The Candidates by Inara Scott

Synopsis via goodreads:
Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that's not just because of her average grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia's mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just...happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt.  So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to anyone, belieiving this way she can supress her powers and keep them hidden. But when recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy show up in her living room to offer her a full scholarship, Dancia's days of living under the radar may be over. Only, Delcroix is a school for diplomats' kids and child geniuses--not B students with uncontrollable telekinetic tendencies.  So why are they treating Dancia like she's special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make Dancia feel welcome. And then there's her mysterious new friend Jack, who can't stay out of trouble. He suspects something dangerous is going on at the Academy and wants Dancia to help him figure out what.  But Dancia isn't convinced. She hopes that maybe the recruiters know more about her "gift" than they're letting on. Maybe they can help her understand how to use it...But not even Dancia could have imagined what awaits her behind the gates of Delcroix Academy.

I want to scream at someone now that I am finished, curse at the top of my lungs...saying is that really it, for now at least? How can that be?

The Candidates was so good, so refreshing, so new - with a twist on the "old" prep school story, Inara Scott has taken us light years ahead, she's painted a picture so clearly in my head, I can see it, taste it, smell it, and I wanted to dive into Dancia's world, to become apart of the intricacies that made her life possible...

Interwoven into this beautiful story, is what I can only call a "real" slant on the supernatural...some how Inara made things make sense - her "how's and why's" came together beautifully....in a novel where, honestly things could have been thrown in from left field, she kept them simple, yet complex!

I found myself craving this book like a mosquito who desperately seeks out blood, in order to survive. I felt this intense desire, pulling at me, willing me to finish, yet at the same time, I wanted to pull back, to simply “be” in the moment, to soak up all the feelings...look around and see all there is to see, and to take a deep breath and breath in!

You know how, when your reading some books, it feels like your looking though a window, able to see all there is, but not really able to interact much; then other times you feel as if you, yourself become one of the characters? With this book, I simply – was there. I felt as though, I could touch, smell, taste and FEEL each thing that happened. Don't get me wrong, I did not feel as though I was Dancia, not really – but close...it's tough to explain!

Dancia is a complicated girl, she's like a worm; she wiggled and wormed, until she worked her way into my heart no matter how much I wanted to keep her out! She's likeable and determined, willing to stand up to the world for those she loves. She has courage, on top of courage – and yet, she's tender and real. She has an intense soft side, though you must look deep inside to find it, for it's been buried under years and years of hiding! Dancia, is nothing like the girl she tries to be, she wants so much to blend in especially in the beginning, but her determination, and seer will to survive make that impossible!

And before I wrap up, a note on Jack; he's dashing, daring, a bad boy with a heart made of daydreams. He's got a head on his shoulders, and with the life he's been forced to live, he's plagued with a “bad boy image” that I am not sure he deserves it. I fell in love with him, in so many ways!

Bottom Line – A truly amazing start to the Delcroix Academy series – this reviewer can NOT wait to see where things go from here...and I really HOPE we have not seen the last of a certain someone though, I can't say who! An astonishing story, with funky twists, unusual turns, and a school life like no other – The Candidates is a worth wild read! It's haunting, daring, and funny – with characters you can relate to, and a school that's got hidden passageways and secrets around every corner! In the words of Oliver Twist, “Please sir may I have some more?” I give The Candidates a 5 mushrooms....book 2 can't some out soon enough for me!

Buy, Borrow or Steal? With a story that will steal your heart, while making it pound loudly at the same time, The Candidates is a book that stole my heart! If your a lover of mysteries, boarding schools and little twists of love, this is a book for you!

The Candidates (Delcroix Academy, #1)
By: Inara Scott
304 Pages
Published: August 24, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion Book
Received via an ARC tour for my honest review.