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Night School (Night School #1)

by C.J. Daugherty (Goodreads Author), Ccile Moran (Translator)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 2,011 ratings · 408 reviews

Qui croire quand tout le monde vous ment ?

Tout l'univers d'Allie Sheridan menace de s'effondrer. Elle déteste son lycée. Son grand frère a fugué. Et elle vient de se faire arrêter par la police pour vandalisme. Une fois de plus. C'en est trop pour ses parents qui décident de l'envoyer loin de Londres et de ses mauvaises fréquentations, dans un internat perdu dans la campag...more

Broché, 467 pages

Published 2012 by Robert Laffont

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May 01, 2012 Maja rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: annoying-love-triangle, are-you-kidding-me, contemporary-fiction, creepy-love-triangle, cliffhanger-ending, failed-to-impress, horrible-whiner, huge-disappointment, incredibly-stupid-choices, moments-of-great-frustration, wake-me-up-next-year, what-does-she-see-in-him, ya, reviewed-in-2012

I always enjoy boarding school books (unless they’re contemporary, in which case I tend to run away screaming), and I’d hoped Night School would be a fine addition to the group, or in the best case scenario, that it would stand out in some way. Sadly, it’s not special at all, and it’s not even paranormal like I’d expected. It has the structure and the tropes of a paranormal YA novel, but no paranormal elements whatsoever. Consider yourselves warned.

Allie is a very troubled teen. After her older...more I always enjoy boarding school books (unless they’re contemporary, in which case I tend to run away screaming), and I’d hoped Night School would be a fine addition to the group, or in the best case scenario, that it would stand out in some way. Sadly, it’s not special at all, and it’s not even paranormal like I’d expected. It has the structure and the tropes of a paranormal YA novel, but no paranormal elements whatsoever. Consider yourselves warned.

Allie is a very troubled teen. After her older brother ran away from home, she started acting out and being completely out of control. She even got arrested a couple of times. When she gets herself expelled from yet another school for vandalism, her parents decide to take drastic measures. They send her to Cimmeria School, a very prestigious and very private boarding school located two hours’ drive from London.

Cimmeria is not your ordinary school. Students are all extremely talented and very rich, the program is highly demanding, and they get certain liberties and luxuries they wouldn’t get anywhere else. The school has many rules and failure to follow them always results in dire punishment, but one rule is most important of all: if you’re not invited to join Night School, don’t ask questions about it, don’t try to identify students who are in it and don’t ever, under any circumstances, try to disrupt Night School activities. Allie adapts to her life very easily, but she soon starts investigating odd things that are happening in Cimmeria, with the help of a few friends and her boyfriend.

Technically, Daugherty’s writing has no major flaws. There are no rough transitions, confusing or repetitive sentence structure, no naked dialogue, no telling instead of showing. The problem was entirely in the content.

Cliché after cliché after cliché, that’s what Night School has to offer, with the addition of some very disturbing details. The love triangle takes up a good part of the book, but it’s not just any love triangle: it’s about a difficult choice between the guy who’s been nothing but sweet and supportive and honest and the guy who got Allie drunk and tried to date-rape her on their first (and last) date. (But he is handsome and disgustingly rich and FRENCH!) Wow. How anyone could ever choose between them, I have no idea.

The way Allie changed from very problematic to obedient and hardworking the second she set foot in Cimmeria didn’t sit well with me. It takes a little more than a new school uniform and two gorgeous boys to fix those kinds of problems, and yet, Allie got better overnight. Her character was very inconsistent and it was clear to me that C.J. Daugherty doesn’t know the first thing about issues behind such behavior. It bothered me immensely that she didn’t approach the subject seriously enough.

In my opinion, she also failed to create tension in her story. More time was wasted on the love triangle drama and on the summer ball then on the main story line. Needless to say, when the big revelation came, it was very anticlimactic and it made very little sense. All this led to an unsatisfactory ending that really wasn’t an ending at all. It was almost like someone cut out the last chapter. There was no real climax and nothing was resolved at all.

Some of my friends on GoodReads rated this book very highly and I’m pretty sure it will have many more fans. Maybe I’m just getting tired of reading the same story over and over again.

For more of my reviews, please visit The Nocturnal Library

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Jun 23, 2012 Reynje rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: more-questions-than-answers, no-just-no, read-2012, scoundrels-rakes-and-creeps, unexpectedly-liked, young-adult

I liked Night School. But I say that with a massive caveat. (More on that later.) So, Night School and upcoming Night School sequel: you and your ratings are on probation.

The synopsis is fairly ambiguous as to the genre of the novel. It drops hints about a strange boarding school and a mysterious loner guy, but is evasive on the specifics. Even the cover looks like it would be home among a shelf of paranormal romances. So while I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say this, I’ll put in spoiler tags...more I liked Night School. But I say that with a massive caveat. (More on that later.) So, Night School and upcoming Night School sequel: you and your ratings are on probation.

The synopsis is fairly ambiguous as to the genre of the novel. It drops hints about a strange boarding school and a mysterious loner guy, but is evasive on the specifics. Even the cover looks like it would be home among a shelf of paranormal romances. So while I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say this, I’ll put in spoiler tags all the same: (view spoiler)

If you didn’t click on that spoiler, it’s going to be somewhat difficult to discuss the plot of the novel without giving it away, so bear with me as I attempt to dance around it.

Night School relies heavily on intrigue and suspense. By creating an atmosphere of vague threat and unease, and by alluding to mysterious goings-on all around the central character, Daugherty sets up a fairly compelling premise. It’s hard not to wonder what, exactly, this school is hiding and how Allie has landed in the middle of it. The unsettling vibe of Cimmeria Academy is well done, and the “all is not what it seems” undercurrent is sufficient to keep the initial pages turning.

That said, I’m not entirely sure the tension and mystery is enough to sustain the 451 pages of the book. To be fair, a lot of this time is used to set up character relationships so that they can effectively be broken down and convincingly illustrate Allie’s confusion as to who to trust. Daughtery does a good job of making everyone a suspect. However, that doesn’t change that fact that, well.. not a lot happens. There’s a fair amount of repetition to Allie’s routine (it is boarding school, after all) and the lack of and space between the action scenes compounds the issue of plot drag. I found enough tension to hold my interest, but reader mileage will vary on that front.

At the end, Night School gives some partial answers, but leaves the majority of questions unresolved, while raising even more question marks. The premise is somewhat far-fetched, but it’s one I like, so I’m willing to suspend some belief pending the follow up book.

There’s a slightly detached, cool quality to Daughtery’s writing. Night School is written in third person and I think this works for the story, although the reader is somewhat distanced from Allie. We’re still given insight into her character, while never completely getting inside her head. It’s a plot driven novel, and while Allie undergoes considerable development throughout, the focus is primarily on the secrets she finds herself caught up in. Nevertheless, there’s a toughness to Allie that I liked. She’s a character with assertiveness and drive, and she has agency beyond being buffeted between the brooding gazes of the love interests. (Although, of course, that happens).

Now, on to that caveat: (view spoiler)

Having not realised that Night School was not a standalone, I was pretty irritated to reach the final page only to find out I still had a plethora of questions to answered. However, I do want them answered, so I will pick up the sequel. Additionally, the Doc Martens scene at the end of the book was a nice touch, and the promise of some Allie kick-assery yet to come is a welcome note to conclude on. Fingers crossed she delivers.
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Feb 04, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jessica by: ~Tina~

Shelves: 0-faves, 05-literary-crush-worthy, 24-ebooks

Man, this was A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!

C.J. Daugherty managed to keep me in the dark about what was really going on in Night School until the very end. I had no freakin' clue and I loved that. Daugherty scattered a few hints here and there to make sure you never stayed on the right track. After a while I thought I had the whole thing figured out and was like "Ah well, this is just another one of those boarding school stories about vampires or whatever" but I was wrong. It really isn't. I think it's best t...more

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Apr 01, 2012 fяσzєη rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-ebooks, boooooring, meh-it-was-okay, i-am-disappoint, dont-understand-why-its-hyped, everyone-likes-it-but-me

This review is also available on my blog.

__________________________________

I can't think of a rating for this. Either 3, 3.5, 3.75, I just don't know.

So I decided to get this book because the reviews I've seen gave it the impression that this is a book of pure epicness. I was intrigued and curious, so I was excited when I managed to get my hands on it.

Unfortunately, it kind of let me down.

So this book is about Allie Sheridan who became a rebellious girl after her older brother Christopher ran aw...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Allie is a troublesome teenager.
She has problems to get along with her family and big problems with the police after a formative event.
Afer another incident her parents decide to send Allie to the mysterious Cimmeria Academy. Most of the teens who study and live in the Academy are children of rich people with a big influence in the world so Allie thinks she does not quite fit in.
Although many students treat her with suspicion Allie soon finds friends and falls for the hottest guy of the Academ...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Izzy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wanted-to-like, dirty-love-triangle, thought-it-would-be-better, thought-it-could-be-better, wait-what, inconsistent-protagonist, huh, avg

Awh man. I really wanted to be able to give this book more. Instead I shall tell you why I didn't (and why I gave it what I did of course).

Right, so the blurb and the first chapter of the book give the impression that Allie is somewhat of a troublemaker, what with the arrests and all. Sounds fun, right? We all love a good troublemaker. However, as the book went on I found her character *quite* ~~and by quite I mean really~~ inconsistent. She changed the moment she went to the boarding school to gen...more

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Jan 29, 2012 ~Tina~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, young-adult, favorites, whodunit, read-2012, may, mystery, re-read-2013

Yup, this is definitely a Tina book!!!

Since the Harry Potter days, I've always loved boarding school books. So as soon as I saw this book, I've wanted to read it, I'm not sure why but it sounded like something I'd enjoy and enjoy I did, in fact, it became an instant favorite! Also, the fact that it's set in London and it's British is an extra bonus. I love British books!

Night School has just about everything I love in a good escape. Mystery, intrigue, excitement, driven character and a heart po...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Stacey (prettybooks) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-after-university, read-in-my-twenties, young-adult-fiction

If you, like me, saw the cover of Night School and assumed it was a paranormal romance novel then let me assure you – it’s nothing of the sort!

Allie Sheridan is having a tough time coping with her brother’s disappearance. He was her best friend until one day he just wrote a note and left. When Allie gets arrested, her parents decide that they are unable to deal with her self-destructive behaviour anymore and send her to boarding school – Cimmeria Academy.

Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. I...more If you, like me, saw the cover of Night School and assumed it was a paranormal romance novel then let me assure you – it’s nothing of the sort!

Allie Sheridan is having a tough time coping with her brother’s disappearance. He was her best friend until one day he just wrote a note and left. When Allie gets arrested, her parents decide that they are unable to deal with her self-destructive behaviour anymore and send her to boarding school – Cimmeria Academy.

Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. It is phone, mp3 player and computer-free and the students have to abide by strict rules. Night School is a secret society, whose activities other students are forbidden to know about. When a student is brutally murdered, Allie is determined to find out what the academy is hiding and whether the murder has anything to do with Night School.

Night School starts off typically: Allie begins to settle in, make friends (and enemies), meet boys (Carter vs Sylvain), and get detention. Although this is a fairly normal novel-set-in-a-school storyline, there’s just something about boarding schools that make everything more exciting. Cimmeria Academy is especially intriguing because students are not allowed to leave the grounds unless they have permission to, which is “rarely given”. This means that I ended up knowing my way around the school very well by the end of the book, something that helped me become engaged with the plot.

I was completely sucked in as Allie begins to discover more and more secrets that everyone – the students as well as the teachers – is hiding. C.J. Daugherty does a brilliant job of keeping the truth just out of reach from the reader by offering many different, plausible possibilities. I love books that make me think about where the plot is going even though I never quite get it right. While it’s fun to guess, it’s more fun to be surprised.

Night School is a riveting boarding school mystery. I only had one issue with the book, which was that specific parts of the plot are mentioned, but never properly addressed. This is because it’s the first book of a series, which I already knew, but I prefer it when books read as if they’re a standalone novel, rather than feeling incomplete. Nonetheless, I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about life as a student of Cimmeria Academy.

Thank you Atom for providing this book for review!(less)

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Feb 09, 2013 Nic rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Nic by: Tina

Shelves: from-recs, mystery, read-in-2013, series, young-adult

Night School was recommended to me by my good friend Tina. She told me not read any spoilers, to go in knowing as little as possible and I am so glad I listened to her. Becaused it was so different from what I was expecting but I mean that in a good way. Now I don't want to say anything about what this book was actually about because it is nice to have a book that takes you by surprise. Let just say it was intriguing plot. I loved the mystery too it and how it leaves me with questions that I des...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, for-review, from-publishers, ya-dystopian-scifi-thriller

As soon as I seen the Night School book cover on Goodreads I knew I wanted to read it, I mean just look at it, it’s gorgeous. Not only that but it has a very intriguing blub and so I knew I had to get it. Now let me tell you, after reading it Night School is a mysterious, thrilling and dangerous ride, one that will leave readers guessing to the very end and I loved it!

Allie Sheridan’s life was perfect, well that was until her older brother Christopher disappeared one day leaving only a note to s...more As soon as I seen the Night School book cover on Goodreads I knew I wanted to read it, I mean just look at it, it’s gorgeous. Not only that but it has a very intriguing blub and so I knew I had to get it. Now let me tell you, after reading it Night School is a mysterious, thrilling and dangerous ride, one that will leave readers guessing to the very end and I loved it!

Allie Sheridan’s life was perfect, well that was until her older brother Christopher disappeared one day leaving only a note to saying not to look for him. Not knowing where her brother was had a huge affect on Allie and so she turned from good girl to bad girl and ends up getting herself in trouble with the police several times. However, after the third time Allie’s parents decide to send her to Cimmeria Academy, a legacy school where the best and richest students go to try and sort her out.

During her time at Cimmeria Academy, Allie quickly makes friends and starts to enjoy it there but when strange things start happening she can’t help notice that things aren’t what they seem. Everyone seems to be hiding secrets that involve the Night School students; a group of selected students whose activates aren’t even talked about. But when one of her classmates is murdered at the summer ball and rumours start flying that Allie was involved, she soon becomes determined to find out what’s going on a Cimmeria Academy…..but who can she trust and what secret’s will she reveal?

Night School is the first book in a new and exciting series by author CJ Daughtery and I know this will be a hit amongst the readers. From the very start you’re thrown in a mysterious and dangerous world and it is easy to love it. I admit I did feel the first 100 pages moved pretty slowly but I now realise that this was done so we got to know Allie and got the feel for Cimmeria Academy before the story really kicks off. We get to know a lot of characters, some nice and some not and they all play a key part in the story, especially the Night School students. I have to say trying to figure out what their group was involved with was a complete mystery. I even turned to thinking that maybe this was a paranormal book because I just couldn’t figure it out, but eventually everything was revealed and I thought it was an excellent twist.

One of my favourite things in this book was the characters, they are so loveable. Allie is a fantastic character, she’s smart, she’s funny and she doesn’t let anyone walk all over her. When Katie tries to pick on her she quickly speaks up and doesn’t take any crap. Then there’s Jo, Lucas and Rachel, who are all very loyal friends to Allie and my favourite amongst the three has to be Lucas. Even though he’s involved with the Night School he’s still Allie’s friend even when everyone else turns against her. But then we have Carter. He was one tough guy! He’s so moody and broody to start with that you can’t help love him and it was pretty obvious that he liked Allie. He and Allie have a few touching scenes together and you truly see their romance develop. It’s actually really sweet and I loved how he was will to do whatever to help Allie. It’s safe to say I can’t wait to see what comes next with them. One character I really didn’t like was Sylvain, he was creepy and sleazy and if I was Allie, I wouldn’t have forgiven him but she did.

Overall, CJ Daugherty has done a great job with Night School and if you’re looking for something new, exciting and fresh, then this is the book for you. I can’t wait for the next instalment and I’m praying it comes soon.

Thank you to Atom for giving me the opportunity to review this book.(less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Kelly-Jane marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-or-title-lust, i-m-so-conflicted

Seen mixed reviews for this one. Imma give it a go based on the glowing reviews by a couple of friends, but honestly, I'm nervous.

The synopsis sounds great until you get to the OH LOOK A SECRETIVE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO DO SHIT AT NIGHT and then I start thinking Darke Academy (Goodreads is apparently not letting me tag books today) which I HATED and I start panicking about this book and I NEED REASSURANCE.

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Mar 16, 2012 Obsessed with Cameron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Review:
Okay, so this book has definitely pushed itself on my favorite bookshelf. It just you know hypnotizes you because it is the best book so far. When you read the title "Night School", it strikes you as something that has to do with the Night creatures. So I can't help myself but tell you that it is way more creative. Throughout the entire book, you scream "It must be vampires, it must be vampires!" But it is not, it is way better.

This book is so smashing that I don't think I have the...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Shirley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-releases, own, favourites, read-in-2012, i-want-these-smexii-boys

This is yet another book I put off reading, because well...let's just say there's something seriously wrong with me :S I absolutely ADORED this book! It was dark, secretive and plain EPIC!

Both the main and secondary characters managed to leave a lasting impression on me- I was surprised at how much I loved each and every character in the book! You'll be swooning over the two main male leads; Sylvain (who's FRENCH by the way) and the famous lady-killer bad boy, Carter West. While these two were p...more This is yet another book I put off reading, because well...let's just say there's something seriously wrong with me :S I absolutely ADORED this book! It was dark, secretive and plain EPIC!

Both the main and secondary characters managed to leave a lasting impression on me- I was surprised at how much I loved each and every character in the book! You'll be swooning over the two main male leads; Sylvain (who's FRENCH by the way) and the famous lady-killer bad boy, Carter West. While these two were potential love interests for our kickass protagonist, Allie, let me assure you; this ISN'T one of those cliched love triangles!

It was such a pleasure to experience Allie's adventures in her new school Crimmia; she was one of those characters that was easy to relate to and I pretty much knew I would like her the moment I met her. Having been arrested three times in a year, she probably wouldn't make it onto my "top-10-people-I'd-love-to-hang-out-with-list",but after getting to know her, I think I'm more than happy to announce her as my new BFF:)

One of the things I particularly loved about Night School was the unpredictable mystery seeping through each page. From the very start, it was obvious that something wasn't quite right with the school; but I had no idea what was wrong exactly. Throughout the entire book, I never knew who could be trusted; Cimmeria Academy is a school clouded by lies and it was literally impossible to discern who was actually being genuinely helpful or pretending to, with some ulterior motive. Half the time I was stumbling along blindly,and then thinking "YES! I can trust this person," only to be left speechless after discovering the shocking truth. I was left guessing until the very end about who was trustworthy or not!

The only thing I wasn't quite content with was the lack of explanation about all the strange things happening at the school. I was expecting a detailed explanation about "Night School",but only got a brief outline. I'm certainly expecting A LOT of explanation in the next book! But other than that, I completely fell in love with Night School <3 It's chilling, adventurous and full of dangerous lies that will literally make your head spin from trying to unravel the mystery! Plus, there's two sexy guys, anyone would die for :) What's not to love? :)(less)

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Mar 07, 2012 Mitchii rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, urban-fantasy, fantasy, romance, mystery-suspense, 2012-reads, paranormal

2.5/5

Initially, I added this book because of the cover. I mean, look at it. Gorgeous isn’t it? But it was my sister who noticed that the book’s premise resembled ヴァンパイア騎士 (Vampire Knight). Just in case you’re not familiar with VK, like this one, the setting is also in a boarding school, with uniforms (needless to say, I’m completely in love with VK’s uniforms) with vampires? with prefects and night class, plus a whole lot of mysteries you want to unravel. Oh, wait! I think Night School has tha...more 2.5/5

Initially, I added this book because of the cover. I mean, look at it. Gorgeous isn’t it? But it was my sister who noticed that the book’s premise resembled ヴァンパイア騎士 (Vampire Knight). Just in case you’re not familiar with VK, like this one, the setting is also in a boarding school, with uniforms (needless to say, I’m completely in love with VK’s uniforms) with vampires? with prefects and night class, plus a whole lot of mysteries you want to unravel. Oh, wait! I think Night School has that too. I’m not too sure about the vampires in Night School though.

This book offers nothing new (that’s just me). Not only did I find it similar to Vampire Knight, it also sort of reminded me of Gabriella Poole’s Darke Academy series. But I’m not implying that this is completely unoriginal or something. It’s just that the elements I found in those titles were also present here. I’m not gonna say it was entirely predictable either. It also has moments that were totally on its own, though it didn’t completely compel me as a reader.

I also was unable to connect with the characters. Allie, Carter, Sylvain and the others were bit flat. No one stands out (not even Carter, who I find really interesting at first but lost that impression). They weren’t that infuriating or super bland (not really that extreme but almost). They were just… that. There’s also a romance here, a love triangle if I'm not mistaken. But I wasn’t fascinated enough to dwell on it. I really don’t mind if there weren’t any to be perfectly honest. In addition, the pacing was really slow. It took a while before something really happened. But even those did not excite me. Instead it left me hanging. I turned page after page to find out more. But up until the last page I didn’t get any.

The only reason I finish it is because I wanted to know more—more about this Cimmeria Academy. About Allie. What’s the real deal with her? What the hell is this legacy thing? And the Night School. Yep, a lot of questions and the book answered it in a very vague way (and for some there are no answers yet). Even after I’m done I’m still clueless. I bet this book isn’t a stand alone (because the ending is the most open ended in the history of open ended endings). It needs a sequel (although admittedly I’m not that excited to read it). There are far too many questions that need answers. While I would love to say I’m hoping for a sequel but I’m too disappointed to hope.

It was so-so book for me.
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Mar 10, 2013 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, the-best

There are many novels these days that are unoriginal and (for me) boring. Specially YA novels. Some people like them but some (like me) really don't.
I was actually very happy that Night School isn't one of those novels. The story is original and packet with mystery, romance and other things I love reading about.
Most of the book I was just waiting and thinking about what will happen next. It was really intense at some parts, but I have to say I somehow guessed who the murderer was (not giving awa...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Isamlq rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sixty four percent in four days does not a good sign make. I just couldn’t get into it; but, the Lord be thanked, for if not by the powers of skimming then I doubt I’d have managed to get through to the end.

Should I say that it’s the same old, same old?
Should I say that the boys are ridiculously controlling in this one?
Should I repeat the fact that, yet gain, there be two boys in this one; both of whom are into the same girl who thinks herself, yet again, as not that much to begin with?
Should...more Sixty four percent in four days does not a good sign make. I just couldn’t get into it; but, the Lord be thanked, for if not by the powers of skimming then I doubt I’d have managed to get through to the end.

Should I say that it’s the same old, same old?
Should I say that the boys are ridiculously controlling in this one?
Should I repeat the fact that, yet gain, there be two boys in this one; both of whom are into the same girl who thinks herself, yet again, as not that much to begin with?
Should I say that it took forever for things to kick into gear? (I mean sixty four percent, people!)

I guess, I sort of just did.

All those moments of ‘someone watching me,’ ‘someone knows something I don’t know’ had me coming up with all sorts of scenarios… but the one the book actually had was not too bad, just not as specific as I’d have liked it to be. That was the point though, for the school, the circumstances to be cloaked in mystery. My problem is not that much is resolved in the end. Sure, she knows a little more about how things work. Sure, she knows a little more of who she is. Sure, she’s found out the hard way that some people are to be trusted and others not… it’s just that I felt like the numerous stories going on didn’t quite get tied together in the end:

Consider the separate story of Boy #1, why was he the way he was. Or Consider Jo, BFF/fragile girl... what was her deal? And would it be that easy to resolve what had taken place? Or consider Ruth? Whaaa? Why? Who? And Christopher. I know you’re in this is for some reason; I just can’t quite put you where you belong… because there were missing pieces here.

I like the idea of girl-criminal sent to reformatory. There’s not much of that here though. In this, one gets the usual dose of girl meets boy then meets another boy. Here there be romance. Here there be friendships of the wacky sort, put to test by even wackier scenarios. Here be a mystery of what her school is and what role she’s to play in it. Of course, throw in some murder, some mayhem, and even a couple of stalky moments…

2/5

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Apr 16, 2012 Experiment BL626 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, thriller, reviewed

Night School is the name of 110,400-ish worded novel and of a class at Cimmeria Academy exclusively for legacy student. Night School is a special class for special legacy students — basically it's 'how can we be more elitist' in action.

The kicker is that we never know why Night School is special, just that it is. Students are expelled if they "attempt to interfere with or observe Night School." Students are punished if they attempt to find out the identities of those involved in Night School. T...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Seit dem Verschwinden von ihrem Bruder, rebelliert Allie wo sie nur kann. Immer häufiger stößt sie dabei mit dem Gesetz und der Polizei zusammen bis ihre Eltern sich dazu entschließen sie auf ein Internat zu schicken - Das Cimmeria Internat.

Allie muss ihr Leben vollkommen umstellen, nicht nur was ihr Lernpensum angeht. Bald wird jedoch klar, dass das Internat anders ist. Etwas seltsames geht vor sich, etwas das mit der Night School zutun hat. Einem geheimen Club der Schule. Aber auch die Schüler...more Seit dem Verschwinden von ihrem Bruder, rebelliert Allie wo sie nur kann. Immer häufiger stößt sie dabei mit dem Gesetz und der Polizei zusammen bis ihre Eltern sich dazu entschließen sie auf ein Internat zu schicken - Das Cimmeria Internat.

Allie muss ihr Leben vollkommen umstellen, nicht nur was ihr Lernpensum angeht. Bald wird jedoch klar, dass das Internat anders ist. Etwas seltsames geht vor sich, etwas das mit der Night School zutun hat. Einem geheimen Club der Schule. Aber auch die Schüler sind alle keine normalen Schüler. Allie versucht das Geheimnis ans Licht zubringen und merkt zu spät, dass sie dabei in größter Gefahr ist.

Dieses Buch hat mich wahrlich überrascht. Unter all den Büchern mit Vampiren, Engel und anderen übersinnlichen Wesen, sticht "Night School" eindeutig heraus und überzeugt eben durch keinen einzigen Hauch von Übersinnlichem. Hat es auch gar nicht nötig.

Eben das dieses Buch so vollkommen ohne auskommt, macht es zu etwas wirklich Besonderem. Die Geschichte hat trotzdem etwas Mystisches und Geheimnisvolles, was sich über das ganze Buch wie ein roter Faden hindurch zieht. Von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite steigt die Spannung immer weiter und es entsteht ein Sog, den man sich einfach nicht entziehen kann.

Auch die vielen Charaktere waren alle mehr als überzeugend und steckten voller Überraschungen. Die Autorin hat es geschafft mit Wendungen im Verlauf der Geschichte meine Neugierde nie versiegen zu lassen. Der Schreibstil von C.J. Daugherty hat die ganze Sache dann noch wunderbar abgerundet.

Es gibt nur einen einzigen kleinen Punkt, der mich etwas gestört hat. Im Verlauf der Geschichte sind Fragen aufgekommen, die nicht wirklich beantwortet wurden. Einiges kann man sich zusammen reimen, vieles aber nicht. Im Großen und Ganzen stört dies nicht wirklich, sondern facht die Lust auf den Folgeband eher mehr an. Ist, wie so vieles, Geschmackssache.

Zum Schluss hat die Autorin es dann nochmals geschafft mich mit der Auflösung zu überraschen. Ich war mehr als zufrieden und konnte mit einem guten Gefühl das Buch zu klappen.
Dazu ist das Ende ein abgeschlossenen, zumindest was den ersten Teil angeht. Aber der Leser weiß, dass die Geschichte um Allie und die Night School noch lange nicht erzählt worden ist, sondern erst gerade angefangen hat. Lassen wir uns überraschen!

Fazit:

Ein interessanter und unterhaltsamer Auftakt einer Reihe, der eindeutig Lust auf mehr macht. Ich hatte ein paar spannende Lesestunden und kann "Night School" ruhigen Gewissens weiter empfehlen.

Der zweite Band "Night School - Der den Zweifel sät" erscheint bereits im Februar 2013.
(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Salima Korri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, i-own-this-physical, signed-copies, best-of-2012

Now a days, It's really rare to find books about boarding schools especially that the Enid Blyton and Harry Potter era have come and gone and the Dystopian reads are increasingly climbing up the ladder to popularity. I have only read two types of boarding school books and they were The Naughtiest Girl in the School series by Enid Blyton and the Dead Beautiful Trilogy by Yvonne Woon and they both write about boarding schools in completely different ways.

I know that Enid Blyton wrote her boarding...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Elefill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Allie se ha vuelto a meter en problemas; le han vuelto a detener, esta vez por allanar el instituto. El director del mismo ha pedido con mucha educación que Allie se busque otro centro y sus padres ya no saben que hacer. Desde que su hermano Christopher desapareció, Allie ha ido de mal en peor, cada vez saca peores notas, se junta con quien no debe y pasa de obedecer a sus padres. Sin embargo su ultimo arresto ha sido la gota que colma el vaso y sus padres han tomado la decisión de enviarle a un...more Allie se ha vuelto a meter en problemas; le han vuelto a detener, esta vez por allanar el instituto. El director del mismo ha pedido con mucha educación que Allie se busque otro centro y sus padres ya no saben que hacer. Desde que su hermano Christopher desapareció, Allie ha ido de mal en peor, cada vez saca peores notas, se junta con quien no debe y pasa de obedecer a sus padres. Sin embargo su ultimo arresto ha sido la gota que colma el vaso y sus padres han tomado la decisión de enviarle a un internado, Cimmeria. Un lugar del que nunca ha oído hablar.

Allie no sabe que pensar, sus padres le acaban de dejar, casi a a las puertas de las vacaciones, en un centro que se encuentra en ninguna parte, donde no se permite la tecnología (ni móvil, ni portátiles, ni mp3) y lo que esta mas claro, en donde ella no encaja.

Sin embargo y a pesar de que realmente no parece ser su mundo (chicos de buena familia y bastante inteligentes), al poco tiempo Allie consigue hacer amigos, e incluso parece haber captado la atención del chico mas deseado del internado, Sylvain, y también la de Carter, aunque en este caso no parece que sea para bien.

Poco a poco empieza a integrarse y de alguna manera Allie vuelve a ser feliz, algo que no creía que fuera posible. Sin embargo hay algo que enturbia esa felicidad, algunos chicos de las escuela, incluidos algunos de sus amigos, se encuentran en la Night School, una especie de club secreto a la que solo tienen acceso los profesores y algunos alumnos privilegiados, en las que las actividades que realizan son bastante sospechosas y también peligrosas.

Cuando empiezan a ocurrir cosas extrañas en el internado, Allie intentara averiguar que esta ocurriendo, aunque tanto su vida social como física, corra peligro, y sobre todo que relación puede tener ella para poder estar en Cimmeria.

La novela nos cuenta una historia un tanto enrevesada, en la que no falta romance, acción y sobre todo, mucho misterio. Aunque el principio del libro es un poco lento y cuesta despegar, a las pocas paginas te sumerges completamente en la historia y cuesta despegarse, ya que cuenta con un estupendo ritmo y una ambientación muy detallada.

Eso si, a parte de que hay algunas cosas un poco obvias, se echa en falta un poco mas de acción, quizás por que al ser un primer libro (y mas introductorio), se centra un poco mas en el triángulo amoroso entre Allie,Sylvain y Carter, aunque sea un triángulo muy bien llevado.

Un libro muy bueno, en la que la autora ha sabido relatarnos una historia en la que nada y nadie es lo que parece, y dejandonos en vilo. Ha sido un buen comienzo en una trilogía que espero nos desvele mas misterios. (less)

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Jul 11, 2012 7hir7een rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to 7hir7een by: Everlasting Young Adult Books

Shelves: read-in-2012, series-started, botm, contemporary, stars-4

I went into this book knowing nothing about it other than the summary. One of my groups on Goodreads selected it for a monthly read, and I thought it sounded like it could be very interesting. Then I found out it hadn’t been published in the United States yet. Not to be deterred, I attained a copy. Thanks goodness for the internet making the world smaller!

Although it is tagged as such on some sites, this is not a paranormal romance. I could see how people would get confused. It has a pretty cove...more I went into this book knowing nothing about it other than the summary. One of my groups on Goodreads selected it for a monthly read, and I thought it sounded like it could be very interesting. Then I found out it hadn’t been published in the United States yet. Not to be deterred, I attained a copy. Thanks goodness for the internet making the world smaller!

Although it is tagged as such on some sites, this is not a paranormal romance. I could see how people would get confused. It has a pretty cover typical of young adult paranormal romances, and the summary makes it sound plausible. As I was reading, it still seemed possible. I kept thinking, “the secret is that they’re werewolves! That guy’s totally a wolf!” But alas, I was incorrect. There are no werewolves, or any other supernatural creatures in this novel.

However, that did not detract from my enjoyment of the novel. It is an enjoyable mystery that reads like a movie. I know I, myself, have watched at least two movies within the last several years that feature a teen girl that gets sent to a crazy boarding school, forced to give up her home, friends, and life as she knows it. At the outset of Night School, protagonist Allie Sheridan gets arrested again, and her parents send her off to a boarding school in the middle of nowhere called Cimmeria Academy. First there are the strange rules (strict regimens and no technology allowed), then the strange things start happening. When a girl dies violently the summer ball, it suddenly becomes all too real for Allie. Can she figure out what is going on at Cimmeria Academy, and why she is there, before it’s too late?

Night School has a heaping dose of drama, intrigue, romance, and mystery. I found it to be extremely enjoyable. It’s a good choice if you’re looking for something a little different than the young adult paranormal romance or dystopian fiction that pervade the bookshelves today, but still want a great read. Get it as soon as it releases, or pick up a copy originating from good ‘ol England like I did!(less)

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Feb 02, 2013 Kirsty (overflowing library) added it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books, signed, uk-author

Night school is one of those books I wanted from day one just because of the cover. Turns out the bit inside is pretty awesome too.

Night School revolves around the story of Allie. She's been bad ever since the incident with her brother acting out in anyway she can. Her parent's have finally had enough and shipped her off to boarding school. This boarding school isn't like the ones you hear about. It is super strict, yet the staff go by their first names. It runs in the summer and has more secret...more Night school is one of those books I wanted from day one just because of the cover. Turns out the bit inside is pretty awesome too.

Night School revolves around the story of Allie. She's been bad ever since the incident with her brother acting out in anyway she can. Her parent's have finally had enough and shipped her off to boarding school. This boarding school isn't like the ones you hear about. It is super strict, yet the staff go by their first names. It runs in the summer and has more secrets than you can shake a stick at. Allie starts out determined to hate it but actually she starts to find that things aren't all that bad and that she actually is quite liking the change.

The thing that got me the most with this book is that you spend a lot of time knowing that something is going on but not being completely quite sure about what that something might be. All you know is that someone isn't quite telling you truth which means you are never sure who to trust all the way through the book. I'm not going to tell you what's going on (even if I could I'm not fully sure myself yet) but I was so pleased to see this wasn't yet another vampire book which I think readers could assume it might be from the title

Apart from Allie, who I loved as a character, I think I loved Carter the most as a character. He is so mysterious in the way he treats Allie at first but also a bit of a hero at the same time. I can't wait to see more him in the future.

When events and revelations kicked off boy did they kick off. The actions scenes were pacey with lts of things happening in a bit of a whirlwind leaving you a bit breathless at times. The scenes at the summer ball were really surprising (I would have never guessed how events unfolded) and so many story arcs have been opened up. I was left at the end with the feeling that not many of my questions had been answered but also the need to know even more. I certainly hope book 2 starts to answer some of the questions for me.

All in all a brilliantly enjoyable read. I shall look forward to book 2 eagerly

conclusion(less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Eirini Nikolaou rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was awesome! Kept me on edge the whole time, was fun and unpredictable and it was just what I needed!!! Thank you C.J.Daugherty's husband for daring her into writing this!

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May 21, 2012 Jen Minkman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a gripping read. I bought it in the UK on Thursday and am almost finished with it now! If you like mystery and intrigue at a British boarding school, this is your book. I personally thought Allie falling for much-too-slick-for-his-own-good Sylvain was a bit unrealistic, but other than that, no complaints. Don't skip this one if you like romance with a paranormal twist :)

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Dec 03, 2012 Irina rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, short-story, won-t-be-finishing-trilogy-or-serie

Non ho capito il senso di questo coso. Mi rifiuto di chiamarlo prequel.
Dovrebbe farti venir voglia di leggere il libro?! No, grazie.

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May 17, 2013 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, ya

http://allodoxophobia.wordpress.com/2...

Thanks for Netgalley and HarperTeen for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A school set in a boarding school with secrets galore AND hot boys? This book had my name all over it and as soon as I heard about it on Epic Reads’ Tea Time, I added it to my to-read list. Allie moves to Cimmeria Academy after several brushes with the law, when her parents are seemingly at the end of their rope with her. Almost immediately she re...more http://allodoxophobia.wordpress.com/2...

Thanks for Netgalley and HarperTeen for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A school set in a boarding school with secrets galore AND hot boys? This book had my name all over it and as soon as I heard about it on Epic Reads’ Tea Time, I added it to my to-read list. Allie moves to Cimmeria Academy after several brushes with the law, when her parents are seemingly at the end of their rope with her. Almost immediately she realizes all is not what it seems and she sets out to discover the truth, while trying to make friends, navigate her love life, and keep herself safe.

For someone who has a criminal record, Allie isn’t all hardened and jaded. Her past behavior stemmed from a family tragedy and she continues to process that during her time at Cimmeria. She navigates the social hierarchy, which includes getting attention from Sylvain, the hottest eligible bachelor and Carter, resident badboy. I am firmly Team Carter, flaws and all. Allie struggles with who to trust, not only because of her sketchy past but also because the school’s mysteries start to show themselves and she has no idea who is on her side.

Daugherty does a masterful job of building suspense and keeping the reader guessing. I literally had no idea what the big reveal was going to be until I read it and it wasn’t any of the ideas I had swirling around in my head. The explanation of what exactly is going on at Cimmeria was only partially explained – but have no fear, there are 2 more books! Daugherty gave us just enough that I was sated, but left enough out that I will totally keep reading. I liked Allie a lot, she has some definite kick-ass potential. Carter, as mentioned above, was a fine swoony boy love interest, and many of the secondary characters were really fascinating, especially Isabelle, the headmistress. I don’t feel I can discuss anything more because I don’t want to ruin the surprise and truly, as I pointed out earlier, the suspense of why there are bumps in the night at Cimmeria is one of the biggest strengths of this book.

If you like boarding school settings or books with mysterious elements, this is definitely worth a try.(less)

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Apr 27, 2013 Xx rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first read the synopsis of this book I was instantly intrigued. Just the title of the book "Night School" made me make the obvious conclusion on what this book was about, and if you did the same, be sure to read it and see if your "theory" was correct, its not as obvious at it comes across.

So throught the book, after every page, I kept thinking to myself...what is this big secret? What's going on this ~weird school? I loved the suspense and semi the plot twists...basically what kept me r...more When I first read the synopsis of this book I was instantly intrigued. Just the title of the book "Night School" made me make the obvious conclusion on what this book was about, and if you did the same, be sure to read it and see if your "theory" was correct, its not as obvious at it comes across.

So throught the book, after every page, I kept thinking to myself...what is this big secret? What's going on this ~weird school? I loved the suspense and semi the plot twists...basically what kept me reading was finding out the truth about this Academy. I was NOT interested in the Allies love interests..either of them. They were both just boring to me, not swoon worthy in any way. I thought the lack of description kind of added to that, especially physically, you didnt get a lot other than "dark eyes, dark hair" etc it was all very generic. The date-rape scene was just...god, the way she acted afterwards...what an idiot. I mean she didnt even properly tell him off, or made him feel like shit for it, or idk, slapped him or done SOMETHING dramatic! He basically forced himself on her and she didnt even react other than *moan* "You're hurting me"..2 days later "we're done*, five days later the french guy whose name I cannot spell says "i'm sorry" and she's like "lol its ok"

Mind me, this not the way they said it but it was the way it came across to me, just very dumb all around. And the fact that he still makes her feel creeped out yet he is somehow still a part of this stupid love triangle? Get rid of him! He's such a useless character. Carter is alright, I dont really have any opinions on him mostly because I dont think the author did a very good job of describing and introducing him to the readers other than "he sleeps with lots of girls" and is "sarcastic" has dark hair + dark eyes etc...what are we even supposed to do with that?

Yeah so this is turning into a rant..that clearly has more negative than postive aspetcs to it but I really do think the 4 stars is deserved because I was only here to find out about the school and what really happened to her brother. That is pretty much the only reason I will be reading the next book. (less)

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Apr 22, 2013 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was lucky enough to win a copy of this in the Goodreads giveaway so I am happy to write a review about my prize. Spoiler Alert*

I didn't know what to expect when I first started reading the book as the description does not give much away. Based on the cover of the book, the title and the promise of a character uncovering secrets I had guessed something to do with vampires ir another supernatural entity. There was none. The title "Night school" in fact refers to a group of elite students chosen...more I was lucky enough to win a copy of this in the Goodreads giveaway so I am happy to write a review about my prize. Spoiler Alert*

I didn't know what to expect when I first started reading the book as the description does not give much away. Based on the cover of the book, the title and the promise of a character uncovering secrets I had guessed something to do with vampires ir another supernatural entity. There was none. The title "Night school" in fact refers to a group of elite students chosen to be trained and educated and eventually move up to high places in society.

While I'm not the biggest fan of reading about the supernatural, I was disappointed. I understand that the 'is it or isn't it[supernatural]?" vibe is what the author was going for but I feel it took way too long to finally address the question and afterwards the explanations were somewhat rushed.

The character of Allie was alright. I liked her, though I found some inconsistencies in her character at some parts. An aspect that bothered me is how she went from being this tough rebel who had been arrested three times in one year to a rule-abiding, scholar student the minute she stepped foot in Cimmeria. It just didn't sit right with me that she would change her attitude and mind that fast just by being put into a new place.

Knowing this is part of a series, I understand that some questions would be left unanswered but I didn't like that almost all my questions were left unanswered. I wish we were able to understand what happened to Christopher more; like how he ended up with Nathaniel and where he has been all along. Also, what exactly happened with Sylvain the night of the fire.

In general, the writing style and technique of Daugherty was decent enough; the only major problem I had was with the content. It was a really fast read, I got through it in about two days and while it is not anywhere close to being a favourite, I found myself continuously wanting to read it. The author does a great job of keeping the mystery alive and intriguing the reader.

Because of all my answered questions, I probably will read the next book in the series: its a curse of mine to want to know the whole story.(less)

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Apr 20, 2013 Bobbie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ukya, ya

Night School was a real breath of fresh air. Just to read a book that's based in a school, that's British! The wonderful familiarity of the language and terminology, and just the way the kids act - I've gotten so used to reading US-based books that I didn't realise how different they are until I read a Brit book again. There's an entirely different feel to it, made up of all the little ways in which life, customs, language and sense of humour differ between the two countries.

Daugherty's settings...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Catalina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

That was... Wow
I definately loved this book, so I think I'm a little bit different to almost everyone in this group, but, really, it was awesome.
I loved the fact that you never know what is actually going on in this school, like, you have that doubt from the begining to the very end. And not to metion that Allie is my reflection, I feel liker her almost everyday and it's SO good to know that you're not the only one that is going through those things. The love triangle was absolutely awesome, lik...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Book Boyfriends: Carter West	1	6	May 06, 2013 06:26am
Sylvain vs Carter	21	55	Apr 26, 2013 12:03pm
Wait, isn't this Vampire Knight?	4	53	Mar 21, 2013 04:21am
do you think night school and night school legacy should be made into a movie?!	1	1	Mar 20, 2013 09:45pm
Recap this book for me?	1	14	Jan 26, 2013 06:06am
E.Y.A.B.: Night School	18	31	Mar 05, 2012 06:52am

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About C.J. Daugherty

Before giving fiction a shot, CJ had already written a number of books about travel for publishers including Frommers and Time Out, worked as a journalist for Reuters, and as a crime and investigative reporter for newspapers in the US.

Over the years she's also been a hostess at a Cajun restaurant, a researcher for a university, a receptionist for an oil company, a ham seller at a Honey Baked Ham s...more

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Um der Hoffnung Willen (Night School, #4)

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Trivia About Night School

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Quotes from Night School

“What should I say? ‘Well, the murder was a little upsetting, and the fire did worry me a bit. I was nearly date-raped and my ex best friend is crazy. But, hey, at least I’m making an A in History’?” — 38 people liked it

“Fine. You stay here. I shall return when I’ve found food. But when you all faint from hunger later don’t think you can just feed on me.” — 25 people liked it

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