My Overall Rating:
4/5

Age Recommendation:
This book is a general young adult audience novel. I would say that 8th or 9th grade would be a good age minimum due to some sexual scenes.

Cover Art:
I think that the cover art for this book is alright. I think it would have been better if it were more like the others, where it shows the mark. Nonetheless it is a pretty cover, and I like it.

Summary:
Enter the dark, magical world of The House of Night, a world where 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 vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change--and not all of those who are Marked do.

My Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a very nice light read, and I like the spin on vampires that Cast has. It's different, but good. I'm curious to see where it goes in the books that follow.

I really like the writing style that Cast uses. It's very simple to follow and easy to read. There is a lot with character development in this book, and I really like that. You really get to know the characters you are reading about and very little questions are left unanswered, and the few that are, I am assuming that they will be answered in the sequel.

The first book in The House of Night series takes us through the process of becoming a vampyre, and what it is like at the school. It's really not that much different from regular high school, other than the time and courses. But the students all act the same. There are still cliques, and there are still conflicts.

I don't normally like vampire stories where the vampires aren't really too different from humans, but I did enjoy this one. I really hope that the others are just as good. This book is re-readable, although it would not be my first choice. I do recommend it to those who like vampire stories and want a quick and easy read.