Romance
Throughout the story, Zoey has to manage her relationships with THREE boyfriends. Zoey is in a relationship with Heath, a human that she has dated since she was nine years old. She is also in a relationship with Erik, her new boyfriend at the House of Night, who she "utterly and completely adores with almost every ounce of [her] being"(Cast 8). Lastly there is Loren Blake, a new professor at the House of Night. Zoey finds wonderful qualities in all three people, and can never make up her mind about who she loves most. The reader also gains insight to Damien and Jack's cute little relationship, as well as the many crushes that Shaunee and Erin, more of Zoey's friends, never seem to get past. Overall, the reader will experience the many romantic moments that all of the characters endure during the book.
Throughout the story, Zoey has to manage her relationships with THREE boyfriends. Zoey is in a relationship with Heath, a human that she has dated since she was nine years old. She is also in a relationship with Erik, her new boyfriend at the House of Night, who she "utterly and completely adores with almost every ounce of [her] being"(Cast 8). Lastly there is Loren Blake, a new professor at the House of Night. Zoey finds wonderful qualities in all three people, and can never make up her mind about who she loves most. The reader also gains insight to Damien and Jack's cute little relationship, as well as the many crushes that Shaunee and Erin, more of Zoey's friends, never seem to get past. Overall, the reader will experience the many romantic moments that all of the characters endure during the book.
Relatable
The author does a fantastic job of blending the House of Night into reality. Even though the idea of a vampire academy seems completely unrealistic, the author forces the reader to believe that the House of Night could actually exist. For example, "Zoey, can you go into Starbucks and get us something to drink" (Cast 27). Zoey, as well as the other characters living at the House of Night, makes frequent trips to Starbucks, drink Coke, and eat Doritos. They live life almost identically to normal teenagers, which makes is extremely easy for the reader to feel like they are a part of the story. Also, the characters in the story go through the same problems as a regular teenager would. Zoey struggles with boys, choices, her reputation, and friendship drama. The author makes the story much more enjoyable because the reader can relate to characters, and feel like they are a part of the story. |
Suspense
Throughout the story, the author has a tendency to use cliffhangers. As the reader, you never know what is going to happen next. Often times, the reader will read extremely fast in order to see what happens next. Also, the author leaves hints at the end of each chapter, to keep the reader engaged in the story. An example of this is when Zoey is thinking about what will happen if she decides to help Stevie Rae and she thinks, "too bad I didn't have any idea of the horror I was blundering blindly into" (Cast 143). Also, the action parts of the book happen so abruptly, unexpectedly, and quickly that the reader is left on their toes, still thinking about the events that just occurred in the plot. This makes the book an even faster read because the reader is never able to put the book down. |
Visualization
Even though it can be difficult to picture a school for vampires, the author does an outstanding job of allowing the reader to picture scenes from the book. The author uses such descriptive adjectives to describe the setting and the characters in the House of Night. This makes the book much more enjoyable and easy to comprehend, since the reader has a play-by-play running in their minds of every event that occurs throughout the story. For instance, "her short blonde hair was wet, and it hung around her face in familiar curls. Her eyes were still tinted red and her face was thin and pale, but it was clean. Her clothes were baggy, but she looked like Stevie Rae again" (Cast 134). This quote describes the author's vivid depiction of one of the characters in the story. Many more instances occur in which the reader is forced to visualize the seemingly realistic House of Night without difficulty.
Even though it can be difficult to picture a school for vampires, the author does an outstanding job of allowing the reader to picture scenes from the book. The author uses such descriptive adjectives to describe the setting and the characters in the House of Night. This makes the book much more enjoyable and easy to comprehend, since the reader has a play-by-play running in their minds of every event that occurs throughout the story. For instance, "her short blonde hair was wet, and it hung around her face in familiar curls. Her eyes were still tinted red and her face was thin and pale, but it was clean. Her clothes were baggy, but she looked like Stevie Rae again" (Cast 134). This quote describes the author's vivid depiction of one of the characters in the story. Many more instances occur in which the reader is forced to visualize the seemingly realistic House of Night without difficulty.
Black Heart. Photograph. n.d. Heart Clip Art. My Cute Graphics. Web. 1 March. 2014.
Eye. Photograph. n.d. Eye Clipart. Polyvore. Web. 1 March. 2014.
Eye. Photograph. n.d. Eye Clipart. Polyvore. Web. 1 March. 2014.