Il segreto del bosco. Night School

Ever since Allie’s brother left home, she’s been a bit out of control. Finally, after breaking into her school and spray painting a dirty word on her principal’s door, her parents have had enough. They immediately pack Allie up and drive her to a secluded private school called Cimmeria Academy. At first glance, Cimmeria is home to a bunch of snobs, but it doesn’t take Allie long to befriend another girl and capture the attention of Sylvain, one of the most sought after boys in school. But something seems off at Cimmeria. Allie hears footsteps on the roof, and she’s warned not to visit certain areas of the school after dark. These areas are reserved for those chosen for night school, but when Allie asks about it, she’s promptly shut down. To make matters worse, Allie believes someone may be sneaking into her room, and after a student is murdered, things take an even stranger turn. Allie is determined to figure out what is going on, but the more she presses, the more mysterious and dangerous things become.I’m a sucker for a good mystery, and if it’s set in a posh boarding school with rich, snobby kids, even better. Throw in a secret society and I’m a goner. I had really high (maybe too high) hopes for this one. The first quarter of the book had me glued to the pages. Everything moved at a nice pace and then all of the sudden it seemed to stall out. After that, I felt like it kind of went in circles and eventually, I was so frustrated with the story, I didn’t care what happened; I just wanted some answers. When they finally came, they came in a rush. The danger of the who and what wasn’t exactly breathtaking and I was left with even more questions when the book ended. I know this is the first in a series, so questions and mysteries are expected. I was just hoping that I would get a little more payoff than I did. The characters are interesting enough, and several of them likable, but I didn’t feel there was anything overly special about any of them. I felt like I had met them before. They were very predictable, which I think added to the overall blandness (in my opinion) of the story. I didn’t hate them, but none of them really stood out as amazing. The most interesting one was Allie’s new friend, Jo. She was a little unhinged and unpredictable which made her the most interesting.Despite a very promising premise, I found this one to be just okay. I think if the story had been tighter and shorter, and the tension increased, I would have liked it more. I am interested to see where this series goes, but I won’t be chomping at the proverbial bit to get my hands on the next book.

I picked this book cause the cover and synopsis caught my eye. I had high hopes for this book and unfortunately, it let me down.1. Writing. First off, writing is good. Everything flowed well from chapter to chapter. Not once did I feel lost or confused. It was able to step inside the characters shoes easily and quickly.2. Love triangle. UGH! Not only was is depressing watching this character go back and forth but it got annoying. One minute she was hanging out one with one guy and the next, the other guy. This did not make me happy.3. Predictable. The reason I could not get into the book as I wanted, was cause it felt like I had already been there before. I knew how the whole plot would go down not even half-way through. And that folks, killed it for me. The only reason why I finished it was to find out exactly what Night school was. And yes, I was right about that too.4. Growth. I'm a bit miffed of how this character grew up. While, I'm glad that she ask questions and broke rules, she became to predictable in all of her moves. I kept wanting her to surprise me or do something different. Instead it was like watching a horror movie and yelling at the girl," DON'T DO IT! DON''T GO IN THERE!"5. End. The ending got better and got me into the book. I felt like once the secret was out, lots of things made sense. It weaved well with the beginning of the story with her parents and brother. I like to read the next book to see what will happen next.Overall, Night School is a good book. It did take a while for me to get into it and once I did, I enjoyed it. Taking boarding school to a whole new level, Night School holds secrets. A good deal of fun, Night School is good.

Night SchoolByC.J.DoughertyMy"in a nutshell" summary...Allie...poor bad girl Allie...is sent away to a boarding school...sounds uncomplicated, doesn't it?My thoughts after reading Night School...Simply said...Allie ends up at a school filled with secrets. Scary, dangerous, ominous secrets. Allie has a secret of her own...why did her much loved older brother disappear? It is driving her to make really bad choices...thus winding up at Cimmeria Academy. A boarding school where everyone wears uniforms, no electronic devices are allowed, and an undercurrent of danger and secrecy appears everywhere.Ok..to sum this up...it was definitely eerie...so much so with the even more mysterious Night School and people getting bloodied and hurt...that I thought...very cool...this is a steamy werewolf book...boy was I ever wrong. The mystery and intrigue is far more complex and widespread than mere werewolves...and then when the book discussed night games and chess...well then I thought chess matches where you fight for your life! But again...I was so wrong!What I loved about this book...Loved Allie and Carter! I also loved that I could not trust anyone! I wanted Allie to not trust anyone either!Loved wild and worldly Sylvain...loved the descriptions of this school...loved the food! And who can't love all the sweet tender kisses between Sylvain and Allie and then Carter and Allie! What I did not love...I didn't love that this was not a book about werewolves...but I overcame this quickly...I did not love Katie and her mean girl philosophy...but it was such fun to read!On a weird note...Allie said "ya think" to something Carter said to her...this does not sound like something a British person would say?Final thoughts...Readers who enjoy a great YA book with tons of mystery and excitement will love this new incredible series. Oh...this book has an awesome ending...that left me yearning for more...much more!

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Magical book brimming with romance, adventure, and suspense. This is an unforgettable story that will leave you thinking about it days after finishing it.Opening Sentence: “Hurry up!”The Review:Allie Sheridan’s life has been pretty crazy in the last year. Her brother disappeared without a trace and her parents became distant. As a way to cope with the pain and disappointment, Allie turned to drinking and pulling stupid stunts with her friends. This leads to multiple arrests and her parents have finally had it. They have decided to send her to a boarding school that is crazy strict. There are no cell phones, computers, and really electronics of any kind allowed. Allie thought that she would hate her new school but surprisingly she ends up loving it. She is making new friends that she has been able to open up to about her past, which is a first for her. There are some really cute boys that have her stomach filled with butterflies, and she is finally feeling happy for the first time in forever.But at Cimmeria Academy isn’t what it seems. It is full of dangerous secrets and then one night Allie is attacked. Everything changes after that night and Allie doesn’t know what to do. She soon finds out that she is not who she thought she was, and she doesn’t know who she can trust.Allie was a fun girl to get to know. The best thing about her is that she is full of faults but she is trying to change that. After her brother left she slowly spiraled out of control but now that she is at Cimmeria she is starting to sort things out and get back to normal. She feels like she can finally be happy again and then things start to get weird. Allie had a very strong voice and I found that she was easy to connect with right off the bat. I could sympathize with her situation and it was very interesting to watch her story unfold through the pages.Sylvain is gorgeous and French. Right off the bat he seems to take notice of Allie and you can’t help but be somewhat taken with him. He is by no means perfect and some of the things that he does in the book are downright horrible, but I still liked him. He really tries to redeem himself and in my eyes I thought that he did a pretty good job. You don’t really learn much about his background so I hope that in the future books we will get to know him a little bit better.Carter is the dark brooding type of guy that catches your eye, but makes you hesitate. He is very hot and cold when it comes to Allie. There are times when he is almost sweet to her and then there are other times where he acts like he despises her. I really loved Carter and thought that he was a genuinely great guy at heart. He is always trying to do the right thing, even if it’s not easy. I am on team Carter and I am interested to see how his and Allie’s relationship develops in the future.Night School was a fantastic book that has left me thinking about it days after finishing it. I love that it is set at a mysterious boarding school. I know that this has been done many times in previous books but I thought that Daugherty had her own unique spin to it. The plot was brimming with suspense and intrigue. There was cute romance that luckily developed slowly, which I was really happy about. I loved the adventure and I just thought that this was the perfect setup to what I’m sure is going to be a wonderful series. There is a love triangle but I thought that it added just the perfect amount of drama to the story and both boys are a great addition to the cast of characters. It did start slightly slow, but once the pacing picked up I couldn’t put it down. I think that my favorite part was how perfectly she finished the book. I was left satisfied but there are so many questions that I am eager to have answered in the next book. As of right now I don’t know if the second book has been picked up in the U.S. yet, but it is available in the U.K. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a great young adult series simmering with magic, love, and adventure!Notable Scene:Untangling herself from the sheets, she climbed out of bed and leaned across the desk to look outside. The moon gave the world an unearthly blue glow. She clambered up onto the desktop and opened the window, closing her eyes as the cool breeze flowed over her. Resting her chin on her arms, she gazed out into the night. She breathed the fresh air in deeply. The smell was unusual to her—pine needles and loamy soil rather than the exhaust and concrete of the city she was used to—but she found it comforting.Suddenly she heard footsteps … above her? Was that possible?Straining to see above her window, she could have sworn she saw a shadow moving on the roof.She sat still for a moment. Listening, and thought she could hear, very faintly, a susurration of voices above her.You’re just imagining it, Allie. It’s nothing. The wind.Staying as still as she could she listened, her head against the window frame, her hand on the latch, ready to slam it shut if needed.But this time she heard nothing. Even the wind had quieted.FTC Advisory: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of Night School. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Life is never easy when you are 16 years old. It is a time filled with emotional rollercoasters that challenge the beliefs and ethics of a young person. It is a moment in a long life that defines the future of a teenager that often brings tears of joy or cries of sorrow. One right of passage that every teenager experiences is the need to rebel. An ever growing presence for the urge to defy the wishes of his or her parents by breaking the rules of the house. This usually leads to the traditional grounding or chore dumping that makes most teenagers roll their eyes. However, every once in a while a teenager does something so bad that they are sent away. They are moved to a place that uproots them from their friends, family, and everything they hold dear. This story is about one such teenager named Allie. She was a girl that did something so bad in her parents' eyes that they could not stand to look at her. For their sanity and her safety they sent her away to a boarding school. A place that was so isolated it was not listed on a map. It was a school for the privileged and pampered. With time Allie finds herself adapting to a new lifestyle and makes new friends. Along the way she learns that the world of the wealthy thrives off lies and deceit. The country is created by the children of pampered princes and she is a stranger in their court. Will Allie survive the boarding school? Will she learn that their is something more to her family?I really enjoyed this book and found it a very fast read. I finished it in about 3 days and would have finished it earlier if not for appointments. I found the story well written and I enjoyed the diverse personalities that were littered throughout the book. I found the book to be a little slow in some areas. I was not too keen on the night school and thought that maybe something more could have been added to it. I was disappointed when the night school was loosely based off of politics when I think the author could have done so much more with this story. I was left with a cliff hanger and I personally can't stand that. I had more questions and am now going to have to find the next book in her series. I highly recommend this book and do believe it still is a great read. I feel it is for all age groups and think both a mother and daughter could read this and talk about it easily.

Let me start off by saying, looking at the cover of C.J. Daugherty’s Night School, what are your first initial thoughts? It looks spooky with paranormal undertones. Even the synopsis hints at something dark and mysterious but there’s nothing paranormal about the book. I don’t consider this a spoiler, but others might. I apologize in advance if you think it is one.Sixteen year old Allie Sheridan has been on a road of destruction since her brother, Christopher disappeared. She’s constantly getting into trouble and failing her classes. Her latest exploit involves breaking into her current school and when she gets arrested, her parents have had enough and arrange to send her to Cimmeria Academy. Allie has never heard of the school and wonders what type of institution would accept a student virtually overnight. Upon arrival she quickly adapts and once where she was a failing student, suddenly she becomes studious. She makes friends and even though the strict rules are hard to follow at first, she soon finds herself caring about school. Suddenly mysterious things begin to occur and it’s up to Allie and her friends to find out what exactly is happening before it’s too late.Like most YA’s, there’s a love triangle. From the moment Allie arrives she meets Carter and in many ways he’s a bit standoffish, but looks out for her. Then we have Sylvain, an arrogant French student who has a history of using girls. The differences between Carter and Sylvain are set up quickly. Carter is at Cimmeria on scholarship whereas Sylvain comes from a wealthy family. It’s Carter who has to tread carefully because he has nothing to fall back on if he gets kicked out of Cimmeria. The attraction Allie feels for Carter is set up pretty early, but Daugherty needs to drag out the plot so we don’t get a full Carter and Allie set up until a little over halfway through the novel. Ultimately, the love triangle just doesn’t work for me. Sylvain’s interest in Allie is more of a plot device to extend the story.It ends on a cliffhanger and we have tons of unanswered questions especially with regards to Allie’s family and the fact we still don’t know exactly what Night School is. I debated with the rating between a two and three. In the end, I went with a two because of Sylvian and the fact that NOTHING happens plot wise until three-fourths of the novel. My big problem with Sylvian is that he’s prone to forcing himself on girls and knowing that especially at a boarding school, I would think there would have been more warnings for girls that enroll. Also if there’s zero tolerance for breaking certain rules, why then can’t they expel Sylvian? Furthermore, we go through the motions of Allie seeing students out after curfew and heading into areas of the school that are out of bounds to student not enrolled in Night School. It’s all suppose to be hush hush where no one speaks of Night School, but if that’s the case and the majority of the school knows about it, why not address it? Moreover there’s this added sense of mystery and of things that go bump in the night, but when you take into account the big picture, there’s nothing there. The growling sounds Allie hears is explained at the end, but not satisfactory and it’s all tied to a mysterious council and group wanting control of the school. There were too many unanswered questions and it felt at times if Daugherty did this on purpose because she now had a reason to write a series.If you’re a fan of boarding school books you might want to pick up C.J. Daugherty’s Night School, but I’d wait until the rest of the series is released that way you breeze through the reading. I might pick up the second book just to see what questions are addressed and only if I find myself with nothing to read.

Hmm... It seemed rather promising as it got further in the book but then it seemed to unravel while at the same time not revealing much.

This review covers Night School #1-4 (Night School, Legacy, Fracture, Resistance). Night School #1 was provided by the publisher.

The best thing I can say about Night School is that as soon as I finished reading it, I was purchasing the second book. I was that invested in the characters and wanted to find out what would happen next.

As with many other reviewers, I, too, though there would be a paranormal aspect to this series. There wasn't. The series is spy-fi with secret societies. I won't say a lot of world-building has gone on, but there's definitely some thoughts about the world beyond the school.

Good Thing:
A character with a mental illness has that illness treated as if it's part of her, not her defining characteristic. Her friends deal with her illness in a matter of fact and compassionate manner.

Not-So-Good Things:
Love Triangle. Back and forth, up and down, in and out. Just stop!
Controlling boyfriends.

I grabbed ebooks off of Netgalley while "packing" for an extended time away from home, and NIGHT SCHOOL: GENESIS was one of those titles. I started reading it without any information other than the fact that it was YA.In NIGHT SCHOOL, Allie has been sent to an exclusive boarding school in the middle of nowhere after her third arrest in a year. Her older brother had disappeared to start that difficult year, and Allie's parents are exhausted and don't feel they have any other options,The plot of NIGHT SCHOOL is different enough from the other YA out there to keep me reading. The writing is good, the characters are okay (if a bit stereotypical), and I'm interested to see where the story will go and what will happen to the Allie and the others at Cimmeria Academy.Allie's love interests, Sylvain and Carter, are a little contrived, but speeding through the relationship aspects of the book solved that problem. Allie's friendships with the other girls at the school are interesting, although her relationship with Katie, this book's version of the required (apparently) mean girl, is boring.The reader must also be ready to deal with the fact that every single character in the book is incredibly attractive in some way.All said, I recommend the book to anyone interested in a plot driven YA series. Allie has just enough spunk to keep me interested in her outcome, and I'll be checking out the second in the series when I have a chance.My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Kept waiting for an explanation, but never really got a satisfactory one. Tossing this one into the circular file, in spite of a few redeeming features.

Date of Publication:2012ISBN# 978-0-06-219385-8Price:$17.99Grade Level:J/SNumber of Pages: 424VOYA Rating: 5Q 5PHighly RecommendedThis is the first book of a new series by author C.J. Daugherty. Only the first book is available in the US, while the 4th book will soon be released in England. Allie Sheridan has been arrested one too many times and her parents have decided it would be best to send her away to boarding school. Expecting the worst from Cimmeria Academy, Allie realizes that she sort of likes it, even with its old-fashioned rules. Allie soon finds herself in the middle of all the gossip because of her common non-legacy background and the fact that two of the cutest guys at school have shown an interest in the “new” girl.Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down! I love the setting of the school, the descriptions of the buildings and grounds, the character development and the mystery surrounding the school and Allie. I think the good dialogue and fast paced action really keep the reader hooked. Cimmeria Academy is a great setting for danger, secrets and romance. The relationship between Allie, Carter and Sylvian is complicated and mysterious. The reader will struggle with choosing who they like better - just like Allie does.I really like this book for an IB school in the US because it has those global elements. Readers will enjoy reading about what it might be like to attend a boarding school in England (albeit still fictional). While there are not really any curricular connections, this is a great book for free choice reading or a book club. In the IB world, students could discuss the characters and how the traits of the IB Learner Profile apply to them. Outside of that, this book would be a great addition to any high school library. There are a few swear words, kissing and near date rape, but nothing explicit or objectionable that high school students are not already familiar with. I liked the book so much that I stayed up really late reading it and then after I finished it, I reread some parts. I am definitely looking forward to the next book!

I have found a new favourite author and favourite series. C.J. Daugherty is now on my "must read" list, I'm such a fan.

This is the second book I read by Daugherty, and I love, love, love it. An amazing book to read, I loved everything about it. Yes, it really is that good.

This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

Cover Impressions: I like the colors and the illumination on the path but there isn't anything about this cover that will make it stand out from the other YA mysteries on the shelf.

The Gist: Having been arrested for the third time in a year, Allie's parents decide to send her to Cimmeria Academy. There are, however, a couple of problems. First, Allie has never heard of this school and her parents won't tell her so much as where it is. Second, Cimmeria doesn't actually specialize in troubled youth, they are a school for rich kids, of which Allie is NOT. When the mysteries at the school start to pile up along with the list of the injured, Allie finds herself in a world far more dangerous than the life of alcohol, drugs and crime that she left behind.

Review:

In Night School, Daugherty plays a long game of "I can't tell you" and "Now is not the time" and, even by the end, doesn't really reveal anything about what is going on. This appears to be yet another book in which everything must be kept from the super-special main character in order to keep her safe, except not knowing any of the secrets is the reason that she is constantly putting herself in dangerous situations. I sincerely hope that the series does not continue in the same track. I despise books that dangle the Ihaveasecret carrot and never reveal a thing. If the second book had not already been released, I would be PISSED. As it is, I will be starting the next book, but if they continue to play the withholding game, I will just end up skimming to the end.

In beginning, the main character gives in far too easily. Allie is set up as this bad girl with serious attitude. She rebels against any authority figure and has been arrested several times. But the minute she is taken out of her comfort zone she does everything she can to fit in. When she reaches Cimmeria, she immediately changes the way that she dresses (couldn't she make the uniform her own?) and stops wearing makeup, at several points she actually revels in how much happier she is now that she has assimilated.

Naturally, Night School features they oh-so-overdone typical teenage love triangle. However, I can actually see the appeal of both characters (if you pretend that one particular, almost rape scene didn't exist - Allie appears to, so we might as well *scoff*). There are some swoonworthy make-out scenes but nothing that is too racy for the target audience. The female sidekicks are decently fleshed out and have their own issues to deal with. I liked both Jo and Rachel and enjoyed that there was some addition drama and conflict with them. I am hoping that they get further attention as the series continues.

Oddly, I kept expecting for something supernatural to jump up, but instead there was some strange story about a secret corporation that runs the world. Perhaps this says more about my own reading habits than about the book itself but I found myself putting together small tidbits and theorizing my own supernatural elements (chased by something that growls - Must be a werewolf! Murals depict fight between good and evil - Maybe the Night School kids are actually angels and/or demons! MC keeps spilling secrets to one character - She must have secret powers!). Did anyone else notice this? Or has anyone does this with other books? Basically, I am looking for confirmation that I am not alone in this strange behavior.

Even though Night School had enough of a mystery to keep me reading, I found myself a little disappointed at the end. I was really expecting more of a twist, some kind of revelation that would make me clamor to read the next book. Instead, I am approaching Legacy with trepidation and if the author somehow fenagles her way out of having the mother reveal some of the truth in the beginning of the next novel, I am out!

This novel does include some swearing/mature scenes but not all that frequent and nothing that would prevent me from recommending it to most teenagers.

Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: 13 and up
Gender: Female
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Murder by Knife, Fires, *Almost* Rape scene
Inappropriate Language: Dick, Bastard, Bitch, Asshole
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking