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Wuthering High (Bard Academy #1)

by Cara Lockwood (Goodreads Author)

3.59 of 5 stars 3.59 · rating details · 946 ratings · 99 reviews

Welcome to Bard Academy, where a group of supposedly troubled teens are about to get scared straight.

When Miranda, a slightly spoiled but spirited 15-year-old from Chicago, smashes up her father's car and goes to town with her stepmother's credit cards, she's shipped off to Bard Academy, a boarding school where she's supposed to learn to behave. Gothic and boring and stric...more

Paperback, 262 pages

Published July 4th 2006 by MTV Books

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Feb 24, 2013 Paula Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shipped off to Bard Academy for being a troublesome kid is Miranda Tate's punishment , after her dad remarried and she not only wracked up her stepmonster's credit card but also totalled her dad's car , she has been shipped off to the netherworld - the ends of the earth at Bard Academy - school for Juvenille Delinquents. From first impressions, the school looks ancient and a place where Miranda is sure she doesn't belong. However things are about to get a whole lot weirder when a kid who calls h...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Moose D rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book wasn't terrible. It wasn't even badly written. The story line was just very unbeliveble, and I think you should leave characters like Heathcliff and Mrs.Rochester to Charlotte and Emily Bronte.

The book is about Miranda, who gets shipped off to Bard academy (basically a juvenille prison.) She is fasinated by the fact that at Bard, classic litriture is making a comeback... literally. People like Heathcliff, Dracula and crazy Mrs.Rochester are coming to life.

The start of this book was ok....more

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Apr 12, 2012 Melissa Proffitt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, young-adult, paranormal

This book hovers somewhere between three and four stars; three stars because it's not a terribly strong story, four stars because I enjoyed it anyway.

What I liked: Lockwood knows her English literature, and (with one small exception) deftly blends historical/literary fact with what's basically a boarding-school story. Since I also like boarding-school stories, that was two points in the book's favor. I enjoy it when authors leave little clues about what's really going on without making readers f...more This book hovers somewhere between three and four stars; three stars because it's not a terribly strong story, four stars because I enjoyed it anyway.

What I liked: Lockwood knows her English literature, and (with one small exception) deftly blends historical/literary fact with what's basically a boarding-school story. Since I also like boarding-school stories, that was two points in the book's favor. I enjoy it when authors leave little clues about what's really going on without making readers feel stupid if they don't get it. For example, all the teachers go by initials instead of names--Ms. W, Mr. H--but eventually we learn who they really are. (They are ghosts. This is not a spoiler. It's even in the official Goodreads synopsis.) But if you know a little bit about English literature, the descriptions give their identities away well before this happens. Like Ms. W, whose clothes become dripping wet at times of emotional crisis, as if she'd maybe walked into a river wearing a coat with pockets full of stones...something like that. I was amused by this, but I also didn't think Lockwood was sitting around somewhere mocking the readers who'd never heard of Virginia Woolf.

I also liked that Mia's defining trait was that she could get along with any social group. She wasn't super-popular, or super-smart, or super-geeky; she's just a nice person who sees good things in others. The clever bit is that her defining talent is "giving makeovers," her phrase for knowing just what clothes and accessories will make people look great. This is exactly the sort of ability someone who can get along with everyone might have, because getting along with people means being able to see who they really are.

What I disliked: There's a lot of good material here, but it isn't always put together in the best way. After spending two-thirds of the book hinting at the identities of the teachers, Lockwood reveals everything in a disappointingly prosaic way, and almost as an afterthought. She also piles this practically on top of the other big reveal, which is the truth about the supposed ghosts haunting Bard Academy. It's as if Lockwood suddenly gave up on the well-structured gradual exposition she'd been doing up until then, possibly so she could get to the dramatic ending more quickly. Pity, because I think the ending would have been far more dramatic if she'd stuck to her initial style.

Another problem is that the secondary plot, the one with Mia's rocky relationship with her family, particularly her father, feels a little light. Again, all the elements are there: Mia's dad left his family for his secretary, then dumped her for another bimbo, and he's so completely absent in Mia's life that we don't know if he's deliberately ignoring her or is just too self-centered to bother. Lockwood's description implies something more serious than your basic neglectful parent, so even though Mia completes her emotional journey by realizing she doesn't have to define herself by him, it doesn't entirely feel like closure.

I'd have liked a little more development in the secondary characters, who are enough fleshed out to not be stock characters, but only just enough. The self-named Blade, devotee of the dark arts and obsessed with death, is too close to caricature for my comfort. Also, anyone who is as obsessed with Dracula as she is would know that it is garlic flowers that are a vampire repellent, not bulbs. But in general I'm willing to give Lockwood the opportunity to develop them more thoroughly as the series progresses.

In the end, I enjoyed this book enough that I'll be reading the rest of the series, but given the plot and structural problems, I'm prepared for the following books to be less enjoyable. I hope I'm wrong about that.(less)

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Mar 08, 2012 Kat rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cute, light and fun. Sadly, yes, a little bit dated already, but the story still holds up and the references are not integral to the plot. You don't have to be deeply invested in the plot of Veronica Mars to understand when one character is teasing another.

Despite the name, the plot takes elements from a few classics to form the backbone of the plot, which kept the story from becoming utterly predictable. Also despite the name and the cover, there's plenty of horror and supernatural flares to in...more

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Oct 26, 2011 TG rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, the first thing I liked about this book is that it's dedicated to me. OK, so it doesn't mention me personally, but the dedication page says "...and to all English teachers everywhere." I'm an English teacher somewhere - I'll take it.

I picked this book up expecting it to be nothing but cute fluff and it fits that description. Miranda's narrative voice is written in that Meg Cabot-style of teen-speak: lots of observational humour and pop-culture references. Some of these references are alrea...more Well, the first thing I liked about this book is that it's dedicated to me. OK, so it doesn't mention me personally, but the dedication page says "...and to all English teachers everywhere." I'm an English teacher somewhere - I'll take it.

I picked this book up expecting it to be nothing but cute fluff and it fits that description. Miranda's narrative voice is written in that Meg Cabot-style of teen-speak: lots of observational humour and pop-culture references. Some of these references are already dated in 2011 (Ashton Kutcher and Punk'd, Heath Ledger as a teen heartthrob instead of a Hollywood tragedy), but the book does succeed in being funny and made me laugh quite a bit. Most of the characters are pretty fun and I have to give Cara Lockwood credit for including some non-white characters, which unfortunately is not as common in YA as it should be.

The premise is what attracted me to Wuthering High and I did get a kick out of all the literary references. For an adult reader with a decent knowledge of literature, working out who the teachers are is like completing a child's crossword puzzle - too easy, but sort of satisfying to get it right all the same. And it's great that this book might make a teen reader seek out some of the classics. However, while the idea of having teachers be dead authors and fictional characters come to life makes for some nice in-jokes and a few thrills, it falls apart when an explanation is given for it (it's just silly) and I felt it was a misstep for the book to suggest a dire, end-of-the-world scenario because of the real world/fictional world colliding (it's a light-hearted book; no need to tack on serious consequences).

I know some may feel that life's too short and there are too many important novels out there to bother reading a book like Wuthering High. It's also true that it you want a fun, light read, there are 'fluff' books with stronger positive messages, like Elizabeth Eulberg's The Lonely Hearts Club, or with cleverer world-building and plotlines, like Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series. But I'm not gonna deny enjoying this one and the next time my brain feels over-worked and fried, I might just pick up another in the series.(less)

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Sep 11, 2011 Bhagirathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wuthering High is a novel by Cara Lockwood published by MTV Books, and I must say, the MTV Books are certainly much better than readers might expect from a name known mostly for reality television. In fact, these books are fabulous, no matter what you're expecting, and Cara Lockwood's story is no exception. In Wuthering High, Miranda Tate is a spoiled but still likeable character who, after a few mistakes involving her Dad's car and stepmother's credit card, is sent off to Bard Academy, a boardi...more Wuthering High is a novel by Cara Lockwood published by MTV Books, and I must say, the MTV Books are certainly much better than readers might expect from a name known mostly for reality television. In fact, these books are fabulous, no matter what you're expecting, and Cara Lockwood's story is no exception. In Wuthering High, Miranda Tate is a spoiled but still likeable character who, after a few mistakes involving her Dad's car and stepmother's credit card, is sent off to Bard Academy, a boarding school for misbehaving teenagers.

At Bard Academy, a few things happen that Miranda didn't exactly expect from what she thinks about reform schools. She's having terrifying nightmares involving Kate Shaw, a girl who went missing from the school fifteen years earlier. When she tries to escape through the woods, she finds herself going in circles. One of her teachers, Ms. W, always leaves wet footprints. If those little oddities aren't odd enough, there are some eerie coincidences concerning classics such as Dracula, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. For instance, there's Heathcliff, remarkably similar to the character in Wuthering Heights, who seems to think that Miranda is really Cathy, another character from the novel. Something weird is most certainly going on, and Miranda and her new friends Hana, Samir, and Blade have to find out what it is--fast.

This is a book that is definitely worth reading! Cara Lockwood's characters are interesting, well done, and realistic, and readers will be able to relate to Miranda's situations with her parents and friends (although perhaps not teachers). The character of Miranda also shows realistic character development instead of being the same slightly bratty fifteen-year-old throughout the book. Aside from her great characters, Cara Lockwood's story in Wuthering High is entertaining and original. It's better than just another overused idea with a few differences in details and characters. This novel is one that will keep readers hooked from the very first page to the end, and eagerly awaiting the next novel from Cara Lockwood about Bard Academy.(less)

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Jun 06, 2011 Tia Koulchar added it

Have you ever gone into a situation knowing it was going to be bad? But then, it ends up worse than you thought? This is primarily what happens to the main character of the thrilling novel Wuthering High, by Cara Lockwood. The main character is young sophomore named Miranda Tate. After getting into some trouble with her parents/step-parents, Miranda is sent off to a secluded boarding school, called Bard Academy, located on an inescapable, lonely island. She hates her parents for making this dec...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Alina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wuthering High is a novel that will have you on the edge of your seat. Mia, the protagonist, is shipped off to boarding school after being rebellious back home. She does not see her actions as that bad, but her father is extremely alarmed and is done giving her chances. After she maxed out her stepmother’s credit cards and wrecked his car. Mia claims that she had wrecked his car unintentionally, although I believe that what drove her actions is that her father hardly paid attention to her and ha...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance, series, vampires, werewolves, four-stars

It wasn't Miranda's fault that she crashed her dad's convertible into a tree. Honest. Her sister was having trouble with a bully and she had to go and pick her up. But after this incident and maxing out her step-moms credit card, Miranda's mother and father send her to Bard Academy.

Located in the middle of nowhere on an island that doesn't even get cell service (can you say cruel?), Miranda doesn't know how she'll survive. Then, she starts noticing occurances that happen on campus that is very s...more

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Jun 04, 2009 Steph Su rated it 2 of 5 stars

When her parents send her to a boarding school for juvenile delinquents after she crashes their car and maxes out their credit cards, 15-year-old fashionista Miranda Tate thinks it’s the end of her world. Miranda was born for strolling down the artificially lighted wings of the local mall and NOT for living in a backwards world with no modern devices allowed. Her roommate calls herself Blade and is a worshipper of Satan, and she thinks a ghost is haunting her closet.

Things begin to look ever so...more

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Nov 24, 2008 Liv. rated it 4 of 5 stars

So, I was a tad bit nervous about this book. I wasn't sure what to expect. Was it just going to be another one of those snobby, preppy, bad writing chick-lits? Not that ALL chick-lits are bad. I actually like quite a few of them. Anyway, so I was a little be apprehensive in reading this book. Well, turns out, I liked it. Like, I really, really did. The plot was pretty good and unexpected. It was different and refreshing. Miranda was hilarious and so were her friends. *SAMIR* And they were all re...more

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Dec 22, 2010 Alissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

love that this book (and the rest of the series) includes references to classic literature; it gives Lockwood’s story an edge that the plot needs. The interaction between the character classics and the implementation of them works well with the modern aspects. They meld into the story, rather than appear awkwardly separate.

Miranda’s a spunky, relatable character. Her voice is real, both in dialogue and narration. Some of the other characters are bit one-dimensional, weak and stereotypical, but...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Jessicagail Austria rated it 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book about 3 years ago and never got into it. The other day I was sick and I decided I'd go ahead &try again.

It all starts when her parents ship her off to a boarding school on an island. She starts having horrifying dreams & one day she wanders off into the woods & finds herself in the exact same spot she came in. She begins to think the school is haunted, and something gives her reason to believe it's haunted by deceased authors.

When I started reading this book I tho...more

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Nov 28, 2009 Tori Marvin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-ive-read-this-year

When I got this book I didn't know if it would really catch my attention, but it DEFINITELY DID!!! It was AMAZING!!! Not only was it much better than I thought it was going to be, but it inspired me to pick up my copy of Wuthering Heights again. I'm really excited to read the next book in the series just to see how the author keeps it going. I have many questions that need to be answered: WHat happens to Heathcliff? Is he still at Bard Acadamy? If he isn't how did he get out? Is she going to sta...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely fell in love with the fantasy that whenever a book is written, a alternate universe is created, one whose characters can come out and into our world. I know I'm not the only Hogwarts student living in Narnia part-time, so really, the materialization of these worlds and their collision with ours should have received a lot more attention than Lockwood gave it. The author pulls the common pacing problem of holding the vast majority of the excitement until the last third. However, the m...more

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May 14, 2012 Jacob Proffitt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, urban-fantasy, young-adult

I enjoyed reading this book, particularly the first half. Miranda is an engaging character and I enjoyed seeing her adapt to her new school, Bard Academy. Miranda has an eye for fashion and enjoys helping people find their individual look. She's very open-handed with this talent and you can see that she is used to getting along with everybody as a result. She's a fundamentally kind person and I enjoyed spending time with her. Indeed, I'd almost have rather read the story of her staying at her cu...more

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Aug 23, 2009 Haley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-put-down, read-in-2009, young-adult, fantasy, fiction

This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, great literature. However, I found it to be quite entertaining.

Miranda gets sent to reform school when she crashes her father's car and maxes out her stepmother's credit card by buying push-up bras.

Bard Academy turns out to be more peculiar than anything Miranda's ever encountered. There are "Guardians", the forest outside goes around in a circle, and every teacher is reffered to by Ms./Mr first initial of their last name(apparently for security re...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the first book in a series. Interesting concept—a boarding school for troubled teens, that is staffed by ghosts—writers who died untimely deaths. So far, I’ve discovered Ernest Hemingway, Emily and Charlotte Bronte and Virginia Woolf. The book is a piece of fluff, but it is fun. I may read the next in the series just to see what other authors work at the Bard Academy. Will I find Jane Austen, Sylvia Plath, or Margaret Mitchell? Hmm—I wonder if the choral director is a musician. I can onl...more

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Aug 02, 2010 Sandra Strange rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

This series should be good, based on a really wild premise that includes lots of author-of-classics lore (Emily Bronte is the main villain, while Virginia Woolf and Ernest Hemingway figure widely). However, the unbelievable fantasy is tempered by the kinds of concerns and conversations that uninformed authors think teens actually have. The characterization is stereotypical and the plots go too far. Avoid the clever titles; the novels just aren't. PG13 rated, with talk about and skirting around s...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Lady Entropy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks

So, I had a great fun reading this (and I read most of it secretly during a boring meeting - yay for large auditoriums).

It had a refreshing main character -- who's pretty, fashion oriented, but still not the "popular" girl, rather the "liked girl" who's into makeovers. She takes her family issues with grace but does fall to the "mom's useless, I'm the grown up" stereotype that while understandable (making the teen readers feel empowered) comes across as a bit fake. Or overdone. Or both.

The only...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-urban-fantasy, stupid-live-triangles, female-friendships

Miranda gets sent off to boarding school after she totals her dad's car and maxes out her stepmom's credit card. She thinks it's totally unfair to be sent off to a boarding school for delinquent kids off the coast of Maine on an island called, seriously, Shipwreck Island. But the place is even weirder than she imagines.

I am torn about this book. I loved Miranda's voice. She's spunky and down-to-earth and funny. I liked that she was willing to be resourceful and go on adventures and do what neede...more Miranda gets sent off to boarding school after she totals her dad's car and maxes out her stepmom's credit card. She thinks it's totally unfair to be sent off to a boarding school for delinquent kids off the coast of Maine on an island called, seriously, Shipwreck Island. But the place is even weirder than she imagines.

I am torn about this book. I loved Miranda's voice. She's spunky and down-to-earth and funny. I liked that she was willing to be resourceful and go on adventures and do what needed doing. I also liked that she didn't seem to have the hostile attitude toward other girls I sometimes see in books for actual girls. (What's up with that?) In many ways, tis book read a bit like Harry Poter for teenaged girls. It wasn't as good as HP, but I could see it appealing to readers who are looking for something similar. I found this book engaging and fun, even if it did include the "adults are useless" trope, which bothers me, as, you know, an adult.

That said, there is one thing that brings this book from a respectable B grade to the C it gets. It involves spoilers. Don't read further if you don't want to know.

See, the thing about Bard Academy is that it's inhabited by dead authors of classic works. And one of the dead authors has brought forth characters from those books into the real world, one of whom is Heathclyffe, from Wuthering Heights. Who, of course, is fascinated by Miranda.

I find this a problem for two reasons. First of all, it means there's setup for the inevitable love triangle, and the author and I are clearly on different teams. I am team Anybody that's Not a Fictional Character and Ms. Lockwood is on Team Heathclyffe. I realize Heathclyffe is the ultimate in bad boys, but I can't take it seriously that Miranda is the modern Cathy Earnshaw, especially without all the high drama of Wuthering Heights. Plus, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to bring Heathclyffe home for Thanksgiving dinner. "Mom, this is my boyfriend, a fictional character who is pretty unstable, but hey, he loves me."

I really wish Heathclyffe had not been set up as a romantic interest. Of course, I also wish the other love interest potential had been less bland, but… he's got to compete with Heathclyffe. I would have loved more adventure and more boarding school hijinks. Since the second book looks more romancey, I think I will pack it in with this first book in the series.
(less)

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Sep 24, 2012 Veronica Morfi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favs

Miranda Tate has no idea that her acting out will lead her to be send to a boarding school in a private island and that Bard Academy is not your ordinary school for delinquents. The are creepy stories about the ghost of a girl haunted the place and Miranda is convinced that her room is her haunting place. Even more weird are the teachers with the odd names and attitudes and a student that seems to think he is Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights.

I loved this book. I have no idea why I waited so lon...more Miranda Tate has no idea that her acting out will lead her to be send to a boarding school in a private island and that Bard Academy is not your ordinary school for delinquents. The are creepy stories about the ghost of a girl haunted the place and Miranda is convinced that her room is her haunting place. Even more weird are the teachers with the odd names and attitudes and a student that seems to think he is Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights.

I loved this book. I have no idea why I waited so long to read it. It has everything I adore: a haunted boarding school, a funny and relatable heroine and a creepy storyline. I loved the way Cara Lockwood brought all the classics to life in this book. Let me tell you now that I am not a big classic reader and I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to follow some things in the book but the way Miranda describes everything I found it really eaasy to keep up. I even learned a few things I didn't know.

Miranda was, as I mentioned before, a great MC. She originally seemed a bit spoiled but I soon realised that she wasn't, at least not more spoiled than any normal 16-year-old. She is funny and tries to give everyone a chance, without pre-judging them. She is sweet, curious and brave. I really enjoyed being in her head and watching everything through her eyes. The rest of the crew consists of the friends: Hana, Samir and Blade, my favourite beign Samir, he is hilarious and a big chicken which makes him even more real. Then there are the love interests, yes there's two of them, Ryan Kent and Heathcliff. Let me say that just the fact the Miranda refers to Ryan by his full name only proves that she has idolized him. I am Team Heathcliff all the way. He is incredible, even with all his flaws.

The setting of the school was another thing I loved. The creepy, ghothic buildings and the even creepier woods. Everything was like a horror movie. And then there were the hauntings and the fires and all the mystery behind them. I really enjoyed the way everything seemed to connect and eventually played out.(less)

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Jun 02, 2011 Beth W rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I'm about twice as old as the target demographic, but I couldn't resist this one when I saw it at the book fair. The plot is more literary than I expected from a YA book published by MTV, AND it made me want to reread Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre again, as well as For Whom the Bell Tolls & Mrs Dalloway for the first time. Also, "H.S. Thompson" the bus driver was a fantastic "cameo". For that I have to give it four stars, and I will be looking for the other two books in the series at the n...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Ari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

I like knowing the motives of why an author does what he or she does and this book puzzled me a bit because I thought the assignments of the famous writers turned teachers was random. It could have at least been explained a bit better for those of us not familiar with all the authors. Coach H (Hemingway) as a gym teacher makes sense, I didn't understand why Charlotte Bronte was Headmistress B, perhaps because she was a governess? However, I didn't know Charlotte Bronte was a governess until I lo...more I like knowing the motives of why an author does what he or she does and this book puzzled me a bit because I thought the assignments of the famous writers turned teachers was random. It could have at least been explained a bit better for those of us not familiar with all the authors. Coach H (Hemingway) as a gym teacher makes sense, I didn't understand why Charlotte Bronte was Headmistress B, perhaps because she was a governess? However, I didn't know Charlotte Bronte was a governess until I looked it up. And why was Virginia Woolf a dorm mother? I'm just curious as to how the author figured out who should do what at Bard academy. I was also disappointed in the misleading of the back cover which claimed "the students' lives also start to mirror the classics they're reading-tragic novels like Dracula, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre" but Miranda and her friends are RARELY in class. Bard Academy has a tough curriculum but Miranda only mentions classes to complain a bit but she doesn't mention studying/analyzing the classics. I wish there had been more discussion of the classics. I don't like Ryan either, I know he's supposed to be dreamy and actually really sweet but I just don't like him. Heathcliff all the way!

I decided to review this book because of Samir. I love Samir, the new friend of Miranda. He was sent to Bard because his traditional Indian parents had arranged a marriage for him when he turned nineteen but he refused to comply. Samir is not exactly a ladies' man but as is usually the case, he's quite funny and determined to find a girl for him. One of my favorite bits of dialogue

"'Will you marry me?' he asks me
'Uh....' I glance at Hana
'He asks every girl he meets,' Hanna explains. 'Don't worry about it.'" (pg. 58) Blade, Miranda's roommate remains a caricature and Hana doesn't have much of a personality yet but at least one secondary character (Samir) does. I really like Miranda too. I started out not liking her because she was (still is actually) spoiled and a bit whiny but I probably whine too so I can relate. Plus she's funny because she has this realistic/self-deprecating sense of humor such as "Heathcliff contains my squirming easily, carrying me as if I weigh nothing, which I know is not true at all despite the Bard Academy cafeteria diet" (pg. 208). Miranda is a strong main character but I really like her because she's not too extreme. Not extremely trendy, shy, pretty, mean, etc. She's average, like many other high school girls (including myself) that I know. Sometimes she feels beautiful, other times she thinks she's 'hideous'. How refreshing and realistic.

Wuthering High's strengths lie in its premise being quite novel and having some dominant, interesting characters in Miranda, Samir and Heathcliff. The ending left me with more questions than answers which normally bothers me to no end but I would have been sad to just leave these characters behind, I want to know more about Bard Academy, its students and faculty. One mystery is neatly closed but there are several others left open. At least I know that there are currently two other books out in this series and the author is working on a fourth (final) book. Since the book places such emphasis on the literary classics I want more time to be spent discussing the classics and the people who wrote them. I would also like to see Hana be more than just a sidekick and Blade be more than the creepy roommate. I MUST know more about Heathcliff. And I need Samir to date someone and find happiness :)(less)

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Oct 18, 2009 Princess Bookie rated it 4 of 5 stars

My Thoughts: I loved the first two Bard Academy novels. Still need to get my hands on the third one. I really enjoyed Wuthering High. I liked the concept that all the troubled kids go to this school made especially for them.Didn't have to worry about fitting in too much since everyone is there because they have gotten into trouble. I liked Miranda and her friends very much. I especially liked Heathcliff. He was mysterious and we never really knew what was going on with him or what he was thinkin...more

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Oct 12, 2008 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, teen-ya, paranormal, favorite-authors, great-series, contemporary

At First Sight: Miranda Tate didn't deserve being sent to Bard Academy, at least, she didn't think so. Sure, she had taken her stepmom's credit card for a shopping spree, and she did destroy her father's new car. But still, being shipped off to Shipwreck Island, off the coast of Maine, seems like a bit much - not that she has a choice in the matter.

Once at Bard Academy, Miranda quickly realizes that there is something off at the Academy: the teachers are a bit strange, and never seem to sleep; M...more At First Sight: Miranda Tate didn't deserve being sent to Bard Academy, at least, she didn't think so. Sure, she had taken her stepmom's credit card for a shopping spree, and she did destroy her father's new car. But still, being shipped off to Shipwreck Island, off the coast of Maine, seems like a bit much - not that she has a choice in the matter.

Once at Bard Academy, Miranda quickly realizes that there is something off at the Academy: the teachers are a bit strange, and never seem to sleep; Miranda's roomate is a Wiccan who claims there is a vampire lose on campus, she has made an enemy out of the school's Queen Bee; there is this guy called Heathcliff who's always showing up when Miranda needs him and who claims comes from a place called "Wuthering Heights"; and she keeps dreaming about a girl who might be Kate Shaw, a former Bard student who disappeared 15 years ago.

On the other hand, there are a few nice things about Bard, like her new friends Hana and Samir and even her roommate Blade, sometimes. And Ryan Kent, the hottest guy on campus whom used to go to Miranda's old school and is now noticing her. And she has to admit that Heathcliff is nice too - at least to her, even if he insist on calling her Cathy from time to time.

Yes, there is something odd about Bard, and when the life of her friends and fellow classmates starts to resemble famous literary works of fiction, Miranda starts to find the clues to uncover one of Bard's best kept secrets.

Second Glance: I'm always saying how much I love Wuthering High, and I'm so glad I picked it for a re-read. It's such a smart, funny paranormal book with a fresh take on the 'haunted boarding school' setting. Cara Lockwood's writing flows in such a way that I was amazed at how quickly I was going through the pages - the story has such great rhythm and pace and the 'mystery' plot of the book is well crafted.

Plus, I really do like Miranda, she's fun and a bit cynic but sweet and smart too. She's not exactly an angel but she's not a bad kid either, even if she is at 'reform school'.

This is one of those books I vividly remember reading for the first time, I couldn't put it down and I was ordering the next two books in the series minutes after I finished this one, it's just that good. And just this week Cara Lockwood announced the BEST News Ever!!!, and said that there will be a Bard Academy 4, for which I SO can't wait.

Bottom Line: Without a doubt Wuthering High (and the Bard Academy in general) is one of my favorite reads ever. I get instantly sucked in each time I read it and I definitely think that more people should read this awesome book. (less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

WUTHERING HIGH is a novel by Cara Lockwood published by MTV Books, and I must say, the MTV Books are certainly much better than readers might expect from a name known mostly for reality television. In fact, these books are fabulous, no matter what you're expecting, and Cara Lockwood's story is no exception. In WUTHERING HIGH, Miranda Tate is a spoiled but still likeable character who, after a few mistakes involving her Dad's car and stepmother's cre...more Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

WUTHERING HIGH is a novel by Cara Lockwood published by MTV Books, and I must say, the MTV Books are certainly much better than readers might expect from a name known mostly for reality television. In fact, these books are fabulous, no matter what you're expecting, and Cara Lockwood's story is no exception. In WUTHERING HIGH, Miranda Tate is a spoiled but still likeable character who, after a few mistakes involving her Dad's car and stepmother's credit card, is sent off to Bard Academy, a boarding school for misbehaving teenagers.

At Bard Academy, a few things happen that Miranda didn't exactly expect from what she thinks she knows about reform schools. She's having terrifying nightmares involving Kate Shaw, a girl who went missing from the school fifteen years earlier. When she tries to escape through the woods, she finds herself going in circles. One of her teachers, Ms. W., always leaves wet footprints. As if those little oddities aren't odd enough, there are some eerie coincidences concerning classics such as DRACULA, JANE EYRE, and WUTHERING HEIGHTS. For instance, there's Heathcliff, remarkably similar to the character in WUTHERING HEIGHTS, who seems to think that Miranda is really Cathy, another character from the novel. Something weird is most certainly going on, and Miranda and her new friends Hana, Samir, and Blade have to find out what it is--fast.

This is a book that is definitely worth reading! Ms. Lockwood's characters are interesting, well done, and realistic, and readers will be able to relate to Miranda's situations with her parents and friends (although perhaps not teachers). The character of Miranda also shows realistic character development instead of being the same slightly bratty fifteen-year-old throughout the book. Aside from her great characters, the story in WUTHERING HIGH is entertaining and original. It's better than just another overused idea with a few differences in details and characters. This novel is one that will keep readers hooked from the very first page to the end, and eagerly awaiting the next novel from Cara Lockwood about Bard Academy. (less)

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Dec 06, 2007 Leanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a Brontë fanatic, I couldn’t resist the title of Cara Lockwood's book Wuthering High. And the blurb sounds interesting—a boarding school run by the ghosts of dead authors.

The premise is intriguing, but I’m not yet sold on the execution. Lockwood seems a bit confused about her audience—is it teeny boppers or English majors?

The book is drenched in pop culture references—dooming it to obscurity in a few years. Miranda, the heroine, references iPods, MySpace, Juicy Couture, and Ricki Lake (Ricki...more

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Nov 04, 2007 Laurel Osterkamp rated it 3 of 5 stars

Getting through high school can be hell, especially when you’re forced to study a bunch of obsolete literature by dead authors nobody cares about. But what if you were stranded at a remote, creepy boarding school where fictional characters roamed the halls? What if your teachers were the ghosts of those forgotten about authors, who are there to do penance for killing themselves by teaching to a bunch of bratty teenagers whose only knowledge of classic literature comes from the film versions of t...more
Getting through high school can be hell, especially when you’re forced to study a bunch of obsolete literature by dead authors nobody cares about. But what if you were stranded at a remote, creepy boarding school where fictional characters roamed the halls? What if your teachers were the ghosts of those forgotten about authors, who are there to do penance for killing themselves by teaching to a bunch of bratty teenagers whose only knowledge of classic literature comes from the film versions of their books?

That is the premise of Cara Lockwood’s Wuthering High, a new young adult novel published by MTV books. You didn’t know that MTV has their own line of books? Well, they do, and this one is everything you would expect from a book put out by music television. It’s hip, light, and likely to engage young readers with even the shortest of attention spans. However, it also has oodles of references to classic literature and it’s clever and well written to boot. Teen readers are likely to enjoy the main character, Miranda, who has been banished to Bard Academy as punishment for totaling her father’s car and running up his credit card bill. Miranda is like any teenager; she has struggles with her family while she confronts issues like peer pressure and the search for her own identity. Yet somehow she manages to handle any conflict that comes her way with strength and a touch of heroism.

Wuthering High is likely to appeal to adults as well. Anyone who considers themselves a writer or a book lover will appreciate Lockwood’s tribute to literature and the people who create it. It should come as no surprise that Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre receive special attention in this book. When the characters of Heathcliff and Mrs. Rochester come to life they create havoc for everyone at Bard academy, but the funniest part is not so much their actions, but the reaction of modern teenagers to the spurned lovers from these famous 19th century novels.

Lockwood has created a novel that is at once entertaining and educational, and I strongly recommend that parents buy it for their teens to read and enjoy. However, before you give it to them, sit down and read it yourself. Not only will you have a quick, enjoyable read, you will also get a brush-up lesson on famous authors. Read it first – then look up the answers to anything you realize you don’t know about literature. That way, when your kids come to you questions after reading Wuthering High, you can impress them with your knowledge!

Wuthering High is a perfect summertime read, and it just might get your teen excited for English class in the fall!
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Jan 09, 2012 Kayla Guyette rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I was reading the first few chapters I ended up nearly stopping. Miranda deciding to drive to go pick up her sister, ending up in an accident then having to go to boarding school just seemed predictable and well kind of silly. I continued reading and am so glad I did. The idea of having literary characters and their authors come to life is really neat. After getting through the first few boring/silly chapters, Wuthering High was well worth reading!

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About Cara Lockwood

I grew up in Mesquite, Texas, which for those of you who like livestock shows, is the home of the Mesquite Rodeo. Ironically, Mesquite was named after Mesquite trees, only none of them now exist in the city, which is about fifteen minutes east of Dallas. No, I don't own a pair of cowboy boots, although I do own quite an impressive collection of black shoes. My Dad is a third-generation Japanese-Am...more I grew up in Mesquite, Texas, which for those of you who like livestock shows, is the home of the Mesquite Rodeo. Ironically, Mesquite was named after Mesquite trees, only none of them now exist in the city, which is about fifteen minutes east of Dallas. No, I don't own a pair of cowboy boots, although I do own quite an impressive collection of black shoes. My Dad is a third-generation Japanese-American, and my mom is a second-generation Texan who's mostly English, or at least claims to be because of her anglophile nature.

I went to school at the University of Pennsylvania, only I'm not sure how I got in. I think these days they only accept students who can solve String Theory. Anyway, I majored in English, and because my dad said "and just what are you going to do with an English degree?" I went to work for the school newspaper. After college, I spent four years as a newspaper reporter, working for an overly exciteable editor who sent me running anytime the police scanner went off. I was working insane hours for next to no pay. I was actually sent to cover a grass fire on my 25th Birthday. Let me tell you, it smelled bad. I think some mice may have lost their lives. But that was about it in terms of excitement. Happy Birthday to Me.

So, I decided after I had taken to hiding from my editor in the bathroom at the office anytime the police scanner went off, that journalism probably wasn't for me. I went to work for a marketing firm and discovered that most everyone else didn't stay until ten o'clock every night writing up their riveting story about grass fires. I also decided that I would take advantage of that free time to write some fiction. That's when I started writing "I Do (But I Don't)." A year later, I finished it, thanks to the help of my friend, Shannon, who wouldn't let me slack off and kept asking me for chapters.

And that's how I became a writer. Except that it still feels weird to say, "I'm a writer." I keep expecting to wake up tomorrow and have to go cover another grass fire. (less)

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Books by Cara Lockwood

I Do (But I Don't) (Crandell Sisters, #1)

I Did (But I Wouldn't Now) (Crandell Sisters, #2)

The Scarlet Letterman (Bard Academy, #2)

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Quotes from Wuthering High

“No dates until you're sixteen. And no boyfriends, either.' I'm not quite sure how to tell Mom, but it looks like I don't just have one boyfriend. I have two.” — 7 people liked it

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Wuthering High (Bard Academy #1)

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