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Publisher: Signet

Number Of Pages: 400

Publication Date: 2008-08-05

ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0451224671

ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780451224675

Binding: Paperback

Product Description:

Here& 8217;s one good reason for staying home from school...

Something strange is happening at Tyler High. The laid-back principal has become unusually strict. The janitors no longer work nights because of what they hear. The students are frightened by what they see. And things are happening on school grounds that defy rational explanation. But there is an explanation. It& 8217;s just nothing that anyone can begin to believe& 8212;or hope to survive.

Summary: Fallen Down

Rating: 3

I picked Bentley Little up for a long bus to Memphis when I was 17 because of a blurb on the cover by Stephen King. The novel was The Ignored. I thought it was ok. A week later I realized I was still thinking about it, and the more I thought about it the better it got. It appeared to be shallow, but that was misleading. It was great literature.

The Walking was next and I knew how to bend my thinking for his style and I loved it. Then The Store...amazing. I read the precedents all in a rush and kept picking up the new stuff.

And saw the decline of a writer I really loved. It hurt to read The Vanishing. The Burning is bad (Not As Bad As Whitley Strieber, but close).

Formula writing is in general not a good idea. I really thought Little had chops at one time, then I doubted, now I know... he writes for money. Passion gone.

When I find an author that turns me on I stick with them: King, Koontz, Ketchum, Laymon, Landsdale, Barker, Lebbon, Grisham, Gaiman, McMurtry, Farris, Lehane,...

But Little has fallen So Low.

Summary: Originla Bentley Horror at its BEST!

Rating: 5

If you like The Policy, The Association, or the Store, then this book is for you!

Hilarious, yet frightful at the same time, Bentley takes the reader down a dark and scary path. Read it...you will not regret it.

Summary: Classic Bentley Little

Rating: 5

As a big fan of Bentley Little, I was really disappointed in his last 3 releases; which seemed to steer away from his familiar and twisted storylines. After reading The Academy I was delighted to see the return of the Bentley Little I always enjoyed reading. If you liked The Store, The Association, The Resort.....you'll love this book!

Summary: Not Bentley's Greatest Novel

Rating: 3

I am a huge fan of Bentley Little's books. But his newest one, The Academy, was a bit of a dissapointment. What is usually great about Little's stories is that he always has an excellent metanarritive; The Academy lacked this. There wasn't enough background information for WHY things were changing at the school. Near the end, the information is rushed into the last couple pages, and leaves the reader feeling cheated.

If you like Little, I would read the book. I just wouldn't expect it to thrill like most of his others.

Summary: A good read, but not Little's best

Rating: 3

I've read a number of Bentley Little's books over the past three years or so and have always found them entertaining; his works focusing on elements of ethnic history (Native American history and that of Chinese immigrants comes quickly to mind) in turn blended with horror elements and suspense have been extremely good reads, moreso even than the likes of King or Koontz (two of my old time faves.)

The Academy follows typical style and formula of a Little novel, but I'm afraid this one stretches credibility too far--I honestly could not suspend my disbelief. Too much goes "over the top" too fast that all those involved would have to be honestly dense to not react to it, especially in our litigious society (some of the things the charter of this school brings up would have lawyers all over them in a heartbeat, regardless of what evil force may be behind it.) Even on a pure fantasy level it's too much of a stretch.

Another issue I'm having is I don't feel much for the characters; they're just names, not people (a definite shift from past books where I really felt I got to know the characters well) and at times I found myself leafing back through trying to match them up again from their earlier introductions. A notable exception are the three teen protagonists, who feel more fleshed out than their adult contemporaries.

That said, the book is still a good read, though as always with Little it helps to have a strong stomach for some of the more squeamish (not necessarily gory) scenes. I simply wouldn't recommend this as a start for first time Bentley Little readers; in such a case I would recommend "Dispatch" or "The Vanishing", two of his more excellent works.

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Rating:
2.5 out of 5 by Book123