Review: Betrayed

Betrayed: a House of Night Novel by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
3.5 stars

Reasons for reading: I enjoyed Marked, the first book in the series last year and so decided to use this one for the Seconds Challenge

Description: "Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night.She's come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend...or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey's old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world. "

First line: "New kid. Check it out," Shaunee said as she slid into the big boothlike bench we always claim as ours for every school meal served in the dining hall (translation: high-class school cafeteria)."

My thoughts: I enjoyed the second installment in this series. Sadly, Zoey doesn't seem to say "hee hee" any more, which is a pity because I do that, too. :) But overall I still really like what I liked about her character in the first book -she's smart, strong and loyal. I think we'll be seeing a fair bit of "with great power comes great responsibility" stuff, as her powers keep growing at an unheard-of rate for a new fledgling. And I like that she has really good friends - with so much frenemy crap going on today, it's nice to see loyal, true friendship portrayed in a YA novel.

I heard this series described at "Twilight crossed with Gossip Girl" the other day, but it's not quite that. There still is some of the mean girl element with Zoey's nemesis, Aphrodite, but it seems to be turning more towards Zoey fighting evil forces and away from the cliquey boarding school stuff of the first book, so that's a good sign. It's definitely a series for older readers, though, so that may be where the GG comparison comes in - while nobody has had actual sex yet, there's a lot of discussion about oral sex, sluts, and some rather heated scenes, especially those involving blood-drinking. It is getting a bit exasperating that Zoey now has three men who are totally enchanted by her. I hope there's some resolution of that in the next book because, to use Zoey's own phrase, she's acting a tiny bit like a ho-bag.

The verdict: I look forward to seeing how Zoey and her friends face the challenge of a powerful dark force (don't want to give too much away) in the next book.