This is just the first book I'm doing. I've decided to write the review as I go along, so my opinion may chop and change. You see, I'm not that far in and yet already I have some complaints.

So far, Bianca has really annoyed me. Most books usually have the main female character as a shy, mousy little girl with no confidence and no self-esteem. If it's not that, then they make the character a really bitchy girl who has it all and is rich and fits in with the 'in' crowd and takes it all for granted.
It'd be nice to read about a girl who's just normal. Down-to-earth, isn't insecure, isn't horrible and someone you can relate to. I have NEVER read a book with a character like that, and it's tedious now. This character is always going on about her many flaws, how shy she is, how she isn't as pretty or out-going or elegant or coordinated as the other girls. I DON'T CARE. Just get on with the story.

And then there's Lucas. Lucas, Lucas, Lucas. On nearly every page. And I'm only about 40 pages through. She has ONE conversation with him and now she feels some kind of special connection! What? And then what also does she do? The day after they've spoken she goes running up to him in the corridor shouting his name like an excited little seven year old, as if they're best of friends and as if she has anything to say that he'd find interesting. It's obvious he's walking away from her despite the fact that he heard her. And then she goes to the toilet because she's afraid she might cry. Grow up. And when you're at a party and someone offers you a drink, who the hell says, "I can't, I'm underage!" like some goody-two-shoes, especially after how much she's gone on about wanting to fit in. If she can't think of an excuse, a simple "No thank you" would have done! Bloody hell.
And, again, after that one conversation with Lucas, she's going on about feeling 'unloyal' towards him for noticing someone else good-looking. Or is good-looking not drastic enough? I'm sorry, I mean, BEAUTIFUL! DROP-DEAD-GORGEOUS! GOD-LIKE! The same as every other pupil and teacher in that school- apart from Bianca of course, with all of her insecurities. She's the only ugly one!

Of course then, in their oh-so-long-awaited second conversation, she says things to him like "You were the only friend I had and I thought I LOST you!" and "I'd rather spend time with you" (as opposed to Lucas as well as his other friends). Oh Lucas, this is the second time we've talked, looks like we're in love now!

Another thing that I find in most books of the teenage genre- the relationship between the parents and the character is plain unrealistic. It's all sappy and cheesy and melodramatic and over-the-top- no person would ever converse with someone like that unless they're having a counselling session. Get a life.

I will persevere. Mainly because I hate the thought of wasting money on an un-read book. You never know- perhaps something exciting will happen in this oh-so-original freaky boarding school paranormal romance.

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Right, that was yesterdays review. Now I've read it a bit more of the book.
Did the author think she was clever by pulling out such an unexpected little twist? Because it wasn't clever at all.
It's like she started the book, got bored with where it was going, so thought she'd add something else without bothering to modify what she'd already written to fit this new part in. And suddenly, the main character knows all about this little personally trait of hers. We have had to read all the boring, pointless babble that constantly goes through her head but she doesn't mention, or even hint at, this huge thing that she's known about since birth? That's just bad writing.
After it happened, I'd hoped that she had no idea what was going on either, it turned out she was thing going bump during the night whilst sleep-walking or something! But no, everybody knows, because everybody's just like her and now it's just turned out to be a huge disappointment, as it's exactly like every other vampire boarding-school book. How many times has this been done? I'm so bored of them, I absolutely hate them all now. House of Night, Vampire Academy, The Dark Elite, Evernight. There are so many. And if it's not vampires, it's some sort of school for supernatural creatures like werewolves (Nightshade trilogy) or witches (Hex Hall).

It's like they all read Harry Potter and thought that if they changed it slightly, make them inferior but maintain the new kid at a special boarding school theme then they'd be just as successful as JK Rowling. Can't they just come up with an original idea?

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Now, I don't claim to be an expert, but Balthazar says he died in 1691 in New England. New England is a state in america, yet america was not yet a country until about 1770-1780's. Clearly this author is an idiot who can not be bothered to look up such simple stuff. I thought Americans are supposed to be annoyingly overly patriotic anyway and learned this sort of stuff about their own country from a young age?

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Just finished. As an overall book... it was OK I guess. It did drag. And she did another 'twist' that came out of the blue, but at least when looking back you can see a few minor hints dropped about, although it still didn't seem very thought-out. A page before finishing, I was thinking how good, for lack of a better word, it was to read a book that didn't have a happy ending where they end up together. But then I did finish and was disappointed with the sappy traditional written-letter bit. I'm hoping the next book will be more pleasing.

On a positive note, no love triangles! That is always a good thing for me. I'm sick to death of love-triangles. The only reason they are added in is because the author is too crap to come up with something more interesting as a side bit. And it just makes me dislike the characters involved, especially the one who is caught in the middle for being so weak and pathetic. I'd actually love to read about a love-triangle with a really bitchy girl who's just purposely leading the boys on for fun and doesn't get all melodramatic with them, just sees the boys as her playthings and is only interested because they're good-looking. That'd be a nice change after things like Twilight and House of Night. Oh House of Night! How I loathe thee... perhaps I'll do my next review on that.

Let me know your comments!

Hi XannaRoth,


   I must say that I'm laughing a lot reading your review, hehe, your anger with the book shows in your writting. hehehe.

 Just like you, I hate the lack of originality in YA books nowadays.

These passages you quote got me angry too: "I can't, I'm underage!"  I mean, REALLY?? Even I, would have written something better than that. lol
I
"You were the only friend I had and I thought I LOST you!"  Haha, I hate out-of-the-blue relationship.

    Thank you for taking the time to write this review, I'm searching for what to read next and I see that Evernight is not for me either. (I loved your idea of writting the review while reading the book)

Have you read Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror Series) by Karina Halle? Based on what you wrote, I think you would love it.

"It'd be nice to read about a girl who's just normal. Down-to-earth, isn't insecure, isn't horrible and someone you can relate to. I have NEVER read a book with a character like that, and it's tedious now."

Perry Palomino is exactly what you're looking for. She is the most "real" character I've ever read. And the whole series is so real that you don't feel like your reading a paranormal story, you feel like you are reading something that did happend.

The characters seems like they are real people, you know. And the romance has a LOT of development (it takes too much to my liking, lol, but it happens in the best and real way possible so I am resigned). The male main character is SO real (he thinks and acts like a man would, you know, a down-to-earth normal guy would react) that I hate and love him at the same time. hehe. Oh, the there is so much sexual tension between them (Perry and him) that you can feel it in you.

And, the books get better and better (there are four books up to now).

Well, I am still looking for what to read next and would really apreciate if you could suggest your favorite books (I think we have a similar taste).

P.S. Your favorite books that aren't so famous internationally. I've read most of the best selling books.

Thanks for your review. It really helped me!

Hey, thanks for the positive feedback! I'm glad to know someone found it useful
I will definitely give the Experiment in Terror series a go. I'll let you know what some of my favourite books are. I write a lot of negative reviews, but there are quite a few that I love. I might do a separate topic on it, if that's ok.
Thanks again for letting me know your thoughts. I can honestly say it made my day, sad as that may seem!!