss him.
Classes go on, and Nick's nerdy roomie is happy to accept Seb's invitations for parties on Nick's behalf. Nick is attracted, but he's not happy. He doesn't like Seb's pushiness. It's actually through conversation with Dante that Nick gets some insight beyond Seb's smarmy veneer. And, he see what Seb's been oblivious to: that Dante is in love with Theo. And, it seems the more that Seb begins to understand about Nick, the more he really wants a true relationship for the first time in his life.
So, the love story here is a little more on juvenile side, for New Adult. The way Seb pursues Nick was on the border of stalkery. The Barbzilla bet was totally middle-school, but it gave a good sense of Seb's emotional development. He's been a neglected child and always acted out for attention. Nick claims to see those vulnerabilities within a slew of drunken texts Seb leaves him by way of pouting that Nick skipped his fab party. Nick's gravitas seems to mellow those tendencies, and foster more grown responses. It's a bit of a slow burn--page count wise--to get the physical on, in accordance with Nick's hesitance for jumping into a relationship. It isn't a lot of actual time however. The coupling of Seb and Nick is complemented by Dante and Theo making their commitment, too. That was kind of fun.
In all, it's a breezy read with a silly bet sparking an attraction that grows between two lonely souls who truly need connection. The epilogue leaves no doubt of the HEA.
July 28, 2018
The Academy was written by Quinn Anderson. This is a contemporary m/m romance novel. I don’t read a lot of contemporary m/m, but I was intrigued by the premise.
Nick has come to a small suburban Catholic university in search of a fresh start, and he hopes that “The Academy” can offer just that. He plans to focus on his studies so that he can keep the generous scholarship that the school has offered him. His plans do not include attracting attention by being “out” at what he perceives to be a conservative milieu.
Sebastian, however, has other plans. He is drawn to Nick from the moment that he first sees him on campus. Sebastian devises a wager with Theo and Dante, his two best friends: whoever kisses the new kid first will win a cheesy trophy they’ve had since high school.
Nick and Sebastian do not have the most auspicious introduction, and Sebastian finds that he needs to prove to Nick that he is neither a spoiled rich kid nor a shameless player. Likewise, Nick needs to learn that he is not the only one with problems.
This book was cute. It’s definitely a slow burn, as Nick and Sebastian dance around whether or not they are going to get together. But when they finally get together, boy, wow! Sparks fly! I also liked the cute subplot with best friends Theo and Dante trying to sort out whether their feelings for each other transcend friendship.
I would recommend The Academy to fans of m/m romance. The characters did come off as emotionally immature at times, but it’s not entirely unrealistic for their age. Their inability to communicate correlated to their age and their personal issues, so it came off as very organic. After all, the book wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable if they just spoke frankly with each other! This book had the perfect blend of humor and angst. I would definitely seek out more of Anderson’s books in the future!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Nick has come to a small suburban Catholic university in search of a fresh start, and he hopes that “The Academy” can offer just that. He plans to focus on his studies so that he can keep the generous scholarship that the school has offered him. His plans do not include attracting attention by being “out” at what he perceives to be a conservative milieu.
Sebastian, however, has other plans. He is drawn to Nick from the moment that he first sees him on campus. Sebastian devises a wager with Theo and Dante, his two best friends: whoever kisses the new kid first will win a cheesy trophy they’ve had since high school.
Nick and Sebastian do not have the most auspicious introduction, and Sebastian finds that he needs to prove to Nick that he is neither a spoiled rich kid nor a shameless player. Likewise, Nick needs to learn that he is not the only one with problems.
This book was cute. It’s definitely a slow burn, as Nick and Sebastian dance around whether or not they are going to get together. But when they finally get together, boy, wow! Sparks fly! I also liked the cute subplot with best friends Theo and Dante trying to sort out whether their feelings for each other transcend friendship.
I would recommend The Academy to fans of m/m romance. The characters did come off as emotionally immature at times, but it’s not entirely unrealistic for their age. Their inability to communicate correlated to their age and their personal issues, so it came off as very organic. After all, the book wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable if they just spoke frankly with each other! This book had the perfect blend of humor and angst. I would definitely seek out more of Anderson’s books in the future!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
September 11, 2018
I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This is a sweet and angsty young adult read. Set at a tiny private university, this is the story of Sebastian, the campus playboy prince and Nick, a scholarship transfer student.
Both Sebastian and Nick are troubled kids. I say kids because they both read as very young college students and their tiny, insular campus feels more like a Gossip Girl style high school than a university. For the most part, the story is Nick’s and readers slowly learn about the recent tragedy that reshaped his life.
If Nick is as likeable as an angry, grieving young adult can be, Sebastian had me wary from the start. I was ¾ of the way into the story before I felt any empathy for the predatory and entitled young man and I still don’t quite believe in the significant character changes that make him likeable and trustworthy at the end.
As for the storyline, early references to the film ‘Cruel Intentions’ might give readers a sense of the basic plot. Sebastian and his friends start the story with a bet involving Nick. Fortunately, a lovely and unexpected plot twist near the end saves the story from becoming too predictable. I enjoyed the sexual chemistry between Nick and Sebastian and I really liked the intensity of the many friendships in this story.
This is a sweet and angsty young adult read. Set at a tiny private university, this is the story of Sebastian, the campus playboy prince and Nick, a scholarship transfer student.
Both Sebastian and Nick are troubled kids. I say kids because they both read as very young college students and their tiny, insular campus feels more like a Gossip Girl style high school than a university. For the most part, the story is Nick’s and readers slowly learn about the recent tragedy that reshaped his life.
If Nick is as likeable as an angry, grieving young adult can be, Sebastian had me wary from the start. I was ¾ of the way into the story before I felt any empathy for the predatory and entitled young man and I still don’t quite believe in the significant character changes that make him likeable and trustworthy at the end.
As for the storyline, early references to the film ‘Cruel Intentions’ might give readers a sense of the basic plot. Sebastian and his friends start the story with a bet involving Nick. Fortunately, a lovely and unexpected plot twist near the end saves the story from becoming too predictable. I enjoyed the sexual chemistry between Nick and Sebastian and I really liked the intensity of the many friendships in this story.
September 17, 2018
This story reeled me in. Sebastian has issues...but man don't we all. He doesn't believe he can love seeing how his parents are with each other. He is the king of his college castle and pretty much does whatever he wants to. Nick has his own set of issues and his only goal is to get through college without too many heartbreaks. Seb is a heartbreak waiting to happen. For me, the true stars of this book were Dante and Theo. These two were not only hilarious in the machinations but just really heartwarming people looking to make sure their friends are happy. Closer to a 3.5 star for me as this became more drawn out than it had to be but in the end...it had a fair amount of steam and I still love Quinn's words. Provided by Netgalley for an honest opinion!
September 17, 2018
The Academy is an intriguing YA romance by Quinn Anderson.
Nick starts his junior year of college at a new school, and is both excited and terrified. He is currently alone in the world after his father died the pervious year. He is on scholarship, need to keeps his grades up to maintain the scholarship,
During his first day of campus, he sees three guys, and is mesmerized by the one with the gray eyes. A little later, he meets up with the flirting gray eyes again. As gray eyes, aka Sebastian continues to flirt with him, Nick has no idea that the flirting is part of a bet.
Things get confusing when Sebastian starts having real feelings for Nick. While he ever confess about the bet? If so, will Nick be ok with it?
The Academy is a quick, fun read. We follow Nick as he learns to heal, re-discover himself, and falls in love. We read of deceit, misconceptions, and pain. It is a fairly simple story, but written in a very entertaining way. I recommend to YA fans.
Nick starts his junior year of college at a new school, and is both excited and terrified. He is currently alone in the world after his father died the pervious year. He is on scholarship, need to keeps his grades up to maintain the scholarship,
During his first day of campus, he sees three guys, and is mesmerized by the one with the gray eyes. A little later, he meets up with the flirting gray eyes again. As gray eyes, aka Sebastian continues to flirt with him, Nick has no idea that the flirting is part of a bet.
Things get confusing when Sebastian starts having real feelings for Nick. While he ever confess about the bet? If so, will Nick be ok with it?
The Academy is a quick, fun read. We follow Nick as he learns to heal, re-discover himself, and falls in love. We read of deceit, misconceptions, and pain. It is a fairly simple story, but written in a very entertaining way. I recommend to YA fans.
September 21, 2018
2,4 stars
Strong beginning, mediocre middle, super disappointing end.
Text-wise, the author is a decent writer, I can't fault her there. Where I had issues were the more technical aspects of writing, namely tension and pacing.
To me this book felt like watching air being blown into a balloon and expecting it to hit the point where it finally pops. However, instead of reaching that critical point, the author stopped blowing halfway through the book, and instead just started slowly letting the air leak out. The ending left me with a limp rubber filled with a minimal amount of syrupy smelling air and crushed expectations.
Strong beginning, mediocre middle, super disappointing end.
Text-wise, the author is a decent writer, I can't fault her there. Where I had issues were the more technical aspects of writing, namely tension and pacing.
To me this book felt like watching air being blown into a balloon and expecting it to hit the point where it finally pops. However, instead of reaching that critical point, the author stopped blowing halfway through the book, and instead just started slowly letting the air leak out. The ending left me with a limp rubber filled with a minimal amount of syrupy smelling air and crushed expectations.
December 1, 2020
That was sooooo dramatic. Like CW teen show, eye-rollingly dramatic. I read a version of this book years ago, In Excess, and I freaking loved it, but Anderson has rewritten the novel and I like it less now. To be fair, I don't remember the details exactly and I am a totally different person than I was in 2012 so the comparison maybe isn't fair. I enjoyed this book for what it was - a ridiculous melodrama - but these days horny pretentious college kids maybe don't hold the appeal for me that they once did. Also, the cover for In Excess was way cooler.
September 17, 2018
This is a MM romance set in a college environment. The characters are wonderful, really developed with all their quirks. I really enjoyed getting to know them. I felt the pace was a little slow. The setting was really developed. I enjoyed the book.
November 23, 2018
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
The Academy
★★★★☆
300 Pages
POV: 3rd person, multi-POV
Would I read it again?: Yes!
Genre: MM, Contemporary, Romance, College
Pairings: MM
Heat Level: ★★★☆☆
This is a strange one for me. There were definitely things I didn't like about the book, but in overall terms, I actually really enjoyed the story. I'm going to be brief about the Why, because there's a lot I can't mention without spoiling the plot, so I'm going to keep to bullet point reasons for the Pros and Cons.
Cons
I'm starting with the cons, because I like to end on a good note, and my cons weren't enough for me to lower my rating to a 3 star, though it was definitely swinging that way for a while.
I found aspects of the plot to be predicable – the miscommunications, Sebastian's decision making, Theo and Dante's entire relationship, and how the Nick/Sebastian relationship constantly ebbed and flowed from tentative to hostile. It was all a little too well scripted.
There was an inconsistency within the description and POV use. Some pointless details were overly descriptive, while scenes I wanted to know more about or explore were limited in description. Also, it took too long to understand why Theo and Dante included their POV, and oftentimes it wasn't strictly necessary. It was also confusing to get to Chapter 3 and enter Sebastian's POV, to read about Sebastian, Theo and Dante as if we know who they were, when we didn't. Sebastian had literally never been named by a single character at this point, so I entered Chapter 3 feeling totally off balance and wondering/hoping that Sebastian was the “grey eyes” that Nick had been salivating over. A simple introduction on the previous page, when Sebastian and Nick met for the first time, would have saved that confusion and inconsistency.
Another inconsistency appeared in the “two weeks earlier” segment at 80%. Nick's words about “strange scale” appeared *after* Theo's clarification, when it had appeared *before* it when this scene first played out at 27%.
I found the “bet” aspect of the plot, and the behaviour of the main four characters to be far too juvenile at times, for their age. If this had been a YA novel, for teens, with teen characters, I would have believed every minute, but it wasn't. Despite their behaviour, it had on-page drinking, sex, and 18+ material. If that had been removed and this marketed as a YA novel, I could have accepted the juvenile behaviour as totally normal for some 18 year olds in their last year of high school.
A stupid niggle that bothered me – unless they have some super smart phones I've never heard about, it would be impossible for Theo to say “I'm waiting for him to finish typing”. That's not how texting works.
I felt a little cheated by the “two weeks earlier” trick. Like a murder mystery who reveals on the last page that the killer was someone who had never been mentioned or seen on-page before. I don't see how including it at the appropriate time would have changed anything. Nick went in knowing he was likely to get his heart broken, and it was obvious Theo had a plan, and Nick knew from the first that Sebastian wasn't being real or honest 90% of the time.
I also felt cheated by the fact that this wasn't nearly what it implied it would be, in the blurb. Maybe I read it wrong, but I was expecting Nick to actually be immune to Sebastian's charms. To honestly and truthfully be resistant to him, and to not fall for his tricks. But Nick was basically drooling the moment they cheesily locked eyes across the campus. I was expecting a push/pull, for Sebastian to have to work for Nick's attention, but it felt far too easy right from the start.
~
Pros
Right, onto the good. There were definitely good things about the book. I know the “Cons” seem like a lot, but overall, I liked the story that was told.
As main characters; Nick, Sebastian, even Theo and Dante; were well fleshed out, well explored, and more real than first presented. They had hidden depths that were constantly being peeled back as the story progressed. I liked that Theo and Dante agreed how stupid the bet was right from the start. That Sebastian had an ulterior motive for it, that Theo saw the self-destruct in Sebastian. And even how Theo and Dante were trying to show Sebastian that he could be real and feel real things for a change.
Even the secondary characters were interesting and used well to push the plot, at times. Deen was a great characters, and a good friend for Nick. I liked how they interacted and how they supported each other. I also liked the exploration of Theo and Dante's relationship.
I appreciated that the MC's weren't your typical, selfish, vain stereotypical rich kids, and that they all had a back story, a pile of baggage they were dragging with them, and that they were more than they first appeared, even to Nick.
I even appreciate that the author admitted the similarity of the plot throughout the story, to famous movies. They referenced movies like Mean Girls, John Tucker, and Cruel Intentions, with an open admission of how close they all were, without shying away from it. I appreciated that, even if it got a little frustrating at times to see how closely it linked.
And, in general, I liked that the plot was simplistic in a way that didn't take a lot of effort. To some, that could sound insulting, but it's not. I just mean that this is a contemporary romance plot, in a boarding school/college setting and it doesn't try to be something it's not. There's teen/college drama, there's angst, there's teen-esque stupidity, and there's a whole lot of bad decisions and misunderstandings. That's kind of how college is meant to be, and I appreciate that it stuck to that. While these were rich kids, with lots of money and resources, it wasn't some 90210 Hollywood Hills thing, with their money flaunted in every tiny way. It was more subtle than that, more realistic, and at times relatable.
So, while it may look like there were more Cons than Pros to this story, I had to sit and think about how it all came together, when I sat down to write this review. To decide that, there are a few important questions I needed to ask myself:
Did I ever think about stopping and not finishing?
No. Not once. At first, I was morbidly curious to see how it would all pan out, and if Nick was capable of resisting. By the time I stopped being “morbidly” curious, I was just downright sucked in.
Did I laugh-out-loud, cry, or feel anxious for the characters at any point?
Yes, I did. I cried at the fights, the break-up scenes, and the confessions. I held my breath, waiting to see what might happen. I could feel the chemisty and when it built only to explode in hotness. I laughed at the jokes and rolled my eyes when they did stupid things.
Was the story believable?
Yes, in a strange way, it was. Because kids are kids until they grow up and mature, so regardless of their age, these guys were just being stupid teenagers. They made bad decisions, rash decisions, and they hurt and felt pain and sulked when it didn't turn out as they hoped. Yet, they talked like adults, eventually, and they maturely accepted responsibility when they were confronted with their own stupidity.
Eventually, I came to appreciate the story much more than the execution. I've had a bit of a hit-or-miss relationship with Quinn Anderson books; one I absolutely loved and one that I really didn't get at all. This one is somewhere in the middle, for me. It wasn't a 5* “I'm in love with this” book, but I did get it, I did feel it at points, and I did enjoy it. It's a book I'd read again, and it has characters that had growth and originality, and who were able to get under my skin. A little like Sebastian crept under Nick's. Gradually, slowly, sneakily.
~
Favourite Quotes
“We're having our second conversation about a boy we've never met, whom we're supposed to kiss before our best friend can, all to win a battered plastic trophy with a decapitated doll glued to it. 'Odd' doesn't live in the same state as this.”
“When I first looked at you, I saw Chicago. I saw home.”
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
The Academy
★★★★☆
300 Pages
POV: 3rd person, multi-POV
Would I read it again?: Yes!
Genre: MM, Contemporary, Romance, College
Pairings: MM
Heat Level: ★★★☆☆
This is a strange one for me. There were definitely things I didn't like about the book, but in overall terms, I actually really enjoyed the story. I'm going to be brief about the Why, because there's a lot I can't mention without spoiling the plot, so I'm going to keep to bullet point reasons for the Pros and Cons.
Cons
I'm starting with the cons, because I like to end on a good note, and my cons weren't enough for me to lower my rating to a 3 star, though it was definitely swinging that way for a while.
I found aspects of the plot to be predicable – the miscommunications, Sebastian's decision making, Theo and Dante's entire relationship, and how the Nick/Sebastian relationship constantly ebbed and flowed from tentative to hostile. It was all a little too well scripted.
There was an inconsistency within the description and POV use. Some pointless details were overly descriptive, while scenes I wanted to know more about or explore were limited in description. Also, it took too long to understand why Theo and Dante included their POV, and oftentimes it wasn't strictly necessary. It was also confusing to get to Chapter 3 and enter Sebastian's POV, to read about Sebastian, Theo and Dante as if we know who they were, when we didn't. Sebastian had literally never been named by a single character at this point, so I entered Chapter 3 feeling totally off balance and wondering/hoping that Sebastian was the “grey eyes” that Nick had been salivating over. A simple introduction on the previous page, when Sebastian and Nick met for the first time, would have saved that confusion and inconsistency.
Another inconsistency appeared in the “two weeks earlier” segment at 80%. Nick's words about “strange scale” appeared *after* Theo's clarification, when it had appeared *before* it when this scene first played out at 27%.
I found the “bet” aspect of the plot, and the behaviour of the main four characters to be far too juvenile at times, for their age. If this had been a YA novel, for teens, with teen characters, I would have believed every minute, but it wasn't. Despite their behaviour, it had on-page drinking, sex, and 18+ material. If that had been removed and this marketed as a YA novel, I could have accepted the juvenile behaviour as totally normal for some 18 year olds in their last year of high school.
A stupid niggle that bothered me – unless they have some super smart phones I've never heard about, it would be impossible for Theo to say “I'm waiting for him to finish typing”. That's not how texting works.
I felt a little cheated by the “two weeks earlier” trick. Like a murder mystery who reveals on the last page that the killer was someone who had never been mentioned or seen on-page before. I don't see how including it at the appropriate time would have changed anything. Nick went in knowing he was likely to get his heart broken, and it was obvious Theo had a plan, and Nick knew from the first that Sebastian wasn't being real or honest 90% of the time.
I also felt cheated by the fact that this wasn't nearly what it implied it would be, in the blurb. Maybe I read it wrong, but I was expecting Nick to actually be immune to Sebastian's charms. To honestly and truthfully be resistant to him, and to not fall for his tricks. But Nick was basically drooling the moment they cheesily locked eyes across the campus. I was expecting a push/pull, for Sebastian to have to work for Nick's attention, but it felt far too easy right from the start.
~
Pros
Right, onto the good. There were definitely good things about the book. I know the “Cons” seem like a lot, but overall, I liked the story that was told.
As main characters; Nick, Sebastian, even Theo and Dante; were well fleshed out, well explored, and more real than first presented. They had hidden depths that were constantly being peeled back as the story progressed. I liked that Theo and Dante agreed how stupid the bet was right from the start. That Sebastian had an ulterior motive for it, that Theo saw the self-destruct in Sebastian. And even how Theo and Dante were trying to show Sebastian that he could be real and feel real things for a change.
Even the secondary characters were interesting and used well to push the plot, at times. Deen was a great characters, and a good friend for Nick. I liked how they interacted and how they supported each other. I also liked the exploration of Theo and Dante's relationship.
I appreciated that the MC's weren't your typical, selfish, vain stereotypical rich kids, and that they all had a back story, a pile of baggage they were dragging with them, and that they were more than they first appeared, even to Nick.
I even appreciate that the author admitted the similarity of the plot throughout the story, to famous movies. They referenced movies like Mean Girls, John Tucker, and Cruel Intentions, with an open admission of how close they all were, without shying away from it. I appreciated that, even if it got a little frustrating at times to see how closely it linked.
And, in general, I liked that the plot was simplistic in a way that didn't take a lot of effort. To some, that could sound insulting, but it's not. I just mean that this is a contemporary romance plot, in a boarding school/college setting and it doesn't try to be something it's not. There's teen/college drama, there's angst, there's teen-esque stupidity, and there's a whole lot of bad decisions and misunderstandings. That's kind of how college is meant to be, and I appreciate that it stuck to that. While these were rich kids, with lots of money and resources, it wasn't some 90210 Hollywood Hills thing, with their money flaunted in every tiny way. It was more subtle than that, more realistic, and at times relatable.
So, while it may look like there were more Cons than Pros to this story, I had to sit and think about how it all came together, when I sat down to write this review. To decide that, there are a few important questions I needed to ask myself:
Did I ever think about stopping and not finishing?
No. Not once. At first, I was morbidly curious to see how it would all pan out, and if Nick was capable of resisting. By the time I stopped being “morbidly” curious, I was just downright sucked in.
Did I laugh-out-loud, cry, or feel anxious for the characters at any point?
Yes, I did. I cried at the fights, the break-up scenes, and the confessions. I held my breath, waiting to see what might happen. I could feel the chemisty and when it built only to explode in hotness. I laughed at the jokes and rolled my eyes when they did stupid things.
Was the story believable?
Yes, in a strange way, it was. Because kids are kids until they grow up and mature, so regardless of their age, these guys were just being stupid teenagers. They made bad decisions, rash decisions, and they hurt and felt pain and sulked when it didn't turn out as they hoped. Yet, they talked like adults, eventually, and they maturely accepted responsibility when they were confronted with their own stupidity.
Eventually, I came to appreciate the story much more than the execution. I've had a bit of a hit-or-miss relationship with Quinn Anderson books; one I absolutely loved and one that I really didn't get at all. This one is somewhere in the middle, for me. It wasn't a 5* “I'm in love with this” book, but I did get it, I did feel it at points, and I did enjoy it. It's a book I'd read again, and it has characters that had growth and originality, and who were able to get under my skin. A little like Sebastian crept under Nick's. Gradually, slowly, sneakily.
~
Favourite Quotes
“We're having our second conversation about a boy we've never met, whom we're supposed to kiss before our best friend can, all to win a battered plastic trophy with a decapitated doll glued to it. 'Odd' doesn't live in the same state as this.”
“When I first looked at you, I saw Chicago. I saw home.”
May 19, 2023
I'll admit that I wasn't sure about THE ACADEMY at first because the bet that Sebastian, Theo, and Dante agreed on seemed a touch cruel, especially in light of Nick's ongoing grief over losing his father the year before. But I should not have doubted Quinn Anderson because she handled the plot with such grace and creativity. There's so much squeezed into this book but it's all paced really well and I never felt like it was too much. In fact, I was surprised that so little time had passed because I felt like Sebastian and Nick had been together forever. Their chemistry is immediate and unexpected for both of them and try as they might, both find themselves with emotions they never saw coming.
As much as I loved the writing, I struggled to truly connect with Sebastian who embodies the popular, selfish, and thoughtless stereotype of a rich college boy. While money hasn't insulated Sebastian from hurt or pain I do believe he's ultimately responsible for the hurt he's causing others. There's a lot of growth in this book for Sebastian so it's expected that he'll make mistakes along the way but it also made it hard for me to totally like him as a romance hero. While I liked Nick more he also has some prejudices and judgment he has to work through as well. Neither Nick nor Sebastian is perfect and their youth and immaturity was realistic if a bit frustrating. Maybe I'm getting too old for this? However I obviously wasn't too bothered by it because I still gave The Academy 4 stars.
My hands down favorite part was that Quinn Anderson totally blew my mind; I thought I had everything figured out but oh, how I was wrong. It's been a long time since a book truly surprised me but this one did and I pulled a literal OMG while reading. I can't ask for a better moment in a book I'm reading. While the characters weren't my thing, I'd definitely recommend this read because the story and the writing were golden.
**ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Content Warning: Nick is still grieving his father's death from a year before
As much as I loved the writing, I struggled to truly connect with Sebastian who embodies the popular, selfish, and thoughtless stereotype of a rich college boy. While money hasn't insulated Sebastian from hurt or pain I do believe he's ultimately responsible for the hurt he's causing others. There's a lot of growth in this book for Sebastian so it's expected that he'll make mistakes along the way but it also made it hard for me to totally like him as a romance hero. While I liked Nick more he also has some prejudices and judgment he has to work through as well. Neither Nick nor Sebastian is perfect and their youth and immaturity was realistic if a bit frustrating. Maybe I'm getting too old for this? However I obviously wasn't too bothered by it because I still gave The Academy 4 stars.
My hands down favorite part was that Quinn Anderson totally blew my mind; I thought I had everything figured out but oh, how I was wrong. It's been a long time since a book truly surprised me but this one did and I pulled a literal OMG while reading. I can't ask for a better moment in a book I'm reading. While the characters weren't my thing, I'd definitely recommend this read because the story and the writing were golden.
**ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Content Warning: Nick is still grieving his father's death from a year before
July 1, 2018
Sebastian, Theo and Dante are friends at a small private college. Sebastian is a notorious player, screw them and leave them. When Nick starts at the college, grieving for his father and coming from a large city college, they resurrect an immature ploy from their younger days. The first one to get Nick to kiss them wins Barbzilla, the trophy. The caveat is, Nick has to be the one to initiate the kiss. So they go after Nick, particularly Sebastian. He is unrelenting in the face of Nick’s obvious distrust.
That is, I believe, what kept this from being a higher rating for me. To be honest, I liked Theo and Dante (secondary characters, friends of Sebastian’s) a little more than I liked Nick and Sebastian. Theo and Dante were friends working on their relationship. Nick and Sebastian spent most of the book snarking and being rude. While I usually have no problem with the idea of “the bet”, having read this trope before, I didn’t like the way it was handled here. You know at some point the bet will be revealed and it will cause problems but Sebastian’s actions were just so over the top nasty I couldn’t handle it. The fact that Theo’s action, and true friendship towards Nick, made me believe Theo was the better choice wasn’t a good direction for a romance. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed Theo and Dante! They have their heads on straight and try to guide Sebastian. “For Sebby.”
Speaking of the secondary characters, I also loved Deen, Nick’s roommate. “Deen didn’t ask him what’d happened again. He didn’t say anything else. He just hugged Nick and didn’t let go until Nick had finished crying. Then he hugged him some more.” Plus, he’s funny even though “Deen beamed, like he wasn’t used to people laughing at his jokes.” Considering his name is Deenabandhu I did snort when he asked, “It is Nickolas, right? And not like, Nickstopher or something?” He’s sweet Really, that’s the friend I want. Sweet and funny.
The writing was very good in this book, although parts of it dragged. Perhaps because it was long at 366 pages there were portions that just seemed to go on and on. I got a little tired of the back and forth between Nick and Sebastian, because I didn’t feel the connection there. The fact that it’s really just a matter of weeks could have something to do with it as well.
Overall, the book was okay but not something I’d read again.
The cover art by Garrett Leigh was a little bit misleading for me because it shows two smiling, incredibly happy looking men holding each other. The book itself didn’t have that fluffy feel to it.
That is, I believe, what kept this from being a higher rating for me. To be honest, I liked Theo and Dante (secondary characters, friends of Sebastian’s) a little more than I liked Nick and Sebastian. Theo and Dante were friends working on their relationship. Nick and Sebastian spent most of the book snarking and being rude. While I usually have no problem with the idea of “the bet”, having read this trope before, I didn’t like the way it was handled here. You know at some point the bet will be revealed and it will cause problems but Sebastian’s actions were just so over the top nasty I couldn’t handle it. The fact that Theo’s action, and true friendship towards Nick, made me believe Theo was the better choice wasn’t a good direction for a romance. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed Theo and Dante! They have their heads on straight and try to guide Sebastian. “For Sebby.”
Speaking of the secondary characters, I also loved Deen, Nick’s roommate. “Deen didn’t ask him what’d happened again. He didn’t say anything else. He just hugged Nick and didn’t let go until Nick had finished crying. Then he hugged him some more.” Plus, he’s funny even though “Deen beamed, like he wasn’t used to people laughing at his jokes.” Considering his name is Deenabandhu I did snort when he asked, “It is Nickolas, right? And not like, Nickstopher or something?” He’s sweet Really, that’s the friend I want. Sweet and funny.
The writing was very good in this book, although parts of it dragged. Perhaps because it was long at 366 pages there were portions that just seemed to go on and on. I got a little tired of the back and forth between Nick and Sebastian, because I didn’t feel the connection there. The fact that it’s really just a matter of weeks could have something to do with it as well.
Overall, the book was okay but not something I’d read again.
The cover art by Garrett Leigh was a little bit misleading for me because it shows two smiling, incredibly happy looking men holding each other. The book itself didn’t have that fluffy feel to it.
December 26, 2020
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 (and otherwise) 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.
The characters are weirdly self aware, they have an explanation for everything, they know where every single behaviour (and otherwise) 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.
August 4, 2018
I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's tricky rating fanfiction-style romance writing, because it really isn't trying to be high-brow literature, so you want to evaluate it on its own terms. And this book, like any good fanfic, manages to be fun and engrossing, and there are certainly some cute moments and the author is particularly gifted at writing sex scenes.
Unfortunately the writing is pretty bad in just about every conceivable way. The plot involves a bet made about who among a set of cool boys can kiss the new, shy kid first, and you can already see it's going to be a "10 Things I hate about you" situation (admittedly, the author introduces a twist in the end regarding this, but it's too little too late by then tbh). But more than the plot, the characters have no depth at all, and instead all just embody some lazy trope (the shy kid, the cool-seeming but actually hurting guy, the brown geek roommate whose only job is to be supportive to the hero). Which again isn't too bad, sine how can you get away from tropes, but the author really doesn't capture any of the distinctness in their voices. For example, I just never bought the idea that Sebastian was sophisticated and cool, he talks and sounds exactly like everyone else, so the fantasy never takes. And the plot is the boilerplate one about how boys with same-sex attraction are attracted to each other, but hate themselves and self-sabotage because they're in so much pain, until they lean in to their fears and find redemptive love. Yawn. I think erotica gets a bad rep as being a disreputable genre, but when the work is this derivative, you start thinking that maybe the critics have a point.
(The sex scenes really were great though)
It's tricky rating fanfiction-style romance writing, because it really isn't trying to be high-brow literature, so you want to evaluate it on its own terms. And this book, like any good fanfic, manages to be fun and engrossing, and there are certainly some cute moments and the author is particularly gifted at writing sex scenes.
Unfortunately the writing is pretty bad in just about every conceivable way. The plot involves a bet made about who among a set of cool boys can kiss the new, shy kid first, and you can already see it's going to be a "10 Things I hate about you" situation (admittedly, the author introduces a twist in the end regarding this, but it's too little too late by then tbh). But more than the plot, the characters have no depth at all, and instead all just embody some lazy trope (the shy kid, the cool-seeming but actually hurting guy, the brown geek roommate whose only job is to be supportive to the hero). Which again isn't too bad, sine how can you get away from tropes, but the author really doesn't capture any of the distinctness in their voices. For example, I just never bought the idea that Sebastian was sophisticated and cool, he talks and sounds exactly like everyone else, so the fantasy never takes. And the plot is the boilerplate one about how boys with same-sex attraction are attracted to each other, but hate themselves and self-sabotage because they're in so much pain, until they lean in to their fears and find redemptive love. Yawn. I think erotica gets a bad rep as being a disreputable genre, but when the work is this derivative, you start thinking that maybe the critics have a point.
(The sex scenes really were great though)
September 24, 2018
ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Earlier, when the party was in full swing, I looked around and thought to myself that something was missing. From the party. From my apartment. From my life. I couldn’t figure out what it was. But now, as I lay here, I think I finally know. It’s you.
PLOT ---
It dragged a little with the inner monologues and the Academy, the college they were in, and the title of this book, was soon forgotten. I would have loved to see more things happening in the Academy, but it was still nice to experience the college life through Nick’s eyes.
CHARACTERS ---
Nick was a bit too overdramatic. Everything was this big guilt trip for him and also for Sebastian. Everything. They couldn't enjoy anything with pages and pages of inner monologues why they shouldn't be enjoying said thing. I wanted to slap some sense into both of them. There were really cute scenes, though. Some borderline cheesy as hell. I love those. Sebastian is a cutie!
THOUGHTS ---
I liked the idea of a playboy finding real love for the first time and leaving his playboy days behind. It’s one of the many tropes I love, so I was completely okay with how the story unfolded. It had its ups and downs, being a little slow, but in the end, it was a cute and sweet story. And we had a couple of steamy scenes and wow, I liked those a lot.
CONCLUSION ---
I liked the ending, the epilogue was really nice and all the on-page characters, mains and sides, were all interesting. I will certainly keep reading books by this author. They are both romantic and emotional.
Earlier, when the party was in full swing, I looked around and thought to myself that something was missing. From the party. From my apartment. From my life. I couldn’t figure out what it was. But now, as I lay here, I think I finally know. It’s you.
PLOT ---
It dragged a little with the inner monologues and the Academy, the college they were in, and the title of this book, was soon forgotten. I would have loved to see more things happening in the Academy, but it was still nice to experience the college life through Nick’s eyes.
CHARACTERS ---
Nick was a bit too overdramatic. Everything was this big guilt trip for him and also for Sebastian. Everything. They couldn't enjoy anything with pages and pages of inner monologues why they shouldn't be enjoying said thing. I wanted to slap some sense into both of them. There were really cute scenes, though. Some borderline cheesy as hell. I love those. Sebastian is a cutie!
THOUGHTS ---
I liked the idea of a playboy finding real love for the first time and leaving his playboy days behind. It’s one of the many tropes I love, so I was completely okay with how the story unfolded. It had its ups and downs, being a little slow, but in the end, it was a cute and sweet story. And we had a couple of steamy scenes and wow, I liked those a lot.
CONCLUSION ---
I liked the ending, the epilogue was really nice and all the on-page characters, mains and sides, were all interesting. I will certainly keep reading books by this author. They are both romantic and emotional.
September 30, 2018
3-3.5 stars- I expected to love this more
I was really excited to start The Academy. Having read a couple books by the author before, I knew she could deliver a fun, bright writing style and banter, and I thought a college-aged romance would be a home run. Unfortunately, this was one of those titles that simply never measured up to my expectations. The writing style was still good, the premise fun and interesting, and the romantic connection reasonable. However, I never fell for the characters completely and ended this book feeling more “meh” than “woo-hoo”.
The bet seduction plotline can be hit or miss for me. Although I enjoy the conflict it brings to the plot, it sometimes results in the romance lacking a true connection, which is precisely what I thought in The Academy. Nick and Sebastian were promising heroes with interesting backstories, and I liked the complexities about their personalities that came out as the book progressed. In many ways, these men worked together with a bit of an opposites attract vibe. I liked when Nick and Sebastian went head to head over things, as much as when they came together. In those moments, the romantic tension really showed through and the dialogue drove the scene. However, so much of the drama revolved around lacking communication or withholding information that it wore on me after a while. I think had there been less inner monologues, and more relationship development, I may have felt differently, but I simply never felt strongly about the heroes as individuals or a couple. I think The Academy is best suited for readers who don’t mind a good dose of new adult drama in their romances, and although this wasn’t a solid win for me, I will certainly be looking forward to the author’s next release.
*eARC received via Netgalley. The author and publisher had no influence over this review*
I was really excited to start The Academy. Having read a couple books by the author before, I knew she could deliver a fun, bright writing style and banter, and I thought a college-aged romance would be a home run. Unfortunately, this was one of those titles that simply never measured up to my expectations. The writing style was still good, the premise fun and interesting, and the romantic connection reasonable. However, I never fell for the characters completely and ended this book feeling more “meh” than “woo-hoo”.
The bet seduction plotline can be hit or miss for me. Although I enjoy the conflict it brings to the plot, it sometimes results in the romance lacking a true connection, which is precisely what I thought in The Academy. Nick and Sebastian were promising heroes with interesting backstories, and I liked the complexities about their personalities that came out as the book progressed. In many ways, these men worked together with a bit of an opposites attract vibe. I liked when Nick and Sebastian went head to head over things, as much as when they came together. In those moments, the romantic tension really showed through and the dialogue drove the scene. However, so much of the drama revolved around lacking communication or withholding information that it wore on me after a while. I think had there been less inner monologues, and more relationship development, I may have felt differently, but I simply never felt strongly about the heroes as individuals or a couple. I think The Academy is best suited for readers who don’t mind a good dose of new adult drama in their romances, and although this wasn’t a solid win for me, I will certainly be looking forward to the author’s next release.
*eARC received via Netgalley. The author and publisher had no influence over this review*
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