The TBR Back Burner Challenge: Round 9 Reviews

Since it's September and thus the start of a new school year I thought I'd kick it off with a series about a boarding school! Truth be told, I loves me a good boarding school story. I would probably feel a lot differently if I actually had to attend a boarding school but alas I was "poor" growing up and so I was shipped off to public school which isn't nearly as glamorous as I imagine boarding school to be. But we did have awesome foot-long hot dogs every few weeks! Do boarding schools have foot-long hot dogs? I like to think they don't. So yay public school for your long ass hot dogs! Anyway, here are my reviews for Cara Lockwood's Bard Academy series.   

EvilEva reviews...... Wuthering High by Cara Lockwood.

 
After crashing her dad's car and stealing her stepmom's credit cards, Miranda Tate is shipped off to Bard Academy, a boarding school for unruly teenagers.
Miranda so does not belong with these freaks, goths and other assorted delinquents. But she tries to make the best of it, you know, since she has no other choice.
But there's something very off about Bard.
There's a strange boy named Heathcliff who thinks he hails from Wuthering Heights and is semi-stalking Miranda, an occult-crazed roommate who swears a vampire is on the loose, a ghost story about a girl that disappeared in the woods that might actually be true, a group of very suspicious teachers, a crazy woman that starts fires, AND Miranda's crush from her old high school!
So yeah, something is definitely off. And even stranger, Miranda seems to be at the center of the off-ness which could put her in grave danger. But what's the connection between Miranda and this bizarre boarding school? And can she figure it out before it's too late?

This book is extremely crazyballs. There's just so much going on.
There's, of course, Miranda and her trials and tribulations, trying to survive in this new place in which she feels doesn't belong.
Add to that a nutty roommate, an oddball creepster, weird teachers, an arsonist, a ghost, a hot crush, daddy issues and dish duty and you get a whole lotta subplots. Maybe too many, especially considering there are two other Bard Academy books. 
As a main character, Miranda is semi-spoiled but she's not so bratty that it makes her unreadable or unlikable. She's got a snappy Juno-esque quality about her. And she has a few witty one-liners that made me laugh.
She also unconsciously forms her own Scooby gang courtesy of friends Hana, Samir and Blade. I liked their crew and wouldn't mind getting mixed up in a caper with them. Miranda's also lucky-ducky enough to have two guys vying for her attention. There's Ryan Kent, her crush from her previous high school who's got a secret of his own (mysteriously dead girlfriend, anyone?) And then there's Heathcliff, the strong silent type that always seems to be saving Miranda in one way or another. Oh and he might also be a fictional character come to life.
Bwhaaaaaaa?!?! Yeah, the premise of this book is kinda cray cray. And it's not what we're used to from Cara Lockwood but it's not complete suckage. It's a fun, light read that might just spur you to get interested in the classics.
My only complaint would be the last few chapters. It was like there were so many storylines and the author was trying to wrap all of them up at once. It felt kinda rushed to me. But, other than that, a fun, light read.
Now on to the next!

The Scale of Judgment says...... 3.

WARNING!

This is the second book in the series so this review may contain a few spoilers.

EvilEva reviews...... The Scarlet Letterman by Cara Lockwood.

Miranda & Co. are back for a second semester at Bard Academy, a boarding school for delinquents run by the ghosts of famous authors.
But if Miranda thought it was just gonna be sexytimes with her new boyfriend, the Ryan Kent, and fun with her besties, well, she's got another think coming.
Two teachers have mysteriously disappeared and Miranda's the main suspect! Now she's being shunned by the whole school and even worse, forced to wear a hideous red sweater vest of shame!
Can she prove her innocence, unmask the Hooded Sweatshirt Stalker, fight off A TIGER, find out if Heathcliff is still hanging around and keep Parker Rodham from stealing her boyfriend?
It's just another normal day at Bard Academy.

Mysteries abound yet again at Bard and Miranda and her friends seem to be the only ones who can solve them.
Coach H and Ms. W have vanished (Wait. Didn't they "vanish" in the last book too? Yes. Apparently out of the entire staff of Bard Academy, Coach H and Ms. W are the only ones that are kidnap-worthy.) Miranda becomes the prime suspect for, if you ask me, very stupid reasons.
Anyhoosies, much like the books semi-namesake, Miranda gets Hester Prynned. She has to wear a fugly red vest, she can't talk to anyone and no one is supposed to talk to her. But this shows the awesomeness that is Blade and Hana because they find a clever way to communicate with Miranda that is so very Nancy Drew. Their characters got more face time in this book and I'm glad because I needed them to balance out Miranda's wishy-washiness in the great debate of Ryan vs. Heathcliff. I mean, one is a basketball star and the other is a FICTIONAL CHARACTER, for Vaughn's sake! The answer should be fairly clear. Not that I myself don't loves me some fictional boys but I wouldn't pick them over a living, breathing, very much into me hot tottie. I may be nerdy but I ain't that nerdy. So Miranda kinda got on my nerves with that bullshizz.
The Scarlet Letterman is packed with just as much crazy business as Wuthering High. Again, maybe a little too much crazy.
There's the missing teachers, a campus shover, The Scarlet Vest Of Shame, boyfriend troubles, a shunning, Heathcliff, magical drawings and a motherfucking tiger!
So a lot going on.
These books aren't bad, they're just not up to snuff. And I'm a big fan of Cara Lockwood so I know her snuff is better than this.

The Scale of Judgment says...... 3.

Since the TBR Challenge is two books per month, I'll be reviewing the third and final book in the Bard series separately. So check back for my review of Moby Clique: coming soon.