Book Review: House of Night 1-4

I read Marked, the first in the series, way back in 2010, and as far as I can remember, I never picked up the second. This time around, I read the first four books of the series in two weeks, not because I loved the books but more because they are easy reads.

Zoey Redbird enters the House of Night a fledgling vampire, specially marked by the goddess Nyx. She quickly becomes embroiled in vampyre politics and Native American lore....and boys. You have your typical amount of mentor betrayal, miscommunication, and romantic confusion that permeates young adult lit. I was intrigued, annoyed, and frustrated throughout the four books.

The emphasis on sex and bloodlust reminded me a bit of Anastasia Steele's inner goddess: one more mention of it and I was going to jump into the book and start slapping people. Drinking blood gets Zoey hot and bothered. I get it. I don't need it repeated every other page. And that is the BIG THING that stuck with me from these four books. I think there's something in there about another type of vampyre (why can't it be vampire?) and the morality of said vamps is in question. And Zoey's grandma is pretty cool, as is the nun, and I want more of these two women. Zoey's main love interest, Eric, is alternately hot and douchy, and her other love interest reminds me of a big, sloppy, slow puppy.

Overall, I think I just find these books remarkably forgettable. A few pieces stuck but I'm hardpressed to give you a plot summary in any detail. I simply speed through the book, put it down, and promptly forget about it. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I can't guarantee that it will be another 5 years before I pick up the series again.