Stargazer by Claudia Gray

Stargazer by Claudia Gray
Spoiler warning: Because this book is part of a series, this review may contain spoilers of
earlier books. If you haven’t read the previous books, you may want to skip this review

author: Claudia Gray
release date: March 31, 2009
appeals to: Young Adult
length: 329 pages (hardcover)
overall rating: 4½ stars

*the inside flap*
Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all – vampires. Bianca, born of two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.
But Bianca fell in love with Lucas – a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.
Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross – or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca’s secrets will force her to live a life of lies.
Yet Bianca isn’t the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning…

*my review*
Wow! I enjoyed Evernight, but I loved Stargazer! From the minute I started reading Stargazer, I couldn’t put it down. In Evernight, you get to know Bianca and Lucas, but in this story, you really start to feel Bianca’s torn emotions – she’s in love with a member of the enemy and it is a constant struggle! Stargazer is the second book in the Evernight series (Hourglass releases in March 2010 and Afterlife is planned for March 2011), and while it may not make sense as a stand-alone novel, it is an incredible addition to the series.
In my review of Evernight, I mentioned that I wanted to know more about Balthazar, and Stargazer met that need! Balthazar, Vic, and Raquel are much more present in this novel, and as Bianca gets to know more about her friends, their characters develop beautifully. In addition to learning more about the minor characters, this book introduces a whole new twist - ghosts! (You learn about the ghosts on page 2, so this isn’t really a spoiler) Now, the Evernight series has vampires, vampire hunters, and ghosts! I’m intrigued to find out what happens in the next installment!
Note: As I mentioned after reading Evernight I am a big fan of Balthazar. So going in to this book, I expected to like his character, but as I was reading, I felt like I really got to know him better. This book shows a lot about him and his character. Now, I am an even bigger fan of Balthazar, and I must admit that I am still rooting for him!)

*short and snappy*
writing: captivating – The way that Gray writes drew me into the story and kept me hooked.
plot: twisty – Just like the first book, as soon as I thought I had the plot figured out, there was another twist.
characters: Bianca is even more detailed, but the minor characters evolve in this book.
judging by the cover: The cover is pretty and I love the title’s font, but there are no hints about content from the cover.
miscellaneous: Claudia Gray has an excerpt from the next book in the series – Hourglass – on her website (or by following this link: http://www.claudiagray.com/dload/hourglass.pdf)