ARC Review: Night School by C.J. Daugherty

Color me surprised. The cover screams "paranormal" to me, but it's actually not.
And I was surprised and glad with what I found out when I started reading.

Title: Night School by C.J. Daugherty
Pages: 451
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Published by: ATOM
Source: Author (thanks, Christi!)
Buy: Book Depository

Summary:

Sometimes school is murder.

Allie Sheridan's world is falling apart. She hates her school. Her brother has run away from home. And she's just been arrested.

Again.

This time her parents have finally had enough. They cut her off from her friends and send her away to a boarding school for problem teenagers.

But Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Its rules are strangely archaic. It allows no computers or phones. Its students are an odd mixture of the gifted, the tough and the privileged. And then there's the secretive Night School, whose activities other students are forbidden even to watch.

When Allie is attacked one night the incident sets off a chain of events leading to the violent death of a girl at the summer ball. As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, Allie must learn who she can trust. And what's really going on at Cimmeria Academy.

I have said this before and I will say it again. I like books that make me think, make me draw my own conclusions, make me want to anticipate what happens next and make me guess what's in store for the characters and the story itself, and that's just what Night School made me do.

I have no idea what was going on more than half the time, and as I dive into the story deeper, questions start piling up one by one, and I will be honest, not all of them have been answered. But it's a brilliant move to build up the suspense up to the very last minute, as I'm sure the readers will find the book gripping. Anything can happen anytime and you have no idea what it is, who's done it and what they are after. I think that's what makes this book scary, not knowing who to trust, what happens next and if it's your turn to die.

Allie's character is quite fascinating. She's a problem child who somehow transformed into someone fragile who needs to be protected when she came to Cimmeria. It's as if her tough, wild exterior was peeled off in one swift stroke when she entered the Academy. She found herself locked in an inescapable place filled with the privileged and the stark contrast of it to her life outside felt like one big shock therapy. She doesn't have a trust fund, nor is she gifted. So why was she there? One thing that stands out in Cimmeria: everyone has secrets. And some would kill to protect them. The more you hide something, the more people cannot resist to find out what it is.

This is the first book I've read this year that makes me feel completely torn between the two male leads, Carter and Sylvain. They're both highly irresistible in their own ways, one a bad boy and the other a ladies man. I will admit it, Sylvain caught my eye almost instantly. Not because he is rich or because he is French. His charm rests in the fact that he is 'for everyone' when in reality, he is only looking for that someone who will complete him. He's passionate and smooth and intense. And Carter? He's completely misunderstood, your typical brooding boy next door. Weigh in yourselves which one you think fits Allie's personality, because they have proven themselves in the course of the book that they're both capable of protecting her.

The mystery of figuring out the reasons why Allie was brought to Cimmeria, why there was so much rules to follow, why it's constricting and strict and the presence of the elusive Night School is like an addictive puzzle. Readers would want to figure it out immediately. Yes dear readers, Night School is a thriller whose secrets keep on piling up to the brim until all of them are revealed and spilled on the last few pages of the book. The waiting is excruciating! Do not blink while you read, or else you will miss out essential details and clues!

Night School reminds me of the movie The Skulls. Shrouded in mystery, cryptic. A highly secretive society that exist to shape and produce future leaders of the world. Sometimes being part of an elite and exclusive organization comes with a price. If you want to become one capable of ruling the world and taking your place among the leaders, movers and shakers and be powerful, you have to keep secrets, however dark and deadly they may be.

Christi Daugherty's debut is an enigma in itself. It's mystery and intrigue blended into one delectable book that will make you jump, make you weary, make you cautious and make you think of who to trust, who to believe and who to turn to if you want to stay alive. An addictive, spine chilling, thriller! With a plot filled with surprise at every turn of the page and striking characters, Night School is a one of a kind read. Definitely a highly refreshing read for 2012!

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Love!

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

The red makes me think of the word 'bloody'.

I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.