Monday 10 February 2014

Review: The Academy: Love Match

The Academy: Love Match
Author: 

Publication Date: February 25th 2014  (February 14h  UK)           
~A copy was provided by Bloomsbury Childrens  via Netgalely in exchange for an honest review~
 
 

What cover do you prefer?

 

 
 

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The Academy is the sports school everyone is talking about. But for Maya, it seems getting in was the easy part. It’s staying there that’s tough. To succeed it takes more than just talent. You need fame . . .

After a star performance in the semi-finals at a tennis competition, Maya is labelled The Next Big Thing and books a high-profile modelling job. The only problem is her co-star in the campaign is her super-hot ex-boyfriend, Jake Reed – and this is a job that her rival, Nicole, wants! Maya’s only just put the betrayal by Jake and Nicole behind her and now Maya is being drawn back into a circle of jealousy and desire. Luckily, she knows Nicole’s latest secret and gossip is a powerful weapon at The Academy!


If you adore Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars and Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls, you’ll be mad about the sassy new series The Academy.
 
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 Personally, I prefer the first, it looks less...childish.

The Academy: Love Match was not what I was expecting, and in a bad way. I liked the first one okay, though It wasn't my favourite, I did enjoy the drama. So because of that I wanted to see where the second one took us. Love Match being the second in the series I was expecting progression, and that's where it failed. While there was progression and growth with some characters, the mean character and some important characters got left behind completely and therefore was no substance for it to actually feel realistic within the environment. Even the drama wasn't that dramatic as the first, there wasn't anything really going on between Maya and the frenemy.

To be honest, being as short as it was it felt more of an episode edition-or novella- that would then advance into the second book because there wasn't much going on between anything or even what you would expect-the romance. It was bland, and pretty much empty and meaningless, the way Maya switches so abruptly between them again, really doesn't let you care for it. I'd hoped that would've changed from the first, but again, there's no progression in that either.
While I do dislike triangles, it all depends on the characters and how well it's done, and Love Match for me, was not done well at all, and got kind of annoying because besides Travis and Jake not being fleshed out, there was no feelings. You didn't feel it, it's just useless words on paper.

However, Love Match did have more tennis than Game On, so on that front, so much better, but personally I rather Cleo's character than Maya, she actually has a personality while Maya still needs...something. She's there, but she's still a cardboard cut-out that needs to be brought to life. She's still hypocritical, and in some places, she really just needs to get over herself.
While Love Match felt like an episode in-between,  it's still quick and addictive as the first, and I do want to see where it goes.

 Rating: 2.5-3/5