Gr 9 Up-Bianca, a vampire, and Lucas, a vampire hunter, are on the run with Lucas's mother's cell of the Black Cross vampire hunters. Bianca emails her parents, leading Mrs. Bethany and the other vampires straight to her, but she refuses to go back to Evernight Academy. When a fellow student and Black Cross refugee discovers Bianca drinking from a blood bag, Lucas and Bianca have to run away again. Now they are hunted by vampires and humans as well as the ghosts that plague Bianca's dreams. When she becomes ill, her friends try to help her to no avail, and she turns into a wraith. Lucas rushes headlong into battle with Charity, a rogue vampire, and is turned into a vampire before Bianca can reach him. There is a lot of action in this volume and more unresolved problems at the end, leaving readers anticipating the next book. This is a great series for teens wanting more content than Ellen Schreiber's "Vampire Kisses" (HarperCollins) but less length than Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" (Little, Brown). It is comparable to Richelle Mead's "Vampire Academy" series (Penguin). Corinda J. Humphrey, Los Angeles Public Library

The third heart-pounding page-turner in the best-selling Evernight series follows Bianca, the teenage daughter of vampire parents who has both bloodthirsty and human qualities, and her mortal beloved, Lucas, to Manhattan, a "city with a serious vampire problem." Posing as a member of the vampire-hunting group Black Cross, to which Lucas belongs, Bianca continues to take part in the war between humans and vampires, which rages everywhere from elegant apartments to Central Park. Once again, Gray balances the tense, relentless action with passionate romance all the way to the shocking conclusion, which will leave readers demanding the next installment. A natural for Twilight series fans.

The story that began with Evernight (HarperTeen, 2008/VOYA August 2008) and Stargazer (HarperTeen, 2009/VOYA December 2009) continues in this third installment in the series. Bianca, the daughter of two vampires, has fled from Evernight Academy, a boarding school that specializes in helping vampires learn more about contemporary society so they can blend in better among the population. She refuses to make her first human kill and become a full-fledged vampire despite the urgings of her parents and some of the faculty at Evernight. Bianca loves Lucas, a member of the Black Cross, an organization sworn to eliminate vampires. He alone knows Bianca’s secret when they both flee the school and take refuge among the Black Cross members. The group ultimately ends up in New York City. Bianca and Lucas have managed to keep her secret, but there are others who would betray them. As Bianca and Lucas run from both the Black Cross and some vengeful vampires, the action is nonstop. There are battles that pit Lucas against vampires and Bianca against both vampires and those who would kill vampires. Close calls, rescues at the last minute, and a stunning conclusion will keep fans of this series clamoring for more (and there is certain to be a fourth book). Readers who loved the Twilight books (Little, Brown Young Readers) and the Vampire Academy series (Razorbill) will find much to like with Bianca and Lucas and their perilous adventures.—Teri S. Lesesne.