Marked

Yep, it's another vampire book. Before you go getting any wrong ideas, let me just make it clear that I am VEHEMENTLY anti-Twilight (another big word. I'm proud of myself). Just 'cause I like some vampire books doesn't mean that I like all of them. Especially not the ones that brought the biggest setback in feminism since the invention of the sandwich *cough*Bella Swan*cough**cough*. If you're a Twilight fan, sorry. I'll try to keep my rants to a minimum. Okay, getting back to the review, let me introduce you to an awesomely a**-kicking girl by the name of Zoey. Here is.... Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast!
Marked seems like it's set in the modern world, with one difference: in the book the presence of vampyres is known worldwide. They tend not to be accepted by society, but many - due to their enhanced skills - are prominent figures in the arts and other fields. How the process works is this: a person is Marked by a Tracker when they are a teenager, which means that a hollow crescent tattoo appears on their forehead and they become a fledgling. They have to go live and study at the closest House of Night, which is basically a vampyre school. There, they learn about how to use their abilities and continue school until they're an adult. Eventually they'll Change into a full vampyre, which is when the crescent tattoo gets filled in.
Zoey Montgomery is a normal girl living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. You know, she has a motormouth of a best friend, a boyfriend-who-used-to-be-sweet-but-was-dumped-because-he-turned-into-a-frat-boy, a slimy pastor stepfather who thinks she's the devil, and an oblivious "mother" who doesn't notice anything except the rules that said Step-Loser instates. Everything changes the day she is Marked. Only, one thing is different about Zoey's Marking. Shortly after being marked, she gets a vision from Nyx - the goddess of night and basically the patron of all vampyres - who tells her that she has a special path to walk and that she is different than other fledglings. Still shaken by this, Zoey enters the House of Night in Tulsa where she is taken in by Neferet, the equivalent of a high school principal (but a lot more powerful and nicer). She meets a charmingly weird group of friends, including Stevie Rae (the sweetest country girl you could ever find ), Damien (who has an extensive vocabulary and clothing collection. Yep, he's gay), and Shaunee and Erin (who are twins in every sense of the word except genetics). Her only problem comes in the form of Aphrodite, who seems determined to make her as UNwelcome as possible. And she might be more sinister than she seems.
Yeah, I'm completely aware that last line was really cheesy. High school writer here, remember? If you've already read the book and are appalled by my reviewing skills, then sorry. But if you are one of those people, what are you doing reading the review? Anyway, excuse me while I rave about this book. I read it at the beginning of the week, and promptly went and read the next two in the series. I'm currently on number four, and am still hooked. They're really funny, well-written, and compelling. I would recommend this to any high schooler, but they're probably not for middle school age. So, it'll be at SHS tomorrow (hint, hint) and you can also get it at Kettleson and Mt. Edgecumbe. *sends telepathic messages to you telling you to check it out*