Book Review #7: (HON #1) Marked.

Author: P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast.

Publish Date: May 1, 2007

Number of Pages: 306

Teaser Sentences...

...""In case you didn't realize it, it was me who saw that little scene between you and Aphrodite in the hall yesterday." "I know, and I wish you hadn't.""

..."He's young and the Imprint will be weak, so time and distance will make it fade eventually."

"Enter the dark, magical world of the House of Night, a world very much like our own, expect here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampyre. That is, if she makes it through the Change--and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, 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 group, 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."

My Cover Opinion:

I've always loved black book covers, they seem so mysterious and dark. When you look closely you see a beautiful glossy design, which covers most of the front, the side, and a little of the back. But my favorite part of the cover has to be the girl's eye; its a light shade of purple and gets darker towards the outside.

My Overall Opinion:

When you first meet Zoey, shes just a normal teenager, who goes to a normal high school (soon changes). She has a best friend, a boyfriend (Heath), a mom, a step dad, and (her perfect) siblings. Her best friend, Kayla, has always been there for her, through everything even Zoey's relationship problems with Heath. Heath has always had a thing for Zoey, (even in grade school) his always loved her and still does. Since his played football, Heaths been around the wrong crowd a lot (he begins to smoke and drink, which changes him). Zoeys at home life hasn't been that great either. Her mom just got re-married to a guy, Zoey likes to call "Step Loser", who is very religious. Before, Zoey was very close to her mom, but since the marriage began, "Step Loser" has all control over her, and she begins to change. When she needs to escape, the only place she can go is to her grandma, a older Cherokee women, who lives on a lavender farm.

During one of these escapes, Zoey doesn't feel good, and she cant find her grandma anywhere on the farm, that's when she passes out, shes going through the change (to a vampire fledgling). The only way a fledgling can survive is go to a vampire school, The House Of Night. Her entire life changes, she meets a cowgirl named Stevie Rae, who becomes her new best friend. She also finds her new "Nerd Herd", Damien and the twins. But whats a good teen romance novel without a mean girl? Zoey also meets the leader of the Dark Daughter, Aphrodite, who just happens to be doing something, (in the hallway on Zoey's first day) with a cute boy named Erik (who doesn't want, what Aphrodite wants to give him).

Single Zoey soon begins to have feelings for Erik, and he does the same. A very sweet relationship, which kept me reading this book till the end.

Aphrodite soon invites Zoey to one of their Dark Daughter meetings, this is where she realizes how unfair (sneaky, rude and back stabbing) Aphrodite is. I don't want to ruin the story for you guys, but at the end Zoey becomes the leader of the Dark Daughters with the help of her friends, and her new boyfriend(:

I love romance, but there wasn't too much in this story. But this book keeps you on your toes, and is a new spin on the whole "Vampire Thing".