Marked (House of Night, #1) in Addicted to YA

Feb 26, 2016 Susan rated it really liked it

This is not a book I would normally pick up and read or I didn't think so until I started to read it. I was only halfheartedly reading it in the beginning and then I decided I really liked it. It kept my interest right from the start and if I didn't have 7 kiddos I would have finished it in a day. If you like books that are about vampires then this will be a series for you. It's not heavy or deep by any means but just a fun good story. It sort of reminded me of a female Harry Potter only the kid ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 09, 2012 Talia rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy, ya, not-recommended

I'll be honest, I would never pick this book up. However, it was assigned to me for my job and I figured it'd be kinda fun to read a vampire novel, excuse me, vampyre novel, and get paid for it. I was wrong, horribly terribly wrong.
This book somehow manages to insult every single part of my identity and then comes back to ravage it some more. Not only is it a badly written book, with grammar mistakes on practically every page, it is a horrible example of teenage life and has a crappy plot to boo I'll be honest, I would never pick this book up. However, it was assigned to me for my job and I figured it'd be kinda fun to read a vampire novel, excuse me, vampyre novel, and get paid for it. I was wrong, horribly terribly wrong.
This book somehow manages to insult every single part of my identity and then comes back to ravage it some more. Not only is it a badly written book, with grammar mistakes on practically every page, it is a horrible example of teenage life and has a crappy plot to boot.
Let's start with that, the plot, which never got more exciting than a couple of "ghosts." The whole conflict was between the main character, this girl named Zoey, and the "alpha-bitch" of the vampyre finishing school, Aphrodite. She was a lot like Regina George from Mean Girls. A lot... As in the authors couldn't bother in creating an original character. But I'll get to the characters in a moment. Back to the plot. Zoey's "quest" to fit in and make friends is lame. Honestly, it's lame and boring and there's little mystery to how the book ends. Obviously Zoey ends up with the boy, with friends, and beats the mean girl. This book is more predictable than every cheesy romantic comedy.
And the characters are bad. So bad. They're flat and boring and unrealistic. In addition, they are all hypocritical and overdone. It was clear the the authors, the two fabulous Casts, had no idea how teenagers actually interact, and decided to take a few creative liberties. First of, when a character is characterized to the point that she's wearing cowboy hat pajama pants, you know that the authors didn't care enough to actually give any of their characters a background and a story. I had absolutely no reason to want to cheer our main heroine on. She was boring and mean to so many different people. Even if she didn't say it out loud, we were, luckily, stuck inside her head and could hear her ever judgmental thought and idea. Thinking of her friend, Damien, as different because he wasn't a "typical" gay guy who was all girly, that's not acceptance of gay people. That's homophobia. When you stereotype a person to the point that you're surprised when they prove you wrong, that's wrong and disgusting and perpetuating this stupid culture we have created for ourselves. What if Damien had been one of those "girly" gay guys? Would Zoey still want to be friends with him? And then Zoey has the audacity to call another student a homophobe when, pages earlier, she was basically doing the same thing to Damien.
In addition, Zoey judges every single girl at the school, that isn't in her immediate circle of friends. It's clear why Zoey never had many friends at her old school. Who would want to be friends with a girl who was judgmental and cruel, calling practically every girl a slut or freak because she was too pretty or too ugly. Of course, Zoey would never have time to actually get to know the girl who was kissing different boys each night, never know that this girl had an abusive father who made her childhood heal. And Zoey would never know that the girl who as bulimic had an actual mental condition, only made worse by the taunting she got from other kids at school about her weight. No, Zoey Perfect Redbird was too good for these kinds of girls and had to spend her time thinking about her perfect to-be boyfriend and keeping her current friends, who would probably hate her as much as I do if they heard what went on inside her head
Of course, the Casts probably don't think about the background of these characters as much as I do. All I want to really know from this book is why Aphrodite acts the way she does. There has to be a reason, maybe a bad family, a difficult childhood, a bad experience in middle school? Of course, according to Zoey, Aphrodite is just a "bitch hag" who doesn't deserve a second thought. Right.
I could spend ages ripping this book apart, to be honest. It's more fun to do that than to actually read it. Please don't read this book. It's a waste of time, time you could spend mowing the lawn or doing homework, or even reading a much better book. ...more

Like · see review

Jan 30, 2012 Kim rated it it was ok

Shelves: teen-romance, vampire-werewolves-such

This one was alright. I was warned about the sex before I read it so it wasn't that surprising. I read that the author used her daughter to make sure that the dialogue read like real teenagers. That's what it was like. I am in love with the ya genre, but it can be written without feeling like you are stuck in a teen reality show. The story line itself kept me going, except I don't know how to compare this with other vampire novels. It feels more like it relied heavily on magic, almost to the poi ...more

Like · see review

Mar 31, 2009 Keyona rated it it was amazing

Wow this book was so awesome I didn't want it to end.From the first page I was sucked in. It was like Harry Potter but vampires..and sooo much more sophisticated. This mother and daughter team really know how to write a book! I am absolutely in LOVE with main character Zoey. Ever since becoming "marked" she becomes this strong-take-no-mess-from-no-one type of girl. She's not intimidated by Aphrodite who's considered the school bully with goddess powers. She plays her cards right and always consu ...more

Like · see review