Marked: Number 1 in series (House of Night, #1)

by P.C. Cast

When sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird gets Marked as a fledgling vampire she must join the House of Night school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change. But Zoe is no ordinary fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the Goddess Nyx and discovers her amazing new power to conjure the elements: earth, air, fire, water and spirit. When Zoey discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look within herself to embrace her destiny - with a little help from her new vampire friends. - Not suitable for younger readers -

• ISBN10: 1905654316
• ISBN13: 9781905654314
• Publish Date: 15 January 2009 (first published 1 May 2007)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 11 February 2014
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: ATOM
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

A kind of nothing story that creates more questions than it answers. I will be fair and say that I'm a bit over the paranormal vampire trend and that could be influencing my review. But also, this was just your run of the mill paranormal vampire book. There wasn't anything special (except for how often they told Zoey how special and different she was) about it.

Zoey is an outsider to her own family when she is tracked and marked as one of the potential vampyres (and the spelling annoyed the crap out of me) destined to attend the House of Night boarding school. Her religious family are horrified and ready to contain her and convert her back (or let her die). FYI, there was a particularly strong slant against Christian/Catholic religion in this, it comes up way more than it needed to be. Anyway, she turns to the only one of her family willing to help her through - her grandma. Her grandma takes her to the school and Zoey finds new friends, new enemies and new dangers as she struggles to learn about what it means to be a vampyre.

Well. For 300+ pages I still know very little about the world Zoey finds herself in. The vampyre change is practically ignored except when necessary to dish out a tiny morsel for Zoey to stress about - oh right, bloodlust, oh right, imprinting, etc. House of Night clearly needed an introductory class for their students and I want to take that up with management. But it also annoyed me that Zoey wasn't more proactive in finding out what the hell was going on. As far as the timeline, it felt like she was only there for a week or two, so I guess she was busy. Especially with her always being on the soapbox - there was a lot of preaching about stereotyping and kindness and religion and race and lgbt+ and it felt like it missed the mark on educating versus lecturing.

But the biggest problem with this book was I just didn't care. I didn't like Zoey or her friends or her enemies. I didn't like the plot. I didn't like the numerous questions I had about the world building that just weren't answered. It was very flat and bland and I just couldn't be bothered. I won't be reading the rest of the series so I guess my questions will have to go unanswered. 1.5 stars, rounded down to 1.

[FranJessca @ A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog]

Marked is the first book to P.C. Cast’s and Kristin Cast’s House of Night series. I was still in the U.S. Navy when I read this book the first time. It was right after I read the Twilight series. I never reviewed it, though, and thought it was time to re-read this series, mostly since I never finished the series. (My bad.) 

First, let me say this book was published in 2007, so much of the stuff mentioned in this book is outdated now when it comes to teenage pop culture, language, tone, etc. Its audience targets teenagers and not adults, but the Young Adult genre has always been a favorite of mine, no matter what year it was written. (I’m not going to give away my age because some people will call me old or ancient. I do have a teenage daughter, so that should give away somewhat of my age. She’s the one calling me old or ancient.)

My Thoughts: I’m not going to go into the storyline because the synopsis goes over it pretty well. I will say this book is different from other vampire stories. The protagonist Zoey Redbird is a typical teenage girl trying to find her way in the world until fate gives her another route for her life. She’s marked to become a Vampire. Zoey is one character you have to grow to love because she comes off as whiny at first. As the mother of a teenage daughter, I can understand Zoey a little better now. Teenage daughters are not easy to live with, and I have to remind myself I was a teenager at one time too. Zoey doesn’t have a loving family, except for her Grandmother, so she needs something else to help her grow. I’m glad she was Marked and sent away from her mom, step-dad, and siblings.

I love the fact that this book/series has a diversity of characters. You have the sweet, caring country girl, Stevie Rae. The smart and adorable gay guy, Damien. (He loves using big words to the Twins, which they give him a hard time about.) The Twins, Shaunee and Erin, from different states and backgrounds, look nothing alike but act alike. Then there’s Erik Night, who is dreamy and dramatic because he’s a theatre kid. Each one brings something different to the story and helps Zoey through the dramas of House of Night.

There’s the villain(s) in the story that also play a role. One in particular who will drive anyone crazy because she thinks she can get away with everything.

I picked up this book back in 2009 and still love to read it due to the book/series being written by a mother/daughter duo. P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast are a fantastic duo that I can’t get enough of, which is why I’m going back to reading this series from the beginning.

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the House of Night Series.

Cliffhanger: There’s no mention of a cliffhanger, but there are unsolved things that come up in this book that need to be addressed.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you are a fan of the YA Fantasy genre and loved the Twilight series, I would recommend this book/series. If you are looking for more grown-up books, this book/series may not be for you. This is a series I would recommend to my teenage daughter (if she enjoyed reading, but she doesn’t right now.) My youngest daughter may end up reading this series when she’s old enough. She is more of a reader and loves reading fantasy stories.

[bestmessever]

So happy I decided to pick this up and I am excited to continue on. I read this series a while back but only made it to the 6th or 7th book so I am rereading and then finishing this series. It's just so much fun and entertaining to read:)

[Baroness Book Trove]

CAUTION! THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK ALREADY!!!!!!!

I read this book back in my sophomore year of high school and I thought it was good. I still think that thought today after I just finished this book once again. I mean the main character is only SIXTEEN-YEARS-OLD so of course she would be dealing with some weird things in the book. Especially with being a new kid at a new school in the middle of the new school year. I know about this because I had to deal with that too but then again I also didn't have to deal with a new boarding school or being a vampyre as well. This book series shouldn't get hate just because of how the writing seems to be like what a normal teenage girl would write when she is experiencing new things in her diary or anything like that. I think that this mother and daughter duo did a good job on capturing the teenage voice.

I mean every teenager let it be girl or guy goes through issues on boyfriends and learning new things and trying to fit in. I mean I know I sure did even if I never had a boyfriend since I had to deal with friends and other things that a normal teenagers go through.

Zoey is a young teenage girl in Tulsa, Oklahoma who looks more of her Cherokee heritage then anyone else of her family. She got Marked toward the end of the school day one day at her old high school and she didn't want it to happen. But her grandma's family came from a Wise Women line and so she has that in her blood as well.

She is just mostly worried about what will happen throughout the whole book after she met the Goddess Nyx and ended up getting her Marked filled in already. She just wants to make it through the school and through the Change.

This book is pretty good and I recommended it to anyone that loves Young Adult paranormal books. I also gave this book a five star review because granted I could put it down while not worrying about my place but that is mostly because I was also thinking about what would happen when I start to read it again. I started to do that a lot today and yesterday and even more on the night I started it as I was dreaming about the book. Yes I know it's weird to dream about a book but I do do that on occasion. Especially if I am writing one. I did that a lot in my high school years and I am trying to do it again now. But yes please comment about this review if you want to.

If you want to read some more of my reviews please go to my blog: http://baronessbooktrove.blogspot.com/

[angelarenea9]

This review is now posted on Reading with Angela Renea

I had heard about the House of Night series books a lot, and thought I'd give them a try, although I admit, I really did not expect to like them all that much. That being said I thought that this book was really well written, and laid out.

I particularly loved the matriarchal society that P.C. and Kristen Cast have designed and the very unique way in which they write the vampyres. This is not your run of the mill vampires are scary, but these ones are not all bad story. It presents vampires as more of a secret society.

It isn't a book for everyone, but It reminds me of the popular television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in the way that it takes normal problems that teens and young adults would be going through, and makes them into supernatural or magical issues.

There was a slight(ok, not so slight) undertone of feminism in the book, but it was not irritating, or overpowering. It did not overpower the plot as many of the feminist themed books tend to do. I am pretty sure that there were also ties to Wicca but I am not 100% on that as I am not familiar with that group.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought that I would and honestly the thing that held me back from 5 stars was the language. It was clearly trying to be 'hip' and 'cool' but came off childish, unrealistic, and to use a lame word, lame. That combined with some of the choices Zoey made were frustrating, however I guess that's just part of her character.

Overall I think that this book would appeal to a wide variety of readers, including those looking for a romance, and those looking for something with a little bit more plot to it. I recomend that you give this series a chance!

Follow my book review blog at http://missbookreviews.wordpress.com/

--

I loved this book. And finally! A book I have nothing to complain about!

Everything was fleshed out, all the characters were well rounded, the readers weren’t thrown a tonne of information all at once and the writing style was easy to read and interesting.

The storyline is so cool, the ideas about vampires used in this book are entertaining. You can tell that P. C and Kristin Cast have gone over the finer details of the world they’ve created. The one thing I hate is reading a book and getting confused about what is gonig on because it is unclear what the world is about and what the characters are talking about.

You are instantly drawn into this story. Zoey is a likeable character, she in interesting to read and very real and down to earth. I didn’t find myself cringing at her decisions or shallow thoughts or rolling my eyes and how stupid and naive she is. That is a major plus comparing to the other books I’ve been reading lately! She is strong and independent and I love that she doesn’t need a man to lean on or to ‘survive’.

The writing style is easy to read, there are no long winded descriptions and half of the book isn’t explaining what the world is about, the history of it or what state it is in at the moment. You find all of that stuff out as you read the story, which I like way better than when the whole first half of a book is explaining what world the story is set in and what’s happened up to that point…

The storyline is clear and entertaining. And the ending although it ties up the story the book had been following it also makes you want to move on to the second book to find out what happens next in The House of Night.

I’m looking forward to book two of this series!

Miss J
x

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

I am not usually a person who flat-out hates a book... but this would be an exception. I have grown up living and breathing the vampire represented in Anne Rice and Bram Stoker... and the moment Neferet gets miffed because - Goddess forbid! - Zoey uttered Stoker's name, I was annoyed. For all intensive purposes, this is a story about immature, over dramatic witches. And yes, I meant witches.

As far as the description of vampire goes... the Casts decided to go with "drinks blood sometimes" and "worshippers of Night" (literally) and "burns in sunlight" as their descriptors. There is the complaint that Stoker villianizes vampires (oh, sorry, vampyres) but it's the strength and mystique that is missing. For a little while, I had hoped that it could be found in the adults...but no. Even the High Priestess gets giddy and excited over the fledglings. Zoey has a kitty cat familiar and casts circles and spells and has an affinity over the elements. Oh fantasy readers... am I the only one that aligns those gifts and traits with a typical witch... not a vampire?

Now lets talk about Zoey. Zoey has, like, the worst life evar. Srsly. Her mom like totally hates her and her "step-loser" is like a total brainwashed follower of the People of Faith, who are like, complete assholes. Oh, welcome to the way this book is written. Okay, I'm being a little overdramatic, but the protagonist's background is the same as any whiny teenager I could follow on Tumblr (no offense intended... everything seems worse when it's happening until you experience some more "real" life... you know what I mean?). The book starts with gossip about that cute guy at the football match. When she gets to the House of Night, it's about the Hags from Hell and omg they are so evil. No substance. It's even very dramatic when she's saving the day at the end. Zoey's family? She has an open-minded grandmother; a non-supportive, brainwashed-by-new-husband mother; goody-two-shoes siblings; and a step-father who is prejudiced. That prejudice really bothers me, actually, because over and over again the Casts bring up the "People of Faith" (oooh, that is screaming Charlaine Harris) and they talk about it like its the only religion and all religious people are blind, hateful, and controlling... which isn't a fair assessment at all. At least Harris uses a little comparison in her novels... there are different sects, and yes, some people may be like that, but the world isn't black and white.

Anyway. Zoey. She's an absolute Mary Sue. It's one thing to have powers. That's cool. It's another thing to be the strongest of everyone in your class. That's... okay, well, I'll keep reading. It's ANOTHER things to be the most powerful person in your school. In the world? In history? Come on. But wait! There's more! She also has a special mission in the school that is her mission only, a super important mission. And if THAT wasn't enough, the hottest guy in the school is falling for her, the strongest vampire in the school is her mentor, and she seems to be on the top of her classes. ... ... ... I've got no words. Lots of annoyed thoughts. Talk about excess!

I think the only way I'd read the second book of this series was if someone bought me the book, and paid me to review it. It made me mad.

I'm sure there are lots of people out there who would like it. Occasional readers, perhaps. Twilight fans? Middle school girls. That's about all I can give it.

I think that while it was nice that PC wrote a book with her daughter (nay, a series)... she's a better writer on her own. I read Divine by Mistake by her last year, and while I was ultimately disappointed with that book as well, it was a much better story, and a much better character.

Maybe the Casts just aren't for me.

[Katie King]

So this book is....interesting. I suppose if you're looking for a book that is incredibly fake, this is a good choice. First, the language. If I have to read the phrase "hag(s) from hell" one more time, I might shoot someone. It says on the back that P.C. Cast used her daughter to make it sound more teenaged. Well, she failed. I'm 17, and I can say that no one I know talks like Zoey and her friends. Damien is perhaps the worst case of this. He is the stereotypical gay best friend who constantly references his sexuality like it defines him, and also speaks straight out of the dictionary. His dialogue is thus a pain to read, because you're switching between large words that are so obviously plucked from a thesaurus, and excessive flamboyancy. Nice try.

Another point worth mentioning is the author's obsession with sex. I know its a young adult book, but honestly, a year ago (when I was sixteen) I didn't focus on sex that much. From the supposed oral sex scene, to Aphrodite rubbing her crotch, and Zoey thinking about boobs all the time, it came across as really forced to me. Yeah, I like a little passion in books, and I like some making out or even just brief sex scenes a la "Breaking Dawn" (can't believe I referenced that; HATE that book). But it just felt like sexy fluff that was put it to entice the exceptionally horny teenager into reading.
*SPOILER*

Note: I started reading the second book, but after she started getting dirty with the teacher or whomever, I stopped. I am never reading this series again.

[celinenyx]

I picked this book up, expecting some kind of female Harry Potter, but this time with vampires (or "vampyres" as they are called in Marked).

Well, this book was nothing like that. It was somehow a lot more mystique, otherworldly. When Zoey "Marked" by a vampyre Tracker, she has to be sent to the House of Night, otherwise she will die a horrible death. Here she learns about vampyre society while she is changing. Here no one of the fledglings know if they will survive the change, or if their body will reject it.

I quite liked the House of Night and Cast's concept of vampires. They worship the Goddess of the Night, Nyx. This means that there are several rituals led by the leader of the school, High Priestess Neferet. The rituals were detailed, reminding me a bit of Wiccan rituals, with the summoning of the elements and the closing of a circle.

However, I did dislike the way Ms Cast tried to not so subtly convince us with her morals. She especially has a strange conception of what defines being a slut. You want to kiss a guy that is hot and nice to you? Such a slut. You're wearing a tight short dress? Well, you must have bought that in a ho store. And if you have to take it from Ms Cast, giving a guy a blowjob is truly the most horrible thing a girl can do, 'cause you know, you'd only do that if you were forced. I really didn't like her condescending tone. This will just give teenagers that read these books the idea that every small sexual desire for a guy is totally wrong and disgusting and slutty. Such a judgemental attitude is strange for a character that is a teenager herself, without being influenced in these ideas by anyone around her. I got the idea Ms Cast wanted to give us a message, and put these words badly disguised in her main characters mouth.

Another thing I thought was pretty weird, especially in the first half of the book, is how Ms Cast is trying way too hard to sound like a teenager. References to Paris anorexia and Pamela Anderson's boobs stand out between completely normal conversations, standing out in a not so good way. Again, it felt like Ms Cast was criticising modern day society through Zoey.

This book is somewhere between a 3 and a 4 star rating, depending on my mood. This book was surprisingly different, not at all what I was expecting. Yet, I couldn't stand the author's attitude. I will read the next book in the series though, I'm curious to see where these books go.

[Rinn]

I'm not sure why I read this. I actually read the first three (all the books in the series my sister had), probably because I was in one of those moods where you just want to read something trashy that can be read quickly.

A lot annoyed me about these books.
1. Zoe. And her double standards. Everyone who does anything remotely sexual (or sometimes not even sexual) is a slut. Yet she can be seeing three guys at once, and do all the 'slutty' things and that's okay?
2. The teen slang. I really HATE this in books - it's okay every so often to reenforce the teen character, but I honestly don't know any teenagers who use slang that frequently.
3. The pop culture references. Are they meant to be cool?
4. The mother/daughter writing team. Just. No. Embarrassing. Ugh.

Yet I still read the next two... It's like when you see something really cringeworthy, but you can't look away. That's what reading these books is like.