To write a review or not to write a review, that is the question. With a very dedicated and very loyal fan base; and “First Kiss
After all, this is the 10th book in the very popular YA series. New fans, or should I say, new Academy recruits are still reading the first 9 books.
But, I have written a review for the last three books and I’m on a roll. I don’t want to break it. So, as a compromise to myself, I decided to write a SPOILER REVIEW!
So, READERS BEWARE! There will be spoilers here. Read at your own risk. I have put a collage of the book covers to give readers time to click away if they want to.
If you want to continue, please scroll down pass the graphic.
Let’s get the big spoilers out of the way.
- This is Kota’s book.
- Kayli and Sang finally meet.
- We see a lot of the Academy people!
- The time span is a little over two weeks, the last week of school before Christmas break and then the traditional two weeks of winter break.
With that out of the way, I will also say that I am not going to write a synopsis. The Description below actually takes care of that. I will also not follow the storyline linearly. What I will do is go through the boys and Sang’s relationship with them.
“First Kiss
In this scenario, we find out more about Dr. Green. He is an artist when it comes to paper! In fact, he can probably win prizes in origami if they give prizes for that.
Later in the book, we also see a glimpse of Mr. Blackbourne’s private life. A mystery even to the boys, Owen has opened up to Sang more than anyone else in the team except perhaps Dr. Green.
Still, the big revelation is The Academy itself during their annual picnic, which by the way is an irony by itself since it is held in the middle of winter. But, this is the Academy so they have their own reasons.
In this single book, we learn more about The Academy in all the other 9 books combined. We also see recurring characters more fleshed out here. For giving out The Academy structure alone, I am giving this book 5 stars.
But, of course, this is C. L. Stone we are talking about, so there is something more in store for the readers.
Like what I said, this is Kota’s book, so there is more of him interacting with Sang one on one. Kota is also the reason why the title is First Kiss. The kiss is so sweet and heartily felt that it actually reminded of a scene in “Time Traveler’s Wife,” the first time that Henry kissed Claire which he described as in that one kiss he has to convey to Claire all the love he felt for her through all the years.
Except for Owen Blackbourne, Kota is the last Academy boy to kiss Sang but his kiss transcends all the others.
Still, though this might be Kota’s book, Victor is truly the big reveal. Very affable and easy going most of the time, he can be as protective as a grizzly bear when it comes to Sang. He will defy even the Academy just to protect her.
Being the 10th book, “First Kiss
And that is the reason why I would suggest that for those who just discovered The Ghost Bird series, please do not start with “First Kiss
“First Kiss: The Ghost Bird Series: #10 (The Academy Ghost Bird Series)
The time has finally come for Sang Sorenson to be formally introduced to the Academy. Protocol dictates the boys keep the details of Sang’s official introduction to the Academy a secret from her. The only thing they can advise her to do is to work on what will become her mantra: She is determined to stay with her team, no matter what.
Despite her wishes, however, the boys are second-guessing her place with them, concerned for her safety. With dangers all around and threats closing in, some of the boys are questioning if this is the right time to bring her to meet the Academy at all.
Sang is challenged with being the brave face among them and instilling the confidence needed to keep her with them. However, in order to appear compliant with the Academy’s rules, she has to be willing to listen and try their suggestions. As the boys have suspected and feared, the council wants to see how she’ll work with a different team. An all-girl team. She has no choice but to go along with the proposal or risk losing a shot at the Academy.
But when the Academy’s inner world is revealed to her, Sang knows that she’s finally found her place—somewhere she belongs—and she sees a future with them. The deeper she gets, the more she sees how she can make a difference. Learning what she is capable of and the impact she can have, she feels obligated to help. There’s so few girls, and they need her.
The guys try to stick to their plan, but every team must pay their debts, and the cost of keeping her might be more than any of them can afford.
It’s up to Sang alone to prove to the Academy where she truly belongs—but can she resist the call of a new team that needs her?
The Academy, Inside
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