A Meth Dealer. A Prostitute. A Serial Killer.
Anywhere else, they’d be vermin. At the Mandel Academy, they’re called
prodigies. The most exclusive school in New York City has been training young
criminals for over a century. Only the most ruthless students are allowed to
graduate. The rest disappear.
Flick, a teenage pickpocket, has risen to the top of his class. But then Mandel
recruits a fierce new competitor who also happens to be Flick’s old flame.
They’ve been told only one of them will make it out of the Mandel Academy. Will
they find a way to save each other—or will the school destroy them both?
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Intense and An Excellent Read
By James Agee
First of all let me start off by saying that this book far exceeded my expectations! I was not expecting it to be so good and have me coming back for more. I literally could not stop thinking about this book when I stopped reading it. It is a very intense book and I would not recommend it if you are super squeamish because there are some pretty graphic scenes. The language used is intense, but when it comes to using the "f" word, the author simply puts something like "f---" instead of spelling it out, though it is quite frequently used like that.The story is brilliant and you will feel like you know these characters personally. I rarely read a book that I simply cannot quit talking and thinking about, but this is one of them. It's action packed, every chapter is good and has a purpose, and it is a very satisfying read.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Great Story, Wish it was Marketed Differently
By Maggie
3.5 starsI started out really liking this book but the more I read the less I liked it. It actually came to remind me of an adult book I read last year, The 500: A Novel, which I really, really hated.If I had to write a description for this book I would never mention Flick's old flame. I think that aspect of the description is totally bogus. This is all in the beginning of the book so I don't think I'm spoiling anything, but Flick and the "old flame," Joi, are still together. In fact, when Flick enters the school the one thing he regrets about joining is that he'll lose Joi. And, throughout the majority Flick's time at school, which Joi isn't present for, Flick continues to miss her and fantasize about her. This book is one of those cases where they description teases something and then I find myself just waiting and waiting for that to happen and when it doesn't happen until three-quarters of the way through the book, I find that really frustrating.Backtracking a little, the three-quarters of the book where I was just waiting were actually really good and I wish I could have experienced them for what they were rather than anticipating what was to come. I found the idea of the Mandel school fascinating and reading the course descriptions and hearing about Flick's classes was so interesting. I totally believe it's plausible.There are a lot of supporting characters, something I don't normally like, and while I did have a little trouble keeping track of all of them I did like them and I thought they all served a purpose. My favorite supporting character was actually Gwendolyn, the highest ranking student at the school (before Flick arrives) and Flick's evil seductress. I'm pretty sure I was not supposed to like her, but I did! She was just so crazy, I loved it.I won't spoil anything, but the end of the book got kind of crazy. Everything happened very quickly and it crossed over into the unbelievable to me. But the bottom line is that I liked the concept, I liked the characters, and I do feel comfortable recommending this, just don't go into it expecting a showdown between former lovers.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.Good at first
By Gbs
Shallow, predictable, yet interesting book. Good at the beginning but slowly becomes worse.Overall an okay book. Summary is misleading.
