A young librarian recommended this series to me as I was checking out a Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires) book. Immediately I logged onto goodreads to see people's reviews. Had I heeded those reviews, I probably would not be in the predicament I am now: I was entertained by the book, but distracted by the lack of quality writing. The teenage dialogue seemed so unrealistic and forced. I spend 40 hours a week surrounded by teenagers, and I've never once heard them say, "hee hee." How about the continuous and confusing misuse of 'affect' and 'effect'? Isn't it customary for a manuscript to go through a rather lengthy process of editing before it is printed? Reading this book has given me hope that the novel I've been writing for 5 years has potential to eventually be published. But I'd lobby for a better editor...
Zoey is floundering through her normal high school routine when suddenly she is approached by a strange man near her locker. He Marks her, meaning he tags her as a vampyre (why is it spelled like this, anyway? Do the authors have something against the usual way - vampIre? That is never explained in the book, either.) She rushes home to tell her mother, running into her drunken boyfriend and his friends, who are absolutely horrified by her new Marking. When she shows her mother the Mark, her mother shies away in disgust and panics. Immediately she calls her new husband, a member of the People of Faith, who calls the pastor and the family psychologist to the house. Zoey retreats to her bedroom and escapes, driving to her Cherokee grandmother's lavender farm. Luckily her grandmother is more understanding and brings her to the House of Night before she dies from all the coughing (??). Her roommate, whose name I can't seem to remember even though I finished reading only moments before writing this, has a thick Southern accent and is very naive. She introduces Zoey to her friends and they accept Zoey quickly. Enter Aphrodite, the leader of the "mean girls" at House of Night. She is in training to be the High Priestess, but also makes it her mission to destroy Zoey. Naturally, Aphrodite's ex-boyfriend is interested in Zoey, and that just adds fuel to an already raging fire.
This book lacks many things, in my opinion, but what it does not lack is teenage drama. However, several of the characters aren't developed enough (Erik especially), and this makes it difficult for the reader to identify with them.
The marking on my book says "Young Adult", but I don't know that I'd agree with that since there are very inappropriate references to things that young adults needn't really be aware of...yet.
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