Hourglass by Claudia Gray - Giveaway Alert!

Hourglass (Evernight Novels #3) by Claudia Gray


ARC review copy provided by Harper Collins.

PJV's QUICKIE POV: I thought Evernight (links take you to reviews) was a good YA book.  Stargazer and OK follow-up, but Hourglass...blew both books away.  Never before has a third in a series entertained and delighted like this book did? A third?? Can you believe it? This book had it all, tragic love, fights for their lives, a hint at a triangle, some life or death decisions, a little hanky-panky and an ending that had me throwing the book across the room than running over to it to reread and than cursing that I would have to wait like forever for the fourth book, Afterlife, to come out. Word on the street is that there will also be a Balthazar book, but hints at 2011 releases have me pulling out my hair.

Review:  I can't review this without SPOILERS for Evernight & Stargazer so go and read those books before you read this. Bianca after being lied to by her parents, attacked by ghosts and survived a Black Cross raid is now living amongst the enemy - but she is with Lucas, her soulmate.  They aren't given much time together though as she is forced to bunk under nasty conditions, and train as a Black Cross agent - learning how to fight and kill her own kind.  All the while she is desperate to spend as much time with Lucas, sneak away to get a little "blood" snack, and remain perfectly and 100% human ot the Black Cross people.

The third Evernight book is stuffed full of suspense and heart ache. Lucas and Bianca are literally stranded in a world that they never chose to be a part of.  Lucas was raised to hunt and kill vampires, Bianca was raised to some day become a vampire herself. They were never given choices, they were never even given another option, their life was fated before they were even born. Bianca's was filled with lies and half-truths, Lucas' was filled with misconceptions and bigotry.  They are forced to remain in Lucas' world until they can finally save up enough money to escape...but what other options does a 17 and 19 year old have, especially with no education and no money?

The Romeo and Juliet connotations continue throughout this book...all the way until the end, and what a shocker that was! Oh I'm still reeling from that bomb that Ms. Gray threw at me. Thanks! Now I will go insane with wonder. Love those cliffhangers.

Recommendations: Recommended that you read Evernight and Stargazer before reading Hourglass. You don't have to but it forms the foundation of the relationship between Bianca and Lucas and Balthazar quite well.  These book push the mature teen envelope, this is a maturing teen couple...there are sexual scenes in it. Nothing descriptive at all, I would give this to my teen. Fans of vamps, UF and YA paranormals read this series.

There are 5 Copies of Hourglass to be won at Blog with Bite.  Click on the image below to be taken to the contest post!