Hood Academy

Hood Academy is one of the few books where I think the author got Werewolves right.

I loved everything, how Shelley Wilson wrote about the wolves, about their interactions and - most importantly - she doesn't shy away from describing their turn. And she doesn't just scratch the surface and just mentions that it hurts, no I think Wilson captures the pain as well as the power and how exhausting and painful it must be when a body changes that extremely.

But besides loving this book for it's depiction of great Werewolves, I liked it for the story of a young girl finding her way from an abusive father to new friends and family under often terrifying circumstances and growing and finding herself and what she truly wants.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this great eARC!

Hood Academy is an addictive, atmospheric story that grabs that reader from the first page and doesn’t let go. I was pulled into this seaming dreary story of a girl who survives an unbelievable tragedy only to get trust into a new and different world. Our heroine finds herself at an academy where she will learn all there is to know about fighting, surviving and… supernatural creatures. I enjoyed how the story evolved and the characters developed. I really enjoyed this journey of life and self-discovery.

I liked the way the author built the story and how I learned things at the same time as the character. The story has both an amazing plot (with a lot of conflicts and passion) but also solid and well-built characters. I enjoyed the world this author created. Her versions of werewolves are awesome and complete. The author was detailed in the story (at times to a fault) but it made the story that much more rich and I loved how I could feel the transition from human to wolf. I will be reading more from this author and I hope that she continues this world for more adventures. I received an ARC vis NetGalley and I am leaving an honest review.

#NetGalley #HoodAcademy

Wow, that was quite dark if you ask a personal opinion. But I enjoyed it more than I actually thought!

This wasn’t a book I would normally pick up, but it made me want to broaden my reading genres. I felt like it was easy to figure out, but it was a fun quick read and I enjoyed it. Wolves of any type fascinate me.

This is unlike any werewolf book I've read before (in a good way). The narration and setting are on point.

Wow!!!! I was NOT expecting this book. Sure, there are werewolves and hunters, but this was so much more than that.

You will be 100% pulled in to this book within the first few pages read. By the end of the first act, you’ll be completely compelled, turning the pages, and bitting your nails.

Mia has been living a nightmare for years and it all comes to a screeching halt in a matter of minutes. Or has one nightmare ended and another begun?

When Mia’s uncle took her to his school, there were a lot of questions that needed answering. It only takes a few days to realize that the school isn’t exactly what it appears and secrets run deeper than she originally thought. Add in the fact that the individuals she’s supposed to NOT trust are making the most sense and her life couldn’t be more confusing. Thankfully she’s made a couple of amazing friends who help her sort out right from wrong.

This book was GREAT! Between the drama, love interest and paranormal elements, I was hooked. I was a bit surprised to see that this was originally released last year. So I’m not sure if this is a re-write, different publisher or gearing up for a second book, making it a series. But if it’s becoming a series, sign me up!!!! I need more!!!!

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.

Hood Academy is not like any other werewolf book I've read the main female role and the alpha male do not end up becoming mates, and there are few twists and turns in the book but I wished there was more of thrill and action. While this is a decent book I would put it in the category of "one and done" will probably on read this book once in my life. Don't let this review discourage you it is a decent book and a quick read.

I got this book free from netgalley for an honest review. I found the start slow but as the story progressed it was good and highly recommend this book.

An interesting take on the supernatural/werewolf genre, Whilst I felt that more time could have been taken on building up the story of the factions and the Academy, this was still an enjoyable read and I liked that the friendship and family theme was more important than romance,

Mia's mother is dead, her brother missing, and her father physically violent. When her father is murdered in front of her, her estranged uncle takes custody of her and brings her to Hood Academy. A different type of school where he is the headmaster. There she makes friends, enemies and learns the secrets about werewolves, hunters, and secrets in her life.

This story had me hooked from the first chapter and kept me wanting more. Shelley Wilson does an amazing job of holding the reader's attention and keeping you on the edge of your seat. I felt like this story took werewolves and hunter's into a different light, and it was entertaining to see a different take and view point on them.

I have received an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher.

I have really loved Hood Academy. Its the first book I read from Shelley Wilson and I'm really not disapointed.

The story about Mia, who's father just got murdered. Her uncle now the one who take care of her and take her to Hood Academy, a school that hidden deep in the forest and will learn that werewolves really exist.

I was hook from the start by this story and could barely put it down.

Shelly Wilson’s new young adult novel, Hood Academy is an interesting premise that takes a tire old premise and turns it around for a modern young audience with winning reward for the reader.

The novel starts out with Mia, after the death of her father, is escorted to Hood Academy by Sebastian, her benefactor. Wilson moves the story at a very quick pace and we enter a world of hunter against werewolves with the line very blurred of who is good or who is bad. This leads credibility to the story and as in real life, things are very rarely black or white.

The characters are deliciously well drawn with human faults playing against their ability to try to do good. There are some cases where the main villains of the piece tend to be a bit cartoonish and would have worked better if they were drawn out a little bit better. A reason why they are doing what they are doing or a better understanding on their hatred but this is small criticism considering the large cast are all well drawn and are very multifaceted within their personalities.

The plot moves at a very fast pace and keeps the reader involved which provides a page turner. I am not sure if this was originally produced in two volumes but there is a strange chapter that starts out Book Two where we have a total breakdown of Book One. Again, this is a small criticism and doesn’t take away from the overall novel in any way.

Overall, this is worthwhile read and should be a winner with the young adult readers. For an adult reader, I was entertained and I enjoyed entering the world that Wilson created. I loved the atmosphere and keeping it in a realistic setting with her narrative passages bringing the story to live. Written in the first person, sometimes it gives an idea of the outcome of Mia as far as in her life and death situations. I am keen to discover more work by Wilson and she is well accomplished writer that shows her true craft to afford a rewarding read.

I don't read a lot of YA anymore, but I do like to read this sort of story occasionally, and I think it is fairly well done. Readers who enjoyed the Twilight series, should enjoy this one.

The suspense about what happened to Mia's family and the details surrounding what happened to her family was interesting. The characters were fun and complimented each other well. I liked the shift in tone in part 2. The relationship of Mia and Ari was a great sisterly bond. I absolutely loved the description of the transformation to wolf form. And the ending was perfect, wrapped everything up in a nice little bow. I teared up a bit.

However, I do wish there was more world and relationship building. She went from never trusting anyone to immediately telling 3 people all her secrets. Also, more time at the academy with detailed training and experiences in classrooms would have been fun.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I'd give it 3.5 stars. The Hood Academy was a fun, quick and entertaining read.

It's been a while since I've read a book featuring werewolves (Twilight maybe?), so I was excited to get into this novel.  And the cover designer did a magnificent job at capturing readers' attention.

This novel starts out with a heart-pounding sequence when Mia witnesses a werewolf killing her father.  From there, the plot takes off at a fast pace and rarely slows down.  Mia is a strong protagonist, occasionally leaping into action before thinking things through, and she's suffered the loss of her mother, abuse from her father, and feels abandoned by her brother.  Without giving away spoilers, the author did a fantastic job at introducing conflict to the story, and Mia's loyalties are pulled in several directions.  

The transformation of human to werewolf is described in detail with vivid imagery, including both the immense pain involved and the feeling of power and animal instincts upon completion.  Being a science nerd, Sebastian's research fascinated me and this is an angle I haven't seen explored in other werewolf books.  I also enjoyed the loyal friendship between Mia and Elizabeth and, lacking a female presence in her life since the death of her mother, her relationship with her teacher, Miss Ross.

Something I missed was more interaction between Mia and a character from her past who turns up again.  In the beginning of part two of the book, part one was summarized, giving the impression of two separate books being combined.  As I read an ARC, this is something that may change in the final version.

If you're a fan of fast-paced urban fantasy with likeable characters and strong friendships, add Hood Academy to your TBR.  It also boasts some pretty cool werewolves!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was amazing. It immediately pulls you in and it keeps you wondering "What's next?!" The characters were well put together and the entire book flowed flawlessly. Definite 5 stars!

I really liked the twists and turns in this book, for a horror book it really wasn’t gruesome though.

The entire story is based on Werewolf and Hunter, in which a school called the Hood Academy, was established to train hunters who would, well, hunt werewolves.

I loved the whole story in its entirety, not as gory as I thought it would be but interesting read nonetheless.

Would I recommend this book? Yes I would, for all those interested in thriller.

Read more: https://lifeofamaka.wordpress.com/2019/09/02/arc-review-hood-academy/

Hood Academy was a well paced novel with characters that actually have a bit of depth (for the most part at least, looking at you Felicity). The descriptions got me sucked into the story and the various settings, which is a good thing. I also liked that the author didn't just scratch the surface in regards of werewolf-transitions, she made a point on how painful it actually was.

Hood Academy is overall a well written novel and I would highly recommend it.

Mia is 15 years old and feels like an outsider. She has led a hard life in that her mother died when sh was very young. Her brother looked out for her as her father became very abusive to her. Her brother leaves when he is in in his teens leaving Mia alone with her father. She begs him to take her but says no and that he will come back to get her. As her father was going to beat her, a giant wolf appears and kills her father. The wolf looks at her for a few moments and then leaves. While the police try to figure out what to do with Mia, a stranger appears and says he is her uncle. She is taken by him to the boarding school where he works as the headmaster. It’s an unusual school in that it teaches the students how to defend and kill werewolves. They are to be “hunters” of werewolves. Why? At first Mia doesn’t believe in werewolves. What causes her to change her mind? Mia meets someone who knew her mother when she was alive. Will she tell Mia what she wants to know about her mother? Will she find her brother?

The novel is filled with action. There are secrets revealed, friendships are forged even while the plot twists and turns making me wanting to know if Mia will ever stop feeling like an outsider. There is romance in the book with information about the werewolves. There are spooky science experiments being done underground. There are alliances made and broken. It’s a story that moves!

I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am not usually a fan of werewolf stories. Even when Twilight was all the rage, I was always 100 percent team Edward. But I will say.. Hood Academy really grabbed me and held my attention.

I really enjoyed Wilson’s look into this type of fantasy novel. It felt incredibly realistic and really different from most of the werewolf origin stories we usually get.

I actually found myself not wanting the story to end. I really enjoyed the pot and Wilson’s writing style. I could have easily jumped right into book two (if there was one.. Please? Pretty please?? I need more!)

The plot was super fast paced but I didn’t feel like it was rushed at all. Overall, it was well written and I really enjoyed it.

*thank you to Netgalley, Shelley Wilson and BHC Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*


4 stars

In every pack, a cub is born, which unleashes the hunter to protect and serve. 

I enjoyed this. It had a bit of a similar and familiar feel to it of Buffy the Vampire. Except this was with werewolves and not vampires. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The characters were interesting and likeable, or unlikeable depending on who they were. Aka Felicity. After everything that Mia had been through, with her abusive father, I really admired her strength and the person she is. She was also a character I wanted to keep reading about. I can't think of anything that I didn't like about this. It had a great flow to it and the author is wonderful at storytelling. This was such an easy and engaging read and I would definitely pick up another copy of this author's work. I also really like the cover of this omnibus version.

Great book. Loved the way the story was told. It drew the reader in and made them seem like a part of the story instead of a bystander.

Rounding to 3.5 stars.
It’s been long overdue that I’ve read a good werewolf book and this totally did it for me! The story was original and great.
Although, I do believe that maybe this could be a series rather than a standalone since there was so much info jammed into one book.

Gripping page turner that has you hooked until the end.
Shelley Wilson's Hood Academy is one of the best portrayal of Werewolf's I read since Kelley Armstrong's Bitten. Absolutely fantastic read.

Title: Hood Academy (Books 1+2 are published together).

Author: Shelley Wilson

Genre: a young adult fantasy-adventure, focusing on a school for werewolf hunters and a local pack of shifters.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Forward: I was given an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! Hood Academy was released Oct 10, 2019 in ebook and physical format.

Mia watched her drunk of a father get murdered right in front of her eyes- that’s enough to mess anybody up for a lifetime. But what killed Mia’s father shouldn’t be real, it shouldn’t exist, she must be imagining the large wolf that slaughtered her father.

Yet when her mysterious uncle swoops in to take Mia away to some isolated boarding school, Mia knows what she saw was real. Her uncle runs a school for werewolf hunters, and she’s the newest recruit.

Mia should want to join Hood Academy and destroy the creature that took her father’s life. But Mia can’t help but look deeper into the truth about the Academy and her new friends, despite the threats she received and the dangerous knowledge putting a target on her back.

There’s more going on at Hood Academy, and Mia will discover what it is.

When we are pulled into Mia’s story, it starts with her watching her father’s murder. Instantly, we are drawn into the word of werewolves and hunters with Mia, feeling the fear and tension she feels. As we learn more about Mia’s deadbeat family and their ties to the Academy, we are just as curious as she is.

I loved the tension and thrill of the mystery that is Mia’s life and her association with the hunters and wolves. It gripped you from the first chapter and took you on a ride through Mia’s story with her. I loved the creativity, the twisted secrets, the light romance, the strong female characters- I loved basically all of it.

As we transition into the ending of book one, I felt a bit of a drag. I found that all the mystery and build up was lost, and into the start of book two it seemed the tension was replaced with mediocre dialogue and action. I could tell what was going to happen, and didn’t feel that the tone of the beginning of the novel was kept up.

If it wasn’t for that lag, I would have enjoyed this book so much more. The secrets were out of the bag, and Mia was learning to handle them, and it was slightly boring to read her be bossed around by everyone and lose her fierce streak.

I was glad that Mia has a well rounded story, and none of the characters were cut and dry. The action was full of tension and there was no “tame action”- aka “the hero wins everything with a grain of salt”. I can’t stand that in any story, even a young adult. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Overall, I enjoyed Hood Academy and would recommend this to my werewolf lovers. I loved all the content you get in this book, and I love werewolf romances with the perfect dash of thriller.

This was fast-moving, rooting me in my seat until I had read the entire book! I will seek out more from this author, a master storyteller!

As someone who LOVES werewolves (lives/breathes/thinks about them all the time) I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The author created this thrilling, gritty piece that definitely went far more into detail than any YA werewolf book I've read before.

Wow this story! It made me fall in love again with werewolves!

Mia is a mixture of a werewolf and a hunter! What a great combination. I like that while looking for her place in the world, she met loyal friends and have her own pack.

Hood Academy is a good place to discover but there are many secrets inside it. There are some parts that I feel being repeated but I enjoy the story and the plot twists as a whole. The changes in the school administration, in the end, is terrific!

Thank you to BHC Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

It all started when Mia's father was murdered in front of her. His throat ripped out by a wolf as she watched, a wolf that strangely left her alive. When she is put into the custody of an estranged Uncle, she figures that things can't be much worse that what she's already lived through with an abusive father, right? However, it might be worse. Taken to a secret academy deep in the woods, Mia discovers that things she thought were just fairy tales are real. The academy trains young women to become werewolf hunters, and not just anyone can become a hunter. As Mia soon discovers that things aren't what they seemed, secrets, lies and revelations abound as she tries to navigate her new life, new friendships, new family, all while still searching for her missing brother. Are werewolves really as bad as she is being taught? What if they're not?

This was a fast paced, quick, easy and enjoyable read for me. I feel like it was JUST what the Doctor ordered, I felt like I was in a bit of a slump lately, majority of the books I've been reading have just been quite, meh. I wondered if maybe it was me, or maybe I just wasn't picking up the right books. This one really helped pull me out of a funk. It's a young adult fantasy/horror story that revolves around the character Mia Roberts. She sees her abusive father die in front of her, his throat torn out by a wolf that strangely inspects her, and leaves her be. When the police arrive she finds out that she has an Uncle and she's now in his custody. This all happens right at the start of the story, there's also some talk about Mia's missing brother, Zak. He promised to come back for her, but as yet has not. So I guess you could say that there is a little mystery thrown in for good measure as well.

Once Mia arrives at Hood Academy that is run by her Uncle, she learns that werewolves are a thing, and that she is about to undertake some pretty hectic training because she's going to be hunting them. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say this, yes, this book has a load of cliches in it, yes it was very predictable, but you know what? That's not always a bad thing, sometimes you just want a story that is engaging, enjoyable and you have a feeling that you know how things are going to turn out, well at least, I do anyway. So there was a lot of things that I already knew before Mia had worked it out, and while it frustrated me a little bit that she couldn't see what was right in front of her, I still really enjoyed the story and absolutely flew through it.

The story was was well written, though some things were super easy to work out before the reveals, as stated above, so if you have a massive problem with this, maybe this book isn't for you. I feel like there needed to be a bit more secrecy to the mystery aspects of the story, but again, this wasn't a deal breaker for me. One thing that did irk me a little bit was Mia's arch nemesis - Felicity. Yes her name was used in the story (obviously) but a lot of the time, in dire circumstances, Mia was referring to her as her "nemesis" or "the redheaded..." which I found a liiiittttlllleee hard to take seriously, but then, our protagonist is only seventeen (I think? Possibly sixteen...) so I can kind of understand the small 'childish' nuances that were used in her dialogue. Felicity was a stereotypical mean girl with her gang of mean girl accomplices that didn't do overly much, they just backed up the taunting and the physical violence put forward by their bitch of a leader. I enjoyed the characters of Lizzie and Adam (I think that was his name!? What is going on with my memory today! Apologies if I've got that wrong), they were lovely supporting characters and gave Mia what she had never had and needed more than anything, a safe friendship circle of trust. I did find it a little hard to believe that Mia felt comfortable enough to trust Lizzie so easily after everything she had been through...but then...she is a teenager and teenagers are fickle creatures, so I guess it's not totally unbelievable.

It appears that this book is actually two books. As part two is headed by script saying "Oath Breaker" which to me denotes a new book. As the copy that I had was combined into one volume, the only thing that I think might have helped would have been to edit out the recap at the beginning of Oath Breaker. It was a little tedious re-reading a rundown of everything that I've just read and it really wasn't needed when the two stories are combined. That's just me though. It didn't take away from the story so much, but it did jolt me out of the narrative a bit.

If you're looking for the next big, complex literature master piece, you're not going to find that here, but honestly, this was, as said above, a quick, engaging, enjoyable read and was just what I needed. Sometimes you don't need a masterpiece, sometimes you just need a good story. Mia is a believable teenager with trust issues, and she doesn't do a heap of dumb teenager character things that you expect from the young adult genre. I'm not gonna lie, she does do some stupid stuff, but hey, she's a teenager, give her a break. AND! There's also no love triangle, so if that annoys you, maybe give this one a go.