Impedit omnis ea iure eligendi.

Imaginative, unique and impossible to put down, Wacko Academy by Faith Wilkins is a story not-to-be-missed by young readers as well as adults. Okay, I must admit that when I heard Ms. Wilkins wrote this at the age of fourteen, I was beyond intrigued. I also knew that I had to read her story. Settling in, I began reading with no expectations or idea of what was in store. Once I began reading, I did not want to stop. Ms. Wilkins draws the reader in from the very beginning and holds them enthralled until the final word is read. Yes, it is that good. Wacko Academy is the first in a series titled, appropriately "Wacko Academy". In this story, we meet Lily Mason who is an incredibly intelligent eighth grader with friends and a fairly normal life. Enter a new and handsome young boy, Dustin. Dustin pays particularly close attention to Lily and they soon become friends. However, what Lily doesn't know is that Dustin is the son of a twisted man who owns Wackerson (aka Wacko) Academy and it is his job to befriend Lily, get her to trust him and bring her to the Academy. Once Lily realizes she has been kidnapped, her entire world turns upside down and she bears witness to horrors unlike anything she has ever seen before. Wacko is a prison - once you are there, you cannot leave - ever. Complete with boot camps, educational instructions, "perfect" meals, it is almost as though the idea of Wacko is to turn children into robotic Stepford children - only that would be a kindness compared to what really is going on. Faith Wilkins displays an excellent and incredible talent for weaving a story which flows smoothly and vividly draws the reader in. Her writing voice is one of maturity, yet age appropriate to draw Middle Grade readers in with the slang and vices of that age group. That is not to say that older readers will not love Wacko Academy as well - I know I loved it and I am thirty-eight. I am anxious to share this book with my ten-year-old daughter as well. With summer app