The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy [Hardcover]

Nikki Loftin (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 21, 2012 | Age Range: 8 and up

Spooky twists and soaring prose make this foodie update on Hansel and Gretel an unforgettable must-read

Lorelei is bowled over by Splendid Academy--Principal Trapp encourages the students to run in the hallways, the classrooms are stocked with candy dishes, and the cafeteria serves lavish meals featuring all Lorelei's favorite foods. But the more time she spends at school, the more suspicious she becomes. Why are her classmates growing so chubby? And why do the teachers seem so sinister?

It's up to Lorelei and her new friend Andrew to figure out what secret this supposedly splendid school is hiding. What they discover chills their bones--and might even pick them clean!

Mix one part magic, one part mystery, and just a dash of Grimm, and you've got the recipe for a cozy-creepy read that kids will gobble up like candy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A mesmerizing read...a fantasy that feels simultaneously classic and new."--Publishers Weekly

"An irresistible contemporary fairy tale...Deliciously scary and satisfying."--Kirkus

About the Author

Nikki Loftin is a writer and native Texan who lives just outside Austin, Texas, with her two boys, two dogs, nine chickens, and one very patient husband. The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy is her first novel.

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill; 1 edition (August 21, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595145087
• ISBN-13: 978-1595145086
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #616,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nikki Loftin lives with her Scottish photographer husband just outside Austin, Texas, surrounded by dogs, chickens, and small, loud boys. Her first middle-grade novel, The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy was published on August 21, 2012.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A FANTASTIC BOOK FOR KIDS! August 21, 2012

By P. J. Hoover

Format:Hardcover

I'll admit I've been in a bit of a slump when it comes to middle grade reading. Maybe I've gotten pickier? Maybe I just haven't found the right books? But when I managed to snag an ARC of fellow-Austinite Nikki Loftin's debut novel, I started it and fell absolutely in love! And as it turns out, today is Nikki's release day, so please help me offer up congratulations for her and her amazing novel!

THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY by Nikki Loftin (Razorbill , August 21, 2012)

Five quick things about THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY:

1) It's middle grade. And even though I've mentioned I've had a hard time recently finding books I love in this category, this one completely proved me wrong. The funniest thing is that about a year ago Nikki and I were having just this conversation...about how finding middle grade that really hooks the reader is hard. And Nikki said, "wait for my book."
I love that she was right!

2) It's a Hansel & Gretel retelling set in today's world. And with this retelling and the many references to food in the novel, I will be thinking about eating sticks of butter and crab shells forever. But in a good way :)

3) It's creepy and cool and clever and unique. Truly, this novel takes a story from ages ago, sets it in our world, not at a boarding school, with parents around and everything, and makes it such a treat to read.

4) Don't let the title scare you. It took me many a try to remember even what it was.

5) It's amazing! A fun read that will keep you turning pages until the very last minute! And late into the night. And while you are eeking out your last few days of summer at the pool. Grab this book. Read it. And then pass it on to kids you know!

I gobbled this one up just like the kids gobbled food in the story. And I loved every minute of it. Highly recommended for boys and girls (seriously, both will love it), third grade and up.

Source of book: From publisher by request

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes me remember the JOY of reading I had as a kid. November 2, 2012

By Eric Hutchins

Format:Hardcover

No, I normally do not read middle grade, being the middle AGED male that I am. But this wonderful author is a good friend of my (writer) wife who promised me that I would LOVE this book. AND I DID. The story is fast, sharp, and just-twisted-enough that the right-aged reader will feel like they are being let in on a big secret, shhhhhhh "reading is really cool". There are so many things these days that scream for our kids attention and I think it is a scary thing if we dont teach them what it feels like to get lost in a book.
I have had the pleasure of listening to Nikki speak at writing conferences and her book release party and she is hilarious in a wacky off-beat way, THAT voice comes through in The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy, the scenes are so well painted you can smell the food and see the commotion. The dialog is spot on and pulls you right in like a great book should. Instead of spoon-feeding your Middle Grade reader some dusty old "classic", give them a taste of what what it feels like to read something new, something from their time, something that they will tell THEIR kids about when they are trying to convey the joy of reading a good book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid Academy takes a sinister turn December 3, 2012

By Mary Elaine Alexander

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This modern fairy tale takes place in a private school that is too good to be true. Lorelei struggles at home with
a stepmother who isn't fond of her and struggles at school with a former BFF who has abandoned her for the
popular crowd. Her only friend, Andrew, seems to have been singled out by the cruel teacher Ms. Morrigan
for an unusual fate. Lorelei is a very bright girl, but when the teaching staff turns against her, what will be Lorelei's fate?