This was one of those highly addicting but not well written vampire fatasy books that keep you up all night because you can’t put the damn thing down.
Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird is Marked (a blue cresent moon-shaped outline appears on her forehead) by a Tracker vampyre while loitering at her locker. In this world, it is well known that some teens are chosen and marked to become vampyres. They are uprooted from their family and friends and sent off to the mysterious House of Night, where their bodies will either accept the change, or reject it resulting in death.
I thought the exposition was well plotted. The introduction to Zoey’s life was quickly but clearly and emphatically laid out so that we understood where she was coming from before delving into where she is destined to end up.
What happens to her at the House of Night feels real: a new school, new kids, new teacher, new expectations. The trials she endures are interesting and unique. I especially enjoyed the mix of traditional vampire lore with Indian lore.
My biggest issue was with the writing. “Heath struggled against Drew, but the kid was Broken Arrow’s senior linebacker, and truly ginormous” (p 15). Did my narrator just use the ‘word’ ginormous? Gag me.
The sentence structure was often weak: “”…I said before I could freakishly talk myself out of going out with the most gorgeous guy at this school” (p 254).
It often tried for humor and missed the mark: “I’d like to know just exactly where she got her clothes. Goth ho store?” (p 278).
Much of these faults, my intuition chalks up to the young co-author, Kristin Cast. Much of this writing is adolescent, instead of reflecting adolescence.
All the same, I’ll read the sequel tonight and hope it continues to excite my interest.
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