Book Review - Marked

Marked (House of Night series, #1)
By P.C. and Kristin Cast
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2007
306 pages
Read: 5/28/2010
Genres: Fantasy, Coming of Age, Young Adult

First Line of Book: "Just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse I saw the dead guy standing next to my locker."

The Review: The Casts have done an excellent job at starting a series. The characters were original, but they also faced several normal teenage challenges, like trying to fit in and wanting to have friends. The plot was great, and characters (such as Zoey's roommate Stevie Rae and her friends Damien, Shaunee, and Erin) were great to meet and read about. They all have a specific history of their lives before being a fledgling that makes them who they are at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird, the book's main character and protagonist, is Marked within the first few pages of the book. From the time she sees Dark Daughters leader Aphrodite doing a dirty deed, to the achievement of becoming the leader of the Dark Daughters and a High Priestess in Training, Zoey is truly tested in ways never before known to her.

This is a great book for people who like to read about vampires or fantasy worlds. There is quite a bit of profanity in Marked, though, that's actually very surprising considering it's a mother-daughter work. Where was the role model mother in P.C.?

But if you can look over the over-excessive cussing, I think you will truly enjoy the book. I would recommend this to anyone who is at least 13-15 years old, in effect of the profanity.

Rating: I rate the first House of Night book


4 kisses.

Quotes from the book:

"I enjoyed the way the world looked, sparkling and new, but it was my body that kept drawing my attention. I floated closer to it. I was breathing in short, shallow pants. Well, my body was breathing like that, not the I that was me. (Talk about confusing pronoun usage.) And I/she didn't look so good. I/she was all pale and her lips were blue. Hey! White face, blue lips, red blood! Am I patriotic or what?"

" 'Hey, y'all!' Stevie Rae rushed up. 'How was Vamp Soc? Did y'all start the Amazons?'
'It was cool. . . . I had no idea they really cut off their right breasts to keep them out of the way.'
'They wouldn't have had to if they'd been as flat as me,' Stevie Rae said, looking down at her own chest.
'Or me,' Damien said dramatically."



Posted By: Zakiya!