Customer Reviews

Wuthering High: A Bard Academy Novel

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After Miranda Tate wrecks her father's BMW and maxes out her stepmother's credit card, she is sent to Bard Academy, a boarding school on Shipwreck Island, Maine. With its Gothic setting, Bard Academy could be straight out of one of the classic novels to which Cara Lockwood is indebted: Wuthering Heights, Dracula, and Frankenstein.

Lockwood's villains are characters from these and other novels, but the main antagonist in Wuthering High is the ghost of a famous nineteenth-century author. Indeed, the school is run by the ghosts of writers who died before their time--Charlotte Bronte, Virginia Woolf, and Ernest Hemingway, to name a few. And the antagonist seeks to bring her book to life, even if it means destroying the world.

But Miranda has other ideas. An average fifteen-year old, Miranda is concerned with fashion and boys, but she's also able to transcend these preoccupations. She doesn't wallow in self pity over her worthless dad, nor does she give in to despair while stuck in what amounts to a prison. She also refuses to compete with other girls even when it means giving up the guy of her dreams.

Miranda is a strong, likeable character, brushing the dust off every time she goes down (which is quite often). She's a much-needed hero for girls stuck on the likes of Paris Hilton.

The book is heavy on pop culture references and stereotypes, although Lockwood will have more chances to add some dimension to Miranda's rather flat sidekicks. (Wuthering High is the first of a series.) It's the literary references, however, that are the biggest disappointment. With the exception of Heathcliff, Lockwood's villains have none of the complexity of their original forms, and the dead writers do not fully reflect the realities of their lives. Still, the bookhas a fast pace and an interesting plot. And what bibliophile can resist the idea of a meek writer coming back to destroy the world?

Overall, though, it's Miranda who will satisfy readers, for she's far more than her namesake from The Tempest.

Armchair Interviews says: Interesting approach that mixes modern-day writing with the work of literary geniuses.

Well, I always saw this book on the shelves and it looked pretty interesting so I got it one day. Wow, I'm totally glad I did. This book suddenly gave me a craving for classics- you guessed it.."Wuthering Heights." The book kept me captivated EVERY step of the way. I wanted more and was satisfied. It made me giggle like crazy at different scenes. The action or conflicts made it a fun and delicious read. Read the sequel "The Scarlet Letterman" too! The story was just as good as the first.

I think Cara Lockwood captures the dialog of teenagers very well. The book was suspenseful and kept me up reading till the very end. Then I didn't want it to end. Awesome romance with 2 'to die for' heroes. Fashion references were fun. It was a really entertaining book and subtly pointed out that many good literature have dramatic plots that would greatly interest teenagers.

WUTHERING HIGH is a novel by Cara Lockwood published by MTV Books, and I must say, the MTV Books are certainly much better than readers might expect from a name known mostly for reality television. In fact, these books are fabulous, no matter what you're expecting, and Cara Lockwood's story is no exception. In WUTHERING HIGH, Miranda Tate is a spoiled but still likeable character who, after a few mistakes involving her Dad's car and stepmother's credit card, is sent off to Bard Academy, a boarding school for misbehaving teenagers.

At Bard Academy, a few things happen that Miranda didn't exactly expect from what she thinks she knows about reform schools. She's having terrifying nightmares involving Kate Shaw, a girl who went missing from the school fifteen years earlier. When she tries to escape through the woods, she finds herself going in circles. One of her teachers, Ms. W., always leaves wet footprints. As if those little oddities aren't odd enough, there are some eerie coincidences concerning classics such as Dracula (Signet Classics), Jane Eyre (Signet Classics), and Wuthering Heights (Bantam Classics). For instance, there's Heathcliff, remarkably similar to the character in Wuthering Heights (Bantam Classics), who seems to think that Miranda is really Cathy, another character from the novel. Something weird is most certainly going on, and Miranda and her new friends Hana, Samir, and Blade have to find out what it is--fast.

This is a book that is definitely worth reading! Ms. Lockwood's characters are interesting, well done, and realistic, and readers will be able to relate to Miranda's situations with her parents and friends (although perhaps not teachers). The character of Miranda also shows realistic character development instead of being the same slightly bratty fifteen-year-old throughout the book. Aside from her great characters, the story in WUTHERING HIGH is entertaining and original. It's better than just another overused idea with a few differences in details and characters. This novel is one that will keep readers hooked from the very first page to the end, and eagerly awaiting the next novel from Cara Lockwood about Bard Academy.

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

After fifteen-year-old Miranda uses her stepmother's credit cards for a "little" shopping spree and takes her father's car for a spin that ends in a "minor" accident, she's unceremoniously shipped off to Bard Academy, a school for troubled teens. Miranda notices right away that things at Bard are a bit off. All the teachers go by initials only -- Mrs. B and Mrs. W, for example. None of them are ever seen eating or sleeping, and Mrs. W always leaves mysterious wet footprints. The first student she meets there is a tall, dark guy named Heathcliff who can't read, thinks her name is Cathy, and is intent on helping her. There's also the rumor that a student disappeared bloodily into the woods sixteen years earlier. As if things aren't complicated enough, the cutest boy from Miranda's old school comes to Bard, and is casting plenty of attention her way. Does Miranda have time for dating and ghostbusting? She's about to find out. Suspenseful, chilling, and excellently written, this book will have you looking at old classics in a new light.

Having enjoyed Cara Lockwood's other books, I got exactly what I expected out of this book - a fun read.

Miranda is sent away to a strange boarding school for being a problem child and she makes a few friends there despite the overwhelming number of oddballs. She begins to have strange dreams and tries to dig deeper into the disappearance of a former student at the school.

The dialogue is dead-on for teenagers and so are the reactions to situations. So much of the tale is reminiscent of classic novels, such as Jane Eyre and (duh) Wuthering Heights, and it makes you want to read those novels too so you can pick up even more from this book.

The only complaint I have is that there is quite a lot of brand name dropping - nothing is referred to as just shoes or just jewelery but instead as Juicy Couture jewelry or something similar. That sort of held up my reading at times, but hopefully there won't be as much of that in the next book.

I'd definitely recommend this to people looking for a quick, fun read aimed at teens but enjoyable for adults as well. I'm looking forward to the sequel!

After maxing out her hated step-mother's credit card and stealing and crashing her father's BMW, both her mother and dad decide to send her to a school that deals with behavior problems. Bard Academy, located on Nowheresville Island off Maine is a dark and foreboding place, gothic architecture with gargoyles on every buildings give it a creepy atmosphere. Miranda knows she is going to hate it when she meets her roommate who has pictures of Satan on her wall and believes in vampires.

Strange things happen in Bard Academy starting with the light turning on in her closet with her and her roommate in their beds. A boy name Heathcliffe is fixated on her and calls her Cathy and rescue hers whenever a fire breaks out which happens when she hears a cackling laugh. Her school counselor is always wearing wet clothes and drips water wherever she goes. When Miranda learns the truth about what is happening at the school, she and her friends find themselves in danger.

Miranda is angry at her father for abandoning her mother and marrying a bimbo nine years older than she is. Her misbehavior is a way to gain attention from her father who ignores her. The lessons at Bard Academy help her accept her life as it is not as she would like it to be. She also learns that the only person she can change is herself. Cara Lockwood has written a charming fantasy that sends important messages to teens who will understand them because Miranda, using asides, explains them to herself. This reviewer would love to see a sequel to WUTHERING HIGH.

Harriet Klausner

This book was a very good read. The wording is very easy and makes this a good book for teens. It is nothing like Wuthering Heights and Heathcliff is much gentler in this book.

This story has earned an eternal place on my book shelf, and I plan on reading it again soon.
The very first sentence drew me in, and the following paragraphs drew me in even further, until I was completely immersed in the story. Heathcliff was a beautiful character, and Miranda was the party of the book--extremely teenage-ish and funny.
The only disappointment that I had, however, was the lack of depth in most of the characters. I really only got to know Miranda, and I would very much like for the author to delve deeply into each character and bring them out. Hopefully she will do so in the following novels.
Altogether, a satisfying, fun read.

My Thoughts: I loved the first two Bard Academy novels. Still need to get my hands on the third one. I really enjoyed Wuthering High. I liked the concept that all the troubled kids go to this school made especially for them.Didn't have to worry about fitting in too much since everyone is there because they have gotten into trouble. I liked Miranda and her friends very much. I especially liked Heathcliff. He was mysterious and we never really knew what was going on with him or what he was thinking. Ryan was a major jock and of course Miranda was in love with him. He's the guy every girl wants but nobody thinks they are good enough to have. I also liked her roommate. This was a thin lightweight fun read. Only took a few hours but still enjoyed it very much!

Overall: I enjoyed it, never knew it existed until a few weeks ago. I picked the first and second book up and read them both quickly.

Cover: Its a cute cover. A little plain but just the right amount to be enjoyable.

(Reviewed by Princess Bookie)