Black and White Review

The Academy is a school for super heroes where they go to develop their skills and be bred into the ultimate hero. At only thirteen years old, Callie Bradford became Iridium and Joannie Greene became Jet. They were roommates and best friends even though they were complete opposites.

Iridium’s special power was Light while Jet’s was Shadows. They were as different as Black and White, Night and Day, but despite their differences they watched out for each other and were supposed to be partners in fighting crime. But during their fifth year at The Academy, something went drastically wrong and Iridium decided that being a hero isn’t what she wants anymore. Instead she took on life as a super villain and lived a life of crime and destruction. While Jet was the Hero of New Chicago, Iridium ran the city’s underworld.

Now its five years since Jet and Iridium attended at The Academy and their lives couldn’t be anymore different. Jet has been trying to capture Iridium for quite some time and turn her in to the proper authorities, but Iridium is too smart to be captured and escapes every time. After a chance run in, in the underworld, Jet and Iridium both discover secrets about The Academy that could forever change their lives. Jet is on a secret mission for Night, her mentor from The Academy, and she is starting to question things for the first time in her life. Is there something suspicious about The Academy and the people who run it or is Jet just being paranoid? Will Iridium and Jet face each other and put an end to their feud?

Black and White is the first book in an amazing new series written by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge. Kessler writes as the hero Jet and Kittredge wrote as the villain Iridium. There are no words to properly describe how much I adored this book. The story alternates in narration by both the hero and villain, changing every chapter. Also Black and White is broken up into the present tense and the past with every flash back revealing another piece of the puzzle. In the present tense, both Jet and Iridium are trying to figure out the secret about The Academy. In the past tense, the two girls are attending school together and learning how to become a superhero.

Black and White has action, suspense, mystery and fantastic characterization. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it and could not stop thinking about it! I was immersed, obsessed and in love with this book for three days of non stop reading and I did not want Black and White to end. When I read the last page, I sighed and said goodbye to these characters for now, but I know they will be back again. The next book Shades of Gray will be out July 2010 and I can not wait to read it. Kessler and Kittredge are the ultimate writing duo and are sure to gain a huge following with this exciting new fantasy series.