Marked series

Imagine Harry Potter with vampyres, not vampires. The young-adult series, House of Night, is slowly making its way toward the popular scale. The series blends elements similar to the Harry Potter books and the Twilight saga, making them enjoyable reads.

The first novel in the series, Marked, literally marks the beginning of a new life for Zoey Redbird. The16-year-old girl tries to lead the life of a normalteenager, studying for her algebra test and dealing with a weird family.

One day, Zoey is unexpectedly marked as a vampyre, and she must go to the House of Night to survive. At the House, Zoey learns how to be a vampyre, starting as a fledgling, though she is not guaranteed to survive. Once a person is marked, he or she will either survive the vampyre change, or die.

Zoey stands out from other characters in the books because she has powers other fledglings do not have. Much like Harry Potter, Zoey is special and noticeable from the beginning of her start at the House of Night.

Forming a close circle of friends, Zoey begins to learn the ins and outs of school. She soon learns appearances can be deceiving, and those whom she thought she could trust are now enemies.

In the novel, vampyres characteristics are similar to those in Twilight. They can roam about in the sunlight, though it makes them feel uncomfortable. Vampyres are able to eat pizza and drink Diet Coke. Zoey's favorite food happens to be Count Chocula, ironically.

Co-written by mother-daughter team P.C. t and Kristin Cast, the book has a mixture of youthful vibrancy and adult maturity. Though the book is meant for young adults, college-age students will appreciate the flowing, easy-to-understand language and witty banter. The plot is suspenseful, leaving the reader wanting to know what adventure or conundrum will find Zoey and her friends.

Some may be turned off from the book because it is a mixture of Harry Potter and Twilight, but Marked is able to hold its own against the two rival series. Though the characters and plot have similar characteristics to the best-selling novels, it is still worth reading. Readers will end up always wanting more.

The latest House of Night novel, Hunted, was released in bookstores Tuesday, March 10.