Saturday, June 26, 2010

Book Review: Burned by PC Cast & Kristin Cast

Review: Burned
Series: House of Night – Book 7
Author: PC Cast; Kristin Cast
No of Pages: 323
Release Date: 27 April 2010

Y’all need to get yourselves together. Here’s a newsflash from the only High Priestess you have left at this dang school: Zoey isn’t dead. And believe me, I know dead. I’ve been there, done that and got the fricken t-shirt.

Zoey Redbird is the youngest High Priestess in the House of Night history and is the only person – vamp or fledgling – that can stop the evil Neferet from raising all kinds of immortal trouble. And just she might have a chance if she wasn’t so busy being dead.

Well, dead is too strong a word. Stevie Rae knows she can bring her BFF back from her unscheduled va-cay in the Otherworld. But it’s going to take a lot more than hoping to bring Zoey back. Stevie Rae might have to give up a few secrets of her own...

My Thoughts:

The seventh instalment in the House of Night series has somehow kept me intrigued in continuing on in Zoey’s journey.

Continuing directly on from Tempted, Burned launches straight into the predicament that Zoey’s soul has been shattered and Aphrodite must work with the nerd-herd and Stark to get her back. We also have Stevie Rae’s ongoing struggle with her feelings for Rephaim, the raven mocker.

I did like that Burned didn’t focus wholly (it ended up being rarely) on Zoey and all her “me, me, me”. We got a good insight into the other characters, Stevie Rae especially. It felt like nearly the whole story was flipping back to Stevie Rae whenever it could. It wasn’t entirely bad, but in the middle of Burned, it became extremely tedious to hear her stuff up and summoning evil beings by accident.

I think my favourite character, apart from Stark and Zoey (yes, I like her even if she is self-centred), is Aphrodite. She is continuing to grow into what it really seems Nyx has planned for her. Everything that is thrown at Aphrodite she completely takes in her stride, whilst also managing to keep everyone else together as well and still successfully pulling off her “I’m a bitch” routine.

It was Aphrodite that kept Zoey’s body safe, Aphrodite who figured out how to help her and ultimately, Aphrodite who saved the day, which was really cool on her part considering her lack of Vampyrness now.

Although I do love the Cast ladies writing style, I am really starting to get over the language. It’s not bad or vulgar; it just seems to try way too hard now. Before it was cool, unique and well done. Now it’s just overused and really tiring to think you just read someone speaking terrible English and having to go back and confirm that the House of Night doesn’t teach grammar lessons.

Aside from the characters voices, the only other thing that is puzzling me is how on earth they are going to drag this out for another five books...I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Kalona and Neferet are only so evil, there isn’t too much more that they can do.

Aside from those things though, Burned kept me intrigued for the most part, and I think we’re in for Zoey, Stark, Aphrodite and especially Stevie Rae to do some major maturing in the next couple of books because it looks like Zoey is going to be taking on some pretty big roles in the next instalment, one in which I am looking forward to reading.


Others in this series:
Marked
Betrayed
Chosen
Untamed
Hunted
Tempted
Awakened

2 comments:

Renae said...

I have about fifty pages left in this book and I couldn't agree with you more. I like the fact that we are seeing more of Stevie Rae in this installment. Can't wait to see what happens! Great Review!

-k said...

There are only so many times that I can read "bull poopie" in a sentence before I want to throw the book down.
I agree, I am completely over the language that is now seeming like it is trying too hard. It's to the point, for me, where it has to grow up or shut up.
Great review!

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails