"The House of Night" series is set in a world very much like our own, except in sixteen-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 vampyre - 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.
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.
