Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Title: Hourglass
Author: Claudia Gray
Release Date: March 9th, 2010
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 339
Format: NookBook
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: Evernight & Stargazer
Age Group: Young Adult

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at its hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option. Soon Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can't escape her destiny. Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything...but can it survive what's to come?

Never in a million years did I imagine the way this book had turned out. At first I had imagined that Gray would keep the reader in heavy suspense: Will Lucas and Bianca finally be happy and together? What's going to happen with Bianca surrounded by all the Black Cross? Who will target them next? And on and on it went, and for the most part, it was pretty slow.

I have no idea why this book series went from a spiral of drama all over to things, in a way, settling down. If anything I would have to label this book a "bridger" if not for the way things ended up. Really, I just felt, at first, the author was trying to write this book in order to connect it to the final book, but that did not turn out to be the case.

Bianca, I really liked her before, but now I felt she depended on Lucas a little too much, and he was making it easier by letting her lean on him, which was cute, but annoying. I mean, I get that they are in love and that it's not just a typical teen romance - remember the fangs - but I just didn't like how Bianca couldn't take care of herself. In a lot of ways I knew they were running out of options and fast, but I still think it would have been wiser if both of them swallowed their pride and between the two evils in their lives - or three if you count Black Cross - I'd say, go with the lesser, and they knew what that was. I didn't like the way things ended for Bianca, it could have been one hundred percent preventable, but again, pride.

I didn't give this book I five because it came up short to it's predecessors, again my big thing was with Bianca and how she went from becoming, what I thought, would be a independent woman to someone who needs to cling to a guy to keep afloat.

I really hope the next book gives me back the hope I have for this series, because I really did enjoy it a lot!

But, it wasn't a complete let down. Gray kept the image of our familiar character's alive for her readers, and even added spark to some of them. And I hope this stays with the characters for the next book. And just like the two before it was a quick and easy read. If you can make it up to book two, don't stop there. This book series is still clinging onto some life. Also, I don't know if this is possible but all the Lucas fans out there will love him even more in this book! He is the perfect image of the best boyfriend in the world, in my opinion anyways.

Romantic, funny, and hauntingly beautiful, Hourglass takes the characters onto the next, more dangerous phase, in their life, where love will have to prove to triumph over everything.