I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
C.J. Daugherty's Night School is a Review first appeared on my blog:
I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
C.J. Daugherty's Night School is a young adult novel that first made it big in the U.K., and now, lucky for us, is being released in North America!
When a reader first hears the title of Daugherty's novel, many cliches come to mind. Oh, it must include some sort of paranormal themes. Oh, it must be super secretive and dramatic--lots of crazy romance, and catty people. While Night School does contain two of the above statements (I won't tell you which ones because there is no way I'm ruining that for you), it surpasses the common ideas someone may have of novels that have similar names, or feature similar settings.
Personally, I love boarding schools and the fact that Daugherty offers an original premise, within an admittedly creepy atmosphere, makes it all that much more delicious. With great character growth, secrets, and unlikely allies, Night School is a must read for anyone seeking a spooky, romantic, and fun read.
Allie, the protagonist, is spunky when we first meet her. A law-breaker for reasons we learn later on in the novel, she is someone difficult who tries nearly anything to fill the emptiness inside of her. When her parents decide that she's going to a boarding school in the middle of nowhere, she is less than pleased. For a while, we are left wondering: What will Allie do? Will she rebel? But the truth is that Allie, a former good girl, still shows hints of the person she used to be.
What I like about Allie's character is how, unlike the latest stream of girls who fall in love with the first jerk who crosses her path in today's literature, she stands up for herself and immediately says what's on her mind. And while she isn't perfect (because honestly, who is?), it is her imperfections that endear her to us. Her ability to shed (literally) the skin she wore back in London, so she can grow to be a better person, is powerful because it shows that even the most lost causes are never truly lost--only hidden beneath metaphorical walls of anger and for some, lack of feeling altogether.
The other characters, however, were trickier to navigate. Daugherty, whether intended or not, teaches us to not jump to conclusions about people. First impressions are important, but they can also be toxic--rendering the protagonist helpless when the "friends" and "love interest(s)" suddenly change and become strangers. This is perhaps a great imitation of teenaged friendships and how even the strongest of relationships might actually only be tenuous.
I will admit however, that while I understand this message now, at the time I was a little taken aback by the sudden shifts in personality. One minute certain people were amazing, and then they weren't. This all goes back to how people react under stress and grief, and how sometimes shifts in character personalities need to be hinted at prior to the sudden changes, so as to not disorient the reader--but then, wouldn't this just serve as a means to feel what Allie is feeling in her predicament?
Food for thought.
The romantic aspect of Night School is a little chaotic. I mean, it was delicious, but a little messy. We are given hints as to what Allie is getting herself into, and even she unconsciously remarks on certain strange aspects of her love interest's personality. I'm more than happy with her final decision, because it was obvious from the get-go, but I like how it wasn't insta-love, but instead something that she had to figure out through trial and error--even if the error was a huge one.
The conclusion and answers we are given are completely unexpected. Scratch everything you think you know about boarding schools, because Daugherty gives you something completely different than what you had in mind during the whole novel. Not only are the answers surprising, but they will also make you crave more--which is great, since Daugherty has already released the sequel...in the U.K. (unless you buy it used on Amazon).
If you like mystery, romance, surprises, and sexy--erm--students, you might like Night School. I definitely recommend it as a fun read, especially since Summer promises to be a season full of great reading!...more
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