Friday 19 October 2012

Book Review & Cover Alerts: Night School by C.J. Daugherty.


Product details:
Publisher:  Atom.
Paperback, 451 pages.
Release date: January 5th 2012.
Rating: 3½ out of 5.
Ages: 14+
Source: Purchased.

Allie's world is falling apart...

She hates her school. Her brother has run away. She's just been arrested. Again. And now her parents are sending her away.

But instead of hating boarding school, Allie is happy. She's making friends. And there's Carter, a brooding loner with whom she feels an instant connection.

Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Her classmates - and maybe some of the teachers - are hiding secrets. And soon it begins to fell like a very dangerous place...



Troubled teenager Allie Sheridan has really blown it this time.  Ever since her adored older brother Christopher disappeared from her life without a trace, Allie’s gone totally off the rails.  But with this, her latest arrest, Allie’s parents have finally called time on her shenanigans and shipped her off to an exclusive boarding school two miles left of the middle of nowhere.  Cimmeria Academy’s long list of rules and regulations are as archaic as its décor and bad girl Allie expects to be bored out of her mind in no time at all.  That’s until she discovers that Cimmeria is no ordinary school…

I know what you’re thinking – Boarding School Paranormal. Right? Wrong.  C.J. Daugherty’s Night School looks like a typical boarding school paranormal, and at the outset it feels like one too.  It’s pretty clear right from the start that Cimmeria is no ordinary school – not only because computers and mobile phones are banned and not even because every student comes from an insanely wealthy and privileged background. Well, all except Allie that is.  No, it’s not any of those things.  Cimmeria is different because of Night School. Now, what Night School is, nobody apart from a select few, know.  In effect, what happens in Night School stays in Night School.  I can’t divulge the secrets of Night School, of course, but I can tell you that if you’re anything like me, your first thought will be vampires, closely followed by werewolves. You’d be wrong on both counts.  Way off, in fact.  Night School is way more interesting than creatures of the night that drink blood for fun or spend all their time howling at the moon.

As far as pacing goes, Night School is pretty slow to start.  However, the book held my interest despite this mainly because I enjoy reading about the everyday ins and outs of boarding school life.  If you don’t though, you might find this one little difficult to get in to.  However, it’s worth sticking with, because as soon as we arrive at Cimmeria Academy’s much-anticipated summer ball, the action really kicks off. And by action, I mean murder.   It’s only then that Allie realizes that whatever Night School is, maybe it’s not all fun and games.  It’s time for Allie to find out what’s really going on behind those closed doors at Cimmeria. No more secrets, no more lies.


Allie is a kick-ass, feisty protagonist.  I didn’t totally warm to her at first, but just like this book, she is a grower.  Despite her bad attitude, Allie is not really a bad girl at heart. She’s a product of her circumstances, and like many of the students at Cimmeria she’s been through some tough times.  Finding common ground with a number of students means Allie makes friends fast.  She also catches the eye of not one but two potential suitors.  By the time the summer ball rolls round Allie is dating Sylvain, aptly named because his best friend is his mirror.   As soon as Allie hears Sylvain’s French accent, she pretty much turns to goo at his feet, but where Allie finds Sylvain suave and sophisticated, I just found him all round slimy.  A far better prospect for Allie is the dark and intense Carter West, a.k.a. the brooding tragic hero of this piece.  Sign me up for more of him! Carter forever, Sylvain never!

C.J. Daugherty’s Night School is a fun read full of mystery, intrigue and an irresistible dash of romance.  Night School left me with a whole lot of questions, and I’m looking forward to finding out some answers when Legacy (Night School #2) releases in January 2013.

 
*****

U.S readers, did you know that Night School is coming your way?  Night School will release from HarperCollins in May 2013 and you can see the cover art below.  The publishers have gone for a very different look for the US Night School release, but I have to say I'm really liking it! I also love the UK cover, though. It's pretty difficult to choose between the two for me. What do you think?





 And that's not all! C.J. Daugherty revealed the cover for Legacy (Night School #2) on her blog a few weeks back!  This one will release from Atom in January 2013.





15 comments :

  1. Ohh! You know how much I love boarding school stories and I'm glad to hear this isn't the usual paranormal boarding school tale.  I will have to check it out when it's published in the US. I really like all the covers, but the US cover is awesome! Great review, Leanna!

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  2. All three covers are gorgeous, but I'm definitely gravitating toward the bold colors and the eerie quality to the US cover. So pretty:) I'm a huge fan of boarding school paranormals, so this one is definitely going on my list, but I'm even more excited that it's not your typical boarding school story either. Very curious about all the secrets Night School holds:) Lovely review Leanna!

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  3. Great review! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Night School sounds like such a mysterious and thrilling read! And I'm soo glad it's gonna be released in the US! The US cover is pretty, but I personally like the UK one better.
    Great review!!

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  4. EEEEEE SQUEEEEEEE! Night School! This book does sound like the 'typical YA' but it's so unique! I loved how refreshing it was. AND EEEEE THE US COVER! I have to say I prefer it compared to the UK one but the UK cover of the sequel looks so pretty ;)

    Awesome review, Leanna ♥ So glad you enjoyed it!

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  5. Ooh, you've absolutely won me over with your review Leanna. As you well know, I'm just as much a fan of boarding school settings as you are, and the secrets of Night School has made me more than a little curious. I also like the sound of feisty Allie and brooding Carter. :) Awesome review. P.S. I must say I'm loving the US cover for this book!

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  6. I really enjoyed this book. I was the same thought it was a slow started but I ended up hooked! Can't wait for book 2. And I love the US Cover!!!

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  7. I love the US cover! But the UK paperback cover (the last one) is quite nice too.  I need to pick this up, since I do love boarding school stories. :)

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  8.  Thanks, Christina! This one took a little bit of time to get into, but I really enjoyed it by the end and now can't wait to get my hands on the next book!

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  9.  Definitely not your typical boarding school story. I could say more, but I don't want to give the game away! ;)

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  10.  I still can't decide which cover look I prefer for this one! Hope you enjoy Night School when you read it.  It's certainly very mysterious!

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  11.  Totally! I was expecting another run-of-the-mill paranormal but this one was very refreshing indeed. Can't wait to see what happens next!

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  12.  The US cover seems to be winning judging by comments here! I think you'll like this book - and Carter - he's definitely worth checking out!

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  13.  Same here. Slow to start but by the end I couldn't get enough!

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  14.  Hope you enjoy it! :)

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  15. The beautiful US cover and the really "cool" UK cover are what caught my eye.  The story may prove to be a little to contemporary for me, I'm torn though because I do LOVE boarding school books.  I think I'm going to add this to my TBR.  Thanks for introducing me to this potentially awesome read.

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