The Substitute

Terror Academy #13

by Nicholas Pine

The substitute teacher befriends unattractive Iris Hancock and concocts a potion that makes Iris beautiful--but she expects Iris to repay her by kidnapping and selling a baby, and Iris's life is on the line when she refuses. Original.

Genres: Horror

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Matthew MacIntyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but how do you like a book without any likable characters? Junior Iris is a skinny acne faced nobody at school. Totally unpopular and an outcast that’s called skank by everyone at school. Yet she of course pines for the affection of popular football star Nate. Her life is horrible, that is until Ms. Green shows up and takes Iris under her wings. Things start to get better for Iris, her grades improve, her skin gets better and people start liking her. But of course all this comes at a price Ms. Green helps her but wants things from Iris. This book is bad and also kinda creepy. Like Ms. Green has control over two high school boys but they never mention how. Only that one wanted to marry her. Very to catch a predator. And really nothing is ever explained other than the medicine she’s given was vitamins that help her skin, but that at will Me. Green can make her pimples come back when she doesn’t get what she wants. Super dumb and nonsensical. Also I really wasn’t expecting kidnapping to be a plot point. Bonus points for the gory eye wound near the end that was nice lol. I’m also over most books have a murder made to look like a suicide. To me that very heavy for a teen book series. I’d probably rate this a four stars if some characters were even the slightest bit more likable especially Iris, she become super superficial but I guess since she was an outcast and got a taste of popular she wasn’t sure how to act. I guess if you remove your brain and don’t ask questions about how Ms. Green has power over people you may like the book more than I did. lol

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a indoor garage sale store for 25 cents. It's a book in the Terror Academy series. Apparently, each book is a standalone story that happens in the same school; Central Academy. That in itself got me interested.

I read this in one sitting. The story was interesting the whole way through. It also had a more edgier ending than you would expect from a Young Adult book. It's books like this that make me love these nostalgic Young Adult books. I look forward to getting and reading the rest of the series.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun trip down memory lane!