Book Review: Push and Shove by C.L. Stone

The sixth book in the highly popular “The Ghost Bird Series” by C.L. Stone, “Push and Shove” lives up to its title as it pushes the storyline to be more adult, while it also shoves the norm.

And though the book is still classified as Teen and YA, there are steamy scenes that some may deem appropriate for a mature audience.

“Push and Shove” finds Sang and the Academy boys (Kota, Victor, Gabriel, Nathan, North, Luke, Silas) in the middle of the school year at Ashley Waters High. With Sang fainting in gym class, Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green became worried and advised her to take it easy the rest of the week.

But, Sang fainting is just the beginning of their problems. Nathan’s father who is usually absent because of work came home. His arrival caused problems that Sang did not even see coming. Then, Sang’s sister Marie threw a curved ball. Marie wanted Sang and the boys out of their house.

Add that to the ongoing drug problem at Ashley Waters High, the problem that the Academy boys were sent to solve in the first place, Sang finds herself between a rock and a hard place.As already mentioned, “The Academy: Ghost Bird Series” is classified as Teen and YA.

But, it is turning out to be an epic with its own cult following. And though author C.L. Stone writes for a different genre, she reminds me of one of my favorite authors, Robert Jordan, who happened to also hail from Charleston, SC.

Robert Jordan’s legacy, “The Wheel of Time” series has one thing in common with “The Academy: Ghost Bird Series” – the harem. In “The Wheel of Time”, main character Rand Al’Thor loves three women, who happen to agree to share that they became sister wives.

“The Academy: Ghost Bird Series” is a harem in reverse – 9 boys are hopelessly in love with Sang Sorensen. And though she is confused with her feelings, she loves them all! It’s mindboggling!

But, I believe that this is the reason why this series is so addicting. Readers want to know how this situation will be resolved.

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C.L. Stone had said that it would take at least 20 books to finish the series. I would say more. “Push and Shove” at 500 pages is the longest so far in the series. And if C.L. Stone keeps it at 500 pages per book, with 10 major characters with their own subplots, plus of course the main plot line, it will take more than 20 books to tell the resolution.

Just for comparison – “The Wheel of Time” series is an epic fantasy of 15 books written in a span of 23 years. Except for the prequel which has 334 pages, every book in the series ranged from 681 to 987 pages. And fans like me waited years to find out what happened. “The Wheel of Time” is so popular that it spawned its own convention, the JordanCon. And though the series is finished, fantasy buffs continue to talk about it and JordanCon continues.

Going back to C.L. Stone’s “The Academy: Ghost Bird Series”, it is heading in that direction with its increasing cult following. And with the author starting a spin off series – “The Scarab Beetle”, I won’t be surprised if the number of fans continue to swell.

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