The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy

Title: The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy

Publisher: Razorbill

Pub Date: August, 21 2012

Author: Nikki Loftin

Received From: Publisher

A deliciously spooky middle-grade debut that's Coraline meets Hansel and Gretel

Lorelei is bowled over by Splendid Academy--Principal Trapp encourages the students to run in the hallways, the classrooms are stocked with candy dishes, and the cafeteria serves lavish meals featuring all Lorelei's favorite foods. But the more time she spends at school, the more suspicious she becomes. Why are her classmates growing so chubby? And why do the teachers seem so sinister?

It's up to Lorelei and her new friend Andrew to figure out what secret this supposedly splendid school is hiding. What they discover chills their bones--and might even pick them clean!

Mix one part magic, one part mystery, and just a dash of Grimm, and you've got the recipe for a cozy-creepy read that kids will gobble up like candy. 

I was thrilled to be chosen by Jen Bigheart to take part in my first blog tour! I am pretty sure I lucked out as this was a great read!


The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy is super scary, sweet, and silly! Sorry I had to keep up that alliteration! The story of young Lorelei and all of the changes in her life was a great one. With a new Step-Mother, a new school, and obviously a new reality she wasn't expecting, Lorelei handled it all so well.
But something was off in her school. The kids were acting a bit different, the rules were relaxed and the sweets plentiful. Luckily she had her new friend Andrew to help her find a way through the strange and surreal path.  
I really did enjoy this book, I for one could not pick out the answers to the mystery right away and I think that made the book even more enjoyable to me! I was cheering for all of those that worked with Lorelei to find the answers! I was a bit disappointed in the father in this book, as a parent his lack of involvement really bothered me but once the mystery was clear I understood how this all came about! I would consider this a great read for older elementary school ages. As a child one of my favorite books was Sideways Stories from Wayside School, this one just stole it's first place ranking in my pre-teen heart!