Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast

Read: November 23-25, 2011

read in 3 days

pages: 306

This has been on my potenial to-read list for quite sometime. I remembering it being checked out a lot when I was working at the library. It always made me wonder how good it was. The cover is attractive so that could be why some kids were picking it up. And it doesn't hurt that it is about some vampires. Wait let me correct my spelling its not "vampires" it is vampyres". Like changing the spelling makes THIS series different and somehow more special than the others out there right now.

I have to say if you read the Twilight series and were at all annoyed by how irritating Bella Swan was, well prepare yourself there is another character that makes Bella seem an interesting character. No joke. Bella is am improvement over this character. This book is following the thought process of 16 year old Zoey who has been Marked to be a vampyre fledgling. She is not a vampyre yet, but after this finishing school, and the education she isaquiring, provided she survives the change, she will be a vampyre. She honestly has the mental capacity of a little child. The use of the word "boobies" and "poopie" was too much for me. I couldn't take the character remotely serious when she mentioned the word "boobies" and then "laughed" to herself in her head with "hee hee". UGH. As if another example was needed of her lack of maturity, it was glaringly obvious with her comparison to her arch enemy Aphrodite, that she had boobies too so she too was not a child. Aside from the physical attributes that make a girl a woman is boobies, but sheesh this does not equal maturity. The novel reads like what it sounds like watching a movie with the commentary turned on. Yes like that only with a whiny, snarky teenage who laughs at words like "boobies".

While the name dropping of figures from popular culture may have impressed other readers, it reminded me of the Gossip Girl series with the constant references to designers. It didn't add to the story, but give it ten years and it will seriously date the book when the references made are no longer relevant.

I'm not fully versed in vampire lore and will not keep away from vampire books but some of the "lore" this book spouts is just ridiculous. A "physiological response to hormones"? THIS is apparently what signifies the change in teens to become potential vampyres. Hmm and scientists have been working to find the link that leads to the change.

There is an entire series that continues likely in this fashion by this mother/daughter writing team. I'm sorry to know this is the kind of junk that is being peddled to teens as "goodreads". I'm not sorry I read it because I was interested in what the hoopla was. I'm going to chalk it up to they just don't know any better. HIGHLY UNRECOMMENDED. Do not kill your brain cells unnecessarily.