Krishna
I don’t have much of a preamble for this one. Let us go straight to the story.
Mark and Allie spray paint the headmaster’s room but is caught by security. Allie is claustrophobic and troubled and has been shunted to a night school by her parents. Her life is over because she cannot screw up, wait for things to blow over and carry on like normal. What the hell is the matter with her parents?
You get the drift. This is another story written for high school girls who want to read light stuff about their own stuff.
She goes to school and is disarmed by the charm of the headmistress. She is greeted by a student who shows her around. In the night, did she hear movements on the roof? She reads the rules and finds out that elite kids are chosen for Night School and that everyone else should avoid seeing them and stay indoors.
She realizes the West, a student that she distrusts is much into her. She gets detention, coming late for a second time in her first week and being chastised by her care teacher.
Before detention, her friend and Jo go to a secluded spot where they are rescued from attack by Gabe, Jo’s boyfriend and a boy Silvain who fancies her. West tries to warn her off them but that puts Allie’s back up. The headmistress seems to show sympathy and calls her into her room to offer whatever help she needs, which surprises Allie.
Sylvain likes her but there are conspiracies. Once Carter, Sylvain and Gabe all get wounded. When Carter warns her to be careful, Allie decides to keep that a secret.
Jo suddenly goes crazy and takes her to an abandoned cathedral in the middle of the forest and it is nearly dark before Carter finds them and wants to take them back to school safely. Jo runs ahead, recklessly it would seem.
When they go skinny dipping (against school rules of course) she almost drowns and Carter saves her and gives her his shirt to protect her modesty.
When in the school party Sylvain tries to hurt and perhaps force himself on Allie, Carter again saves her. She is confused and wonders if Sylvain also spiked her drink. While wandering alone, she sees Ruth on the ground, with her throat slit.
Jo at this point gives up and climbs the roof in a drunken state. Carter and Allie try to rescue her. But the school gets rumours (Allie is shocked to realize Jo is actually abetting it) that Allie is a murderer of Ruth and also tried to kill Jo. Katie, a sworn enemy, fans the flames. God, I realize this is kiddie literature, as I am narrating this. So parochial.
Also like young adult fiction this thing goes round and round. There is a threat to you Allie. What is it? Don’t talk to Sylvain. Carter is bad. Jo loves you. Jo hates you. There are secrets everyone knows. But we cannot tell you. It is frustrating. And finally what is Night School? A secret school that breeds capable people for world domination – or at least country domination. How lame! What are the night activities? Oh, just training.
Rachel Patel (yes, you heard right, father is an Indian but mother is not) becomes Allie’s friend and is very sympathetic.
Ending sucks. No answers to many questions raised by the author herself. No resolution to the – juvenile – relationship conflicts. No mystery resolved. If this is meant to be the start of a series, sorry, i am not tempted to pick up the next book.
3/10
– – Krishna