House of Night: The Graphic Novel #1

book: House of Night (Graphic Novel)
author: P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast, Kent Dalian, Joëlle Jones
series: House of Night Graphic Novels #1
pages: 132
genres: vampires, young adult, mythology
publication date: November 9th, 2011
publisher: Dark Horse comics

Until recently, Zoey Redbird was an average high-school student worrying about grades, boys, and breakouts. But priorities have a way of changing when you are Marked as a vampyre, enroll in the vampyre academy House of Night, and have to figure out a whole new social hierarchy, affinities for elemental magic, and physiological changes that make you crave blood.

I started reading this graphic novel with high expectations. Not because it was House of Night, but because it was a graphic novel and I LOVE graphic novels. Maybe I would have liked it better without those high expectations, because this graphic novel wasn't what I expected it to be.

This graphic novel's cover looks pretty attractive, but the inside drawings aren't as beautiful as I expected them to be according to the cover. It might, of course, just be me who has too high expectations, or just my own preferences, but for me it just didn't have the WOW-factor. 

The story told in this novel has nothing much to do with the actual series. It took place between the first and the second novel of the actual series. You get to know how Zoey came up with her ideas about how to rule the Dark Daughters. The story is divided into 5 parts, Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Spirit. All of them have a lesson bound to them, about some type of ancient mythology. For instance, there was one about Circe, a Witch from ancient Greek Mythology, and one about Herakles, aka Hercules, a hero from ancient Greece. *not all were Greek, but just to give 2 examples* That was my favourite part about the story, the myths. What I didn't like about it is that the myths were vampyre-ified. Nobody should mess with my myths!

A good kick-off for a graphic novel series, and I will check out the next one, but not the best graphic novel I have ever read.

I give this graphic novel 2.5 stars.

xo Mar

A review copy was provided by the press and Netgalley, in exchange for a honest review. I was not given anything in reward for a positive review, I have just given my honest opinion on this book.

Chosen by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

book: Chosen
written by: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
series? House of night #3
genres: young adult, romance, fantasy
pages: 307
own / library / borrowed
publication date: March 1st, 2008
publisher: St. Martins press


note: This review will include spoilers for part 1 and 2 in the series. I did not review them. I did not hate, them, but did not love them, either. Just neutral, I guess :)

the book: 
Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies. And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends. So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity. Speaking of rare: Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare position of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith, and Zoey’s horrid step-father in particular, are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres. But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely reflects the truth…

review:

Okay, to be honest, I am getting a little tired with all the vampire stuff. *wow, did I really just type that? :o* Luckily, House of Night is not the usual vampire stuff. *okay, actually it is*

I stopped reading this series after part 2, but I picked up book 3 because one of my friends who doesn't like to read at all recommended it to me. And when someone doesn't like to read but still likes a book, it must be very good, right?

So the storie of Zoey, the super-annoying whiny girl / slut continues. She has got everything you can want as a vampire fledgling. She's got friends, she's healty and she's very powerful. Those 3 things make her very popular. Still, I think a real girl like her won't get any friends. She's so ho-ish. I mean, she's got 3 boyfriends :o *no, that's not a typo, I actually meant 3* And the funny thing is, they're all different species. One is human, one is fledgling and one is vampyre. She's so lucky *ahem* I mean, 3 boyfriends, and neither of them cares, even tough most of them know about each other. And then Zoey is there, and she knows she has to break up with at least 2 of them, and she just is so weak that she cant. I mean, she is the most powerful fledgling there is, but she cant just break up with 2 of her boyfriends? I mean, she won't lose her real boyfriend or something.. If everyone on that school were like her, there wouldn't be enough boys on the world to be their boyfriends. And that would be horrible, wouldn't it? :)

Okay but enough about Zoey. The actual story told in this book wasn't that bad c: Zoey's life gets more miserable, and I don't care, since I don't like her anyway. But it's her own problem. Who the Hell gets 3 boyfriends?! *sorry, it just freaked me out. A LOT*

There were the 3 boyfriends, Erik, Heath and Loren. Zoey should have gotten rid of Heath long before, but they are bound with their souls or something. Erik is the hot fledgling boy, and the one she should be with. He is the one that "knows her as she is, understands where she has been, accepts what she has become, and still allows her to grow" (Shakespeare ^^) And then there is Loren. He's the super hot TEACHER *goddamn Zoey* crushing on your teacher is not okay. Kissing your teacher is worse.

Back to the main story, that is mainly about the 3 boyfriends and the dead Stevie Rae, IMO. Okay, so Stevie Rae is not-quite-dead after all. *intersting twist in the plot*

Well, life at the house of night continues, and so does this series full of Drama. A quick read with lots of interesting twists in the plot and a great ending!

rating: 3 stars!

have you read the house of night series?

Love, Mar