Customer Reviews

The Candidates (Delcroix Academy, Book 1)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am in love with this book! My almost-teen daughter and I couldn't put it down and are desperate for book two! It has all the elements of a great story - the excitement of the paranormal, the romance of a love triangle, and a teen girl's struggle to make the right choices when good and evil seem to collide. Even better, the story comes alive through the extremely engaging voice of Dancia, a refreshingly innocent heroine, and a host of fabulous supporting characters. You might not always agree with Dancia's choices, but you'll be rooting for her all the way!

My daughter is not one who devours every book, but she begged to stay up late so she could finish it (completing the longest uninterrupted reading session she has ever had). As a mom, I really appreciate that this book offers the thrill needed to grab my daughter, without the raciness that would demand a parental veto. Well-written, gripping and altogether delightful read from a great new author. Encore, encore!

****mild spoilers****

This is another one of those books whose story isn't as good as the cover portrays. The premise is fantastic and there were glimpses of what could possibly be greatness but those glimpses aren't really built upon. I'm hoping this is just the set up for a great series. Our main character Dancia drove me crazy for a good portion of the book. She goes on and on and on and on about one of the guys in her life (Cam) then she turns around and has her first kiss with another guy (Jack) and completely ignores him and the friendship she knows they have together. She also ignores all the warnings he's giving her about the oddities at the school. Dancia is completely blinded by Cam. Irritating. Is it 14yo behavior? Maybe but I still don't like it. Jack is probably my favorite character in the book. He's dark and mysterious but at the same time he's sweet and you can tell his feelings for Dancia are growing and they are real. The way the book ended I can't be certain that he'll be in the next book much and that's a disappointment. The fantastic Cam (Dancia's obcession) left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I can't figure if he's a good guy, bad guy or one of those guys who thinks he's doing good but is kept in the dark and in reality he's doing bad. Dancia's new friends at school are who I'd really like to see have some development in the next book. They bring a bit of fun to the book but weren't in it enough for me. I guess I'll pick up the next book in the series but I won't be waiting as eagerly as with other books.

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

Since childhood, Dancia has had a strange power. When she gets upset, things happen. Like when a guy threatens her grandmother at the hospital, he gets thrown into a wall and ends up in a coma. She tries to fly under the radar and not make friends so that she wouldn't have anyone to defend. Then comes an invitation to the famous Delcroix Academy, a school that has turned out some pretty well-known people. With insistance from her darling grandmother and a convincing argument from a boy she's developing a serious crush on, Dancia accepts the invitation and starts to make friends, including Jack Landry. Once Jack starts pointing out the strangeness of the academy to her, Dancia wonders if there is more going on at the school than meets the eye.

The cover of this book is striking and the summary is too, in its own special way. I never had the opportunity to read this book until a friend bought it and gave it to me on loan so I could read it. The first four chapters did not capture me, so I put it away for a few months and got back to it only when it was finals week, I needed a book to read, and had nothing left that I hadn't read other than this book. No more books are going to get loaned from that friend for a while because that is now four awful books she has given me in a row.

I disliked Dancia. The people around her care more about her than she cares about them. She decides to hate one girl (Perfect Girl, later given the name Allie) for absolutely no reason and even her friends get no nice treatment. At one point, her friend Esther is described as "clucking" when she is trying to comfort Dancia about something. The connotations of words matter and you do not use the word "clucking" when describing a friend unless you're trying to make the narrator mean. I kept having to tell myself, "She's just fourteen, you were just as bad when you were her age" but I stopped doing that after a while because a reader should not be forced to use an excuse like that for as many times as I had to. Even when I was fourteen and an absolute monster, I wasn't as bad as she gets at points in this novel. Dancia does not think for herself at all and I just could not stand her.

People in the novel kept calling Dancia tough and honest and great, but I never saw what they were talking about. All I found was a girl who was obsessed with a fake boy, decided to hate a girl she didn't know for no good reason, and needed a serious attitude adjustment. I disliked almost every character for one reason for another; even Jack, the character I could stand the most, did a lot of stuff that made me angry.Worse yet was the portrayal of almost any girl who was not Dancia. Catherine? Control freak bully who puts down Dancia for not being from a good family like she is. Anna? Jealous ex-girlfriend who makes it obvious that she doesn't want Dancia and Cam near each other. In this book, if you're female and your name isn't Dancia Lewis, you're either a mean girl or a clucking friend. (Yes, I am sticking with the clucking! That was awful.)

One technique I use when reading to make sure I get as much from it as possible is to stop reading and go over the major events of the novel. This helps me remember what happened for when I review the book later and it makes me remember the book. When I pulled that technique for this book, I could remember very little of what I'd read only an hour before. Writing this review is difficult because it is taking serious effort to remember what I had issues with while reading. Bad sign? Most definitely.

I'm more interested in everything the book didn't say. It's obvious already that the program isn't going to be as clean as it is explained in this book. It will turn out that it is corrupt and instead of sending people around the world to help during disasters, they will be going to the highest bidder and the governments might even be using some of the talented people for not-so-good means. I would rather read about that. If it turns out that the program is that black and white (which I don't imagine it will be due to some hints at the end of the book), then I will be even more disappointed than I already am.

Maybe this story wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't have to read through Dancia's unnecessary explanations (Why do we need to know your grandfather was a logger? Get back to the story because I don't care!) and lovestruck point of view. Since this book is written in first person, the reader is stuck dealing with her obsession with Cam for 293 pages of misery. Words cannot express how many times and how badly I wanted Dancia to shut up about Cam and get back to telling the story. Cam this, Cam that, Cam wouldn't want me to do this, but Cam and I are meant to be (that last part is a direct quote from our fourteen-year-old main character, by the way)--I don't see what the big deal about the guy is about! He felt as fake as counterfeit money.

The only thing about this book that made it worth reading was Jack, and even he hit my pet peeves. Do I need to say this in Caps Lock? I think I do. STALKING IS BAD, PEOPLE! I think I need to make a tag for that and a few other things. Jack lost serious points with me when it was discovered that he'd started following Dancia after she helped him. I don't tolerate that when I read. I'm having one of those moments where I wonder if I missed the point completely or if I'm just being picky. After all, if so many other people have nice things to say, how am I able to find all these negatives? Then I remember that reading is quite subjective and the world needs negative people to make it go around. I don't recommend this book, but I won't tell people not to read it.

I read the reviews for this book, and the publishers description. I found myself intrigued, but was worried that it may be too young for me. Boy, was I wrong! This book was a great read. At almost 30, I was still caught up in the drama of young Dancias life. Her decsions are realistic. She is a smart, but young teenager that has a very big secret. Jack was very compelling, and Cam is every young girls dream. I find myself with tons of questions. Did Jack know something that we don't? Is Cam blindly loyal? Is there more to the watchers than is presented to Dancia in this book? Will we see more of her adorable Grandma later in the series? There are so many wonderful plot points! I can't wait for the next book. I hope we learn more about her friends, and maybe something about Dancias parents.
I will be watching for the next book. I hope I don't have to wait too long!

After reading the book description I was eagerly anticipating reading The Candidates. While I enjoyed the idea of the story, the characters seemed a bit off to me. As a reader, characters are what really sell me on book and unfortunately in the case of the Candidates, I was not all that impressed.


Dancia, the book's protagonist, has the potential to be a great character. She is empathetic and possess some wicked awesome powers. There were certain parts of the book in which I enjoyed Dancia's character but I did have a few problems with her as well. First of all, her characters personality isn't really defined in the book. Sure, she is empathetic to those around her, but she really just goes along with what other people are saying. She never really makes her own decisions, just follows what either Jack or Cam tells her. It bothered me that she relied on what Cam said to make her decisions. This brings me to my second major problem with her; she was kind of a terrible friend to Jack. He obviously needed her and she just dropped him because Cam was "worried" about her. Jack was a tremendous friend to her; he was always there when she needed him; he definitely got the short end of the stick on that one.


Another character I had mad issues with was Cam. I just do not like him or trust him. In fact, I think he is kind of a sleaze bucket. He straight up lies to Dancia and pushes her away from Jack. Then, she catches him in a lie and calls him on it, and then forgives him. I don't know if she was just stupid or if he was using his powers on her. Honestly, I think his powers are creepy. I would not want anything to do with that guy. I don't want to give away what his powers are, but I just would not trust my feelings around him anymore.


Obviously, I felt Dancia's love interest should have been Jack. Jack was a far more interesting character and I felt like he actually cared about her. I am afraid we won't see much of him in the next book, which would really disappoint me. Because honestly, I think the rest of the characters are rather boring.


However, like I said before, the storyline has a lot of potential. I am really digging the whole X-men boarding school vibe and I think the books could progress nicely. I am hoping that in the next book Dancia will stand on her own two feet and develop a little more personality.

First off isn't this cover gorgeous? It was what first caught my attention and then the book blurb made me really want to read this book. There are the basic ingredients that make me enjoy a good YA book-the love triangle. There is the hot, most popular guy on campus, Cam, who appears to take an interest in the socially awkward Dancia. Then there is the rebel, bad boy, Jack, who has a heart of gold and is always looking out for Dancia. Who will she choose? Can she really trust their interest? I'll have to admit that through out the book I was routing for Jack. Why do girls always fall for the golden boy? Yes Cam appears sweet and caring but I love when the tough guys fall hard and turn out to be sweethearts.

In addition the supporting characters are just as enjoyable. I love Dancia's grandmother. She is the perfect combination of sweet naiveness and the wise old grandma. Dancia has two close friends who are hilarious and we get a small glimpse of what their powers may be. How these might manifest and how big a part they will play remains to be seen.

The third ingredient that I look for is the action. The action just gets started in this book and leaves you wanting more. You have cars crashing, sink holes opening, invisible walls and more. I did not want to put this one down.

My Summary: Dancia Lewis is nobody special. Average, mediocre, or whichever word you find fitting, she's it. Except Dancia has a strange ability...an ability that usually hurts someone. Except representatives from the exclusive Delcroix Academy see something more about her than just "average". They offer her a full scholarship to Delcroix, and Dancia's grandmother couldn't be more thrilled. Deciding to give it until the holiday's, Dancia reluctantly agrees to attend.

But what she's really worried about is that she may do at Delcroix. At her old school, she could blend right into the crowd. At Delcroix, they make it impossible. The closer she gets to other students, the more she worries her unusual ability may harm someone she cares about. There's something more to Delcroix than they let on, something unique...and Dancia won't stop searching until she gets some answers.

Review: The Candidates* is an intriguing start to what will surely be an amazing series.

Boarding school + Supernaturalness = Awesome. I knew I'd enjoy The Candidates just based on those facts, and I was not disappointed. Dancia is easy to relate with, and she's very true to her age. It's really easy to caught up in her story, especially all the mystery surrounding Delcroix. But let's not forget the two main guys, Cam and Jack. Jack has a bad reputation, but he and Dancia really get along. Cam is friends with everyone, excellent personality and completely gorgeous. Both guys have their high and low points, making this love triangle a bit more complicated. I never quite knew which guy Dancia would end up with, and which one I wanted her to like.

Mystery, intrigue, romance....The Candidates has got everything I love in a novel, and I'll be eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Highlights: Scott kept me curious, and kept me wondering. Even the two romantic interests weren't just black and white, good and bad. I never quite knew who was good and who was bad. The description is wonderful, not too much, not too little. I could envision everything, and that's definitely a bonus.

Lowlights: A few points of confusion here and there. This book is also what I'd call a "set-up" novel, where the author spends more focus on the characters, relationships, et cetera, instead of the main mysterious parts in preparation for future novels. Nothing wrong with it, but I would have loved a quicker reveal when it came to a few things.

*received a copy in exchange for my honest review

Inara Scott's "Young Adult" novel, a mixture of coming-of-age tale, romance, and mystery, offers us a likeable teenage heroine, Dancia, who is gentle but not easily cowed. She finds herself inadvertently exercising a kind of violent telekinesis on those who mean harm to the vulnerable, but she's unsettled by the consequences of her astonishing power. Devoted to her elderly guardian-grandmother, with whom she lives in a dull and economically depressed northwestern suburb, she is self-effacing but resourceful, and pretty but doubtful of her attractiveness to the opposite sex. Dancia has a strong desire to "do the right thing," though (true-to-life), it is not always absolutely clear what "the right thing" is. Feeling at the mercy of powerful inner impulses, which she neither fully understands nor controls, she is like many a young (and not so young) person who wants to harness her (or his) true potential to make a positive difference in the world. The book's setting (an unusual private school) and plot might initially recall Rowling's Harry Potter books, but while Delcroix Academy, Book One: The Candidates capitalizes on the fantasy of empowerment which has made the Rowling books attractive to both "young adult" and adult readers, Inara Scott's novel dares to go further, raising ethical questions -- in a subtle, non-moralizing way -- about means and ends.

I absolutely loved Delcroix Academy and what it could lead to in future books. Books that I seriously dying to read already. The Candidates is a very exciting start to a potentially mind-blowing series.

I loved the idea of what a candidate is - the abilities and what they mean for not just the school, but everyone in the world. I really loved The Candidates, but I would have liked it much more if the secret of the school had been brought up sooner in the book. The mystery behind the school's real purpose was introduced and the resolution quickly followed. It was almost back to back - question then answer. Dancia barely had time to wonder what was going on before she learned the truth.

The Candidates begins the series with an interesting love triangle. Dancia has to chose between a good guy who might be bad and a bad guy who might be good. How does one make that kind of choice? The possible futures and motives of each of the guys comes into question numerous times and there really doesn't seem to be any good way to chose between them.

The Candidates had a great message about accepting yourself completely, no matter how different you seem than everyone else. Dancia,the main character, is a 14 year old high school freshman. I feared The Candidates would feel much too young for me. While some of the dating stuff did feel very young, the boarding school environment and many characters with genius level intelligence helped to make the story become more mature and relatable.

The Candidates was seriously cool and shows great potential for starting a positively addictive series. It had a couple of flaws, but it definitely seems to be on the right track in general, especially given how many times I've felt the need to use the word love while writing this review. The Candidates has a vague X-Men feel, but on a uniquely grander scale and I can't wait to read more.

This was a great book to read over Christmas. It wasn't that long and it wasn't gloomy. It was an interesting mystery. First it took place at a boarding school for "special" kids. Blend into the woodwork Dancia is not sure why she's at the Delcroix Academy. But everyone seems to think she belongs there. And for the first time in her life, she's got friends. I loved the friends. Two very solid, very thoughtful and good friends. Hennie and Esther, unique names for some very unique but loyal friends. No real mean girls in this one except for Dancia's roommate, Catherine. Not Cathy or Cat. Catherine. Yeah she's uptight. But she's more of a control freak and lonely than anything else. That was my impression anyway.

The school is unique. The selection of courses is vast and electives are varied-until you find what you're "special" at, you take all kinds of things. Dancia finds that she is not" special" in public speaking nor pottery. But she is good at attracting the attention of the resident bad boy, Jack who keeps telling her there is some kind of conspiracy going on at the school. The locked gates bother him. They, the kids at the school, are told it's to keep anyone undesirable out, but Jack thinks it's to keep them in and he shows Dancia some pretty good evidence that makes her question what she's been told.

But she's also got the attention of the hottest guy on campus, the boy that came to her house to recruit her to come to Delcroix. He goes out of his way to pay attention to her and make her feel special. Now, as I read it, I had my doubts. Dancia is 15 and he's probably 17. What does a junior want with a 9th grader? I was suspect of his motives and what he wanted from her (not that!). But Dancia, being 15, doesn't question his attention to her. She thinks Cam's attraction to her is believable. When I told my husband about this part he nicknamed him Scam and I can't get past calling him that. Anyway, Dancia has to sort out who to believe and who can be trusted and the answer is surprising. And what Delcroix is really all about, besides producing senators, and famous painters and actors and ambassadors, is well, one of my favorite things- something paranormal.

This was a quick read but left a lot to think about. I'm glad there is another book coming out soon so I can see what else goes on at Delcroix! Oh and Dancia finds out what she's "special" at. This book is appropriate for older MG and any YA reader who like paranormal reads with romance.