Book Review: Flunked

Title - Flunked 

Author - Jen Calonita 

Series - Fairy Tale Reform School #1

Genres - Middle grade Fantasy fairy tales

Publisher - Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Published - March 3rd 2015

(Goodreads)(Amazon)

Synopsis

Would you send a villain to do a hero's job? An exciting new twisted fairy tale series from award-winning author Jen Calonita.

Full of regret, Cinderella's wicked stepmother, Flora, has founded the Fairy Tale Reform School with the mission of turning the wicked and criminally mischievous into upstanding members of Enchantasia.

Impish, sassy 12-year-old Gilly has a history of petty theft and she's not too sorry about it. When she lifts a hair clip, she gets tossed in reform school-for at least three months. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there's more to this school than its sweet mission. There's a battle brewing and she starts to wonder: can a villain really change? 

Review

Gilly comes from a poor family of shoe makers, they struggle just to have enough to even eat. With her sister’s upcoming birthday Gilly steals a comb for her thinking she made it home undetected. Looks like Gilly’s luck has run out she’s been caught for the third time. She’s forced to attend the Fairy Tale Reform school run by Flora the wicked step mother of Cinderella. For three months Gilly will spend her time at the school transforming from villain into a hero’s. The school is unlike anything she would have imagined studies, flying on Pegasus and so much more.

Gilly finds friends among her fellow misfits Jax and Kayla finding a bond with each. After only being at the school for a few short weeks they are attacked by Gargoyles and Professor Harlow is controlled forced to attack Snow. Thanks to her quick thinking Gilly saves Snow as well as the rest of her follow students only to be released from school. Something is going on at the Fairy Tale Reform School maybe it’s not doing as good as expected. Will Gilly leave or figure out what’s really going on?

I forgot that the characters are only 12 they seem much older. I liked Gilly she’s only doing what she could to take care of her family. While she may be a villain in the law’s eyes I don’t see her as one. I didn’t have any issues connecting with her as a character but I didn’t love her like I would have hoped.  I like that she had her friends to support her on her new adventure at the school for Fairy Tale Reform.  

I’ve had Flunked on my TBR forever based on the cover alone, and this week it worked perfect for my scavenger hunt challenge so I decided to give it a shot. The concept is like a boarding school but the author puts her own twist and turns it into a villain reform school. Flunked is a fast paced story that is filled with action, mystery and a whole lot of magic. Flunked is a middle grade story which isn’t my typical read but I enjoyed it one of those books you can read in a lazy afternoon. The author has a great writing style her story flows smoothly from start to finish it’s a captivating read. I enjoyed Flunked but I didn't love it, but I am curious to check out the next one. I think the only issue I had is I kept forgetting that the main character was so young.