Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted is a story very reminiscent of all of the greats: Harry Potter, Divergent and Percy Jackson but also put in different details all its own.

The Hadley Academy can’t be seen from any map and the world has no idea that this is where Improbably Gifted students are trained to save the world.

Freddy is one of those students with his head in the clouds and full of conspiracy theories. He does a report on Hadley Academy for school and then Everything changed. His best friend Jack is taken from school by operatives from the Hadley Academy and soon Freddy and two others are brought in to become the 13th team. They are tested a long with the other twelve teams to see who gets to stay. Unfortunately, their training and tests are interrupted by real world trouble from Reapers and whoever is making humanity go dark. They all have to work together to make sure the darkness doesn’t take over the world.

This was a great middle school adventure. Parts were reminiscent of some of the greats but there are also lots of original things like reapers, the teams and their powers that make this stand out from the rest.

The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted is a very intriguing book. From the title, I thought I had an idea of what the book may be like, but I was wrong. It was different than what I was thinking it would be and it was incredible.

Jack doesn't think much of himself, I mean come on what could he possibly do, he's a nobody. But his underestimation of himself proves to be far from reality in this exciting book. I don't want to give anything away so I won't go any further, but the least and most I can say is that you NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!!

Great story and amazing journey.
5 Stars!

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one at the 60% due to my iPad dying and it not being available for Kindle. However, I would love to give my thoughts on what I was able to read. The Hadley Academy is exciting and made me feel like I was on an adventure with all these wonderfully dynamic characters! It is like X-Men meets The Hunger Games and Divergent all rolled into one! It's chock full of adventure, mystery and magic! I mean who doesn't love a good prophecy story?!

Freddie was my absolute favorite character and I found myself constantly snickering at his awesome one-liners!

The characters, although there were many, were perfectly unique and I loved learning about all the different factions of powers at the Academy. My main complaint with this book is in regard to the language. I consider myself an avid reader and someone who has a large library of vocabulary tucked away but in my opinion some of the language used in this story is much too difficult for something marketed as a middle grade. I understand wanting to press the boundaries and encourage kids to learn new words but I found myself having to look words up every few chapters.

I would definitely recommend this story (even though I didn't finish) to someone looking for something to read WITH their kids, a young advanced reader, or possibly as a book to read aloud to a class. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

So I love all things magical, fantastic, super powers, ect. This book synopsis checked all those boxes so of course I had to request. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! It draws on themes from stories you know but it stands all on its own. This was a awesome middle grade read.

I just reviewed The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted by Conor Grennan. #TheHadleyAcademyForTheImprobablyGifted #NetGalley

I was like more than a hundred pages inti the story when I realised I wasn’t interested anymore. Don’t you hate it when that happens? I liked it, but it didn’t feel quite like the middle grade fiction I’m used to. Freddie, the main character’s best friend, was funny and I could see myself carrying on with the book just for him.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Children's for the digital arc of this title.

The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted was a really enjoyable Middle Grade book. The book centers around Jack Carlson, a normal everyday middle schooler who suddenly finds himself transported to The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted. What follows is a fun story that reminded me a lot of the Disney movie Sky High combined with a little bit of X-men and maybe even the Power Rangers.

What really shined for me in this novel was the school. I loved learning more about how the school was organized and the powers the different students had. The world building in general was intriguing and kept me interested throughout the story. Character development was also important part of this story as we get to know Jack and other members of his team.

As for the main plot of the story, I'll leave it vague and just state that it is a classic good vs evil with a prophecy foretelling the future.

Long story short if you are a fan of Harry Potter, Xmen, or school type films with super heroes - this is your book. I happen to love all these things so I really enjoyed the book.

Didn't finish. Couldn't connect to the characters or story. Guess I am tired of the chosen one plot.

The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted was one of the most exceptional books I've read this year. It does check all the boxes of my favorite categories: Middle Grade, Christian, fantasy/science fiction. Several other reviewers wrote that this was Hunger Games, Divergent, X-Men, and Harry Potter all rolled into one. It is definitely a book for anyone who loves those, but simultaneously so different from any of them.

The intrigue began on the first page when Jack sits through his best friend's history presentation, which sounds exactly like a conspiracy theory, as is always the case with Freddy. Freddy describes the Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted, which he learned about on the dark web, and even shows the class a map of the island it's on. The academy is, of course, invisible to ordinary mortals. Embarrassed by his friend's presentation, Jack asks to use the bathroom and is immediately pursued by some strange beings, rescued by an old acquaintance, and brought to...The Hadley Academy. This opening is genius because the story could have so easily gone in two directions. One, the academy was all in Freddy's head and he and Jack were both ordinary middle schoolers. Two, the academy is real and Jack and Freddy actually end up there. I would have read either of those stories but was enthralled by the world-building in this one.

At the academy, Jack quickly learns about different kinds of giftings and the strengths and weaknesses innate to each. He also realizes that he isn't gifted. And neither are his new friends who are brought in to be part of his team. They have three days for their gifts to awaken or they will be removed from the academy and their memories of the three days, as well as their former lives, will be wiped. And the adventure begins.

The story continued, with every event, every person, and every conversation being tied together as crucial parts of the saga. I had to read back several times, not because I lost interest, but because I had to make sure I remembered previous conversations that tied in to present moments. Fabulous storytelling! Also, despite the ending being part happily ever after and part cliff hanger (but not so you'll lose sleep over it), this was a complete story with all the wonderful twists and turns that story entailed.

Something beautiful about this story, something that seems to be unique to Christian fantasy, was the idea that you can believe in something impossible without evidence. Christians are sometimes accused of this and mocked for it, but when you see it play out in real life, it often begins a beautiful story. Jack's story began that way. There was nothing remarkable about him. But one person believed he was the boy who was prophesied. And that belief started a chain of events that led to everyone eventually seeing who Jack was. But there was no reason to believe Jack was anyone special in the beginning.

There were many other beautiful moments in the story, but I'll share two more. First, there is the saying, "trusting someone is more important than believing them" (219). I had never thought about this before, but it's true. There are people who tell incredible stories that I would still trust with my life. There are others who always tell the truth, but who I still can't trust. This maxim, which appeared several times in the story, is a good reminder of what truly matters most. Second, the way gifts were treated was poignant. When Jack first arrived at the academy, one of the teachers told him, "Everyone is born with a gift. Improbables ignore what the world tells them. They risk looking different, looking strange, in order to explore their gift. That is true courage" (21) Later on, a young boy said something similar: "I am human, and every human is born with a gift. I have chosen to use mine" (277). This is something else we often forget. We are all gifted. Maybe our gifts don't fit the mold of what we think gifts look like or what we want them to be, but we are all gifted. Like the boy, may we choose to use our gifts.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and have reviewed it willingly.

I always wanted to experience a secret adventure as a kid, as well as discovering that I might have special powers, so I was a bit jealous of Jack and his friends.

The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted was a fun romp of a read. Conor Grennan came up with some really neat ideas about a group of 13 year olds discovering their special powers and training to combat evil forces in the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fast paced action mystery revolving around a prophecy and a group of unlikely hero's bonding to become a strong team. This book reminds of excellent stories like X-Men or Divergent and fans of that style of writing will enjoy this book.

The story and character development feels rushed and I wish more time was spent developing their dynamics and backstories but the book gets better as you read it. The last 25-30% of the book does start to tie things together better.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
#NetGalley
#TheHadleyAcademyForTheImprobablyGifted

A fun read!
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read and review The Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted by Conor Grennan!
Jack and his best friend Freddy are on scholarship at a boarding school. Freddy has a tendency to believe conspiracy theories and go down the rabbit holes of each of these theories. He presents in history class on a military academy that’s secret to the world, The Hadley Academy. No one believes Freddy and he gets a failing grade on his presentation. As soon as the presentation is over, Jack gets permission to use the restroom and he’s whisked away by Hans, the new school security guard. Hans takes Jack to a secret door that transports him to The Hadley Academy! Freddy soon follows. Each recruit becomes a student and passes through the Spade threshold to discover the spade classification they belong to: Kinetic, Theoric, Systemic, and Expathic. Kinetics like taking risks, Theorics are problem solvers, Systemics are highly creative, and Expathics understand their surroundings at a higher level. Since Superior Blue believes Jack has been sent to fulfill a prophecy, he sets up a thirteenth team and sends out recruiters to find three more dormants to join Jack’s team, Freddy included. The thirteenth team is heckled by the rest of the academy but eventually the need for the team members becomes known. Surprises keep popping up that enlarge the world of The Hadley Academy and bring more and more interesting characters into the story. The Hadley Academy is enjoyable, entertaining and fun to read, 4 stars!

Very well written and a unique plot. Totally unpredictable and I would be interested in reading more from the author!

Wonderful book!
Really liked reading this fresh and outstanding book. It was a real pleasure to read it.
Thanks for the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance

I was impressed with this book and intend to purchase it for my collection. I think this would be a good fit for avid readers who may relate to the genius characters.

3.5/4 out of 5 stars.

A fast paced action mystery, a prophecy that needs to come to pass and a group of misfits forced to bond under immense pressure.

Fans of X-Men, The Hunger Games and Divergent will enjoy this book immensely.

If I had anything negative to say, I feel that the story feels a little rushed. More time could have been spent of the characters, their interactions, how their connections form and grow.

This is certainly a story that gets better the further you delve into it. The last quarter really tied everything together.

This would make a fantastic movie though as there is a lot of action scenes.

This very exciting adventure mystery story is about Jack, who is suddenly taken from his normal life to the Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted. Except that Jack isn't really gifted and because he hasn't followed the usual protocols for attending the academy, he isn't really welcome either. This is a wonderful story full of surprises and action. I think kids are going to like this one a lot. Grownups will like it too for it's allegorical aspects as well as opportunities to connect to other texts with similar "sacrifice yourself to save the world" themes.

Jack is unintentionally transported to the Hadley Academy, who train the heroes of tomorrow, ready to save the world of Reapers with here "gift". But, Jack has a problem: he's welcomed as "the chosen one" but yet hasn't a "gift"...

I enjoyed my reading! ^^
The different members of team 13 have all a little something, but despite this, I had a little trouble hanging on to the characters.
But I liked the way the academy was organized, with these spades and teams.

So the Reapers are terrifying, there's a lot of action... It's a book that will undoubtedly appeal to pre-teens! ^^

I listened to the clip sounds like would be a good I'll keep an eye out for for it when it is released.

Jack is dreading his science project and he is nervous about his friend's presentation too because Freddy is always spouting off about weird conspiracy theories. But then Jack is chased, rescued, and then magically transported to a mysterious island and the Hadley Academy for the Improbably Gifted. Soon his and a band of other "improbables" become a new 13th group. But who is Jack really, who are they fighting, and how can they possible defeat them.
This book had a lot of action. It was one I was reading in spurts in the morning on my elliptical. At times I got a bit confused and the climax was a bit convoluted but it was overall a good read. Those who have the opportunity to read it at a more steady pace may not experience the difficulties I did. This is the first in a series.

This is a story that readers will return to over and over again. Great for fans of the Maze Runner, Divergent, Harry Potter, and others like it. This is a wonderful title for middle grade readers. It is well paced and has amazing characters!! The 360+ pages flew by so fast that I didn't even realize that I was at the end until I couldn't go anymore in the ebook. I really hope that although this one ended very well that we get another one!! I need more stories set in this world that I have become a part of!


Go Into This One Knowing: Great Middle Grade Story!