Betrayed

Betrayed

P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

St. Martin's Griffin

$8.95 U.S.

FTC: I purchased this book myself

From the back of the book:

Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night finishing school. She finally feels like she belongs, even gets chosen as the Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all she actually has a boyfriend . . . or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey's old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the vourage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

My Thoughts:

And the plot thickens..... Immediately as I began reading this book I got sucked in. The plot got messy right away and I had to keep reading just to keep up with the characters. The Cast duo is able to compose a novel that is full of everything from romance to suspense, and murder to deception. The emotions run the gamut in the book. I absolutely love how Zoey has grown from the first book, but we still see her struggle. She is finally gaining an understanding of her abilities, but now she is having trouble in the boy department. I am not going to lie there are times when Zoey deides to get hot and heavy in the book, but it fits in well and shows the reader more of her character. I cannot wait to read the next book, the ending of Betrayed was so intense. he title fit perfectly and near the end all the pieces began falling together and I was able to guess what was happening. This book held my attention from start to end, and I loved it.

Recommendations:

Anyone wanting to know what being betrayed feels like.

Grade: A

Age: 16 and up

Quote: "It still seemed wrong to me, but maybe that was because I was only a month into the Change and still more used to being humanthan vamp, or even fledgling." ~Zoey

Marked

Marked

P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

St. Martin's Griffin

$8.95 U.S.

FTC: I purchased this book

From the back of the book:

Enter the dark, magical world of the House of Night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampyre. That is, if she makes it through the Change -- and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average flegling. She has been chosen as a special vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, 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 group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within hersel for the courage to embrace her destiny -- with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. It was a much different spin on the vampires that are overruning our society. The "y" in vampyre is just one example. Zoe was ana amazing female lead. While she made mistakes and sometimes gave in to her indulgences, she was strong-willed and very self-sufficient. She provided the perfect independent role model for the book. I really enjoyed how the Cast Duo incorporated Nyx the vanpyre Goddess into these books. This was an added element that made the book become much more than it could have been. The plot was amazing. I would begin to think that I knew what was going on then a new piece would enter the puzzle. I was hooked from the beginning!

Recommendations: Anyone looking for an intense read.

Grade: A

Age: 16 and up, this book was much more sexual than most out there.

Quote: "I tried not to scribble things like me gusta Erik . . . and no me gusta el hag-o Aprodite." -Zoe

I Like It Like That

I Like It Like That

Ceily von Ziegesar

Little Brown Books for Young Readers

$8.99 U.S.

FTC: I purchased this book.

Synopsis from the back of the book:

Spring Break is here and it's time for S & B to jet out to Sun Valley for plenty of apres-ski hot tub fun. Too bad for those unfortunate few who have to stay in New York and intern amonh the city's most fabulous glitterati. Back on the slopes, when the ski house is this big, whoc can keep track of N, and who's sleeping where? So get out your cashmere-lined boots and meet me by the fire.

My Thoughts:

Oh Gossip girl. I love spending a day living vicariously through New York's elite. I liked that Nate was a main focus in this book. I absolutely love him, and the way his character grew in this book was fun to read. I loved the winter scene and I could almost feel myself up on the mountain while reading this book. I also really liked Blair's character in this story. She finally decided to take what she wanted, and that made me proud. But then she changed her mind and realized what she really wanted. I cannot wait to see where life takes B and N in the next book.

Recommendations: Anyne wanting a good winter read

Age: 16 and up

Grade: A

Quote: "And it was kind of . . . yummy."

Dead Witch Walking

Dead Witch Walking

Kim Harrison

HarperCollins

$7.99 U.S.

Disclaimer: This is not a young adult novel

Synopsis by Barnes and Noble:

The underground population of witches, vampires, werewolves—creatures of dreams and nightmares—has lived beside humans for centuries, hiding their powers. But after a genetically engineered virus wipes out a large part of humanity, many of the "Inderlanders" reveal themselves, changing everything.
Rachel Morgan, witch and bounty hunter with the Inderland Runner Services, is one of the best at apprehending supernatural lawbreakers throughout Cincinnati, but when it comes to following the rules, she falls desperately short. Determined to buck the system, she quits and takes off on the run with an I.S. contract on her head and is reluctantly forced to team up with Ivy, Inderland's best runner . . . and a living vampire. But this witch is way out of her league, and to clear her name, Rachel must evade shape-changing assassins, outwit a powerful businessman/crime lord, and survive a vicious underground fight-to-the-death . . . not to mention her own roommate.

My Thoughts:

This book was really good. It was a total fantasy book, there were witches, vampires, demons, pixies and every other fantasy icon you could think of. This book took a bit more to get into, but it was worth it. Like I said in a previous review Kim Harrison worked well with her characters. I felt like I knew every single one, and believe me there were quite a few. This was not a young adult novel, not meaning it was full of graphic things, but it was aimed towards an older crowd. This book had more serious elements to it. I really enjoyed this book something was always going on. And I would often find myself thinking that nothing more could go wrong and then of course something did. Kim Harrison is an amazing author and I loved this book.

Recommendations:

Anyone who loves fantasy.

Grade: A

Age: 16 and up

Extras: This is a series. There are 7 novels out so far and I believe there will be 12 or 13. These books are worth reading!