urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:seanan_mcguire The Journal of Seanan McGuire Seanan McGuire 2009-03-23T17:45:46Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:seanan_mcguire:95294 2009-03-23T17:45:46Z 2009-03-23T17:45:46Z Jill Tracy, 'Evil Night Together.' This is not a book review. There may be a book review later, once a) I've finished the book, and b) I've finished being all excited about the book, but right now, this is not a book review. See? It doesn't even have the book review icon. What this <i>is</i> is an excuse to squeal and jump around and clap my hands over <i>Stargazer</i> [<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Evernight-Claudia-Gray/dp/0061284408/&amp;tag=seanacom-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0756405718">Amazon</a>]|[<a href="http://mysteriousgalaxy.booksense.com/NASApp/store/Product?s=showproduct&amp;affiliateId=SMG&amp;isbn=978-0061284403">Mysterious Galaxies</a>], the new book in the epic Evernight Saga from Claudia Gray. (I really like having an excuse to write 'epic saga' in a context that doesn't make me feel all dirty inside.)<br /><br /><i>Stargazer</i> takes us back to Evernight Academy, where Bianca's problems are just beginning. I'm about halfway through the book, which officially hits shelves tomorrow, and I'm ecstatic. It's smart, savvy, well-paced, well-plotted supernatural romance for the teen crowd that's well-written enough to rock my happy adult world, smoking-hot enough to be enthralling, and yet PG-13 enough not to make my fifteen-year-old niece feel uncomfortable if I see her reading it. It is, in short, made of pure awesome.<br /><br />(Look. Fifteen-year-olds are going to read smut. I'm not saying this is good, I'm not saying this is bad, I'm just saying this <i>is</i>. That said, when I was fifteen, I would have been seriously tweaked out if I'd seen my Aunt Jennifer reading the same smut I was reading, or having her see me reading it if I knew she knew that it was smut. Reduce discomfort in the teenagers of the world. Label your plot-to-porn ratio clearly.)<br /><br /><i>Stargazer</i> officially comes out tomorrow. Because The Agent is <i>awesome</i>, she arranged for me to get an early copy, which I am devouring like it were the first pumpkin pie of the Halloween season. I'll doubtless finish it tonight, and do more flailing about how great it is later, after I've had time to let it sink in. For right now:<br /><br />1. <i>Evernight</i> was awesome.<br />2. <i>Stargazer</i> is possibly more awesome.<br />3. Claudia Gray is hence declared to be awesome.<br />4. Support your local vampire academy by buying <i>Stargazer</i>.<br /><br />The Evernight Academy Spirit Squad thanks you, and will reward your loyalty by not eating your cat.