Marked (House of Night, Book 1) | 
enlarge | Authors: P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Category: Book
List Price: $8.95 Buy New: $6.07 You Save: $2.88 (32%)
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Avg. Customer Rating: 158 reviews Sales Rank: 161
Media: Paperback Edition: 1st Reading Level: Young Adult Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 320 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7 Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.5 x 1
ISBN: 0312360266 Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6 EAN: 9780312360269 ASIN: 0312360266
Publication Date: May 1, 2007 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 153 more reviews...
Great Start to the Series January 6, 2009 Just finished reading this book. I've been reading other Vamp books (aka Twilight and Vampire Academy). This books is NOT as good as those but it's definitely a great start to the series. I enjoyed that it didn't end on some major cliff hanger and call me crazy, but I enjoy a happy (or at least not tragic) ending which is what this book appears to have. It was definitely enough to get me to go out and buy the second book in this series. The only problem I had was how juvinile they sometimes make the main character Zoey out to be...when I was sixteen I wasn't still using words like poo-poo mouth, it made her seem six instead of sixteen. However, I do think the author is building a solid foundation for the characters and it made me want to keep going with the series.
I love Vampyres!!! January 3, 2009 Ok so I'm not going to write about what is in the book but just tell you that if you are totally in to Vampyres that you are going to want to read this series of books. My husband bought me Marked for X-mas and I read it in 1 1/2 days, then I bought myself Betrayed and just finished that tonight, that took 2 days...(kids). I already purchased books 3 & 4 and have 5 on pre-order but I don't think I can wait till they get here.
These are so easy to read and you just kind of find yourself caught up in them and before you know it, that first book is done and you are craving the next. OMG, I have read some Vamp books before but this series is so far UNBELIEVABLE!!! I love it. Thank you P.C and Kristen for writing these. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT.
Compelling January 1, 2009 Marked is one of the most compelling vampire books I've ever read. I fell in love with this book with the very first sentence. It has an authentic teenage voice that makes it feel like you're listening to a long-time friend, even if it is set in a world where vampyres exist openly alongside us. Zoey is a very likable, relatable character with a humorous voice that does not detract from the darker edges of the book. While the pop-culture references could eventually make this book dated over the years, it fits in with the tone of the book. The vampyre mythology is unique, fresh, and completely convincing; I especially love how it ties in to the Greek goddess Nyx. (Yes, I'm a sucker for Greek mythology. Moving on...) Overall, it is a clever book with lovable and love-to-hate characters, an addicting plotline, and just the right amount of twists to make you eagerly gulp down the pages. There are also a few loose-ends that will gnaw on your curiosity long after the book is finished. Luckily, this is only the first in a series, so there is more to look forward to.
Good Book December 29, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I would recommend this book to anyone that liked the Twilight series.This is also a very addicting series.
Not so much.... December 28, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I read Twilight and loved it, like most other teenage girls in the U.S. But before twilight, I've always liked the Vampire spin on stories. I watched Buffy and Angel at young ages (too young, probably), and one of my favorite movies is Interview with a Vampire. I love Anne Rice. I really would have liked to enjoy this book. The idea of it is interesting, a girl becomes "marked" by a vampire and escapes her horrible step-father and brainless mother to a school full of attractive vampire fledglings.
But unfortunately, I couldn't stand the authors' writing style or character development. Zoey, the main character, is almost sickeningly perfect (pretty yet modest, confident in herself yet supportive of others, nice and cool, gets the hottest guy in the school but still doesn't have an overinflated head). She doesn't seem to have any flaws, which makes her boring to listen to. She jumps from feeling like an outcast and dealing with difficult adult situations to gushing over the hot guy at school who is like, "totally delicious", and who, unsurprisingly, likes her back. she uses words like "gihugic" (uh, what?), and over uses words such as "totally" and "ohmygod", which detracts from any kind of adult attitude she might have.
Her friends are also disappointingly two dimensional. Her best friend from the south (Zoey repeatedly mentions her "twang") is a sweet, loveable girl who is a pushover, and sticks up for herself later with the encouragement of Zoey. The twins, two girls from completely different backgrounds, races, families etc. and yet are exactly alike in every way. And of course, Damien, the gay boy who at the beginning Zoey claims is gay but in a subtle way, and yet from the rest of the book is so obviously in your face gay that it's hard to ever not notice how gay he is.
The same with Zoey's love interest Erik, and her nemesis Aphrodite (Erik's ex-girlfriend who still wants him back and is the leader of the school, of course.) who never developed fully. Erik is bland with his "totally hotness!" and nice guy tendencies. Aphrodite seems to be one of the only characters with actual personality flaws, and thus made me look forward to her appearances in the book.
Although I was very offput by the poor writing style, the plot itself is very interesting, catching, and easy to get involved in. the book is readable if you have the talent to ignore or even just cringe through the inconsistencies, the vocabulary, and the utterly boring and stereotypical characters, then you might find yourself with a book you can enjoy.
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