AWESOME

Chosen
P.C. Cast
Kristin Cast
March
St Martin's Griffin
ISBN-10: 0312360304
ISBN-13: 978-0312360306
Paranormal/YA
*****1/2



Zoey Redbird has far more problems than your average teen faces. First off, she's been Marked as a fledgling vampire; second, she is the most powerful fledgling in ages and has been set apart for service to Nyx; third, rather than cutting ties to her human boyfriend, she imprinted him; fourth, the hottest guy and the hottest teacher in her school both seem to want her; fifth, her best friend was turned into an undead monster; sixth, she has discovered her mentor is not Glinda the Good, but an evil, two or more faced expletive deleted, and seventh, the person she can trust most turns out to be the one she thought was the evil witch with a b. Finally, her birthday is on Christmas Eve. The last may seem inconsequential, but her dislike of that fact begins a chain of events that will culminate in several of those problems being lifted, but not in a way Zoey finds at all comforting or positive. Being Chosen is not only an honor and a gift, but a burden, not to mention, a pain in the backside. Soon, Zoey will find herself being cut off from those she loves and left with only her knowledge that she has a great evil to stop.



Be prepared to be as completely blown away as you probably were a few months ago when you closed the Deathly Hallows. You might even be more floored. This is a stunning, intense, story that will, no pun intended, grab you by the throat and refuse to be put down when you hit the halfway point, if not sooner. I wanted to slowly savor Chosen, but once the action kicked up the pace, it was impossible to not finish all at once. The character development is incredible and drives this series. I want the next book RIGHT NOW.

A very cool book for anyone

Betrayed
P.C. Cast
Kristin Cast
St. Martin's
Oct
ISBN 0312360282
YA Urban Fantasy
****1/2



As Zoe struggles to cope with the many changes being Marked has wrought in her life, not the least of them being her new role as leader of the Dark Daughters, sinister things begin to go on around her. Human boys are disappearing and dying horribly, and certain events are leading Zoe to wonder who she can trust inside the House of Night. Surprisingly enough, her worst enemy is not as much of a hag as Zoe thought. The implications of that truth will have effects that threaten to tear Zoe's life to shreds, or to make her stronger.



Now that you're done with Harry Potter and want to know what to read next, no matter what your age is, put this series on the list. The Casts have created a world that is equally or more complex and compelling than that of the boy wizard. I savored every page as Zoe's life unfolded before us with all the traumas of teen years magnified by her gifts. Bring on the next entry soon!