Independent Novel Project: Marked By Zoey Heffner

Independent Novel Project

Marked is the first book in the House of Night series and was published May 1, 2007. It was written by P.C. Cast and Kirsten Cast together. The book is about a high school sophomore named Zoey Heffner who is marked by a tracker to become a fledgling vampyre. Once someone is marked and becomes a fledgling they have to give up their old life and move to a boarding school where they can learn all about the history, and what it takes to be a vampyre. However, not all of the fledglings make it through the change. Once a fledgling's body starts to reject the change there is no hope for them and they die.

Her mom, Linda, blames Zoey for the fact that she was marked and, her and her super-religious husband (Zoey's stepfather who hates vampyres), try to keep Zoey at home to see the Elders of the People of Faith, which is an anti-vampyre group. They can't do this though because fledglings need to be with an adult vampyre so that their bodies won't reject the change. If Zoey doesn't get to the House of Night her body could begin to reject the change and she could die. So Zoey runs off to her grandma Sylvia (who we later know as Grandma or Grandma Redbird). On the way she passes out and has a vision of the vampyre goddess Nyx, who tells Zoey that she will be her "eyes and ears" at the House of Night. The goddess then leaves Zoey saying, "Darkness does not always equate to evil, Light does not always bring good" which becomes very important throughout the book.

Later, Zoey wakes up at the school with her grandma and the schools High Priestess and her future mentor, Neferet. She finds out that her Mark is filled in, which usually doesn't happen to fledglings, but follows her gut and doesn't say anything about the ...

... middle of paper ...

...he Dark Daughters and Sons instead of Aphrodite. As they go home, Aphrodite angrily informs Zoey that, "it's not over yet- you don't understand." After the whole incident, Zoey notices some tattoos were added to her mark, adding to her already unusual mark.

I think the main idea of this novel is, follow your instincts and always do what feels right, even if it seems wrong. A lot of times throughout the novel Zoey is put in a situation where she has to follow her instincts to do what is right, even if the teenager in her is telling her to give up. The theme is good over evil. Zoey defeats Aphrodite, gets the guy, the dark daughters, and the full trust of Neferet.

There are fifteen other books besides Marked in the House of Night Series and I am currently on book eight, Awakened. This is my new favorite series and these books have gotten me back into reading.