Ryan HammondBesprekingen

If you think school is hard, you haven't seen the Villains Academy, yet.

It's Bram's first day at the Villains Academy, and he's ready to give his best...if he felt like a villain, but he doesn't. Bram isn't sure he has a villainous bone in his body, and the teachers are noticing that, too. Everything he does ends up as a fail, and the other students make fun of him as well. When the teacher declares a group project and divides everyone up, no one is thrilled to have Bram as a teammate. Then, the Furyflumps are stolen, and the teacher blames Bram...for no real reason! Soon Bram has two strikes against him. With the third, he'll be out. Somehow he has to find his inner-villain, or he'll end up back at home and have a lot of explaining to do.

This is a fun, school drama about bullying and not fitting in, but in a very different way. Bram is a werewolf, and his hopeful-villain classmates include everything from witches to lions to toads to ghosts and more. It's a very original mix, which lets imagination fly. There is magic, but only a smidgen since villains come in all types with a huge variety of talents. Instead, it's the competitive aspect with its problems, which drive this tale forward. It's entertaining to see what the teachers expect villains to learn. Not only does it bring in more humor, but the contradictions bring a little food for thought.

The book fits well to those readers, who are sure of their words but aren't quite ready for heavier reads. The text is presented in a larger font with larger spacing for easy reading. Every two-page spread holds an illustration, which not only breaks up the text but also adds to the story and atmosphere. The tale flows quickly as there are many surprises, sticky situations, and lots of humor woven in. And there are enough emotional snippets to add depth and let the characters shine.

At the very end, there's a how-to-sketch featuring the main character, which is a nice touch. But then, this is a lovely read, in general, and a solid launch to a new series, which promises tons of friendship, adventure and fun to come. I received an ARC and found it to be an enjoyable read.