Synopsis:
With just one step, sixteen-year-old Alexandra Jennings’s world changes—literally.

Dreading her first day at a new school, Alex is stunned when she walks through a doorway and finds herself stranded in Medora, a fantasy world full of impossibilities. Desperate to return home, she learns that only a man named Professor Marselle can help her… but he’s missing.

While waiting for him to reappear, Alex attends Akarnae Academy, Medora’s boarding school for teenagers with extraordinary gifts. She soon starts to enjoy her bizarre new world and the friends who embrace her as one of their own, but strange things are happening at Akarnae, and Alex can’t ignore her fear that something unexpected… something sinister… is looming.

An unwilling pawn in a deadly game, Alex’s shoulders bear the crushing weight of an entire race’s survival. Only she can save the Medorans, but what if doing so prevents her from ever returning home?

Will Alex risk her entire world—and maybe even her life—to save Medora?


Review:

Akarnae was one of those books that not only kept popping up on my Instagram feed but I was hassled by many bookstagrammers to read it. Well I did and right now for me it is such a meh read. Don’t get me wrong overall the book was enjoyable but there was nothing jumping out from behind the bushes that grabbed my attention. And unfortunately for me that is a must! And the plot… well played a major part if my rating of 3 out of 5.
The idea behind Akarnae was brilliant. I loved the fact our main character steps into another world by mistake and starts attending school in the mystical world. That would be enough to entice a YA reader of any age to sit down and devour this book. No kudos Noni I would love to know how this whole book popped in your head and where you get your inspiration from.
The characters in the book were delightful! You have Alex our main leading lady, who is brave, adventurous and amazingly smart. I loved it.
Her two new world BBF’s though… wow! Bear and Jordan who already attend the school, show Alex the ropes and truly make her time there enjoyable. They were witty, smart adventurous and I loved it! Together they are the rebels of the school, daring detention to find out why the school had a black out and always up for fun and games. Loveeeedd them! I honestly will continue the series due to these loveable characters.
The real kick in the guy for me was the plot. It may have something to do with my expectation being so high because of all the praise of wonder this book had gotten but personally for me I found this book focused on our main character and the bloody marvellous world building but I found myself waiting for something interesting to happen a majority of the time. Though it may have something to do with the bad guy with a mysterious past Aven, who is only in the book here and there. Hello where is my brooding bad guy??? Just me?
Overall this book was good. I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t love it. I needed more action and I need more bad guy time so hopefully this book in just really setting up the world for the remainder of the series. Or one shall hope?
Rating: 3/5
ISBN: 9781921997501
Publisher: Pantera Press