Marked: A House of Night Novel

couldn't get past the first several chapter's, was too dark and heavy with occult-like anti-Christian themes. Definitely not my cup of tea!? seemed interesting, but just a touch full and dragging, until the creepy malevolent themes took over. I love Twilight, and am an obsessive Potterhead, this is nothing like those!! it's not something I would let a young tween or teen read, if I'm unwilling to read it myself?! I'm a month from turning 39, and it's themes still makes me uncomfortable; also the writing does feel very forced, even only having read about a half dozen chapters. If dark, and black magic subject matter are your thing, then this might be something you'd enjoy! if you're a morals don't allow you to blur the lines of good and evil, maybe avoid this series!? No judgements, just being honest with my two cents... dreamergirl84 -

The vocabulary is easy to understand, the characters are so relatable that you want them to be your friends and if you don't analyze it too much, it's an enjoyable experience and personally I couldn't put those books down. Immediately after finishing each one I started the next or hunted like crazy to find the next. After the whole thing I started all over again! Even though I'm not a teenager anymore, I really loved this series!

by P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast - 2007-05-01 - St. Martin's Griffin The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire--that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It's tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends. P.C. Cast is an award-winning fantasy and paranormal romance author, as well as an experienced speaker and teacher. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious Prism, Daphne du Maurier, Affaire du Coeur, and other awards. She lives and teaches in Oklahoma. Kristin Cast has won awards for her poetry and journalism. She attends Northeastern State University, where she is working toward fulfilling her goal of becoming a biology teacher. The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire--that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It's tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends. ""Marked" is one of the best coming of age stories to come out of Oklahoma since S. E. Hinton's "The Outsiders." It teaches about the beauty of being a social outcast, friendship, and finding your own inner spirituality."--"The Beltane Papers ""From the moment I stuck my face in this book it hooked me! Totally awesome new take on vampires! "Marked "is hot and dark and funny. It rocks!"--Gena Showalter, author of MTV's "Oh My Goth" "Cast reeled me in from paragraph one. I snorted and giggled through the whole thing, and devoured it in one sitting."--MaryJanice Davidson, "New York"" Times" best-selling author of the "Undead" series "In 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres not only exist but are also tolerated by humans. Those whom the creatures 'mark' as special enter the House of Night school where they will either become vampyres themselves, or, if their body rejects the change, die. To Zoey, being marked is truly a blessing, though she's scared at first. She has never fit into the human world and has always felt she is destined for something else. Her grandmother, a descendant of the Cherokee, has always supported her emotionally, and it is she who takes the girl to her new school. But even there the teen stands apart from the others. Her mark from the Goddess Nyx is a special one, showing that her powers are very strong for one so young. At the House of Night, Zoey finds true friendship, loyalty, and romance as well as mistrust and deception. She realizes that all is not right in the vampyre world and that the problems she thought she left behind exist there as well. Readers will identify