Title: Stargazer (Evernight, Book 2)
Author: Claudia Gray
Published: Harper Teen, 2009


Bianca, partial-human daughter to two vampires, is going through some changes, and they aren’t just your average teen hormonal changes. Bianca is slowly changing into a vampire. Suddenly crossing rivers bothers her, she needs blood several times a day, and her reflexes are even faster than before. The changes are scaring her. She isn’t sure she wants to be a vampire and wonders if she can just stay as she currently is and never make the full change. To make matters worse, her love life is in a serious slump. Her boyfriend, well sort-of boyfriend, Lucas, has been banned from campus. After the headmistress discovered that he was part of Black Cross, a society of vampire hunters, he became persona non-grata at Evernight Academy.

Trying to deal with the loss of Lucas in her life, the changes she’s going through, and the pressure of her parents to make the change to a full-fledged vampire, Bianca is stressed to the max. Add to that a few wraiths giving her cryptic messages and a rather hunky vampire named Balthazar and welcome to her world of confusion.

Overall, it was even better than Evernight, and I didn’t think that was possible. While there was still the emotional relationship between Bianca and Lucas, we got to see quite a bit more of Balthazar. I found myself wondering where his story was going to next by the end of the book. I can understand the feelings Bianca has for Lucas, but part of me wishes that she would give Balthazar a chance; a real chance. With her slowly turning into a vampire, it makes more sense for her to be with someone like Balthazar than with a vampire hunter.
Unless something drastic happens with Black Cross, the relationship between Lucas and Bianca appears to be doomed. (cue the Romeo and Juliet music) … It will be interesting to see how, or if, Bianca gets her happily-ever-after. Hopefully this tale of star-crossed lovers won’t end as tragically as William Shakespeare’s did.

I give this book a 5 star rating as it constantly kept me guessing as to what would happen next. The ending was truly a surprise and left me hanging, wondering where the tale is going next. If the third book in the series would have been out, I probably would have run to the bookstore at 11:00pm to grab it.

If you enjoy paranormal YA series, then you should definitely give this one a try.