Evernight by Claudia Gray

I should warn you that I really like - I won't go as far as "love" - Twilight and the related books. I think they're entertaining stories and I thought the whole schoolgirl/vampire romance thing was pretty cool. And original. Unfortunately, the original part of that equation is out since there are dozens - and dozens and dozens - of sort of Twilights out now.

Evernight is one of those books. Overall, it's pretty good, mainly because it has some unexpected twists that I won't ruin for you. Let's just say that even I had a hard time separating the bad guys from the good guys.

The story begins, as all good gothic-type romances should, with our sweet young heroine running away from the evil school to which she has been sent by her loving parents. The night is dark, the woods are menacing. Someone appears to be chasing Bianca when suddenly - Wham! - a dark stranger leaps on her. Rolling around in dry leaves follows. On the streets of New York, where I live, that wouldn't be cool, it would be a felony, but not so at Evernight.

Who is this dark stranger? Is he a handsome savior or a perverted creep? What exactly is Bianca's trouble with Evernight? Are her parents innocent bystanders or have they conspired against Bianca? And who, if not the mysterious man in the woods, is following Bianca into the forest? Well, I guess you'll only find out if you read the book.

LAME FACTOR: I definitely enjoyed Evernight and even read the sequel, Stargazer. I had to draw the line at the third book, however. I wasn't sure I could take anymore. On a scale of 1 to 5, (5 being so lame I can't make it halfway through), I'd give it a 2.

YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: There's a lot more than studying going on at Evernight. While that might make it fun for you, it might make your parents crazy. There is no actual sex or discussion of personal body parts, but I doubt you'd want to get caught doing the things some of these characters are doing. You should probably check in with your parents before your mom decides she wants to read it too.

BRAIN POWER: Evernight is well-written with a sophisticated vocabulary. Believe me, most of you need to learn some new words. Give it a shot! I'd say it is geared towards excellent middle school readers (come on, you know you think you're an excellent reader) and very good high school readers. You'll be entertained and learn something. Imagine that.