Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast

     Marked, book one of about a million, was as tremendously pleasing as the first time I have read it. This is only the third time I have started this series, only to be sucked in and wanting more when I finally reach the end and then having to wait forever for the next book to come out. NO MORE! I’m sure come the end of my reading and reviewing of this series I will be a lot more upset about it finally ending, but at the moment I am hoping for the end to not be a cliffhanger leaving me impatient and needing more. I will not be reviewing each book singularly (this being an exception). I plan to review them in groups of two or three as I go along, as in this instance, I may review one if it stands out a great deal as one that needs to be reviewed alone. To get into the thick of things with this one, I can say this isn’t your average Twilight fan fiction or a cheap imitation. I don’t remember which came out first, or even which series I read first, but this one is a great deal different (so don’t let the vampire correlation scare you away if that’s what you’re thinking). This book starts with Zoey being “marked” and thrown into a new school, where she’ll learn to be a vampire. The catch is that she’s already one step ahead of everyone else; the crescent moon marked on her face is not an outline like every other young fledging’s, but a full blown colored in one. She’s got average worries, quite a few more not so average ones she has to face, and in the end, good and evil, and light and dark aren’t exactly what they seem.

     I give this book a four. I may be getting to old for young adult novels (HA! Never going to happen), but this one is just a little bit more than the average young adult book. It has romance, and the confusion it brings with it, a lot of instances where you should learn to trust your gut, a whole lot of loyalty, and even more of standing up for what is right. It sounds like a pretty good mix already right? Add in vampires, evil hags, and some poetry and you’ve got gold. The inner dialogue of Zoey is ridiculous, and I love every second of it. I can almost guarantee that if you aren’t saying ah hell (even to yourself) at the end of this book, you can bet your butt you’ll be saying it by the end of the next one. The writing was very good, especially as it was co-written by mother and daughter. If you like vampire stories, if you like a little sci-fi, if you like good vs evil, and cliff hangers at the end of a book (EVERY EFFING ONE), then start this series. Be smart about it, though, like I am, and start it while you’re on vacation (your family doesn’t really NEED all of that undivided attention, you can fake it.)

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