by: Tracy Wolff
Series: The Calder Academy
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Release Date: May 7, 2024
Publisher: Entangled Teen
The scariest school on earth
Is about to experience real fear…
Most schools are about being the best. This school? It’s about being the worst. Calder Academy is where the rogue paranormals go. The ones who break the rules or lose control. And when that happens for vamps, werewolves, witches, and dark fae? It gets pretty freaking scary.
I should know. Because I’m trapped here.
Look, every seventeen-year-old girl thinks their mom is a tyrant. But mine just happens to run Calder Academy, which paints a giant target on my back. The way I make it through these dark halls is by steering clear of the things—and kids—who go bump in the night.
Especially Jude Abernathy.
But when a freak storm hits our isolated island, I'm stuck without a backup plan. The power is gone. The lights are out. And our worst nightmares are suddenly real—and out for blood.
Now the only way to survive is to align myself with one evil to avoid the other.
And the only thing worse than the idea of getting close to Jude? Secretly loving every minute of it.
Sweet Nightmare is the first book in The Calder Academy series. From start to finish, I was glued to the pages. This resulted in sleep loss, but I don’t regret it. I mean really, has anyone ever said, “Just one more chapter” and actually stuck to it?
Told primarily from the point of view of seventeen-year-old Clementine Calder, yes, you read that correctly. Clementine’s family owns and runs Calder Academy which is in essence a juvenile detention boarding school for paranormal teens who have done something bad in the real world and can't go to a regular paranormal school. The school is located on a secluded island in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Galveston, Texas. Unlike a lot of the kids at the school, Clementine who is a manticore was born on the island and has never left. Meaning she has never shifted or used her magic because a spell blocks students from doing so.
Jude Abernathy-Lee, also seventeen, is a oneiroi. He has been at the academy for ten years which is unheard of as usually students come in their early teens. Until three years ago, he and Clementine were the best of friends when he suddenly stopped talking to her with no explanation given. This changes when the two are forced to partner together for a Brit Lit assignment.
For Clementine, this is a nightmare. But things can and do get worse. It's summertime in Texas and that means tropical storms and hurricanes. What starts as a seemingly inconsequential tropical storm turns into a massive category five hurricane in a matter of hours and it has the island and school in its sites. Unexplainable things start to occur and Clementine's mother Camilla, the headmistress, decides that the school will evacuate to higher ground. With a school full of paranormals who hate each other, things go from bad to worse really quickly. Luckily for Clementine and Jude, they have friends who have their backs through it all. But Jude is hiding a huge secret that could be everyone's undoing.
I have nothing but praise for Sweet Nightmare. I loved the characters of Clementine and Jude. Clementine is a really strong character, though she thinks she's weak at times. She has a heart the size of Texas. Jude is a brooding hero who is a tortured soul but is probably the best out of everyone on the island. They have great chemistry. And despite not talking to each other for three years, they never stopped truly caring for each other. They are braver than they think they are. The secondary characters of their friends were great as well and often added humor to tense moments. And there are a lot of tense and shocking moments. Tracy put in all of these surprise twists.
At its core, Sweet Nightmare is about friendship, found family, and believing in yourself. I wouldn't say Sweet Nightmare ends with a cliffhanger, but you definitely know there is some unfinished business. I would love to say this upsets me, but I can't. It leaves me wondering what's going to happen next and just what this mix of characters will do with everything they've learned about themselves and each other. I can not wait for Sweet Chaos, the next book in the series.
Sweet Nightmare contains what some would call horror elements. I am by no means a person who reads horror books or watches horror movies. Yet, I had no problem with anything in this story. If you have concerns, please check the publisher’s website for content warnings.
~ Favorite Quotes ~
“I am stronger than all of the problems and challenges I encounter. I just have to believe in myself.”
“The past is set, but the future can change.”
**Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it. Also personally purchased a hardcover copy.**
Rating: 5
Purchase Sweet Nightmare from:
(Affiliate Links Used)
The Calder Academy Series:
Sweet Chaos (Book 2) releases May 6, 2025
Sweet Vengeance (Book 3) releases January 16, 2026
When she’s not writing (which is a rare occurrence), she can be found trying out new recipes, offering make-up tips online, wandering comic book/gaming stores with her sons, and watching movies or plotting stories with her besties. A one time English professor, she now writes full-time from her home in Austin, Texas, which she shares with her family. Her most recent work, the young adult vampire novel, CRAVE, “is about to become fandom’s new favorite vampire romance obsession” (Hypable).
Photo of Tracy were taken by Mayra K Calderón.
Places to find Tracy Wolff:
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