Book Review: School for Psychics

School for Psychics by K.C. Archer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a difficult book to review if only because a lot of people are going to be put off by the topic in general. Do we really need another book about kids that go to a magical school no one knows about?
The answer here, for me, is yes!

The Writing
K.C. Archer has done a beautiful job of writing a fast-paced, interesting and well put together novel in School for Psychics. It would be unfair to say that this isn't original because Archer's school is very different from those I've read about in the past. Additionally Archer has a way of drawing the reader in. I didn't want to put this book down!

Romance
One of the best written awkward teenage romances I've read in awhile. I love how you think maybe it will be one way, and then it's not. It's not insta-love; it's insta-lust at times; but that is real and does happen. Especially to teenagers. There are both sweet and awkward moments between our lead gal and the primary love interest. Just like in real life.

Lead Gal is a "Bad Girl"
I love our lead gal and her genuine bad girl status that is established right away in Chapter one. She has an authenticity that spoke to me. I was, personally, far from the best teenager (lol). I got in trouble, a lot, not just from my parents; but from law enforcement and at school. So I connected with our lead gal. I also sympathized with her as it was clear that many of the things happening to her were, perhaps, not all her fault. Many were just a 'side effect' of her psychic ability being erratic. I think for many teens, whether it's psychic ability or hormones, it's difficult to really figure out the world around you. And events can be experienced in such a vivid way, when you are a child/teen, that they tend to be overwhelmed. This confusion with the world, inability to trust anyone and difficulty fitting in is all brilliantly portrayed by Archer in School for Psychics. It doesn't matter 'triggers' or 'creates' the feelings you have (be it ESP or not) because at the end of the day these feelings manifest in the same way. Archer does a great job of correlating this urban fantasy book with real life situations.

Overall
School for Psychics is a clear example of why you can't judge a book by it's troupe. Just because you've read something similar before doesn't mean that the book in front of you isn't just as good, or even better, than the five books you read this year with a similar theme. And let's face it, we all love the kids going to a special school troupe. Why? I think it's often because we wish we were special enough to be pulled from our current existence into a magical world where we are important. Let's face it, it's all about standing out (in some way, shape or form) and feeling critical to events and people around you. Archer captures all this and more in her characters and intricate plot. I just need the second book now!

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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