BLOG TOUR - REVIEW - HOOD ACADEMY BY SHELLEY WILSON

Title: Hood Academy

Author: Shelley Wilson

Genre: Horror, Teens & YA

Publisher: BHC Press

Release Date: 10th October 2019

BLURB from Goodreads

Will she follow the pack…or destroy them?

A dead mother. A violent father. A missing brother.

When Mia’s father is murdered, it’s her estranged uncle that comes to the rescue, but what he offers her in return for his help could be worse than the life she is leaving behind.

Taken to Hood Academy, a unique school deep in the forest, she discovers friendships, love, and the courage to stand on her own.

Mia takes the oath that seals her future as a werewolf hunter, but not everyone wants Mia to succeed.

Screams in the night. Secret rooms. Hidden letters. Mia becomes an important piece in a game she doesn’t want to play.

Loyalty, friendships, and family bonds are tested as Mia discovers her true identity, but will the truth set her free, or will it destroy her?

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PURCHASE LINKS

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REVIEW

I decided I wanted to read this book after reading the BHC Press sampler 2019. It had the first few chapters this book among quite a collection of other titles too. This is the one book from the sampler that really stood out to me and made me want to read it. In fact, after reading the sample chapters it made this book a “must read”!

The book has quite a shocking beginning with the main character of Mia Roberts witnessing the murder of her father by a werewolf! With her mother being killed in a car accident years before Mia is in a desperate state as she has no contact details for her brother Zak. Then just as it seems that Mia will have to be placed in social care, her Uncle Dr Sebastian Roberts arrives to take her back to his home and school the Hood Academy For Gifted Young Girls. Mia accepts she has to go with her Uncle and thinks it can’t be as bad as the daily abuse she has suffered at the hands of her father over the years. Also she has every intention of finding her brother Zak. When Zak had left all those years before he had promised to return for her, and she wanted to know where he was now and why he hadn’t kept his promise.

Upon arrival at Hood Academy Mia thinks she is being dumped at some boarding school however her Uncle explains he is the headmaster and the school will train her to be a hunter. Apparently to be a hunter you have to have seen a werewolf which Mia has. There is an old legend which says for every werewolf born there is a hunter born. Mia’s Uncle Sebastian says if she really hates the school, he can sort it out for her to go to the local school in Ravenshood. The book continues with Mia being taught the origins of the school and the history between the hunters and werewolves. Things don’t sit right with Mia and she runs off into the woods and comes across a cliff area where she sits looking at the view. It’s in this beautiful, relaxing place where she meets a young boy around her age who has the most startling blue eyes she has ever seen. Mia ends up becoming quite close to Cody. Mia also becomes surrounded by werewolves at one point too, though they show no signs at all of attacking her like she has been led to believe they would by what she is being taught at the Academy. Of course, like at most schools, there’s a mean girl and her side kicks. In this book it is Felicity Parker and her friends that take an instant dislike to Mia, and enjoy making her life difficult at every opportunity. It does seem at times that Sebastian favours Felicity if there is any sort of disagreement. Though it is revealed why, later in the book when her father is revealed to have been “calling the shots” for some time. 

My favourite character relationships in the book were of course Mia and Elizabeth/Lizzie who become instant friends and support each other whenever possible even if it means going against all you have been taught on a few occasions for Lizzie. The next character relationship I liked was Lizzie and Adam. Adam is the grounds man at the Academy and their relationship has to be kept low key as if revealed it could mean Adam losing his job and/or Lizzie being dismissed from the Academy.

I also loved the tutor/pupil relationship that Miss Ross has with Mia and Lizzie. When it is revealed that Miss Ross knew Mia’s mum it brings them even closer. There were other character relationships, between Mia & her boyfriend that were really sweet. They start of with secrets and then all is revealed and no matter what they have to fight for each other they will. I am not revealing Mia’s boyfriend name as I think it could be a bit of a spoiler. I could go on as there really were some great character relationships within this book. Favourite characters were Mia, Lizzie, Adam, Cody, Zak, and Miss Ross. Mia has some seriously difficult decisions to make in this book. From who to trust, to what to do with information she finds out in files in Sebastian's office. Mia also has to get used to her big brother being back in her life, telling her what to do. Zak has changed a lot since he left his home and Mia. He is now the Alpha of the Ravenshood pack. Mia does realise eventually that though Zak was not physically present, he was always thinking about her and did have contact with people checking on her every now and then. It takes a while of Zak to get used to the fact his little sister is no longer the timid little girl he left behind all those years ago. Mia soon puts her brother in his place when he expresses his dislike over her choice of boyfriend. I also immediately loved the character of Ari, a youngster who has been given an illegal, unproven injection that could kill her. I thought the friendship between her and Mia was brilliant. Though Ari is very young she is a great help to Mia in the book. Characters I loved to hate were Felicity, her sidekicks and her father, and on some occasions in the book Sebastian.

I absolutely adored reading this book, it was action packed from the beginning to the end! I also loved all the background and history of the Academy and the Werewolves. The serum development and its possible affects were also interesting. I thought the change of Oath was a great touch in the book and it would be great if this book was the beginning of a series, although I don’t know what would come next. I love shifter books and this one is up there with some of the best I have read. I would compare it to the Knight Academy by Emerald Barnes. Though Knights Academy is not just hunters & shifters, as it has other supernatural beings in it.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that it was an Amazing, I have to say I loved every word from beginning to end. I just really, really hope that there's going to be more from the Hood Academy, and the Ravenshood pack.

So, to sum up, Hood Academy is a great shifter book, and I would love more of it! I have not just discovered a possibly fantastic series but an author that is new to me too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shelley Wilson was born in Leeds, making her a fellow Yorkshire lass! (Leeds is just bus ride away from where I live!! Small world!) Shelley Wilson is a genre straddling English author of motivational self-help titles and young adult fantasy fiction.

She has published six non-fiction self-help books including her bestseller - How I Changed My Life in a Year - as well as five young adult (YA) fantasy novels. Book one of her werewolf series was a finalist in the RONE YA Book of the Year Awards and has been combined and re-released with book two under the new title - Hood Academy.

Shelley now lives in the West Midlands, UK, with her three children. She has a crazy black cat called Luna and is obsessed with vampires, Tudor and Viking history, and exploring castles.

Where can you stalk/find Shelley?

Find her on Twitter www.twitter.com/ShelleyWilson72

or Facebook www.facebook.com/FantasyAuthorSLWilson

And don’t forget to check out her Website http://shelleywilsonauthor.co.uk