A review by tessa_talks_books
An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

4.5

One-word review:  Immersive

Emojis: 🤔🤐🥰😱

Rating: 4.5 🌟s

Tropes:

• Dark Academia
• Forbidden love
• Rivalry

Favorite Quote: “We’re not good people, Lennon.  None of us. Not you…Good people don’t wield power like this. We’re all dangerous. You should know that by now.”

My Top-Five-style Review:

5. The romance in this novel is a captivating experience. It kept me on my toes, constantly oscillating between feeling destined and feeling like it was never meant to be. The amount of back-and-forth was truly dizzying!

4. The pacing and thrills in this novel are relentless, keeping you on the edge of your seat.  I found myself unable to put it down, even in the dentist's office (for which I do not apologize! Especially since I hope the dental assistant who loves fantasy and stopped to talk to me about it - reads it 😀). The unexpected twists and turns kept me hooked.

3. The only aspect that gave me pause was how Lennon Carter (FMC) would struggle with different skills and couldn't even do them a little bit. Then, a chapter later - suddenly, I had mastered the skill with no in-between progression.  This happened more than once and threatened to pull me out of my suspended disbelief each time.

2. The setting of this novel is truly fascinating. As someone who is very familiar with Savannah, Georgia, I was captivated by the idea of a street block in the old town center taken out of time and space. The setting added an intriguing element to the story that I couldn't get enough of.

1. The moral grayness of this novel is a standout feature for me. The academy, the characters, the title, and even the story itself all exist in a morally gray area, and it's incredibly compelling.  There's nothing more complex than moral ambiguity, and I absolutely adored the moral grayness of it all.