Evernight by Claudia Gray (
ISFDB,
Wikipedia) is the 1st novel in her Evernight series of YA paranormal boarding school fantasy with strong f/m romantic elements, set at the eponymous exclusive spooky Gothic academy, this installment setting up the heroine of the series as a new student, who discovers that she has a secret destiny which she tries to escape with the help of the obligatory love interest, free for a limited time courtesy of publisher HarperCollins's HarperTeen imprint.
This is B&N's Free Fridays selection for the weekend, though not exclusive to them, although it does seem to be US-only (different imprint in the UK).
Currently free @
B&N,
Amazon &
Kobo &
iTunes (none available to Canadians). Probably also free @
Google Play &
eBooks.com for the US.
Description
Bianca wants to escape.
She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.
Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him.
"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."
But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.