| Title: The Candidates |  |  |
| Author: Inara Scott | ||
| Genre: Paranormal | ||
| Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; 2011 | ||
| Elements: Boarding school | ||
| Series: Book 1 of the Delcroix Academy series |
I have a thing for books set in boarding schools. The freedom, the strict school rules and the uniforms hit right where my British wannabe heart lives. I have an extra thing for books about people learning more about their potential and not so hidden powers (that got them sent there in the first place), how there are others just like them and how to utilise the powers for the good of mankind. Thing is, with all of these elements in place, I thought I'd love the story.Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that's not just because of her average grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia's mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just...happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to anyone, belieiving this way she can supress her powers and keep them hidden. But when recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy show up in her living room to offer her a full scholarship, Dancia's days of living under the radar may be over. Only, Delcroix is a school for diplomats' kids and child geniuses--not B students with uncontrollable telekinetic tendencies.
So why are they treating Dancia like she's special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make Dancia feel welcome. And then there's her mysterious new friend Jack, who can't stay out of trouble. He suspects something dangerous is going on at the Academy and wants Dancia to help him figure out what. But Dancia isn't convinced. She hopes that maybe the recruiters know more about her "gift" than they're letting on. Maybe they can help her understand how to use it...But not even Dancia could have imagined what awaits her behind the gates of Delcroix Academy.
It was executed well enough. The story was well paced for the most part, except for the ending feeling all too rushed. The mystery of Delcroix unfolded in little bites, alternating nicely with Dancia getting used to school and learning how to make friends. Those were easily some of my favourite parts of the book, with Dancia learning to trust and rely on others. Dancia herself was a good narrator, but at times the dialogue and her inner thoughts seem to reflect that of an older teenager, rather than someone who was fourteen.
It's not the maturity that was the issue. I have no problems with that, and thought it was lovely and understandable, seeing how Dancia took care of her frail grandmother, and thought it wasn't explicitly stated, taking on the role of the sole breadwinner of the family, if they weren't living on social support. Instead, it was the uneven tone of the dialogue. The maturity just seemed false when you take into account how naive she was about... well, everything.
The supporting characters varied from stereotypical (the recruiter and one of the love interests, Cam) to some of the best parts of the book (Hennie, Esther and Jack). Even those I enjoyed. My problem lies with the ending of the book.
It started with this bit of excerpt:
“You may have hidden your gift,” he said, “and you had every reason to do that. But you’ve never hidden yourself. You’ve always been Dancia—tough and funny, absolutely determined, and a fierce protector for those who need you. I admire that a lot. I admire you. You’ve got to believe me.”and ended with the downturn of the climax of the story.
Nothing in the book so far had shown me that she was funny, tough, determined or a fierce protector for anyone, not even herself. Before the moment of the dialogue, there were two events that showed her fighting for others. They were two important events that really pushed off the story, but they were just two events. In the light of everything that had happened before that, there was nothing to show me otherwise. And telling me so is not going to change my mind.
The 'funny' part did, however, cause me to notice when she cracked a joke later on, which was the first joke I ever noticed her making. So unfortunately, instead of being all sweet, the moment fell into 'things Cam would say to persude Dancia to his way.' Which, all things considering, would make a lot of sense. And this paragraph from chapters before really doesn't help Cam's (or the author's, or Dancia's) case.
She pinned me with her gaze. “Now, Dancia, let’s get real. You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re tough, you don’t let anyone push you around—basically, you’re hot, regardless of whether you’re a freshman, and Cam knows it."Mhmmm, Cam knows it all right. I, as the reader, totally did not.
Even then, I kept on reading, because I was so sure, so smug and so sure that I knew what was going to happen that when the ending came, I was appalled and a bit furious. It got an audible "What the-?!" Plot wise, it was good. I like that I didn't expect that to happen.
What I really didn't like was how out of character everyone was. Did the love interests change motivations and personalities right before the ending? While the event that happened right before was instrumental for the climax, there was no justification as to how Dancia jumped to some conclusions that propelled the story along. And as for what happened afterwards... ah, Dancia, you make it hard for me to believe that you're smart.
Underwhelming. I might still read the next book in the series, to see if things are going to turn around.
1 comment(s):
Agreed! I thought I'd like this one more too, but like you said, there were things that just weren't developed. The characters seemed stereotypical, I didn't care for the love triangle which felt forced, and I thought it took too long for the secrets to be discovered. And you're right-where does show she was funny and tough? An OK book, but not anything that really stood out.