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Bard Academy #2
The Scarlet Letterman
Miranda Tate and her closest friends have been let in on a powerful secret: their teachers are famous dead writers.
After a heroic first semester, Miranda's got Bard Academy's ghost faculty in her debt, a new boyfriend in hot basketball player Ryan Kent, and she's just turned in a paper about The Scarlet Letter that she's sure is A material. But when the Bard Queen Bee, Parker Rodham, claims she's attacked in the woods, Ryan is all too happy to play bodyguard. Then teachers start disappearing and the campus is abuzz with news of the Hooded Sweatshirt Stalker -- not to mention sightings of a monster in the woods. But it's Miranda who feels like a moving target when she is accused not only of plagiarism but of suspicious involvement in the attacks!
Meanwhile, rumors are flying about what it really means that Miranda's wearing Ryan's varsity letterman jacket. And she just can't shake her nagging feelings for Heathcliff, who entrusted her with the locket that keeps him in the "real" world even though every one else thinks he's back where he belongs, in the pages of Wuthering Heights. Is he the campus stalker? Does she like him more than she likes Ryan? And how is that possible if he's only a character from a book?
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2007
8 people are currently reading
561 people want to read
About the author
Cara Lockwood
104 books372 followersI've written more than 30 books in a number of genres: chick lit, romance, suspense, paranormal and young adult. My debut novel, I Do (But I Don't) was made into a Lifetime Original movie.
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.
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 excitable 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.
I'm married and live with a blended broad of seven near Chicago, where I'm hard at work on my next book!
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.
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 excitable 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.
I'm married and live with a blended broad of seven near Chicago, where I'm hard at work on my next book!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 15, 2015
Rating: 4.5/5
After 3 years had gone by I finally decided to pick up book 2 in the Bard Academy series. Sometimes when it has been such a long time I would either lose interest in the series or won't be able to easily go through the next book, because I would have forgotten a lot of details. But after reading the first few pages everything that happened in book one came back to me (with a little help from the author) and once again I found myself wondering the halls of Bard Academy.
It's the second semester that Miranda has to spend at Bard Academy but this time around she knows a lot more than she used to. For one thing, her teachers are the ghosts of classic writers that had gone to an early grave and the island where Bard is located is their purgatory. Also, characters can come out of books, like Heathcliff, who is after Miranda's heart. But not all of them are good, like Dracula who Miranda and her friends had to face on her first semester or the mysterious monster that attacks students at night.
This time around Miranda's life is very different she has a cute boyfriend, Ryan Kent, and luck seems to be looking up. Until the rumors about her and the reason she wears Ryan's letterman jacket start to spread. Having to go through that all the while trying to also find out what is attacking students and wondering if Heathcliff is ever coming back to Bard is going to keep Miranda and her friends very busy.
This was such a great read. It had everything I loved in the first book, a lot of action, some hilarious moments (Miranda and her friends are hilarious) and some literary adventures. Once again one of the ghosts has a plot to get out of purgatory and destroy the world at the same time and Miranda and the gang have to stop them. I love how since I haven't read the classics I get to learn a lot about them through this series. Also I loved how this book ended.
After 3 years had gone by I finally decided to pick up book 2 in the Bard Academy series. Sometimes when it has been such a long time I would either lose interest in the series or won't be able to easily go through the next book, because I would have forgotten a lot of details. But after reading the first few pages everything that happened in book one came back to me (with a little help from the author) and once again I found myself wondering the halls of Bard Academy.
It's the second semester that Miranda has to spend at Bard Academy but this time around she knows a lot more than she used to. For one thing, her teachers are the ghosts of classic writers that had gone to an early grave and the island where Bard is located is their purgatory. Also, characters can come out of books, like Heathcliff, who is after Miranda's heart. But not all of them are good, like Dracula who Miranda and her friends had to face on her first semester or the mysterious monster that attacks students at night.
This time around Miranda's life is very different she has a cute boyfriend, Ryan Kent, and luck seems to be looking up. Until the rumors about her and the reason she wears Ryan's letterman jacket start to spread. Having to go through that all the while trying to also find out what is attacking students and wondering if Heathcliff is ever coming back to Bard is going to keep Miranda and her friends very busy.
This was such a great read. It had everything I loved in the first book, a lot of action, some hilarious moments (Miranda and her friends are hilarious) and some literary adventures. Once again one of the ghosts has a plot to get out of purgatory and destroy the world at the same time and Miranda and the gang have to stop them. I love how since I haven't read the classics I get to learn a lot about them through this series. Also I loved how this book ended.
Currently reading
April 7, 2009This book has a unique plot and is really funny. I like it a lot
July 8, 2022
4 stars - English Ebook
Quote: What I can't deal with is the fact that Heathcliff is MIA. I haven't seen him since last semester. This from the boy who told me I was his whole life. The only evidence I have that he exists at all is the necklace he sent me, the one that I wear around my neck.
The necklace reminds me that there's another problem with Heathcliff: He's not even real. He's a fictional character from Wuthering Heights who happens to be stuck in this world. That's right. I'm obsessing about a fictional character from 1847.
Where do I start with what's wrong with that? Not to mention the minor detail that him being here at all makes our dimension unstable. Confused? Welcome to my world.
"Is that a new necklace or something?"
Hana asks me as she leans over, catching me fumbling with Heathcliff's locket. Inside there's a single piece of a page of the original copy of Wuthering Heights, which is the only thing keeping him in this world, as far as I know. Should it be destroyed, he'd be sent back to 1847.-
After a heroic first semester, Miranda's got Bard Academy's ghost faculty in her debt, a new boyfriend in hot basketball player Ryan Kent, and she's just turned in a paper about The Scarlet Letter that she's sure is A material. But when the Bard Queen Bee,
Parker Rodham, claims she's attacked in the woods, Ryan is all too happy to play bodyguard.
Then teachers start disappearing and the campus is abuzz with news of the Hooded Sweatshirt Stalker -- not to mention sightings of a monster in the woods. But it's Miranda who feels like a moving target when she is accused not only of plagiarism but of suspicious involvement in the attacks!
The second book in the Bard Academy was as great as the first book. Miranda was still funny and witty--just a wonderful character. The Scarlet Letterman picks up where Wuthering High left off.
The sequel was just as entertaining as the first. The secondary characters were still funny and in this book they felt more real. What I like about this series is that each book can stand alone--the book doesn't end in a cliffhanger.
All the aspects of the book, romance, paranormal, comedy, were evened out more and worked really good. I loved the mystery part of this book.
I knew who it was about 1/3 into the book but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story.
Quote: What I can't deal with is the fact that Heathcliff is MIA. I haven't seen him since last semester. This from the boy who told me I was his whole life. The only evidence I have that he exists at all is the necklace he sent me, the one that I wear around my neck.
The necklace reminds me that there's another problem with Heathcliff: He's not even real. He's a fictional character from Wuthering Heights who happens to be stuck in this world. That's right. I'm obsessing about a fictional character from 1847.
Where do I start with what's wrong with that? Not to mention the minor detail that him being here at all makes our dimension unstable. Confused? Welcome to my world.
"Is that a new necklace or something?"
Hana asks me as she leans over, catching me fumbling with Heathcliff's locket. Inside there's a single piece of a page of the original copy of Wuthering Heights, which is the only thing keeping him in this world, as far as I know. Should it be destroyed, he'd be sent back to 1847.-
After a heroic first semester, Miranda's got Bard Academy's ghost faculty in her debt, a new boyfriend in hot basketball player Ryan Kent, and she's just turned in a paper about The Scarlet Letter that she's sure is A material. But when the Bard Queen Bee,
Parker Rodham, claims she's attacked in the woods, Ryan is all too happy to play bodyguard.
Then teachers start disappearing and the campus is abuzz with news of the Hooded Sweatshirt Stalker -- not to mention sightings of a monster in the woods. But it's Miranda who feels like a moving target when she is accused not only of plagiarism but of suspicious involvement in the attacks!
The second book in the Bard Academy was as great as the first book. Miranda was still funny and witty--just a wonderful character. The Scarlet Letterman picks up where Wuthering High left off.
The sequel was just as entertaining as the first. The secondary characters were still funny and in this book they felt more real. What I like about this series is that each book can stand alone--the book doesn't end in a cliffhanger.
All the aspects of the book, romance, paranormal, comedy, were evened out more and worked really good. I loved the mystery part of this book.
I knew who it was about 1/3 into the book but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story.
September 30, 2008
Definitely an interesting idea--but there was so much junk in it, that I wouldn't recommend it to anyone--especially someone like me who can't start a book in a series without finishing it.
January 10, 2009
It was okay. Definitely a sequel. I was disappointed that it didn't have anything to do with The Scarlet Letter--a bit misleading.
October 29, 2008
Cute but so lightweight it nearly floated away.
August 20, 2025
well that was terrible. and cringey.
January 7, 2008
The Scarlet Letterman takes up where its prequel, Wuthering High, left off. Miranda returns to the Bard Academy for the second semester of school. In the first book, Miranda finds out that important/famous writers like Hemingway, Bronte, and H.S. Thompson are ghosts that happen to make up the staff at Bard Academy. Literary characters can cross dimensions and come into our world. Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights also makes an appearance as a possible love interest for Miranda. However, at the end of Wuthering High, Miranda is asked to go steady with Ryan Kent, the best looking guy at Bard, and also someone she knew from her old school. She thinks everything is going to go back to normal until she receives a package in the mail. It is a locket with a piece of paper torn out of Wuthering Heights stored inside. The piece of paper says Heathcliff. Miranda is the only thing keeping Heathcliff tied to our world. Something she feels she must keep a secret.
In The Scarlet Letterman everything is going fine for Miranda. She has a great boyfriend, she has good friends, and she even gets along with her roommate Blade. Things go downhill when Parker, her arch nemesis, is attacked in the woods that surround the school. Using her attack as an excuse, Parker insists Ryan starts escorting her to all of her classes and extra-curricular activities. Miranda doesn't like this, but deals with it. On top of the attacks (which continue) by the Hooded Sweatshirt Guy, rumors are flying around the school about Miranda and Ryan's sexual activity. When actually nothing has happened at all, she is rumored to have "gone all the way" with not only Ryan, but the whole basketball team too. When Ryan doesn't take this rumor seriously, Miranda and he break up.
Miranda is worried that the Hooded Sweatshirt Guy is Heathcliff at first, but soon discovers that it isn't. She rescues him which allows him to join in the big mystery of this installment of the Bard Academy Novels. Teachers are disappearing. Miranda is to blame. She is being framed and is forced to wear a red sweater vest and shunned by the whole school, teachers and students. In order for her to get out of this punishment, that is driving her crazy, she must solve the mystery. Luckily she has great friends that help. Hana, Blade, and Samir from the first book, all join in to help save the day. In the end though, even though her name is cleared, she still has some problems. What should she do about her boy situation? She has Ryan and Heathcliff. Ryan says he just wants to be friends, but still seems like he likes her and Heathcliff, after being discovered by the school faculty and allowed to stay in our world, is told that he isn't allowed to form any romantic attachments since he is only allowed to stay for 3 years. The actual amount of time Heathcliff is out of the picture in Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff doesn't seem like he wants to stick to that stipulation because at the very end of the book he returns the locket that had been taken away by the faculty to Miranda; trusting her with his life once again.
So this is what I say about The Bard Academy books. Cute Cute Cute!!!
In The Scarlet Letterman everything is going fine for Miranda. She has a great boyfriend, she has good friends, and she even gets along with her roommate Blade. Things go downhill when Parker, her arch nemesis, is attacked in the woods that surround the school. Using her attack as an excuse, Parker insists Ryan starts escorting her to all of her classes and extra-curricular activities. Miranda doesn't like this, but deals with it. On top of the attacks (which continue) by the Hooded Sweatshirt Guy, rumors are flying around the school about Miranda and Ryan's sexual activity. When actually nothing has happened at all, she is rumored to have "gone all the way" with not only Ryan, but the whole basketball team too. When Ryan doesn't take this rumor seriously, Miranda and he break up.
Miranda is worried that the Hooded Sweatshirt Guy is Heathcliff at first, but soon discovers that it isn't. She rescues him which allows him to join in the big mystery of this installment of the Bard Academy Novels. Teachers are disappearing. Miranda is to blame. She is being framed and is forced to wear a red sweater vest and shunned by the whole school, teachers and students. In order for her to get out of this punishment, that is driving her crazy, she must solve the mystery. Luckily she has great friends that help. Hana, Blade, and Samir from the first book, all join in to help save the day. In the end though, even though her name is cleared, she still has some problems. What should she do about her boy situation? She has Ryan and Heathcliff. Ryan says he just wants to be friends, but still seems like he likes her and Heathcliff, after being discovered by the school faculty and allowed to stay in our world, is told that he isn't allowed to form any romantic attachments since he is only allowed to stay for 3 years. The actual amount of time Heathcliff is out of the picture in Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff doesn't seem like he wants to stick to that stipulation because at the very end of the book he returns the locket that had been taken away by the faculty to Miranda; trusting her with his life once again.
So this is what I say about The Bard Academy books. Cute Cute Cute!!!
November 16, 2012
Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com
THE SCARLET LETTERMAN continues the adventures of Miranda Tate and her friends at Bard Academy. When WUTHERING HIGH ended, Miranda, Blade, Hana, and Samir had discovered that the faculty of the school for juvenile delinquents that the four of them attend are not just weirdos who like to torture kids on an island in the middle of nowhere. They're the ghosts of famous authors who died, mostly by their own hands, before their times.
Miranda and the other students of Bard Academy are being taught by Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, Mary Shelley, and Charlotte Bronte, among others. Of course, this is not something they can go around sharing with people, not even other students. Miranda and her three friends have to keep it to themselves.
That's why, when weird things start happening, they find themselves involved. The other kids have their theories, but none are so well-informed as Miranda, Samir, Blade, and Hana. Around the campus, there are weird sightings of "monsters," and a Hooded Sweatshirt Stalker whose face no one has seen. When one of the teachers disappears, things are definitely getting serious.
Miranda can't help but think Heathcliff, the fictional character who escaped from the book WUTHERING HEIGHTS, might be involved. Perhaps, though, that's just wishful thinking...
Not that she should be doing any wishful thinking at all about Heathcliff. She's got a boyfriend. And not just any boyfriend; she's the envy of half the school (the female half) when she wears hottie Ryan Kent's letter jacket.
It's not enough to just deal with figuring out the Hooded Sweatshirt Stalker, is it? Of course not, not for Miranda. She's also got to deal with regular school and social issues (though at a school for delinquents, she fears threats from Parker Rodham may not be so empty as they might have been back at home). On top of everything, she's facing some hostility from faculty members because of her knowledge of what goes on at Bard. She can't help but feel the key to it all would be to figure out what's going on, and she'd better do it fast, before someone gets hurt.
This is a great sequel to a great first novel! THE SCARLET LETTERMAN is a ton of fun to read; in fact, I sat down after getting home and read it in one afternoon! The characters, especially Miranda's friends, are interesting and funny, and the highly original paranormal element to this story adds an extra dimension to an already fabulously entertaining read. Cara Lockwood's writing is fantastic, flowing wonderfully and keeping the reader's attention throughout. There's plenty of suspense in this story, and the ending is open enough to allow for a sequel that readers will be dying to get their hands on while still tying up a lot of the conflict of the story, which is the kind of ending I like best! The ending of the first book was the same way. Both books could be stand-alone novels, but readers will better understand book number two if they've read WUTHERING HIGH. And who wouldn't want to read such a great book? It's certainly worth it; pick up THE SCARLET LETTERMAN!
THE SCARLET LETTERMAN continues the adventures of Miranda Tate and her friends at Bard Academy. When WUTHERING HIGH ended, Miranda, Blade, Hana, and Samir had discovered that the faculty of the school for juvenile delinquents that the four of them attend are not just weirdos who like to torture kids on an island in the middle of nowhere. They're the ghosts of famous authors who died, mostly by their own hands, before their times.
Miranda and the other students of Bard Academy are being taught by Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, Mary Shelley, and Charlotte Bronte, among others. Of course, this is not something they can go around sharing with people, not even other students. Miranda and her three friends have to keep it to themselves.
That's why, when weird things start happening, they find themselves involved. The other kids have their theories, but none are so well-informed as Miranda, Samir, Blade, and Hana. Around the campus, there are weird sightings of "monsters," and a Hooded Sweatshirt Stalker whose face no one has seen. When one of the teachers disappears, things are definitely getting serious.
Miranda can't help but think Heathcliff, the fictional character who escaped from the book WUTHERING HEIGHTS, might be involved. Perhaps, though, that's just wishful thinking...
Not that she should be doing any wishful thinking at all about Heathcliff. She's got a boyfriend. And not just any boyfriend; she's the envy of half the school (the female half) when she wears hottie Ryan Kent's letter jacket.
It's not enough to just deal with figuring out the Hooded Sweatshirt Stalker, is it? Of course not, not for Miranda. She's also got to deal with regular school and social issues (though at a school for delinquents, she fears threats from Parker Rodham may not be so empty as they might have been back at home). On top of everything, she's facing some hostility from faculty members because of her knowledge of what goes on at Bard. She can't help but feel the key to it all would be to figure out what's going on, and she'd better do it fast, before someone gets hurt.
This is a great sequel to a great first novel! THE SCARLET LETTERMAN is a ton of fun to read; in fact, I sat down after getting home and read it in one afternoon! The characters, especially Miranda's friends, are interesting and funny, and the highly original paranormal element to this story adds an extra dimension to an already fabulously entertaining read. Cara Lockwood's writing is fantastic, flowing wonderfully and keeping the reader's attention throughout. There's plenty of suspense in this story, and the ending is open enough to allow for a sequel that readers will be dying to get their hands on while still tying up a lot of the conflict of the story, which is the kind of ending I like best! The ending of the first book was the same way. Both books could be stand-alone novels, but readers will better understand book number two if they've read WUTHERING HIGH. And who wouldn't want to read such a great book? It's certainly worth it; pick up THE SCARLET LETTERMAN!
September 22, 2013
The Scarlet Letterman (Bard Academy) I just can't do this series anymore. The last book I thought was pretty mediocre with one bit at the end that kind of annoyed me, mostly because it had a negative feel towards people who committed suicide, but I got over it because I figured that wasn't intentional and I was just being sensitive. Trigger warning: talk of rape/attempted rape and suicide below.
But not even 26 pages in, I got that feeling again. The main character (Miranda) is with her boyfriend in the woods when she overhears her school enemy (Parker) screaming, and when she gets over there she says that someone tried to rape her. At this point the Miranda and her friends (who meet up with her) decide that Parker is faking it to get attention because that is just what she's like and because obviously she wants to get Miranda away from her makeout session because obviously she's jealous. Then when Miranda offers to report it, Parker says no, which solidifies Miranda's opinion that Parker is faking it. In fact, she continues to think this until Parker mentions a detail about her attacker that catches Miranda's attention, though she still has her doubts. Later on as Parker spreads news about her attacker and there's a campus alert, Miranda's friend actually says, "Do you believe the lengths Parker will go to for a little attention?" NO, THAT IS NOT OK. Do you realize how many people in this society automatically assume a girl who is raped or sexually assulted is lying or trying to get attention or money or something? A lot of people don't report their attacker either because they just want to forget or don't want to risk any of the things (or more) that I've mentioned above.
Now, I realize that maybe later on the characters have a change of heart and realize that the way their thought patterns went automatically thanks to society's view on rape victims might have not been OK, but I really doubt it. So unless I'm wrong, to just sort of casually bring something up like that as a plot device and have all the characters think that really sits the wrong way with me. Just like having a school taught by dead authors in limbo who died too young (quite a few of them, minus the Brontes, being those who committed suicide) and didn't complete their life's purpose or whatever, doesn't sit quite right with me either.
But not even 26 pages in, I got that feeling again. The main character (Miranda) is with her boyfriend in the woods when she overhears her school enemy (Parker) screaming, and when she gets over there she says that someone tried to rape her. At this point the Miranda and her friends (who meet up with her) decide that Parker is faking it to get attention because that is just what she's like and because obviously she wants to get Miranda away from her makeout session because obviously she's jealous. Then when Miranda offers to report it, Parker says no, which solidifies Miranda's opinion that Parker is faking it. In fact, she continues to think this until Parker mentions a detail about her attacker that catches Miranda's attention, though she still has her doubts. Later on as Parker spreads news about her attacker and there's a campus alert, Miranda's friend actually says, "Do you believe the lengths Parker will go to for a little attention?" NO, THAT IS NOT OK. Do you realize how many people in this society automatically assume a girl who is raped or sexually assulted is lying or trying to get attention or money or something? A lot of people don't report their attacker either because they just want to forget or don't want to risk any of the things (or more) that I've mentioned above.
Now, I realize that maybe later on the characters have a change of heart and realize that the way their thought patterns went automatically thanks to society's view on rape victims might have not been OK, but I really doubt it. So unless I'm wrong, to just sort of casually bring something up like that as a plot device and have all the characters think that really sits the wrong way with me. Just like having a school taught by dead authors in limbo who died too young (quite a few of them, minus the Brontes, being those who committed suicide) and didn't complete their life's purpose or whatever, doesn't sit quite right with me either.
October 13, 2008
At First Sight: Miranda Tate is back at Bard Academy for her second semester of sophomore year. Things should be good this time around, as she is now the official girlfriend of one Ryan Kent - the star of the basketball team, and one of the most popular guys at Bard. Miranda even has Ryan's jacket to prove it.
But Bard wouldn't be Bard if things were easy. First, people are speculating about how far Miranda went (or let Ryan go) to get the jacket. Miranda's nemesis Parker is trying to get her in trouble. And she hasn't heard from Heathcliff in weeks, but that isn't stopping her from constantly thinking about him, even with Ryan as her boyfriend.
Then, to top it all off, there is a man stalking the woods surrounding Bard and attacking people... a man that could very well be Heathcliff.
Second Glance: The Scarlet Letterman picks up a few weeks after the ending of Wuthering High and, by now, the cat is out of the bag and Miranda knows who the teachers really are.
But that is only one of the many secrets being kept at Bard Academy, and there is a new mystery at school and the gang - Miranda, Blade, Hanna and Samir -get together to solve it and save the day.
The structure of the book is quite similar to that of the first one, but I still liked it. I find the characters so engaging and fun, like they are my friends, so I had a great time hanging out with them once again. I love how the books are so literary and cleaver. And I confess that the first time I read i, I had now clue who the baddie was, and that was awesome.
I just wished there was more Heathcliff.
Bottom Line: Funny and fresh, I love the Scarlet Letterman, perhaps not as much as I love Wuthering High, but I still raced through it, excited to get to the end. And I think Cara Lockwood does a great job balancing the fun, the mundane aspects of school and the mystery.
But Bard wouldn't be Bard if things were easy. First, people are speculating about how far Miranda went (or let Ryan go) to get the jacket. Miranda's nemesis Parker is trying to get her in trouble. And she hasn't heard from Heathcliff in weeks, but that isn't stopping her from constantly thinking about him, even with Ryan as her boyfriend.
Then, to top it all off, there is a man stalking the woods surrounding Bard and attacking people... a man that could very well be Heathcliff.
Second Glance: The Scarlet Letterman picks up a few weeks after the ending of Wuthering High and, by now, the cat is out of the bag and Miranda knows who the teachers really are.
But that is only one of the many secrets being kept at Bard Academy, and there is a new mystery at school and the gang - Miranda, Blade, Hanna and Samir -get together to solve it and save the day.
The structure of the book is quite similar to that of the first one, but I still liked it. I find the characters so engaging and fun, like they are my friends, so I had a great time hanging out with them once again. I love how the books are so literary and cleaver. And I confess that the first time I read i, I had now clue who the baddie was, and that was awesome.
I just wished there was more Heathcliff.
Bottom Line: Funny and fresh, I love the Scarlet Letterman, perhaps not as much as I love Wuthering High, but I still raced through it, excited to get to the end. And I think Cara Lockwood does a great job balancing the fun, the mundane aspects of school and the mystery.
October 1, 2012
What happened to this series?
Seriously, from an interesting, different, "breath of fresh air" characters concept, we suddenly fall painfully in horrid cliché territory.
Heathcliff, who wrestled Dracula in the previous book and held on his own, is overwhelmed by a physically unimposing character. The villain in the previous book returns when that should not be possible at all.
The truth is discovered way too easily, as the new villain is very conveniently dropping clues (literally). Also, his motivation? God, please, don't get me started on that.
The characters are becoming more and more cardboard - the "amazing boyfriend jock" is too dumb to live, the bitch queen emits a "lobotomy ray" it seems to make people do her bidding, and the author is so very keen on making the main character end up with Heathcliff that she slaughter both character AND plot to set the stage for it to happen.
It's still well written. I still like the characters and concept. BUT it's as if everyone (author included) left their brains on their other pants for this one.
I'll read the third instalment out of respect for the book one, but I hope that it is a little better than this one.
Seriously, from an interesting, different, "breath of fresh air" characters concept, we suddenly fall painfully in horrid cliché territory.
Heathcliff, who wrestled Dracula in the previous book and held on his own, is overwhelmed by a physically unimposing character. The villain in the previous book returns when that should not be possible at all.
The truth is discovered way too easily, as the new villain is very conveniently dropping clues (literally). Also, his motivation? God, please, don't get me started on that.
The characters are becoming more and more cardboard - the "amazing boyfriend jock" is too dumb to live, the bitch queen emits a "lobotomy ray" it seems to make people do her bidding, and the author is so very keen on making the main character end up with Heathcliff that she slaughter both character AND plot to set the stage for it to happen.
It's still well written. I still like the characters and concept. BUT it's as if everyone (author included) left their brains on their other pants for this one.
I'll read the third instalment out of respect for the book one, but I hope that it is a little better than this one.
May 18, 2010
I at first started reading this, then I noticed that it was a sequel. I continued reading though, and I enjoyed how enough information was given where I could find my place in the time line of things, but it wasn't a complete repeat of the first book. I didn't enjoy how cliche is was when she 'wished she could have Heathcliff, but what about Ryan? And Parker was also a cliche mean girl who wanted her boyfriend!?' Oh no. Its just high school, and seriously? A juvenile delinquent school on an island off of Maine? Instead of just in Juvenile prison? Please. Also she had just wrecked a car and used money....shouldn't she have just gone to work and paid it off? Well, that's just what I think. I also enjoyed the idea of the teachers being dead writers, and I did think that the stained glass coming to life due to Blake's drawings was very creative. I also enjoyed how Blake WAS the Tiger instead of it just doing his bidding.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2009
My Thoughts: Welcome back to Bard Academy!! I liked the Scarlett Letterman more than Wuthering High. I think its because we really get to know the characters better. We learn their little quirks and get to know them, really know them. This book starts out with Miranda and Ryan dating and Miranda still crushing a little bit on Heathcliff. It expands the story more and I can't wait to read the third book.
Overall: A definate read if you've read the first. Read in order. The books tie together nicely and a must read if you want to know what happened to Miranda and all her friends!!
Cover: I loved this cover. It shows us a girl with a letterman jacket and it brings me back to my high school days. All the girls wearing their boyfriends letterman jackets to football games. This cover is awesome!
Overall: A definate read if you've read the first. Read in order. The books tie together nicely and a must read if you want to know what happened to Miranda and all her friends!!
Cover: I loved this cover. It shows us a girl with a letterman jacket and it brings me back to my high school days. All the girls wearing their boyfriends letterman jackets to football games. This cover is awesome!
April 22, 2015
2nd book - I read the 3 book series in two days. Miranda is back from Christmas vacation and is now dating the hottest guy in the school - Ryan the star basketball player. When Miranda's rival, Parker, gets attacked in the woods, she clings to Ryan as her protector. Rumors are around about Miranda "servicing" the whole basketball team and Ryan is never around without Parker. Miranda's inner turmoil is she is still drawn to Heathcliffe and she has a locket with his name in it from the book but she doesn't know if he is still around or not. The mystery again revolves around a teacher who unleashes characters from the books and terrify the kids. Miranda and her friends to the rescue. Heathcliffe is back and Miranda is excited until the teachers tell her they must NOT be in a relationship or he will be sent back to his book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2010
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 sexuality, but nothing explicit. (I know--why after not liking the first overmuch would I read the second--I bought them and was stubborn enough that I didn't want to waste the money--so I wasted my time, instead.)
February 6, 2015
I thought I will not relate to the flow of the story of this book,because for one:I started reading the 2nd book firsthand without reading the 1st book T_T but my assumptions were all wrong because I really loved this book and I can relate to the flow because the author provides flashbacks and I loved the writing style.It's such a page-turner and it's a mystery-romance kind of read that any teenagers would love.Come to think of it!The characters in a book comes to life?How amazing would that be??!I also love the tandem between Heathcliff and Miranda though I pity Ryan but all I can say is he's such a jerk ✌ and though Heathcliff is a man of few words,I can feel him just that
October 26, 2015
1 SAD STAR - DNF at 65%
I just couldn't! All the stuff that I could look past in the previous book was expanded beyond measure here. Ryan was just to dumb to function and a big stereotype. Honestly, I was insulted for my gender and I thought he needed to be put down. Also in this book Parker plays a bigger role which is not a good thing because she's a classic cut out mean girl. No depth at all! I don't think the author even expanded on Ryan and Parker's backstories which would have at least been a tad interesting. AH! I hated this! The first book was surprisingly good but this is just plain suck-age!
HOURS OF MY LIFE I WILL NEVER GET BACK!
I just couldn't! All the stuff that I could look past in the previous book was expanded beyond measure here. Ryan was just to dumb to function and a big stereotype. Honestly, I was insulted for my gender and I thought he needed to be put down. Also in this book Parker plays a bigger role which is not a good thing because she's a classic cut out mean girl. No depth at all! I don't think the author even expanded on Ryan and Parker's backstories which would have at least been a tad interesting. AH! I hated this! The first book was surprisingly good but this is just plain suck-age!
HOURS OF MY LIFE I WILL NEVER GET BACK!
February 3, 2016
This is the second in the Bard Academy series of books. Miranda Tate is once again back at school, a school where the teachers are the ghosts of famous writers. This time she has to deal with her failing romance with Ryan, whether or not Heathcliff is still around, and if he's become a Masked Stalker, and what is happening to the teachers who are disappearing.
She also has to deal with a moderately insane teacher, a wild tiger, drawings that come to life, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and various other problems.
No wonder Miranda is busy.
This is a thoroughly excellent second book in the series, using classical literature in a rather, shall we say, different manner.
She also has to deal with a moderately insane teacher, a wild tiger, drawings that come to life, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and various other problems.
No wonder Miranda is busy.
This is a thoroughly excellent second book in the series, using classical literature in a rather, shall we say, different manner.
April 28, 2015
I’m really liking this series. I found myself thrown back into Miranda’s world and the weird but wonderful Bard Academy. The books are really clever - using a classic as a theme and incorporating it into the story yet keeping the story fresh and original. It was great fun to read and I enjoyed spending time with Miranda and her friends. I’m really looking forward to the third Moby Clique and hope more are published in this really addictive and brilliant series!
January 23, 2011
Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down-literally. Two hours later, I had finished the second book in the Bard Academy series, which was even better than the first. It has a quick-paced story that somehow made unbelievable events seem perfectly natural in the context of a reality that seamlessly blends the fictional world with everyday life. A sweet, funny, and lightly suspenseful tale.
December 16, 2011
I read the first Bard Academy book a really long time ago, and just recently got to reading this one on a school break. I just don't feel like I liked this one as much as the first. Was it fast paced? Yes. Was it a good, unique storyline? Yes. Were the characters their same usual selves? Of course.
I don't know what it was, but I just did not enjoy this one as much as the first. I don't know if I will be picking up the next in the series.
I don't know what it was, but I just did not enjoy this one as much as the first. I don't know if I will be picking up the next in the series.
January 9, 2012
The Scarlet Letterman is my favorite book in the series. Now the initial character development is done, Cara Lockwood could have more fun with her characters (and others and their authors) while putting it all together in one fun plot line. I really enjoy the 'real world' connection to literary classics. Some of the author tidbits I picked up in this series actually helped me in my English class.
January 15, 2009
This series....well, here I am reading them, but something about them bothers me. I like the ideas, but it just never seems to come together. Can it be that they're not just that well written? (Much like this review?). Of course I'll read the next one, but I'm going to wait a week or two, give myself a breather.
October 25, 2009
I liked the end of this book more than I liked the first book. Without giving away any spoilers, I thought the resolution of the conflict was really interesting in this book. I hated Ryan. He's an ass and I don't get why Miranda likes him.
Also, something that drove me nuts - having characters named Blake and Blade in the same story is confusing!
Also, something that drove me nuts - having characters named Blake and Blade in the same story is confusing!
June 3, 2010
This book makes me want to read more! So this is the second book in the Bard Academy series and it's pretty interesting. A school where Charlotte Bronte is headmaster and William Blake is a crazy theology teacher? Awesome. It does make me want to run out and read Hemmingway and Woolf too, so this is good.
November 9, 2016
It wasn't as good as the first one, but I still enjoyed it. I think there's a huge difference between high school in my country and in the USA, so maybe that's why, but we don't have people who are so popular or outstanding, so the concept of number one guy/unknown girl is a bit far from my mind. It's still really enjoyable. ^^
January 1, 2008
I don't necessarily agree with everything that is said about Blake and "the Tyger," however most of it is spot on. I think these books are a great way to get teens interested in the classics though I really wish MTV would'nt publish books. I just think it looks bad.
February 3, 2008
Okay, this was so cute. I loved how Ryan was sort of a snob. I liked how Heatcliff got to stay in the end. It was a cute sequal to a nice story. I hated the sweatshirt stalker, it wasn't Heatcliff!
July 27, 2013
Much as I love the concept, it could be so much better than it is. Thought it might be a bit Jasper Ffforde for a younger audience with the dead literary giants and fictional characters, but it's not.
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