23 June, 2017

REVIEW: EVERNIGHT by Claudia Gray


Title: Evernight
Author: Claudia Gray
Series: Evernight #1
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release: 2009
Source: Audiobook
Pages: 327

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BLURB:
Bianca wants to escape.

She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him.

"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."

But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.



EXPECTATIONS: Claudia Gray has written Firebird trilogy which I absolutely adore. So at some point I went to look for other books of hers and that is how I discovered Evernight. However, if not for a beloved author I think I would have passed on this book. 

THE WORLD: I think most of you, myself included, will be familiar with this standard world where it all looks like we know it except with a little addition of vampires. I think this book was written during this weird cheesy vampire period where everybody were writing this kind of books. I am more than glad this period is over and we don't see books in this boring setting anymore. 

CHARACTERS: The story really follows two characters: Bianca and Lucas. Basically star crossed lovers. Bianca is a vampire and just started this gothic dark vampire high school. Lucas on the other hand has been there for a while and well he is this bad boy who doesn't follow the rules and is cool because he does not go down to popul kids levels. Blah blah. Both Bianca and Lucas are such overused tropes...but I guess in 2009 when this book came out it was what was selling. But I guess it is no surprise that I was not in love with either of them. They were just boring, lacking development and yeah...stereotypes. I do not necessary blame Claudia Gray for this because I have read her witches series from similar time and that is much better. I think it was more of a trend that was going around, people well okay teenagers really loved these boring non developed characters. All the books with vampires from that time are just the same. 

ROMANCE: As I mentioned Bianca and Lucas are star crossed lovers. They should not be together but of course they fall in love. And then of course we have a twist and sacrificing starts. Blah blah again, overused boring love story. I am really glad that during this weird period I was reading S. King books. 

GOOD: It is really hard for me to see any good points in this book. I am not saying it is horrible per se but I am not gonna say it is good either. It is just too similar to other books of that period that nothing really stands out as really good.

BAD: Somehow this book promoted the idea that if you love somebody you have to abandon your family for them because otherwise you don't really love them. I think for teenager audience this is a wrong message. We all know how teenager love goes and that often it does not last, so abandoning your family for somebody you barely know...hmm.

OVERALL: It was alright I get. I did not really expect this book to be IT but at the same time I wanted more from Claudia Gray. But hey, at least I can see now even more how far she went with Firebird trilogy and her new Defy the Stars series. I am glad to say that even tho her early world was only so so today she is one of my favorite authors. 

What do you think about EVERNIGHT?

 

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