Chosen (book) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

I kind of had a hard time, at first, even remembering everything that happened in this book, because it didn't seem like much happened. Actually, not much did happen - most of this book is about Zoey's various relationships unraveling, with just a teensie bit about Stevie Rae to keep the story moving forward. All I can say is, thank goodness Zoey had to experience some of the consequences of her incredibly idiotic way of dealing with her multiple relationships.

Sorry for the long synopsis, but anyone who's still reading this blog should be used to this by now. As always, feel free to skip down to the commentary and/or book and movie suggestions.

Synopsis:

The book begins with Zoey's 17th birthday, which she is sure will be awful. Not only are her mother and mother's husband horrible as usual, her friends don't realize that she doesn't like "birthmas" gifts (her birthday is on Christmas Eve, so well-meaning people try to give her birthday gifts with a Christmas theme). Things get even worse when she opens a gift in front of them, not realizing until too late that it's a gift from Heath. Her friends' feelings are all hurt when they realize that Zoey didn't like the Christmas-y theme of their gifts, and Erik's feelings are especially hurt, because he sees this as yet another sign that Zoey must prefer Heath over him, because Heath knows her better than he does.

Before going back to try to mend things with her friends and boyfriend, Zoey, with the goddess Nyx's help, finds Stevie Rae. Stevie Rae, now a filthy shadow of her former self, is in an alley feeding off of a homeless person. Zoey manages to convince Stevie Rae to meet up with her later. She hopes she can find a way to "heal" Stevie Rae, but at the very least she wants to help her keep what little humanity she has left.

Once she gets back to the House of Night, Zoey makes up with Erik and has a steamy make-out session with him, complete with a little blood, only to be completely embarrassed when Loren catches them. Unlike Zoey, Erik doesn't mind Loren seeing them together. In fact, he does his best to rub his status as Zoey's boyfriend in Loren's face - he's definitely noticed how Loren has been looking at Zoey, although he doesn't seem to have noticed that Zoey has practically been panting after Loren.

While in the library looking for a way to bring Stevie Rae back to the way she once was, Zoey runs into Loren, which leads to him giving her a birthday gift (diamond earings), which then leads to the two of them kissing each other and him inviting her to his place for more. Zoey comes to her senses a little and comes up with an excuse for why she can't go to him, but it's obvious that her love life has gotten out of control.

Things get rocky with Erik again when Zoey tries to have him be Stevie Rae's replacement in her ritual circle and it doesn't work out. In fact, it turns out that Aphrodite now has an affinity for earth, making her the perfect replacement for Stevie Rae, much to everyone's dismay. Zoey convinces her friends to let Aphrodite be a member of their circle, although they grumble about it. Later, Aphrodite tells Zoey about a vision she had of Stevie Rae being killed, for good, by Neferet, who will pull her out into direct sunlight if something isn't done to prevent it. Aphrodite and Zoey hatch a vague plan to keep Stevie Rae at her parents' house (empty for three weeks while her parents are off skiing) and feed her blood stolen from the kitchen in the House of Night. They put the plan in motion, but it may not go so well, since Stevie Rae has to go through blood faster than Zoey or Aphrodite anticipated.

Back at the school, Zoey and Aphrodite are about to go their separate ways when Aphrodite starts to get the feeling that something's wrong. Aphrodite and then Zoey find the beheaded body of Professor Nolan, with nails through her wrists and ankles, a stake through her heart. The first person they find is Neferet. Although Zoey knows Neferet is bad, she's got to tell someone what they found. Neferet takes charge and sends Zoey off with Loren. They talk for a bit, and Zoey calms down. Again there is kissing and flowery love-speak. The mood is ruined a bit by Zoey's suspicion that her step-father might have had a hand in Professor Nolan's death.

Heath comes back to town, and Zoey manages to figure out a new vampire trick (which allows her to go all ghostly and invisible, so that even the warrior vampyres who are now crawling all over the school can't see her) that allows her to leave the school in order to see him. She's determined to break up with him once and for all, but things don't go the way she planned. Heath cuts himself again, and Zoey can't help but drink his blood. They get interrupted by some jerks, who Zoey then uses her powers against, inadvertently putting them in a situation that may possibly have killed them. Heath is shocked, and so is Zoey. Zoey goes back to the school with Heath still one of her boyfriends. Bad Zoey. Unfortunately, Zoey's friends accidentally spilled the beans to Erik, so Erik thinks Zoey has finally broken up with Heath, and she's too chicken to tell him the truth.

Neferet performs a special ritual that night, due to Professor Nolan's death. The ritual will tell her if any vampyre, fledgling, or human enters or leaves the school, which automatically makes it really difficult for Zoey to continue taking care of Stevie Rae. Then it's time for Zoey's ritual, which goes well, except then Erik collapses in agony. At first, Zoey thinks Erik is rejecting the Change, but it turns out he's actually completing the Change. After he's taken away, she's shaky - this reminded her too much of Stevie Rae's death after her last ritual. Plus, now that Erik is a vampyre, it's possible that they won't be able to be together until she completes her Change as well.

Loren finds her during her vulnerable time and tries to get her to tell him everything that's bothering her, but she resists. Soon, they're drinking each others' blood, and then they're having sex (although the Casts' kissing scene descriptions tend to be pretty steamy, the actual act of Zoey losing her virginity amounts to "Loren made love to me until our world exploded in blood and passion"). Afterward, Zoey learns that she and Loren have Imprinted, which broke her Imprint with Heath. Zoey now feels comfortable telling Loren more about what's been bothering her - she tells him about Stevie Rae and trying to find a way to cure her, although some last vestige of sanity (and the goddess's influence?) keeps her from admitting to him everything she knows about Neferet's involvement.

Unfortunately, their lovely post-sex interrogation scene is interrupted by Erik, who is hurt and angry at having caught his girlfriend with Loren. After getting dressed, Zoey ends up having a talk with Erik, in which she apologizes and tells him she and Loren are in love, and Erik says lots of hateful things and tells her that Loren is only using her for sex. Erik doesn't seem to realize that he caught Zoey and Loren having sex for the first time, rather than just one of many times, although I'm not sure that realization would've helped things much.

After that painful scene, Zoey goes back to Loren, only to eavesdrop on him and Neferet. Loren had been seducing Zoey in order to find out how much she knew, so that he could tell Neferet, the person he really loves. Zoey is heartbroken, and her friends go to her and ask her what's wrong. Erik tells them she's been having sex with Loren, and everyone is shocked, although Aphrodite stands up for Zoey and makes Erik leave. Things get even worse when Stevie Rae comes. Stevie Rae hadn't realized that Zoey hadn't told any of their friends she was still alive. Zoey's friends are hurt, and the only one who knows why she couldn't tell them (Neferet, who they all still believe is good, would have read their minds) is Aphrodite. Her friends are pissed, but they help Zoey form a ritual circle to heal Stevie Rae. Unfortunately, Stevie Rae comes completely unglued when Aphrodite demonstrates her affinity for earth. She attacks Aphrodite, and Aphrodite allows herself to be a sacrifice, completely healing Stevie Rae and turning her into a completely new kind of vampyre (she has the completed vampyre tattoos, but they're red instead of sapphire). Unfortunately, although Aphrodite is miraculously still alive, she now appears to just be a regular human - her Mark is gone. Aphrodite runs off, and Stevie Rae goes after her, leaving Zoey alone with friends who hate and distrust her.

On the way back to an assembly called by Neferet, Zoey collapses in agony. The pain goes away and she continues on the the assembly. Neferet begins by talking about how vampyres will now be at war with humans, but she's interrupted by the news that Loren has been killed, the same way Professor Nolan was killed. Zoey's pain was caused by the feedback of his death through their Imprint. After the assembly, Neferet and Zoey have a little confrontation, in which Neferet blames Zoey for Loren's death. Zoey officially declares herself and Neferet enemies and is comforted by the new tattoos that have appeared on her waist. Afterwards, she comes across Erik, who is shocked - he heard everything Neferet said to her and now knows that Neferet isn't as good as she seems. However, that doesn't fix things between him and Zoey.

Commentary:

I have to admit, main female characters who have guys falling at their feet for no apparent reason kind of annoy me - it was one of the things that drove me crazy about the Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books. I wasn't too surprised that Loren didn't adore Zoey as much as he said he did, since I had already thought Zoey was a bit of an idiot for always feeling all "womanly" around him. I wasn't sure who I wanted her to end up with, but Loren wasn't even on my list. Heath seemed like a nice enough guy, but he also seemed like a horny, fluff-brained puppy a lot of times. Erik was sexy enough, but his behavior had a tendency to bother me a bit. Now, I guess, Zoey has no one. Nice going, Zoey.

But wait, maybe she does have someone! After all, that one warrior vampyre, Darius, showed up quite a bit and seemed very loyal to Zoey, and Zoey kept noticing how muscular and good-looking he was. That's practically a recipe for a future boyfriend/lust object.

I know, it sounds like I'm being mean, but I also think I may be right. It really is a good thing that this series is intended for young adults (16+, I believe) rather than adults, or I'm sure I'd have to put up with long, drawn-out sex scenes reminiscent of Laurell K. Hamilton. Seriously, is it just me, or has that sort of thing become a trend? And, if it has, was Hamilton the one that started it? Anyway, if I'm going to have to put up with a heroine who can't decide between all the gorgeous guys she keeps tripping over, it's at least nice not to have to deal with super-detailed sex scenes. One, those are only sexy if there is actual affection and love in the mix. Two, it's hard to like a sex scene if all I can think about is how stupid the heroine is being - might as well keep the sex scene brief.

It's been months since I finished this book, and I still haven't even requested the next one. I'm sure I will, eventually, but I'm really getting tired of books like this. Maybe the next book will be better, but it's always quite possible that it will be worse. It's not good when you start to hate the main character of a series.

Read-alikes:

• Guilty Pleasures (book) by Laurell K. Hamilton - Once again, this is the first book in a series set in a world where the things that go bump in the night have recently revealed themselves to the world at large. Before American law gave vampires, werewolves, and other beings the same rights as humans, Anita Blake was a vampire hunter. Now she's a vampire executioner, in addition to her full-time job as an animator (raiser of the dead). In this first book, we meet Jean-Claude, a vampire who is one of the many people throughout the series who will be competing for Anita's affection. The various supernatural societies in this series all have their own politics and culture, and the cast of characters is usually fun and interesting. The early books feel a lot like paranormal mysteries with a hint of romance. Be warned, though - at around book 10 or so, the tone of the series changes drastically, Anita becomes darker and harder, and the sex scenes become way more graphic and time-consuming, leaving little room for the mysteries that were part of the early appeal of the series. Those who enjoyed all the relationship angst in Chosen may, however, particularly like these later books.
  
• Vampire Academy (book) by Richelle Mead - This is the first book in a series. Lissa is a mortal vampire princess and Rose is her half-human/half-vampire guardian. After having been on the run, they are forced to return to St. Vladimir's Academy, a private high school for vampires and the half-bloods who protect them. Rose and Lissa must deal with dangerous social politics, as well as the discovery that Lissa seems to have abilities that haven't been found in vampires for generations. Those who'd like another young adult book (and series) featuring main female characters who must deal with danger, intrigue, and complicated relationships might want to try this. Like Chosen, this book is aimed at an audience mature enough to handle the occasional bit of steamy sex and "language."
• The Summoning (book) by Kelley Armstrong - After Chloe Saunders suddenly starts seeing ghosts, her father and her aunt have her admitted to Lyle House, a home for troubled teens. All Chloe wants is to convince the adults at Lyle House that she's better and can leave, but it's not long before she starts noticing that there may be something sinister going on. A couple of the other teens at Lyle House are convinced that Chloe really can see ghosts and is, in fact, a necromancer - they may know what they're talking about, since one of them can do magic. Similar to Zoey, Chloe has to deal with sudden freaky changes to her life, new friends and enemies, people who can't necessarily be trusted, and potential romance (a very tiny part of the book, since Chloe is more concerned with getting to go home that finding herself a guy in the slim pickings of Lyle House).

Betrayed (book) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

[This series recently became a great discussion topic at the library I work at, when area newspapers revealed that the entire series has been banned at a local middle school library. Same goes for Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, which, if it weren't already on my TBR list, would now be added. Wholesale book banning always makes me curious.]

This is the second book in the House of Night series, and I was less than enthused. My problem is that, even though this is only the second book, the series seems to rapidly be going the way of the Anita Blake series and so many others - the heroine, Zoey Redbird, is suddenly finding herself with a surplus of men (males, boys, whatever) and a complete inability to decide between them. Of course, she wants to have her cake and eat it too. Probably my only consolation will be that this series is intended for young adults and will therefore (hopefully) not descend to the realm of frequent and graphic sex scenes loosely held together by story (I'm looking at you, LKH). It's not that I don't like sexy male characters. I do. It's just that I have problems being ok with heroines who won't choose between them. Plus, it feels a bit like laziness on the author's part, since the author is getting out of having to choose as well.

I haven't given up on the series, but I'm wary. Here's hoping that Zoey's Loren/Erik/Heath thing won't get even more annoying (or, worse, become Loren/Erik/Heath/etc.) in the next book.

Synopsis:

Zoey is now leader of the Dark Daughters and wants badly not to blow it. She knows that the Dark Daughters need to be overhauled - membership has to be based on behavior, not popularity.

Even as she tries to think up ideas for the new incarnation of the Dark Daughters, she has to deal with the horrible awkwardness of parent visitation. Her parents show up and are horrible, but at least her grandma is there too. Zoey also discovers, via some mostly accidental eavesdropping, that Aphrodite's parents are fairly awful as well. Aphrodite's father is the mayor of Tulsa. Aphrodite had been keeping her visions to herself, not because she hated humans, as Zoey had previously believed, but because her parents told her to keep them to herself. Her parents believe that Aphrodite's visions are her key to gaining power. They are coldly disappointed with her for losing her position as leader of the Dark Daughters and tell her that she needs to somehow get Zoey out of the way so that she can get her old position back.

This gives Zoey a lot to mull over - Aphrodite may not be quite so bad after all. While Zoey is in the library researching ways she might change the Dark Daughters, she has a...moment with Loren Blake, the Vampyre Poet Laureate. Loren is in his early 20s (maybe 21? I can't remember...), good with words (he's a poet, after all), and very sexy. Zoey's teenage heart races with excitement while she's around him, although she figures that anything she thinks happened between the two of them was really all just in her head. Still, it's nice to imagine, even if she's already got a boyfriend. Well, almost-boyfriend. At this point, she still refuses to think of Erik as her boyfriend, since they haven't gone on an actual date yet. Plus, if she doesn't think of him as her boyfriend, then flirting with Loren (and maybe more) doesn't count as cheating, does it?

Later, Zoey overhears Neferet angrily accusing Aphrodite of lying about her visions. It frightens Zoey, because she's never heard Neferet speak that way to anyone, and Aphrodite is clearly broken up by Neferet's accusation.

Going outside to think, Zoey runs into Loren and has yet another moment with him. It seems like he might be interested in her, and it's obvious that, if he hadn't turned politely away in the end, she would happily have thrown herself at him, Erik or no Erik. Frustrated by the encounter, Zoey heads back to her room, only to see a news report that a football player she knew when she was human has gone missing.

Zoey begins finding haiku poetry that she assumes Loren wrote for her, and again her heart flutters. She tells Stevie Rae, her best friend and roommate, about Loren, and Stevie Rae actually suggests that Zoey might want to try sneaking around and seeing Loren while she is also seeing Erik - after all, she's special in so many other ways that maybe the usual rules don't apply to her. However, Zoey just wants to be normal. She doesn't know what to do about her guy situation.

Later on, Zoey comes across Aphrodite, who is having a vision. The vision turns out to be about Zoey's Grandma Redbird, who, if something isn't done, will be killed when the bridge she will be driving across is damaged. Aphrodite agrees to give Zoey further details about the vision in exchange for Zoey owing her in the future. Zoey readily agrees. Knowing she can't just tell Neferet about the vision, since Neferet no longer believes Aphrodite, she goes to her friends. Together, they concoct a plan to close the bridge by calling in a bomb threat.

Some cops show up at the House of Night, wanting to ask Zoey some questions about the missing football players (or maybe player - I can't remember how many are missing at this point in the book). One of them has now been found dead, apparently killed by a vampyre. Found near his body was a necklace bearing the symbol of the leader of the Dark Daughters. This news shocks Zoey, but her own necklace isn't missing. Neferet defends Zoey against the cops and, when they ask about Loren, lies about where Loren was - Zoey knows it was a lie, because she and Loren were flirting together during the time in question.

Even though it's against the rules (fledglings can only leave the House of Night with the knowledge, permission, and accompaniment of an adult vampyre), Zoey leaves the House of Night on her own. It's almost time to call in the bomb threat. She runs into Heath, who, for the first time in a long time, isn't under the influence of either alcohol or drugs. He says he went completely clean for her, because he wants the two of them to be together again. He doesn't quite seem to grasp that Zoey becoming a vampyre will make the life he imagines for the two of them impossible. However, he and Zoey are Imprinted, so logic and sanity are in short supply during their interactions. Zoey isn't supposed to meet with him or even talk to him at all. Soon, though, he's in her car, where he cuts himself on purpose. Zoey hasn't yet learned to control her bloodlust, so she finds his blood impossible to resist. She licks his blood up, and for her and Heath the experience is like a really hot and heavy make out session. Luckily, they're interrupted, but now Zoey is back to texting Heath and agreeing to meet him again, even though she shouldn't be doing either. Despite all of this, Zoey does manage to remember to call in the bomb threat. The bridge is closed, and a news report reveals that the accident Aphrodite saw in her vision would indeed have occurred if Zoey hadn't acted.

A new student arrives at the House of Night, a guy who has chosen the name Jack Twist. He's not a major character in this book, but he's Erik's new roommate, and it soon becomes clear that he's gay and that he and Damien are probably going to become a couple.

Zoey finishes the preparations for her first ritual as the leader of the Dark Daughters. Just before the ritual, Neferet announces the changes Zoey made to the Dark Daughters, but she acts as though these changes were all her own idea. Zoey feels upset and betrayed, but she manages to keep her cool. Erik is now back (he'd been taking part in the final round of the fledgling international Shakespearean monologue contest), and, for the first time, Zoey is in the same room with Loren and Erik at the same time. She feels like she's having yet another moment with Loren and even flirts with him in full view of all the other fledglings, including Erik, but no one notices what she's doing and Loren doesn't seem to respond to her with any kind of interest. Zoey wonders whether her "moments" with Loren were really all in her head. She proceeds with the ritual, discovering that each of her friends have an affinity with the elements she has assigned to them. This is fantastic news, and everyone is ecstatic. The ritual is a great success, but, unfortunately, Stevie Rae dies right afterwards, her body unable to deal with the Change. She had been coughing for a while before the ritual, but no one had noticed or thought anything of it until it was too late (although everyone worried about Zoey's stress-induced stomach aches earlier in the book).

Neferet offers Zoey something to calm her and help her deal with her friend's death better, but, on Aphrodite's advice, she doesn't take it. Heath gets kidnapped right outside the House of Night, and Zoey uses the bond between them to track him down. It turns out he's been captured by the "ghosts" - fledglings who supposedly died after their bodies rejected the Change. Among them is Stevie Rae, who now barely retains any of her former self. Heath is terrified, because, unlike when Zoey feeds off of him, when these fledglings feed off of him it hurts. Zoey manages to get him out, though. She runs into Neferet, who she has realized is somehow in charge of these evil fledglings - she previously saw Neferet allowing one of the evil fledglings to feed off of her (a sight which repulsed Zoey, since there was a sexual quality to it). Neferet tries to make Zoey forget everything she's seen, but Zoey's connection to her friends helps her - their affinities the various elements helps her cleanse herself.

Zoey meets Detective Marx, who has so far been the friendliest of the cops who have spoken to her about the missing football players. She can't tell him hardly anything (nothing about Nefert, the fledglings, etc.), but she tells him that, if anyone else ever goes missing, she can probably help him find them. Detective Marx makes it clear that he'll help her whatever way he can. He has a twin sister who became a vampyre when they were teens. Even though vampyres are encouraged, for various reasons, to break off all ties with their human friends and family, Detective Marx and his sister stayed close, and he's learned a lot about vampyres from her. He warns Zoey, telling her that his sister mentioned that High Priestesses (like Neferet) can mess with a person's memory. I can't remember if this warning comes before or after Zoey has managed to deal with Neferet's attempt to erase her memory of recent events, but this at least indicates that Detective Marx might be keeping his eye on Neferet in the future.

Neferet threatens Zoey, telling her not to tell anyone anything that she's recently found out. Zoey fires back by revealing the new tattoos that the goddess Nix has bestowed upon her. Even though there's not much Zoey can do right now, and not too many people she can talk to about everything, at least Nix is on her side.

Commentary:

I didn't remember, at first, where Erik was supposed to be (he's barely even in this book), but I did think it was odd that he never even crossed Zoey's mind as she drooled over Loren. When Zoey referred to Erik as her almost-boyfriend (or something similar - I don't have the book on hand to check), I groaned, because she had done the exact same thing with Heath in the first book. In my post for that book, I mentioned that this seemed to me to be a way for Zoey to distance herself from Heath, so that she could flirt with Erik with a clear conscience. Now Erik is her almost-boyfriend, allowing her to flirt with Loren with a clear conscience. Things get more complicated when Heath reenters the picture, but that situation is made more acceptable via vampyre lore - Zoey and Heath are Imprinted, so she really can't help wanting to go after him. Even Erik, once Zoey talks to him about Heath, is fairly accepting of the difficulty Zoey has with leaving Heath behind once and for all. Plus, she and Heath have been friends since childhood, adding an extra layer to their bond.

Actually, all those things made me a little more accepting of Zoey's behavior as far as Heath is concerned, too. She really, really should have just left when she realized she'd just run into Heath, but I could accept that she chose to start up a conversation with him because her bond with him made it difficult for her to choose to do otherwise. Also, it was Heath who cut himself. At this stage in her development as a fledgling, Zoey doesn't have the skills to resist readily available human blood, so I could accept that she drank from Heath, even though it was a really stupid thing to do.

What bothered me most was her behavior as far as Loren is concerned. I was ok with her giddiness when she first met him in the library - I'm sure there are tons of teenage girls out there who have nursed fun, giddy crushes on completely unattainably older guys. Zoey gushed over Loren, and it didn't really feel like she was cheating on Erik, because even Zoey didn't expect anything to happen. However, the second time Zoey met Loren, things got a tad more heated. He asked to see the tattoos on her shoulders that she gained at the end of the first book, and Zoey made a sexy show of it. Suddenly, she felt all womanly. Then she became frustrated because Loren went all polite and left her be. Not once did she think of Erik. Oh, wait, at this point in the series Erik is still only her almost-boyfriend, so it's ok. I think it was Stevie Rae who commented, saying something like "what does it take for you to consider someone your boyfriend?", and I completely agree. Apparently, any guy who wishes to have anything resembling an exclusive relationship with Zoey must publicly announce that he is her boyfriend. And then get Zoey to publicly agree to it.

None of that even gets into the other issue with her flirtation with Loren, which is the age difference. Zoey thought about it at first, and it was one of the reasons why she was sure Loren was unattainable - why would a guy in his early twenties want to date a teenage girl? I can't remember Zoey's exact age, but I think she might be sixteen. However, the age difference was rapidly forgotten as Zoey started to feel all womanly around Loren. She flirted with him like a pro, until he ignored her at the ritual and she started to wonder why she thought she had a chance with him. Trying to give Zoey a little credit, I wonder if Loren didn't have something to do with Zoey trying to throw herself at him. I mean, what if he was somehow using vampyre powers to make her lust after him even more? It's a thought, and, if he's doing it on purpose, would make him a sleazeball. It's also possible that he could be doing it accidentally, which would explain why he seemed drawn in by Zoey at first and then made an extra effort to distance himself from her. That has interesting possibilities.

I still can't believe that Stevie Rae, of all people, suggested that Zoey secretly see both Erik and Loren. And saying that it might be ok because Zoey is special in other ways?! You've gotta be kidding me.

Since I've brought up Stevie Rae, I'll say that it really surprised me that she died. Well, "died." I'd read teasers for later books in the series and had seen her name, so I figured she'd be fine in this book, and then she went and died. I wasn't expecting her to become one of the bad guys. I'm looking forward to all that angst and drama that's going to inspire. I also wonder if "Bad Stevie Rae" is going to bring up the fact that no one even noticed her coughing, even though everyone worried over Zoey's stomach aches. If I were Stevie Rae, I'd be a little peeved by that. Then again, Zoey's friends seem remarkably immune to jealousy and envy.

Neferet's transformation into the (current) primary baddie doesn't surprise me. There were hints in the previous book that she wasn't the gentle, kind person she seemed to be. However, the sudden depth of her badness did surprise me. I kind of thought the Casts would slowly work up to it, or at least spend lots of time focusing on Neferet's motivations (which I'm guessing include her father raping her when she was a child). Instead, she was suddenly snarling at Aphrodite, having a nearly sexual bloodgiving session with a fledgling who supposedly died in the previous book, and apparently ordering the kidnapping and killing of lots of football players. No longer is she a nice motherly figure.

There are a few characters I'm really looking forward to seeing more of. Detective Marx could be fascinating - I'd love to hear more about him and his sister. Who knows, maybe his sister will show up in a future book? Also, the Equestrian Studies teacher, whose name I unfortunately can't remember, could be fun. She seems to at least suspect something about Neferet's activities, because she offers herself as someone Zoey can talk to if she ever feels she can't talk to Neferet. At the time, Zoey wonders about that offer, but she didn't know of Neferet's betrayal until later.

Overall, the guy-oriented storylines in this book annoyed me, but there are still quite a few things that intrigued me. Hopefully the Casts won't go too far down the "sex and a surplus of guys" path. I'd like more vampyres and intrigue, with enough romance to spice things up. Notice I used the word "romance" instead of "sex." Romance can include sex, but sex doesn't necessarily mean romance - sometimes authors forget that, or maybe don't care. Especially with books written in the first person, as the House of Night books are, sex scenes tend to feel a bit voyeuristic, or at least they do to me. I'd rather have romance, thank you.

Read-alikes:

• Vampire Academy (book) by Richelle Mead - This is the first book in a series. Lissa is a mortal vampire princess and Rose is her half-human/half-vampire guardian. After having been on the run, they are forced to return to St. Vladimir's Academy, a private high school for vampires and the half-bloods who protect them. Rose and Lissa must deal with dangerous social politics, as well as the discovery that Lissa seems to have abilities that haven't been found in vampires for generations. Those who'd like another young adult book (and series) featuring main female characters who must deal with danger, intrigue, and complicated relationships might want to try this. Like Betrayed, this book is aimed at an audience mature enough to handle the occasional bit of steamy sex and "language."
• The Summoning (book) by Kelley Armstrong - After Chloe Saunders suddenly starts seeing ghosts, her father and her aunt have her admitted to Lyle House, a home for troubled teens. All Chloe wants is to convince the adults at Lyle House that she's better and can leave, but it's not long before she starts noticing that there may be something sinister going on. A couple of the other teens at Lyle House are convinced that Chloe really can see ghosts and is, in fact, a necromancer - they may know what they're talking about, since one of them can do magic. Like Zoey, Chloe has to deal with sudden freaky changes to her life, new friends and enemies, people who can't necessarily be trusted, and potential romance (a very tiny part of the book, since Chloe is more concerned with getting to go home that finding herself a guy in the slim pickings of Lyle House).
• The Initiation (book) by L. J. Smith - This is the first book in Smith's Secret Circle series, although it is no longer available on its own - the link will take you to the Amazon.com page for a volume combining the first book and half the second book (what were they thinking?!). Cassie isn't thrilled to move from sunny California to gloomy New England, but it isn't long before things get interesting for her. Her new school is practically ruled by a group of gorgeous teens who appear to be feared and/or respected by everyone around them. Cassie gradually discovers that, not only do these teens have special powers, so does she. As she gets involved with the group, she begins to fall for the boyfriend of one of the girls. Those who'd like another paranormal YA series/book involving magic, a school setting, a bit of romance, and lots of drama might want to try this.
• The Strange Power (book) by L. J. Smith - This is the first book is Smith's Dark Visions series. Kaitlyn Fairchild is a psychic whose drawings predict the future. The only problem is, her drawings usually don't make sense until after whatever they predict has happened. When she finds out about the Zeetes Institute, a place where she can learn to control her abilities, she decides to go, but the institute may have have more sinister intentions than Kaitlyn realizes. Like Zoey, Kaitlyn finds herself dealing with potential romance and darkness and danger just under the nice surface of the Institute. It's not clear who Kaitlyn can trust.
• Blue Bloods (book) by Melissa De La Cruz - This is the first book in a series. Schuyler is treated like an outcast by the clique of popular, athletic, and beautiful teens made up of Mimi Force, her twin brother, and her best friend. At the age of 15, Schuyler learns that she is a "blue blood," a very special vampire who is descended from a very old line. Unfortunately, lots of blue bloods have been dying, and Schuyler has to find out why before she, too, ends up dead. Those who'd like another story featuring high school-aged main characters, vampires, and a bit of suspense might like this book.
• Vampire Knight (manga) by Matsuri Hino - Yuki's earliest memory is of being attacked by a vampire and then saved by another, the gorgeous and mysterious Kaname. Ten years later, Yuki, now the adopted daughter of the headmaster of Cross Academy, spends her time blushing over Kaname and protecting the Day Class students (all humans, unaware of the vampires around them) from the Night Class (all vampires). She is aided by Zero, a brooding teenager hiding a dark secret. Those who'd like another romance involving teens, vampires, and lots of hot guys who make the heroine's head spin might like this series. By the way, it has also been made into an anime, which has not yet been made legally available in the US (which, um, hasn't stopped me from seeing the first four episodes - it's a lot of fun).
  

Marked: The House of Night Book 1 (book) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

The basic setup of this book - young person finds out he/she is special and gets taken to a school for special people, only to find out that he/she is even more special than the other special students - is not original. Don't get angry at me, House of Night fans - I'm not saying I didn't like the book, I'm just saying it's not very original. I really did enjoy the book, because I like books of this type. Also, it makes it incredibly easy to come up with a list of read-alikes (at least for this first book - the later books may be a different story).

Synopsis:

All Zoey wants to do is be a normal girl, living a normal life. She wants her almost-boyfriend Heath, a handsome quarterback, to stop guzzling alcohol, and she hates what her family has become since her mother married John Heffer, who's a member of the People of Faith and expects his new family to conform to their beliefs. Although her life has its rough spots, she is not happy when the Tracker finds her at school and Marks her. Once she's been Marked, everyone around her is afraid of her, including Kayla, who Zoey thought was her best friend. The only one who doesn't automatically fear her is Heath - he seems drawn to her and she to him, although she eventually realizes that what she's really drawn to is his blood.

The people at school fear her, and her mother and stepfather want to drive Satan out of her with the help of the People of Faith. With no one else to turn to, Zoey runs to her Grandma Redbird. Grandma Redbird has never forgotten her Cherokee heritage and made sure that Zoey didn't either, teaching her various Cherokee rituals over the years. Zoey figures Grandma Redbird is accepting enough to still love her, and she'll know what to do. If something isn't done soon, if Zoey doesn't go to the House of Night, she'll grow sicker and sicker until she dies.

On her way to Grandma Redbird, Zoey hits her head and has a vision in which she meets Nyx, the vampyre Goddess, who tells her that she is special and will act as Nyx's first true Daughter of Night. When Zoey wakes up, she finds that her grandmother has taken her to the House of Night. Grandma Redbird eventually leaves, with the assurance that Zoey will be taken care of by Neferet, High Priestess of Nyx and now Zoey's mentor in the House of Night. It's already apparent that Zoey's not the average fledgling - the crescent moon tattoo that she was Marked with is completely filled in, like that of a mature vampyre. However, only Zoey knows about her meeting with the Goddess. Something compels her to keep that information a secret from Neferet.

During Zoey's tour of the House of Night, Neferet has to leave for a few minutes, and Zoey stumbles upon a female student offering a male student a blow job. It's obvious that the two have history and that not all of that history is good. The guy turns the girl down and then spots Zoey - the two of them have some kind of moment, until the female student gets pissed off and Zoey runs away. Later on during her tour, Zoey finds out that the female student is named Aphrodite (students can choose to rename themselves when they enter the House of Night, and that's the name she chose for herself). Because Aphrodite is the leader of the Dark Daughters (sort of like a combination Honor Society and sorority) and is therefore likely to become High Priestess one day, she thinks she's queen of the school, and she hates Zoey and anyone else who doesn't follow her lead.

Because vampyres don't like the sunlight (they don't burst into flames, but their eyes are extra sensitive to it), classes are held at night. Zoey gradually gets used to her new class schedule, which includes "Vampyre Sociology 101," "Drama 101" (in the outside world, vampyres are heavily represented in the arts - for instance, most big-name actors and actresses are vampyres), "Lit 101," "Fencing," "Spanish 101," and "Intro to Equestrian Studies." During her drama class, she sees the boy she saw with Aphrodite again - his name is Erik Night, and he's a fifth former (Zoey is considered a third former - I believe you're considered a full-fledged vampyre when you make it past the sixth former stage).

Although Zoey makes lots of friends and enjoys her classes, it's not all light and happiness. Fledglings like Zoey and her friends can die at any moment. The Change is tough, and two third formers die during the course of this book. Also, having Aphrodite as her enemy doesn't exactly make Zoey's life easy. Because it's obvious that she's special (what with her filled-in Mark and all), Aphrodite invites her to a Dark Daughters ritual, hoping to scare her off by slipping her some real blood in her ceremonial wine without telling her. Usually, a third former wouldn't like the taste of blood yet, but Zoey's not a regular third former. The wine tastes good to her, although she throws it all up when she finds out it contained blood from a fellow third former (fledglings aren't allowed to drink human blood).

Zoey doesn't like the Dark Daughters in general and Aphrodite in particular, but she agrees to join in the hopes of overthrowing Aphrodite. Things have happened during various rituals that have led Zoey to believe that she may make a stronger potential High Priestess than Aphrodite, so Zoey's friends happily back her.

Because she believes that cleaning up the Dark Daughters is vital, Zoey almost misses out on a chance to date Erik Night, but the two have a date lined up by the end of the book. Also, Zoey does indeed manage to take over the Dark Daughters, but Aphrodite, whose special ability involves having visions of future misfortunes, warns her that she doesn't know what's really going on and that she's only going to be used - Zoey's first thought when she says this is of a vague and bloody vision Aphrodite had and the red-eyed ghosts/zombies/whatever of the supposedly dead third formers Zoey had seen. Oh, and Heath, who Zoey accidentally managed to Imprint (bonding him to her like a lovesick puppy, something a third former shouldn't be able to do) will probably be ok.

Commentary:

Like I said, the basic idea behind this book isn't original. "Special schools for special people" can be found all throughout young adult and children's literature. The world the authors have created is interesting, although I'm not sure how well it would hold up if more details were given. What I mean is, human beings are frightened of vampyres. However, vampyres are so insanely popular in the arts that all the really well-known people in any area (painting, acting, etc.) tend to be vampyres. Vampyres like Aphrodite help prevent major disasters (Aphrodite tries to hide her visions, but, when she can't, the information from her visions helps prevent things like plane crashes and more). I'm sure there are vampyres with other abilities that the world at large finds useful. There are rules against vampyres feeding willy nilly from humans. And yet, despite all of the good things vampyres do for people, their popularity, and all the rules they have protecting human beings, they're still feared. It works from afar, but I'm not sure how cohesive it would all be if the Casts tried to create a fuller picture of the outside world. However, it looks kind of like they're going to keep the focus on the House of Night and vampyres, so maybe that won't ever be a problem for them.

While I liked the book as a whole, it kind of bothered me how neatly everything came together for Zoey, especially since she seemed to have such bad taste in friends and boyfriends in her human life. As a human, her best friend was an airhead who was trying to steal her almost-boyfriend (Zoey always calls him that, as though to distance herself from him, but it really just makes her seem wishy washy - it's obvious Heath isn't going to change, and you already think he's lacking in brain cells, so just dump him already, Zoey!). Her almost-boyfriend cheated or almost-cheated on her with her best friend and was slowly killing all his brain cells with alcohol and drugs. After she's Marked, Zoey instantly ends up with a crew of nice, trustworthy friends who don't act the slightest bit jealous that she's obviously meant for great things and has Erik Night, the hottest guy at the school, chasing after her. The only remaining sign of her previously iffy taste in people (other than that Heath continues to be a problem) is her decision to be with Erik Night despite the little things that prick her attention - that he was with Aphrodite for so long despite her obvious meanness and selfishness and that he didn't seem to have any problems with Aphrodite drugging a human guard.

Near the end of the book, when Neferet makes Zoey the new leader of the Dark Daughters, Zoey finds herself wondering why she ever felt she couldn't tell Neferet everything. My theory, which Aphrodite's final words seem to support, is that Neferet and other mature vampyres are involved in whatever it is that makes fledgling vampyres that appeared to die in the Change turn into something red-eyed and evil. Zoey didn't see the first third former die, but she did see the second - she sees Neferet give him something to drink, something that supposedly makes his death less painful, and she's told that Neferet is always there for the fledglings who die.

At the time, all of these things seem like the activities of someone who's trying to help fledglings with inevitable death, but what if the stuff she gave them to drink turned them into something else? What if Neferet is always with those who reject the Change just so that she can help them become true monsters? There have been several times when Neferet has gone cold and scary, and Zoey always brushes those moments off, but what if there's something more to them? After years of being sexually abused by her father, Neferet may not have many reasons to like humans, so maybe she's working against them while appearing to try to help vampyres and humans live in harmony.

Unrelated to all of that, I wonder: what's with the popularity of facial tattoos lately? Pretty facial tattoos also came up in Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, and I'm sure they've come up in other books I've read recently. I suppose that when/if all of these things are made into movies, the facial tattoos will make for some lovely visuals.

Again, unrelated to all of that: I wonder if church groups have been slamming this series? The only organized religion (other than all the Nyx worship) that comes up in this book is the People of Faith, who make me think of the people who make their kids burn Harry Potter books and Pokemon stuff.

The suggestions below are in no particuar order.

Read-alikes:

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (book) by J.K. Rowling - After spending 10 years with his uncle, aunt, and their bully of a son, all people who hate him, Harry Potter learns that he is a wizard and has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although things don't exactly become easy, as he tries to deal with a new magical world he knows nothing about, his celebrity status in the world of witches and wizards, and a powerful enemy who tried to kill him when he was just a baby, Harry still manages to enjoy himself and make friends. This series has a wider audience than I expect the House of Night series does, but it'd make a nice suggestion for someone who just wants something with magic and the "special school for special kids, starring the most special kid of them all" theme.
• The Strange Power (book) by L. J. Smith - This is the first book is Smith's Dark Visions series. Kaitlyn Fairchild is a psychic whose drawings predict the future. The only problem is, her drawings usually don't make sense until after whatever they predict has happened. When she finds out about the Zeetes Institute, a place where she can learn to control her abilities, she decides to go, but the institute may have have more sinister intentions than Kaitlyn realizes. Although the Zeetes Institute isn't a school in the same way the House of Night is, it does have a bit of the "special school for special people" feel. Like Zoey, Kaitlyn finds herself dealing with potential romance and darkness and danger just under the nice surface of the Institute.
• The Initiation (book) by L. J. Smith - This is the first book in Smith's Secret Circle series, although it is no longer available on its own - the link will take you to the Amazon.com page for a volume combining the first book and half the second book (what were they thinking?!). Cassie isn't thrilled to move from sunny California to gloomy New England, but it isn't long before things get interesting for her. Her new school is practically ruled by a group of gorgeous teens who appear to be feared and/or respected by everyone around them. Cassie gradually discovers that, not only do these teens have special powers, so does she. As she gets involved with the group, she begins to fall for the boyfriend of one of the girls. This book and series, like Marked, has magic, a group of girls who think they're better than everyone else, a school setting, a female main character who may be able to make everything right again, and romance. Several characters are similar to characters in Marked.
• Gakuen Alice (manga) by Tachibana Higuchi - When Mikan's best friend leaves to attend the mysterious and elite Alice Academy, Mikan goes after her and tries to become a student at the academy herself. Alice Academy turns out to be a special school for children with amazing abilities (like flying, telekinesis, etc.). Once Mikan manages to prove that she belongs at the school, she becomes a student. Unfortunately, students are allowed little contact with the outside world, and there are other secrets the school and its teachers are hiding. This is meant for a younger audience than Marked, but it's still quite a lot of fun. Like Marked, there are indications that the children at the school are being used in some way. Those who'd like something else with the "special school for special people" theme (with Mikan, like Zoey, being one of the most special of them all) and a bit of romance might want to try this.
• Arrows of the Queen (book) by Mercedes Lackey - Talia is part of a very restrictive community that she doesn't feel she fits in with. She dreams of being able to leave and serve Heralds (sort of like travelling peace-makers, although they do much more than that) and their Companions (beings that have bonded with humans and that look like horses, but that are at least as intelligent as humans). Talia's wish is granted when a Companion finds her and bonds with her, taking her away to be trained as a Herald and the new Queen's Own (emotional advisor to the queen). This is the first book in Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series. This is another "special school for special people" recommendation and has quite a few other things in common with Marked - Talia's oppressive home life, the book's detailed descriptions of her classes, equestrian class, weapons class (for Zoey it's fencing, for Talia it's quick and dirty self-defense), etc.
  
• The Summoning (book) by Kelley Armstrong - After Chloe Saunders suddenly starts seeing ghosts, her father and her aunt have her admitted to Lyle House, a home for troubled teens. All Chloe wants is to convince the adults at Lyle House that she's better and can leave, but it's not long before she starts noticing that there may be something sinister going on. A couple of the other teens at Lyle House are convinced that Chloe really can see ghosts and is, in fact, a necromancer - they may know what they're talking about, since one of them can do magic. This isn't a "special school for special people" book, but it has the same sort of feel at times. Like Zoey, Chloe has to deal with sudden freaky changes to her life, new friends and enemies, people who can't necessarily be trusted, and potential romance (a very tiny part of the book, since Chloe is more concerned with getting to go home that finding herself a guy in the slim pickings of Lyle House).