The Last Academy

Author: Anne Applegate
Publisher: Point (Scholastic)
Released: April 30, 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal
Series: No
Source: Library

Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Cam finds herself tentatively trusting the other students, occasionally making mischief, and maybe falling in love.
Only...
Something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what?

The great part of this story is the part I can't really talk about without giving away the amazing plot twist. But I'll try! In dealing with the issues the book deals with, including the falling-out with Cam's friend back home, The Last Academy is brilliant. The name of the school should have given it away to me, but I somehow skipped over that at the beginning of the book! Anyway, it's as scary as this issue should be, but it has such tenderness and soothing elements as well. And lots of good crying spots!

Cam is wonderful - essentially a good girl who starts experimenting with mischief. I love the big scene when she breaks all the rules. There's a sense of terror as she thinks she'll be found out at any second, and then there's the utter exhilaration when she gets back to her room and realizes she got away with it - or thinks she has.

I'm not entirely sure what purpose the romance serves in the plot, but in any case it was a great relationship to follow. Starting with irrational infatuation over a guy she knows simply as hot, Mark moves to being a real, real person, with issues of his own to muddle through. His story does add a lot to the overall story and the understanding that Cam comes to eventually.