Helpful Score: 6
After completing the Twilight series, I never expected to read a book that I enjoyed as much as those, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I couldn't put it down and read it cover to cover in one sitting. I understand that Claudia Gray is a new author, but I will be looking out for her work in the future.
Full of suspenseful twists and turns. I usually guess the surprises in YA novels way before they come, but not with this one. I was completely blown away. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Paranormal fiction.
Full of suspenseful twists and turns. I usually guess the surprises in YA novels way before they come, but not with this one. I was completely blown away. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Paranormal fiction.
Helpful Score: 2
Wow. What an amazing book! I never expected the twists that it has. Bianca (love the name) is such a great character, and I was right there with her throughout her time at Evernight Academy. I cant wait to read the next one! AAA++++!
Helpful Score: 1
The first reaction I had when I finished this book was, wow, I'm glad it's over. Don't get me wrong: there are some good parts to this book. I really liked the concept of a boarding school for vampires. The idea that Gray presents readers of a world where immortal vampires are constantly struggling to fit in, and need to be taught technology, was intriguing, although not as well developed as it could've been.
I really liked the tension between vampires and the human vampire hunters, even though the motivations for the vampire hunters' actions were not well explained. And finally, I was a fan of the huge twist halfway through the book that everyone likes to talk about. Books with unreliable narrators are difficult to pull off, and Bianca's revelation to us was shocking, yet satisfying at the same time.
However, EVERNIGHT fell flat in all other aspects. Bianca was difficult to like: she constantly feels the need to tell readers things about herself and the world around her, things that we didn't need to know or could have inferred in the hands of a more skilled writer. Similarly, none of the other characters were interesting, least of all Luke. I rolled my eyes at the stilted dialogue and forced attraction between the two, felt my eyelids start to slide shut at the unbearably slow pace of the novel.
I read EVERNIGHT for the express purpose of finding out what that plot twist was, but it wasn't worth it. Lovers of vampire lit might be interested in the world that Gray has tried to spin, but newcomers to the genre would be better off with other vampire series, such as Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy.
I really liked the tension between vampires and the human vampire hunters, even though the motivations for the vampire hunters' actions were not well explained. And finally, I was a fan of the huge twist halfway through the book that everyone likes to talk about. Books with unreliable narrators are difficult to pull off, and Bianca's revelation to us was shocking, yet satisfying at the same time.
However, EVERNIGHT fell flat in all other aspects. Bianca was difficult to like: she constantly feels the need to tell readers things about herself and the world around her, things that we didn't need to know or could have inferred in the hands of a more skilled writer. Similarly, none of the other characters were interesting, least of all Luke. I rolled my eyes at the stilted dialogue and forced attraction between the two, felt my eyelids start to slide shut at the unbearably slow pace of the novel.
I read EVERNIGHT for the express purpose of finding out what that plot twist was, but it wasn't worth it. Lovers of vampire lit might be interested in the world that Gray has tried to spin, but newcomers to the genre would be better off with other vampire series, such as Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book. At first, I was thinking "this is way too much like so many other YA vampire books" but suddenly, there was a twist that I never saw coming & what I thought I had all figured out, was so not what I expected. Lots of suspense, twists & turns. Can't wait to read the next one!
Helpful Score: 1
When I first started this book, I didnt expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Parents move loser teenager to private academy (read huge, hulking, Gothic stone monstrosity), other students are rich, bitchy & predatory, meets good looking moody guy and another even cuter guy who understands her (of course), & then she finds out shes special, very special; sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so too. I mean every other YA paranormal book Ive picked up started about the same way. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Now dont get me wrong, its not yet on the same playing field as Twilight or Vampire Academy but it was a very compelling read. I started it Sunday afternoon at the pool and read till there was no light left outside. Needless to say I stayed up till I finished it that night.
When Bianca talks about Lucass smell, spicy and woodsy, I think Im right, yeap, vamps and werewolves. Well, since I dont want to ruin it, suffice it to say, this book has many secrets which are only partially reveled (it is a series after all) like the layers of an onion. While I dont think the average adults are going to rave over this book, I do think that YAs are going to love it. This book again makes me realize why I like to read YA paranormals, the story grabs you quickly and does not waste a lot of time on backstory, it gets right to the meat of it. While I read this book more as a challenge as the previous owner was less than impressed by it, I still stand by my remark that one mans cow dung is another mans fertilizer as I expect this series to grow and produce amazing results. I definitely intend to read at least another book or two in this series to see if we get more answers to some questions and to see if I can convince the naysayer to give it another try.
When Bianca talks about Lucass smell, spicy and woodsy, I think Im right, yeap, vamps and werewolves. Well, since I dont want to ruin it, suffice it to say, this book has many secrets which are only partially reveled (it is a series after all) like the layers of an onion. While I dont think the average adults are going to rave over this book, I do think that YAs are going to love it. This book again makes me realize why I like to read YA paranormals, the story grabs you quickly and does not waste a lot of time on backstory, it gets right to the meat of it. While I read this book more as a challenge as the previous owner was less than impressed by it, I still stand by my remark that one mans cow dung is another mans fertilizer as I expect this series to grow and produce amazing results. I definitely intend to read at least another book or two in this series to see if we get more answers to some questions and to see if I can convince the naysayer to give it another try.
Helpful Score: 1
I only started reading this book, because the library had a list of 31 people waiting on Twilight and my daughter wanted a book to read and this wasn't it. I started reading it instead. I really liked it. I couldn't put the book down. I loved the twists. I didn't know at the time it was a series, so the book left me hanging, which I did not like. I had to wait a year for the next one- Stargazer. I have like the whole series, but Bianca ticks me off at times with her Balthazar relationship and keeping him hanging. But good news Bathazar has a book of his own just realeased.
Was good,but,when I neared the end .found it predictable. Have Stargazer in my TBR pile
I went back and forth on how interested I was in this book as I read it. Some parts were intriging, other parts were too much teenage drama. I didn't really believe the relationship connection between the two main characters and that is always a problem in teenage romances. I did not anticipate the big reveal though. That caught me off guard and it took me a minute to process it. I am not sure if I will read the others in the series.
Love, love, love this book! I was a little skeptical at the beginning but once I got started reading I couldn't stop. I stayed up until 4am just to finish! The setting and descriptions were so real; I felt like I was right there alongside Bianca. The character of Lucas was just the right combination of bad boy, mystery, and sweet caring. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Reviewed by Amber Gibson for TeensReadToo.com
Evernight Academy is a secluded boarding school, tucked away in the woods where its secrets will not be uncovered. Its secrets are prolific, lasting since its founding centuries ago. While it may seem like simply an elite boarding school, Evernight is much more than that, serving as a haven for some of the world's most hated and hunted. Vampires.
Bianca is none too happy when her parents become teachers at Evernight and enroll her in the spooky school. There is something strange about the other students; they are all too poised, too confident, and too beautiful to be real. Bianca knows that she will find no true friends in that crowd, and she resigns herself to a lonely year spent with her books.
When she meets Lucas, a fellow student who defies the mainstream, Bianca knows that she has found a rare friend. Lucas is gallant, courageous, and friendly. Soon, the two grow close, and Bianca can see herself falling head-over-heels for Lucas, with nothing she can do about it. Mostly, their relationship is tender and caring, but the occasional spat foreshadows a danger lurking in their future. Lucas and Bianca are no ordinary students, and both are hiding secrets from the other. When their differences surface, their love appears doomed. The forces conspiring against them are far more powerful than Bianca and Lucas could ever imagine.
Lies upon lies abound, and Bianca does not know who to turn to as she finds herself caught between a life she has always known and a chance for love. Who can she trust? One rash decision could change her life and the lives of those she loves forever.
Claudia Gray spins a gripping Gothic romance, weaving in threads of the supernatural and the modern. Bianca is a complex character, juggling her responsibilities to her family while trying to follow her heart. Those who enjoy vampire tales will be thrilled with EVERNIGHT for painting a comprehensive picture of vampires, showing vampire life from Bianca's unique perspective and not relegating vampires to a strictly villainous position. Gray does not stereotype her characters or pigeonhole them into traditional roles, letting the reader decide for themselves what it means to be "good" and "evil."
EVERNIGHT is an excellent drama that will leave readers longing for more, but some secrets may never be revealed.
Evernight Academy is a secluded boarding school, tucked away in the woods where its secrets will not be uncovered. Its secrets are prolific, lasting since its founding centuries ago. While it may seem like simply an elite boarding school, Evernight is much more than that, serving as a haven for some of the world's most hated and hunted. Vampires.
Bianca is none too happy when her parents become teachers at Evernight and enroll her in the spooky school. There is something strange about the other students; they are all too poised, too confident, and too beautiful to be real. Bianca knows that she will find no true friends in that crowd, and she resigns herself to a lonely year spent with her books.
When she meets Lucas, a fellow student who defies the mainstream, Bianca knows that she has found a rare friend. Lucas is gallant, courageous, and friendly. Soon, the two grow close, and Bianca can see herself falling head-over-heels for Lucas, with nothing she can do about it. Mostly, their relationship is tender and caring, but the occasional spat foreshadows a danger lurking in their future. Lucas and Bianca are no ordinary students, and both are hiding secrets from the other. When their differences surface, their love appears doomed. The forces conspiring against them are far more powerful than Bianca and Lucas could ever imagine.
Lies upon lies abound, and Bianca does not know who to turn to as she finds herself caught between a life she has always known and a chance for love. Who can she trust? One rash decision could change her life and the lives of those she loves forever.
Claudia Gray spins a gripping Gothic romance, weaving in threads of the supernatural and the modern. Bianca is a complex character, juggling her responsibilities to her family while trying to follow her heart. Those who enjoy vampire tales will be thrilled with EVERNIGHT for painting a comprehensive picture of vampires, showing vampire life from Bianca's unique perspective and not relegating vampires to a strictly villainous position. Gray does not stereotype her characters or pigeonhole them into traditional roles, letting the reader decide for themselves what it means to be "good" and "evil."
EVERNIGHT is an excellent drama that will leave readers longing for more, but some secrets may never be revealed.
This book is ridiculous. It starts one way, then halfway through, everything changes, everything, and not in a good way.
It's in a bazaar, wow the author is really lazy not to include the existence of vampires in the first half of the book when the main character is one, kind of way.
Don't waste your time here, please. I feel sorry for the sequel.
It's in a bazaar, wow the author is really lazy not to include the existence of vampires in the first half of the book when the main character is one, kind of way.
Don't waste your time here, please. I feel sorry for the sequel.
