You thought there was only one Death? Aww, that’s sweet…Just like all little girls, I hoped I was special and that one day my powers would be revealed. My parents would be bewildered, my friends would equally worship and envy me, and my bullies would run away in terror! Nothing happened when I turned 10. I didn’t grow wings at 12, still wasn’t able to make things move with my mind at 14, and at … 14, and at 16 I was already too old to believe in such nonsense. Well, what do you think happened the day I turned 18? I got the confirmation that I was only human. In the mail! Oh, and also an invitation to apply to the Grim Reaper Academy. Because, apparently, humans can be Grim Reapers, too.
Fast forward to day one, semester one, year one. There’s a test! No one told me I’d have to take a test to enter! But there are only 22 Grim Reapers in the world, the competition is tough, so I guess it makes sense? If I pass, then I will be sorted according to what kind of Death I’ll make if I survive the rigors of the Academy. Merciful Death? Neutral Death? Oh, please God, don’t let me be sorted into the Violent Death Cabal! All the A-holes are there! And I don’t think I can compete with Holier-Than-Thou Sariel (cause he’s an archangel, you see), Jerkface-No-1 Pazuzu AKA Paz (cause all demons are major morons), Mr. Bow-To-Me GC Apis (ugh, false gods are the worst), and Francis (no idea what his deal is, he doesn’t talk much).
But this is my chance, dammit! This is what I’ve been waiting for all my life! Okay, so I’m not a princess, or a mermaid, or Sailor Moon. But I can be a Grim Reaper one day. I’ll take it!
***Author’s Note: This is book 1 in the Grim Reaper Academy series, intended for mature audiences. Please be advised that it may contain situations that are triggering to some, profanity (way more than in my previous books!), and a lot of steam.
more
Surviving Year One: Reverse Harem Bully Academy. This is the first Carla Wylde book that I have read. The book is well written but a Little slow for my liking in places and the plot only starts to make sence towards the last few chapters. Mila is our female MC, she not mentally strong initially however this does improve and she finds backbone as the book progresses, but as she is human lacks the physical strength of any of the supernaturals. She comes up against. She is bullied initially but as in all these books that changes as we go along.
A demon uses the term of endearment @dearie@ which is really cringe worthy and doesn’t work at all.
We know that there are a lot of books “Harry Potter” style out there, but this one has a place of it own.
For starters our heroine is the only human in a school full of mythological creatures, second almost all are bullies and hate her, just for in the next second being loving or in need of a friendly shoulder.
You will read this book constantly on edge, swinging between happiness and fear, never trusting anyone for real. completely merging with the main character even though her emotions are always twisting.
I just love that everything can be so believable even with all the swing feelings, just like in real life.
I can’t wait to see what will came next, because the real drama is only starting and the small human is more that meets the eye.
This was my first reverse harem academy romance. The moment I saw the cover, I knew I had to read it. I’ve been fascinated with the Grim Reaper even since I first watched the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy as a child (I’m serious), and thus he frequented all my own stories ever since in some form or other (he’s been a cat at some point, who reaps other cats).
Death is pretty awesome, but that’s beside the point. I bloody loved this story and need more (I stayed up till 5am to finish the third book in the series, and now I’m waiting patiently for the fourth). Possible spoiler: The story involves a supernatural academy where various creatures from angels, demons, mages, succubi, and one false god attend in the hopes of becoming one of the world’s 22 Reapers, and Mila, a human girl, finds herself in the Violent Death Cabal (VDC).
It’s a bully romance too, and as a former bullied student, it made me wonder if the guys at school had secretly been into me too. Probably not (one can wish), but it made me relate to the main character a lot.
School is rough. And supernaturals are just as cruel as humans.
This RH paranormal-romance has a little bit different of a storyline. It starts out as a bully romance, but she just ends up with one of her bullies. She finds herself the only human in Grim Reaper school and hatred by everyone because she is a natural. She fights for everything she has and won’t back down to the false gods, demons, archangels, vampires, mages, witches, or other paranormal creatures who try to bully her into quitting. She soon finds herself drawn to one of her bullies as he comes to her rescue after an almost fatal drowning. Later another bully proves he just wanted her too. It’s an interesting read with a cliffhanger that leaves you wondering what will happen next.
What a beginning that was, human in a den of supernaturals, yeah that’s definitely an eye opener. Mila has no idea why she was invited to attend this Academy but something in her, said go. Mila, by the of the book finds out way more than she ever imagined.
Surviving Year One: Reverse Harem Bully Academy by Cara Wylde is a wonderful story that I have read and loved. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series that I have loved reading very much. I highly recommend this story to everyone 18+ and who loves reading about paranormal romances in their stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
*Spoilers Alert*
Mila is just an average teen. Her home life sucks and her parents work her hard in their restaurant but she hopes for something better. Things change on her 18th birthday though when the arrival of a mysterious envelope and from then on her life takes a dramatic change. She receives an invitation to the Grim Reaper Academy. Whats more surprising is that she has no idea why shes been invited in the first place especially being a human. Not their regular student. So that makes a target for not only the whole academy but also Sariel, Paz, GC and Francis. All of which dont want her there. Which makes for some vicious situations some even life threatening. I love Mila’s strength and wit. She doesnt back down even when the whole academy (except a few) have it in for her. I read through this book so quickly because i couldnt put it down. Really good
This is a great academy read! A Grim Reaper academy who would have thought?? A well written story with great characters and an incredible world that the author has built! Totally hooked from the start I cannot wait for book 2!
It was a refreshing read, fresh and raw, it wrapped up daily issues teens face. Yes, it is fiction, but it had the moral of there is always something out for you kind of vibe.
Making it enjoyable when there is some truth and not all fantasy. It was worth the reading escape into the world of Grim Reaper
Really looking forward to reading the second Grim Reaper Academy and what Mila is faced next.
I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy
The story didn’t catch my interest at first, but as I kept reading, I wanted to know what was going to happen. So much mystery. We have Mila who comes from a poor family, whose father treats her mentally and physically Bad. She gets a letter to go to Grim Reaper Academy. She decides to go without telling anyone. The Headmaster Colin was the one that sent the letter to her.She meets Krause and Patty who become her best friends to an extent. Then we have GC, Pazuzu, Francis, Sariel, Lorna, and Pandora. The last group are bullies and call her names and more. Why is she really there? Why won’t anyone stand up to the bullies? Should she leave? Will she live through this? Why is GC and Pazuzu being nice all of a sudden? What is it with Frances?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the first story for a new series, and it is outstanding! When I read the last pages, I was already anxious to read the next story. It kind of leaves it as a cliffhanger. There is so many twists and turns, great characters, similar story line of a paranormal school, not a secondary school or college even. It is a good Young Adult story that would be rated PG-13, no intimacies. The premise of this story is that every 200 years, there is a new group of Grim Reapers. There are four different types of Grim Reapers. There are Neutral Death Reapers, Merciful Death Reapers, Righteous Death Reapers and Violent Death Reapers. There are invitations sent out, 300, to try out. There is a test which results with 100 prospects. They go through three years of training. They get sorted into each class, or Cabal, by something they did during the testing. They go to classes with their class and sometimes other Cabals. They all eat in the dining hall at the four long tables for each Cabal, but they can sit with others if they want. There are angels, archangels, mages, incubus, succubus, shifters, gods and even fae. But the one type of being that has never been in the Academy is humans, until Mila was invited.
Mila has had a very poor life up till she got the invitation. She had to work at her parents diner, doing all the bad jobs like cleaning the bathrooms after someone got sick in it. Cleaning the greasy kitchen. All this while she was still in school making perfect grades. Her father was ultra controlling of both her mother and herself. She was used to having bruises on her body. One of the things that are implied, and then later brought forth, is that she may have tried to slit her wrists because her home life was so bad. When she got the invitation, it was the first piece of mail she ever got addressed to her. Her father tore it up in tiny pieces. When she went up to her room to go back to sleep, she found the invitation under her pillow. She decides to go in spite of her family. She left her home in Kentucky and went to Salem, Massachusetts. She made a friend before the test started and realized that she hadn’t read the manual that would have explained a lot, but still went through with the testing. She was informed that there has never been a Violent Grim Reaper, they are always males, until she was sorted into VGM. Being not only the only girl, but the only human VGM, she is bullied and pranked from the start. First being slapped in the face with food to waking up in a bed of cockroaches. Some of the guys, they are all gorgeous looking, decide they want her because they have had every other girl in the Academy. Good thing she thinks more highly of herself than allowing that to happen.
GC Apis, Golden Calf Apis, is a shifter who just so happens to be a decendent from the Golden Calf in Moses story. Gorgeous looking with hair color and eye color that changes at will. He is one of the guys who has been with all the other girls at the Academy. He is over two hundred years old, so he has been around. He is the first guy who takes a true liking to Mila. He saves her life when the first time Sariel and Lorna try to kill Mila. He then takes it upon himself to not only be her boyfriend, but her protector.
Pazuzu, one of the spawn of Satan, another good looking guy, is engaged to another spawn of Satan. They are very competitive with each other. If he cheats on her, she cheats on him. If he can sleep with the human, then his fiance would have to sleep with a human, and she couldn’t stomach that. He then breaks off the engagement because he really can’t stand her, but he knows if he does break it off, he will be disowned. He then falls for Mila too. After stalking her during Christmas break and sneaking a kiss, Mila tells GC about it, the guys look at each other, realize that she likes them both and has physical reactions to them both, they decide to share her. The thing is, she is a virgin, and she remains a virgin throughout this story.
During the Christmas break, while she stayed at the school, she hears the first of a Prophesy. One where a human will kill a Grim Reaper who has been a Reaper for 600 years. The longer a Reaper is a Reaper, the more power they get. If this Reapers stays another 200 years, it could change the balance of the world. Mila also finds out that her parents are really her parents.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Surviving Year One is book one of the Grim Reaper Academy and an intriguing read. In this book we meet Mila who is the first human to enroll at Grim Reaper Academy. She grew up dealing with a dad who bullies her and always dreamed of a better life. When she got the invitation to join the Grim Reaper Academy her life goes in a different direction and she competes with Supernaturals to be one of twenty two Grim Reapers. Although the story starts out a bit slow once it got going it turned out to be a great intro into the Grim Reaper world. Fantastic characters and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
This book just rocks on all levels. it is written with a dignity and respect of very sensitive topics. Mila has me crying for her and wanting this book had me very emotional and I loved it
This was a great and fun book to read with well developed characters and that are engaging and the storyline flowed with ease.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There’s a lot of Academy books out lately I’ve noticed. In saying that, I really enjoyed this one. Is this human girl special or destined to fail? Why has she been called to train as a Grim Reaper? I enjoyed all the secondary characters in this story too, false gods, spawn of Satan, mostly a twisted lot. I’m really looking forward to the next in this series.
Misunderstood by parents and wondering what she’s going to do with her life, she seizes the chance to escape by attending the Grim Reaper Academy. Mila must pass not only the preliminary test to gain admittance AND compete against other students who, unlike her, are supernatural beings. Piece of cake! Until she is sorted into the Violent Death Cabal, which has never included a female. Now she is forced partner with archangels, demons, false gods and the likes, who make it clear she does not belong. She has to endure everyone’s bullying and try to figure out how to survive her first year at the academy. What’s a girl to do?
I can’t wait to see what happens to Mila in book 2. Great start to this new series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed reading this book , it is entertaining and the interaction and chemistry between the characters is wonderful. I can’t wait for more from this author. I received this book as a FREE ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.
One of the reasons I love Cara Wylde is the diversity of her portfolio, I am a massive fan and Surviving Year One was brilliant. Mila escapes a terrible home life with an abusive father and a weak mother to join the Grim Reaper Academy. Problem is as the only human there she is more of a target than ever. The cruelty of her fellow students, especially Sariel and his witch of a girlfriend, takes her by surprise but she is strong and feisty and determined to succeed despite the opposition she faces. But not all is as it seems and the boys who are so mean to her might not be quite who they seem to be and they might just be the best allies she can find. This is such an exciting start to a series and I just didn’t want it to end.
Mila Lazarov had a really bad home life. Her parents had respected their diner’s cleaning lady too much to make her clean the awful kitchen and filthy bathrooms – so they made Mila do that. Then, exhausted, she had to wait past 2 AM for the cleaning lady to slowly finish with the windows. Yet this unpleasant family life did prepare her for her future in many ways, made her tough and resilient so she could survive just about anything.
One day she gets an invitation to admission to Grim Reader Academy. Her father tears it up so she won’t have that opportunity. But her hand feels something under her pillow, and she finds the invitation, whole and undamaged! And this time, she intends to make the most of it. At the academy, she is a human going up against supernaturals, interacting with bullies Sariel, Pazazu, Francis, and GC – but no one is as tough on her as her father was, so she handles their bullying far better than they expected. There is an inner strength in her, a strong core that won’t be defeated. Can she become a Grim Reaper? Can she go against the tough competition and win a place for herself? And if she can, what fate will the sorting point her to?
This was a very interesting book. It’s difficult for the reader to watch the actions of bullies, but it was an important part of the story and showed Mila’s strengths and endurance. She had the heart she needed to rise above all the things that tried to knock her down. Can she persevere and reach her Grim Reaper goal?
Oh my god. This is a must read. Mila is one of the best female protagonists I’ve read in a very long time. She isn’t meek and small, she’s got guts. I’m rooting for her and can’t wait for the next installment of the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.