YA Book Review: Evernight by Claudia Gray

Release Date: 10 February 2009
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Bought (Amazon Bargain Books!)

Goodreads description:

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.

My Thoughts...

I have to honest and upfront with you and say that it's going to be really hard to review this book without being all spoilery.  So...you've been warned. I'll try really hard but I make no promises!

When Bianca's parents move her to the prestigious Evernight Academy, she's not exactly smitten with the boarding school's atmosphere. And who can blame her?  Gray does a great job of creating an dark, eerie setting--a school that would probably send shivers up the spines of many a student. The images of the dense woods surrounding the school and the gargoyles that always seem to be peering at you were surely enough to give me the creeps.

Biana herself is an interesting character--one that I had a little trouble deciding how I felt about.  She seems so out of touch with the reality that her classmates (the "normal" Evernight students) live, yet she can't/doesn't quite fit in with the non-Evernight "type" students--except Luke (once they get past the awkwardness).

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well-developed as was the world and story-line.  The only issue that I had with the book was the "big reveal."  The moment when you find out what is really going on seemed...anti-climatic.  The shock of revealing the nature of the students was deadened a bit by the way that the main character reacted....or didn't react.  The knowledge that she knew all along had less impact than it might have otherwise.  Maybe it's just me, but I definitely had a major "WHAT?" moment at this point.  However, I felt enough of a connection with the story and the characters that I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series, especially since they are sitting on my shelf waiting for me!