by Jennifer Hudock

Created on: July 10, 2008   Last Updated: July 11, 2008

In a world where Vampyres and Humans co-exist, the transition from human to vampyre is just another complicated teen problem. No one knows what causes the transition, but young fledglings are Marked, and then accepted into the House of Night - a school developed to train and help ease young Vampyres into their places in society.

When sixteen year old Zoey is marked by the tracker, it's just another thing to complicate her already ridiculously confusing life. Her best friends shies away from her, her family treats her like a foul curse. . . the only people who seem to accept her no matter what are her Cherokee grandmother and her almost ex-boyfriend Heath.

Of course, that doesn't sound so bad, but things can only get worse. Touched by the Goddess Nyx and blessed with a special purpose, Zoey must enter into what should be a slow transition much more quickly than her fledgling peer group. Nyx has expectations and a place and purpose for Zoey, and while Zoey wishes she could just return to her every day normal self, she soon discovers that there is no turning away from responsibility. . . that being normal is never denying who you've always been inside.

This first novel in the House of Night series is incredibly real, facing an amalgum of teen issues that are both eye opening to parents, and relative to teen girls (and boys). The heavy edge of reality is approached by the intelligent voice of a confident young girl who makes a fantastic role model for the confused teen-even if that teen's biggest problems aren't that she's becoming a vampire, but more hormonally inspired. P.C. Cast paired with her daughter Kristin Cast, has created a very real young woman in a world that rivals the every day reality faced by most teens. The problems Zoey must deal with include everything from drugs, sexuality and simply making the right choices to ensure her future is something she can be proud of.

Marked is the first book in the House of Night series, and just the beginning. Published by St Martin's Griffin, there are currently three books in the series, and a fourth to follow in fall 2008.

As a pagan parent, I was pleased to see the introduction to an alternative, Goddess-based belief system that did not bash other religions, but simply mark them as a different path and point of view. This is a great book to inspire open mindedness, spiritual growth and empowerment in individuality in young women. Non-pagan parents with an open mind, it is a very strong introduction into principles your teen would roll her eyes at if you tried to talk to her without a relative platform to start from, so I think that in itself makes this an incredibly powerful book

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