I have received an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher.

I have really loved Hood Academy. Its the first book I read from Shelley Wilson and I'm really not disapointed.

The story about Mia, who's father just got murdered. Her uncle now the one who take care of her and take her to Hood Academy, a school that hidden deep in the forest and will learn that werewolves really exist.

I was hook from the start by this story and could barely put it down.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hood Academy starts in the aftermath of an attack that killed Mia’s father. Why we wouldn’t start the story a few minutes earlier I’m not sure, but the impossible has happened: Mia’s abusive father has been killed by a werewolf right in front of her.

Mia’s absentee uncle Sebastian shows up to take her to the mysterious and titular Hood Academy where she will be trained to fight werewolves.

The story reads a bit like a SyFy movie, but it’s definitely not the worst werewolf book I’ve ever read.

One of my main complaints about the story was the rivalry between Mia and Felicity. I don’t think society needs to keep perpetuating the mindset of pitting girls against one another. Mia and Felicity could have been kindred spirits in some respects regarding their terrible father figures, but this isn’t explored in favor of the girls trying to kill one another. Felicity, also referred to as “the redhead” and “that bitch,” is a bully to Mia. Eventually Mia snaps and beats her to a bloody pulp not once but several times. For some reason, this is explained away because Mia suffered physical abuse at the hands of her father. That didn’t sit well with me. Someone who is abused does not get a free pass to abuse someone else no matter the provocation.

Almost everyone in the story seemed to know Mia was being physically abused by her father for years and no one did a damn thing about it. Sadly, this is probably very realistic as society is content to look the other way on domestic violence cases, but this still annoyed me in the story. Werewolf or human, they all failed Mia when it mattered.

Felicity becomes increasingly cartoonish in her quest to destroy Mia and everything she cares about. Whereas the first half of the book hinted at Felicity having a tumultuous relationship with her father, they’ve put that behind them in the second half to cackle and twirl their mustaches.

In the second half of the book, Mia and her friends and family have to stop a nationwide coverup of offering werewolves a cure only to poison them. The werewolves don’t ask for proof that the cure works before giving it to their children and most of the children die.

I think this must have been two separate books at one point because the second half had a lot of unnecessary recap. Ultimately it was an alright read but I was hoping for a fresh werewolf book and this felt like something I could have read years ago when vampires and werewolves were in their prime.

Mia's mother is dead, her brother missing, and her father physically violent. When her father is murdered in front of her, her estranged uncle takes custody of her and brings her to Hood Academy. A different type of school where he is the headmaster. There she makes friends, enemies and learns the secrets about werewolves, hunters, and secrets in her life.

This story had me hooked from the first chapter and kept me wanting more. Shelley Wilson does an amazing job of holding the reader's attention and keeping you on the edge of your seat. I felt like this story took werewolves and hunter's into a different light, and it was entertaining to see a different take and view point on them.

An interesting take on the supernatural/werewolf genre, Whilst I felt that more time could have been taken on building up the story of the factions and the Academy, this was still an enjoyable read and I liked that the friendship and family theme was more important than romance,

I enjoyed this book, I like how it's not a typical werewolf book. It's fast paced and will keep you turning the pages.

I got this book free from netgalley for an honest review. I found the start slow but as the story progressed it was good and highly recommend this book.

I was highly anticipating the release of Hood Academy, since I’ve always been a fan of strong female leads. From the description, I immediately gathered Mia would either become a werewolf or a hunter, which sounded like a shoe in.

Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed with the character development. The friends, enemies, and love interest are all revealed instantaneously. Even though Mia was abused mercilessly by her father and abandoned by her brother, she immediately trusts Elizabeth, Adam, and Cody. Considering the tragedies she has been through, these developments felt unnatural.

Everything about the story felt rushed. Her father passes away, her estranged uncle shows up, she's sent to a new school, immediately makes a best friend, is picked on by the popular girl, falls in love, the list goes on...

Hood Academy had enough "plot twists" for an entire series. Although the premise was interesting, I was disappointed by the execution. Rather than cramming so many plot points into one book, I wish the secrets were revealed gradually and in a way that encouraged the reader to care for its characters rather than pity them.

I haven't read a werewolf book for a while, so this was fun. After Mia sees her dad killed by a wolf, her mysterious uncle shows up to bring her to Hood Academy, which teaches girls to become werewolf hunters. Then Mia meets a boy in the woods who tells her that werewolves aren't as evil as she's been taught and she begins to question everything.
I liked the premise and the way the werewolves were explained. It was less magic and more science and nature, which is cool. I also thought Mia was a good main character who cared about her friends and was pretty fierce. Elizabeth was actually my favorite character. She loved Adam and was Mia's best friend and she risked herself constantly to help Mia figure out what was happening. She wasn't afraid of the werewolves and was so accepting of everyone.
The downfalls were that the plot moved too fast, so the characters didn't develop as much as I wanted and the plot was a bit too crazy and all over the place. I think we could have slowed down a bit for more world building and explanations about the werewolves.
I did enjoy this book and I think readers will like the strong females and fun plot.

Overall, I'd say this book was okay. Just okay. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. It was kind of just eh. It didn't keep me wanting to pick it up to read and see what happened next. I didn't really care about the "conspiracy" going on. I just didn't really care. I'm sure there will be those who really enjoy the story but it just wasn't for me. I probably won't continue with future books. I gave this book three stars.

Shockingly I really enjoyed this book. I walked into it expecting a cliche werewolf/hunter and got so much more. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot but felt as if the author could have character build a bit more. I also felt like sometimes this plot was a little all over the place and the author did skip about. Also it was a good yet cheesy read! Overall I did enjoy this book and do recommend everyone give it a shot!

So I'm just going to say that right from the get go I wasn't really a fan of the plotline. I felt like it was a bit too horrific for a beginning and it only got more and more worse for me as it went on. It was a struggle to get through. I'm really sorry to say that because I was really looking forward to a great story. Thanks for the opportunity to review it anyways. 2/5 stars.

Hood Academy is not like any other werewolf book I've read the main female role and the alpha male do not end up becoming mates, and there are few twists and turns in the book but I wished there was more of thrill and action. While this is a decent book I would put it in the category of "one and done" will probably on read this book once in my life. Don't let this review discourage you it is a decent book and a quick read.

I decided I wanted to read this book after reading the BHC Press sampler 2019. It had the first few chapters this book among quite a collection of other titles too. This is the one book from the sampler that really stood out to me and made me want to read it. In fact, after reading the sample chapters it made this book a “must read”!

The book has quite a shocking beginning with the main character of Mia Roberts witnessing the murder of her father by a werewolf! With her mother being killed in a car accident years before Mia is in a desperate state as she has no contact details for her brother Zak. Then just as it seems that Mia will have to be placed in social care, her Uncle Dr Sebastian Roberts arrives to take her back to his home and school the Hood Academy For Gifted Young Girls. Mia accepts she has to go with her Uncle and thinks it can’t be as bad as the daily abuse she has suffered at the hands of her father over the years. Also she has every intention of finding her brother Zak. When Zak had left all those years before he had promised to return for her, and she wanted to know where he was now and why he hadn’t kept his promise.

Upon arrival at Hood Academy Mia thinks she is being dumped at some boarding school however her Uncle explains he is the headmaster and the school will train her to be a hunter. Apparently to be a hunter you have to have seen a werewolf which Mia has. There is an old legend which says for every werewolf born there is a hunter born. Mia’s Uncle Sebastian says if she really hates the school, he can sort it out for her to go to the local school in Ravenshood. The book continues with Mia being taught the origins of the school and the history between the hunters and werewolves. Things don’t sit right with Mia and she runs off into the woods and comes across a cliff area where she sits looking at the view. It’s in this beautiful, relaxing place where she meets a young boy around her age who has the most startling blue eyes she has ever seen. Mia ends up becoming quite close to Cody. Mia also becomes surrounded by werewolves at one point too, though they show no signs at all of attacking her like she has been led to believe they would by what she is being taught at the Academy. Of course, like at most schools, there’s a mean girl and her side kicks. In this book it is Felicity Parker and her friends that take an instant dislike to Mia, and enjoy making her life difficult at every opportunity. It does seem at times that Sebastian favours Felicity if there is any sort of disagreement. Though it is revealed why, later in the book when her father is revealed to have been “calling the shots” for some time.

My favourite character relationships in the book were of course Mia and Elizabeth/Lizzie who become instant friends and support each other whenever possible even if it means going against all you have been taught on a few occasions for Lizzie. The next character relationship I liked was Lizzie and Adam. Adam is the grounds man at the Academy and their relationship has to be kept low key as if revealed it could mean Adam losing his job and/or Lizzie being dismissed from the Academy.

I also loved the tutor/pupil relationship that Miss Ross has with Mia and Lizzie. When it is revealed that Miss Ross knew Mia’s mum it brings them even closer. There were other character relationships, between Mia & her boyfriend that were really sweet. They start of with secrets and then all is revealed and no matter what they have to fight for each other they will. I am not revealing Mia’s boyfriend name as I think it could be a bit of a spoiler. I could go on as there really were some great character relationships within this book. Favourite characters were Mia, Lizzie, Adam, Cody, Zak, and Miss Ross. Mia has some seriously difficult decisions to make in this book. From who to trust, to what to do with information she finds out in files in Sebastian's office. Mia also has to get used to her big brother being back in her life, telling her what to do. Zak has changed a lot since he left his home and Mia. He is now the Alpha of the Ravenshood pack. Mia does realise eventually that though Zak was not physically present, he was always thinking about her and did have contact with people checking on her every now and then. IT takes a while of Zak to get used to the fact his little sister is no longer the timid little girl he left behind all those years ago. Mia soon puts her brother in his place when he expresses his dislike over her choice of boyfriend. I also immediately loved the character of Ari, a youngster who has been given an illegal, unproven injection that could kill her. I thought the friendship between her and Mia was brilliant. Though Ari is very young she is a great help to Mia in the book. Characters I loved to hate were Felicity, her sidekicks and her father, and on some occasions in the book Sebastian.

I absolutely adored reading this book, it was action packed from the beginning to the end! I also loved all the background and history of the Academy and the Werewolves. The serum development and its possible affects were also interesting. I thought the change of Oath was a great touch in the book and it would be great if this book was the beginning of a series, although I don’t know what would come next. I love shifter books and this one is up there with some of the best I have read. I would compare it to the Knight Academy by Emerald Barnes. Though Knights Academy is not just hunters & shifters, as it has other supernatural beings in it.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that it was an Amazing, I have to say I loved every word from beginning to end. I just really, really hope that there's going to be more from the Hood Academy, and the Ravenshood pack.

So, to sum up, Hood Academy is a great shifter book, and I would love more of it! I have not just discovered a possibly fantastic series but an author that is new to me too.

Wow!!!! I was NOT expecting this book. Sure, there are werewolves and hunters, but this was so much more than that.

You will be 100% pulled in to this book within the first few pages read. By the end of the first act, you’ll be completely compelled, turning the pages, and bitting your nails.

Mia has been living a nightmare for years and it all comes to a screeching halt in a matter of minutes. Or has one nightmare ended and another begun?

When Mia’s uncle took her to his school, there were a lot of questions that needed answering. It only takes a few days to realize that the school isn’t exactly what it appears and secrets run deeper than she originally thought. Add in the fact that the individuals she’s supposed to NOT trust are making the most sense and her life couldn’t be more confusing. Thankfully she’s made a couple of amazing friends who help her sort out right from wrong.

This book was GREAT! Between the drama, love interest and paranormal elements, I was hooked. I was a bit surprised to see that this was originally released last year. So I’m not sure if this is a re-write, different publisher or gearing up for a second book, making it a series. But if it’s becoming a series, sign me up!!!! I need more!!!!

This is unlike any werewolf book I've read before (in a good way). The narration and setting are on point.

I was drawn to Hood Academy by two things: werewolves + boarding school, two things I like in a book. Rather than being a school for werewolves, it is actually a school for werewolf hunters. Mia is taken to live there by her uncle Sebastian after her father is killed by a werewolf.

I didn’t think much of the world-building as it was a little confusing who we were supposed to be rooting for, besides the main characters. The werewolves didn’t seem to be posing a major threat which would suggest the hunters are not needed. I also didn’t understand why there was a pack of werewolves living so close to a school that trained werewolf hunters.

The romance between Mia and Cody, a boy she meets in the woods and immediately trusts, was completely underdeveloped and the book would have been better off if it had just been left out entirely. In fact, the friendships in general were underdeveloped. They seemed to happen instantly even though Mia seemed like she would be slow to trust people.

However I did really enjoy reading this. I liked the characters and the setting. I thought it was an engaging plot and I found myself racing through the book.

Originally published as two separate stories ‘Oath Breaker’ and ‘Oath Keeper’, these would have been better kept separate and fleshed out by developing the relationships more.

I started out really liking this book. It was fun, full of intrigue and werewolves, and other magical things. But, I got to the point about 3/4 of the way through the book that I couldn't listen to Mia's self absorbed, whiny self anymore. It reminded me of why I gave up on the Twilight books early on. too much selfish teen age girl angst. Perhaps, I just don't enjoy first person books, because I longed for another point of view. But, if you don't mind hearing that type of voice, you should really enjoy this book, the premise is great.

This wasn’t a book I would normally pick up, but it made me want to broaden my reading genres. I felt like it was easy to figure out, but it was a fun quick read and I enjoyed it. Wolves of any type fascinate me.

Wow, that was quite dark if you ask a personal opinion. But I enjoyed it more than I actually thought!

Hood Academy is an addictive, atmospheric story that grabs that reader from the first page and doesn’t let go. I was pulled into this seaming dreary story of a girl who survives an unbelievable tragedy only to get trust into a new and different world. Our heroine finds herself at an academy where she will learn all there is to know about fighting, surviving and… supernatural creatures. I enjoyed how the story evolved and the characters developed. I really enjoyed this journey of life and self-discovery.

I liked the way the author built the story and how I learned things at the same time as the character. The story has both an amazing plot (with a lot of conflicts and passion) but also solid and well-built characters. I enjoyed the world this author created. Her versions of werewolves are awesome and complete. The author was detailed in the story (at times to a fault) but it made the story that much more rich and I loved how I could feel the transition from human to wolf. I will be reading more from this author and I hope that she continues this world for more adventures. I received an ARC vis NetGalley and I am leaving an honest review.

#NetGalley #HoodAcademy