BOOK REVIEW: Evernight (Evernight #1) by Claudia Gray

Evernight (Evernight #1)
by Claudia Gray
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

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.

 

Lucas only hesitated for a second. “Bianca, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Lucas?”
His eyes met mine. “I love you.”

HA. That moment when you realize you love a TOTALLY cliche book that almost all your friends (And most of the community) hates. I literally am laughing right now because, really, what are the odds that everyone hates a book I love. It’s crazy. But, frankly, I don’t care. And, ya know, I’m almost done with the second and I don’t QUITE get what everyone’s bitching about.

Okay, so, it’s unbelievable? Lmao, one word: Vampire. Is that word believable? No. So why is unbelievability a problem? Oh, it’s cliche? Wait, I have the answer to that one, too! What’s that word again? VAMPIRE. Oh, there is a wonderful guy who likes the quirky girl on top of the main boy she will clearly end up with….I’m sorry, but plenty of YA books use this little formula and I don’t see near as much hate. OH, and lastly, people said it’s boring. To which I say: FUCK YOU.

Yeah, sorry not sorry. This book is no less boring than a million books on my feed people are rating 5 stars. And all the 5 star beauties I see being criticized and rated one and two just make my blood boil. So, when it comes down to it, this book made me happy in this difficult time for me, and that’s all I could ever ask for. Plus, HELLOOOO atmosphere. Totally Halloween around here and this book pulled me deeper into the fall season. I’ll take it.

With my autumn wreath candle burning and the crisp air outside (all I’m missing are my red leaves), this book pulled me into the best mood I’ve been in since Nugget’s impending birth announcement. It’s been tough, FOR REAL, so a book that makes me happy is like a light shining at the end of a dark tunnel (or, if you want to be really bleak, as I have been, for months-a cave) and I am holding onto it with all I have. Yes, Crooked Kingdom made me VERY happy-but, as for something lighter, this is hitting the spot.

“I couldn’t stand it if they took it out on you. And eventually they would.”
He was protecting me? That would have been endearing, if it hadn’t been crazy. “You know, I don’t think I have any social cred for you to damage.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
“Don’t be so stubborn.”

From the first moment Bianca stumbled into the woods to find the quirky and sly Lucas, I was hooked. This book wasn’t perfect by any means, but there is just something so….fun….about going through your oldest TBR books and finding a gem no one is talking about. No fandoms are attacking each other like the Leigh Bardugo crowd (me, I love this crowd personally hehe), the Sarah J. Maas assassins (this one? Not so much), and the V.E. Schwabbies (again, can I give a shout out to my homies?). My point is this: Yes, I’m sure if I’d have done extensive research (cough, Pea, cough) I’d have known all the twists and each new turn. But I chose not to do that, choosing to blindly jump into an older book with low expectations. I knew vampires were mentioned, but I had no idea who was one. I didn’t know what each character represented or what the outcome would be. For once, the feed was as silent as a mouse and I enjoyed my book-in a world of a solitude.

I gasped twice, people-TWICE. And it’s so funny, because, this book was obviously a little silly. And I should have caught on quicker than I did-I kept telling people, man this bitch is obsessed lol But as it turns out? Not so shocking. So, needless to say, would this have made me AS happy had I known the two things that made this the most interesting? Perhaps not. But that’s the beauty of an older book-it’s like a ghost, people don’t care anymore.

I can see why, I GUESS, people said this was boring. It was just a school, they just attended class, and they went about every day mundane activities. But, actually, some of my favorite books center around mundane high school activities-in fact, they are even better in the end. The reveals are more shocking, the fight scenes perhaps more breathtaking, and the betrayals more stark. For some, this book is a nightmare. For me, I would categorize it under my favorites. Not since Twilight have vampires excited me so much.

 

Lucas should’ve run out of there that instant. Instead he stared at me through the glass and slowly unfolded his hand opposite mine so that our hands were pressed against the pane of glass, fingers to fingers, palm to palm. We each move closer, so that our faces were only inches apart. Even with the stained glass, window between us, it felt as intimate as any kiss we’d shared.

So, you know, I could keep bashing the butthole GR police, but instead I’ll end it here. Some people liked Lucas very little and thought Balthazar was the one for Bianca-I am inclined to disagree. I loved B, I really did, but Lucas had my heart, and forbidden love will always be my favorite, And, frankly, I loved that this wasn’t a love triangle. How could people NOT find this refreshing? And Lucas? He ADORES Bianca…and I just found the ‘first love’ aspect so sweet. Sue me, I’m a hopeless moronic romantic. I am already basically done with book two, and while I don’t know what will happen over four books, I am grateful this is an easy, fun read to embark on during the week. I will likely have it all done by Saturday. It’s just so great to be back. 🙂

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