NOTE: We teamed up with Simon and Schuster for this Last Chance Academy: A Study in Secrets Giveaway. All opinions are our own; we were under no obligation to give a positive review. Giveaway prize provided by Simon and Schuster.
Last Chance Academy is a brand-new series from Debbi Michiko Florence, and it’s perfect for readers who love solving puzzles and cracking codes as the story unfolds.
Leland Chase Academy, or as it’s known by the students, Last Chance Academy, has a reputation for accepting kids in complicated situations and troubled pasts – which is exactly how Meg Mizuno finds herself enrolled. She’s been struggling ever since her mom passed away two years ago, and after getting expelled from school, her dad gives her an ultimatum: thrive at a prestigious boarding school in the middle of nowhere New York or get homeschooled by the aunt she can’t stand.
🗝️💌DID SOMEBODY SAY SECRETS?: Want to solve puzzles like Meg and reveal fun facts about A Study in Secrets? Click HERE!
Motivated to stay out of trouble, Meg mostly keeps to herself and doesn’t make waves at her new school. But a mysterious invitation to a top-secret scavenger hunt changes everything, and Meg finds herself deeply invested in winning the prize – a trip to California she’s counting on being the key to holding onto the memories she has left of her mom. But as Meg and her friends find themselves deeper in the game, it becomes clear that there’s a whole lot more going on than they could have ever imagined.
Last Chance Academy: A Study in Secrets


Only Murders in the Building meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library in this action-packed novel about a girl pulled into a mysterious treasure hunt at her new boarding school.
Ever since her mom passed away, twelve-year-old Megumi “Meg” Mizuno has been spiraling. After too many low grades and cut classes, she’s been expelled from school—apparently, everyone else has moved past her grief and expects the same from her. Her dad secures her a spot at the prestigious Leland Chase Academy, a boarding school in the middle-of-nowhere New York, called the Last Chance Academy by its student body. If Meg can’t make it work there, she’ll be forced to live with her horrible aunt.
At first, Leland Chase seems like an average, if very strict, boarding school, though Meg tentatively warms up to her roommate and some of their classmates. Then, one night, a mysterious envelope appears under her door, inviting Meg and her roommate to participate in a scavenger hunt. The only rules: don’t get caught by faculty or staff and no cheating. The grand prize? A luxury stay at a fancy resort in California. And after learning her dad has plans to sell their family home—with all its memories of Mom—Meg knows she has to win the competition and use the trip to convince Dad to stay.
Thanks to her mom, who taught her how to solve ciphers, Meg has a knack for puzzles she uses to get ahead in the hunt. But she quickly learns that her classmates seem to have their own sets of skills keeping them in the competition. And as they get deeper in the game, Meg and her fellow competitors realize the anonymous creator has their own agenda…and LCA isn’t quite what it seems.
Last Chance Academy: A Study in Secrets
AUTHOR: Debbi Michiko Florence
PUBLISHER: Aladdin
DATE: March 11, 2025
Filled with secrets and surprises and a super compelling mystery that will keep you guessing til the very last page, Last Chance Academy: A Study in Secrets is about to become your new favorite read!
You don’t need to join a mysterious treasure hunt or solve any puzzles to get your hands on a copy. We teamed up with our friends at Simon and Schuster for a giveaway. Ready to enter? Grab your favorite adult and have them enter below for your chance to WIN!
Last Chance Academy: A Study in Secrets Giveaway:

WHAT DO I WIN?:
TWO (2) lucky winners will receive a hardcover copy of Last Chance Academy: A Study in Secrets by Debbi Michiko Florence, generously provided by Simon and Schuster.
HOW DO I ENTER?:
Grab a parent or guardian and have them fill out the form below by March 25, 2025 at 11:59pm ET.
Giveaway runs from 03/11/25 at 03:00 pm ET through 03/25/25 at 11:59 pm. Open to US residents ONLY. Be sure to read the fully detailed rules HERE before entering.
NOTE: THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED.
You must be 18 or older to enter. Please, only ONE entry per person. If selected as a winner, we will provide your parent/guardian with an affidavit to confirm that you are a valid winner who has permission to win. They will be REQUIRED to sign and return the affidavit to YAYOMG! to claim your prize. Prizes will NOT be mailed out without signed parental consent.
🗝️💌FUN FACTS: Want to know more about Last Chance Academy? Author Debbi Michiko Florence shared fun facts about A Study in Secrets HERE!








