Villains Academy 1 by Ryan Hammond

What worked:

The whole story is contrary to what young readers might expect. Bram is a werewolf and he hopes the school will help him learn to become more villainy. Students are rewarded with detention and extra homework if they’re bad enough and Bram is upset when he’s left out. Students are encouraged to use curse words in Bad Language class, although the whole class is shocked when the teacher yells “Shubblemegump” at Bram. He tells that teacher he prefers not to use bad words and another teacher scolds him for saying “Thank you” and shouts “Don’t use your manners at me!”

Bram’s problem is that he’s not a villain and he doesn’t want to embarrass his fathers. Students share the worst thing they’ve done (one student, a toad, had eaten a child) but Bram can’t think of anything. He’s bullied and cowed by the other monsters and classmates tell him he needs to defend himself. Bram can’t seem to perform any villainous acts. He even tries sneaking into detention but that only causes the class and teacher to roar with laughter. He’s later falsely accused of stealing something valuable and he’s threatened with expulsion instead of being commended for doing something wicked. The plot’s conflict might seem like it’s about finding out who committed the theft but it’s really about Bram accepting who he is.

The supporting characters are strange creatures who are forced to work together as a team. Bryan is a lion with a habit of falling asleep and passing gas. Tony is a skeleton who frequently removes body parts to throw at other characters. Sheila is a ghost who doesn’t seem as scary as one might expect. Mona is an elf-witch who takes on the role of leader for their group. However, she wants nothing to do with the others and wears a button saying “Go Away”. Bram’s lack of villainy and his propensity to fail increases his self-doubt and causes teachers and other students to demean him.

What didn’t work as well:

Some readers might be put off by the juvenile humor. Farting is repeated throughout the story, especially by Bryan, and it’s the source of humor. It also represents something more important in the story but some readers might still find it disgusting.

The final verdict:

This is actually a fun, quick-paced story that can be enjoyed by most average, middle-grade readers. They can easily connect with Bram’s self-doubt and struggles to be accepted and they’ll cheer for him to overcome assumptions and unfairness. The illustrations help readers visualize the characters and settings, and overall, I recommend you give it a shot.