Review: Marked by P.C. Cast

Thank goodness it's the weekend.  I don't think I made it home before 7pm even one day this week.  That meant I was doing a little around the house, then collapsing into bed so I could get up and go back to school again.  Work is really good though and I have great classes.  It has been a long week though, so I'm happy to have three days off to catch up with grading, reading, and sleeping!

Having said that, I'm thankful for the little bit of reading I did snatch up.  Now it's time to catch up on a few reviews!

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-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 vampire--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."

Review:  Marked was a fun boarding school, magical, vampire book that feels familiar because of all the other books you've ever read that uses one of those scenarios.  In this case, Zoey is the special character who enters the House of Night school with her own special talents.  There is the love interest that she likes right off, and a series of friends who are jealous of her and want to see her go down, but the real point is that Zoey has something unique about her that gives her advanced powers.

I have seen Marked floating around for some time and have many students who have read the series.  I finally decided to read it for myself and thought that it was better than I expected.  Although it has a very strong YA feel to it that will make it appeal mainly to teens (as it should), the story is fun and engaging without being too dark.  I liked Zoey's friends and the characters that she interacted with.  The magic and paranormal elements in the story were interesting as well, and didn't feel too far-fetched to really believe they could exist.  Overall, I can see why this series has gotten so much attention.  In the teen vampire genre, this one has its own fun twist that helps it stand out.

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a library copy of the novel.