It only takes one day for all to change. Zoey Redbird was an average teenager just looking for a way to fit in. Her family was a mess, geometry was ruining her grades and her boyfriend was starting to drink and smoke. Could life get any worse?
“Marked: A House of Night” series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast is about a girl dealing with Change, literally. The story begins when Zoey Redbird gets Marked. (Once one is Marked, he or she will go through the transformation of turning into a vampire.) Just hours after the incident, Zoey realizes her life is about to take a whole new turn. She now has to attend and live at The House of Night, a school for vampires, and leave everyone she knows behind. Zoey’s struggles have just begun.
Going through the Change from a fledging (young vampire) to an adult vampire is known to be a difficult one. In the first four years of the Change, anyone can die. When Zoey arrives at The House of Night, she notices she is different than the average fledging. Her mark on her forehead is more than the average outline of a crescent moon. “The Mark was a completed crescent moon, filled in perfectly with the distinctive sapphire blue of the vampire tattoo.”
Along with her unique mark, Nyx, the Vampire Goddess, has given her special powers, an affinity for all the 5 elements: Air, Earth, Water, Fire and Spirit. Now that Zoey has special powers, she is looked upon as a High Priestess in training. Instead of being honored of having such special powers, Zoey worries she won’t fit in. Thankfully she finds a group of close knit friends in which she becomes a part of.
Because of her powers and unusual mark, Zoey is invited to join the Dark Daughters, a student organization made up of elite fledglings, where she figures out the leader of the Dark Daughters is using her powers for evil. Unleashing the priestess within, Zoey and her friends start to think of a plan to take her down. Will they be able to find a way to take her down and restore justice in the school? Reading the book is the only way to find out.
This book has taught me that no matter where you end up in life, you can always find a group of friends who will stick with you no matter what. They will be there to help as well as guide you through every obstacle you face.
The minute I read this book, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but in the end, it left me wanting more. I was relieved to find out it was just Book 1 of 5. The beginning of the book was slow but once I got to the part when Zoey moves into The House of Night, I couldn’t take my eyes off each sentence. Event after event, this book intrigued me. The way P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast used words to illustrate events made me feel a part of them. “Then the vampyre spoke and his ceremonial words slicked across the space between us, dangerous and seductive, like blood mixed with melted chocolate.” I could clearly picture Zoey’s surroundings and feel her emotions throughout the whole book. The comparisons they used made me feel as if I were undergoing the experiences myself.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good vampire story and wants to feel like part of the book.