Stargazer by Claudia Gray

Stargazer (Evernight Novels 2)
Free from the Jefferson Parish Library
Author web site

PJV's Quickie POV: An excellent follow-up to Evernight. Stargazer continues the story of the star-crossed-lovers Bianca and Lucas. A play on the Romeo and Juliet story, the second installment of the Evernight Novels delivers a more grown-up version of the first novel. The suspense of the last minute reveal from Evernight is lost, but other secrets are to be found out, so it still possess that dark flavor that was so prevalent in the first novel. I was very pleased with this novel, and am looking forward to reading Hourglass.

Review: What would happen if Romeo and Juliet didn't kill themselves, but instead just lied to their parents that they weren't seeing each other anymore? What if Juliet was a vampire and Romeo was a vampire hunter? What if Paris was really hot, and really nice and Romeo was a bit grumpy and aggressive? Well, that would be Stargazer.

Bianca is back for another year at Evernight Academy, this time sans her love Lucas.  In fact everyone is under the impression that Lucas and Bianca are old news and Bianca has kicked Lucas to the curb, what any self-respecting vamp would do when they found out their boyfriend was a secret spy for the deadly Black Cross. Yet, Lucas and Bianca are above labels, Lucas doesn't care that Bianca is a vampire, and Bianca looks passed the fact that Lucas kills her own kind for a living, or do they?  With time, seperation and a truck full of bias between the two of them, can Lucas and Bianca's love survive.

Then to top it all off, there is something that is hunting Bianca, and stalking Evernight Academy.  Something that everyone seems to be afraid of, yet knowledgeable about, but Bianca has no clue.  Her parents are lying to her again, even the head mistress seems to know what is going on, but no one will tell Bianca.  The only saving grace is Balthazar, his support and friendship is what is keeping Bianca going. Yet, as Lucas and Bianca's relationship becomes more strained...and Balthazar makes more and more overtures of his interest in Bianca...can this be the end of something and the beginning of another?

Once again excellent second installment. In Stargazer the characters have matured a bit, leading to a more dramatic and deeper story-line. The writing was done well and the suspenseful plot was very hard to figure out just like in the first novel. Characters are expanded on and I found myself really enjoying Balthazar, in fact I was pretty much rooting for him instead of Lucas.  This is a first, I usually stick with numero uno, the only other time I've jumped ship from number 1 was with the Sookie Stackhouse series - not a fan of Bill.  All in all good novel, I definitely recommend this series.

Recommendations: Older teens and adults.  Fans of Twilight, House of Night and Vampire Academy will love this book. There are some mature interactions, but nothing actually occurs, so I would put this as 15+.

Evernight by Claudia Gray - Quickie Review

Evernight (Evernight, Book 1) by Claudia Gray
Paid for by me!
Author web site

PJV's Quickie POV: Read this right before I started PJV. Picked it up after I had tore through the Twilights. I just got to the second in the series, so I thought I would revisit Evernight with a quickie review. I enjoyed this book tremendously, and had planned on sucking down the sequel quickly, but with an out of control TBR it took me awhile.

Review: Under duress, Bianca is forced to attend a creepy and snobbish school called Evernight Academy.  Bianca's parents are teachers at the school and they are hoping the school will help Bianca with her incompetent social skills.

Bianca really doesn't fit in though, and her parents aren't exactly happy that Bianca falls in with the least likely of candidates a very angry and controlling gent by the name of Lucas. Lucas is an enigma to Bianca and she knows that hooking up with him might lead to even more shunning from the other students. While this is going on there is also a lot of hinting to the fact that something odd is afoot at Evernight Academy.

A true Romeo & Juliet retelling, Evernight was highly enjoyable and I felt myself wanting more the moment the last page was turned. There were a few problems with the novel, but nothing that drove me crazy.  A lot of critics haven't liked the "reveal" but I enjoyed it and thought it was a good way to turn things on end instead of the usual "Girl Meets Vamp" YA happiness.  Check this book, it is worth the read, especially since Hourglass is about to be released, you won't have long to wait.

Recommendations: Fans of Meyer's Twilight series, Mead's Vampire Academy  and the Cast's House of Night series. Both adults and teens, parents, nothing to be worried about but a few kisses.