Chosen: House of Night by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

A lot happens in the 3rd House of Night book, and it all only takes course over a few days. I found myself becoming annoyed with Zoey more in this book; she is making a lot of basic mistakes that people in books/movies/TV shows always make. And just like every other character, her mistakes pile up, they're found out, and she falls hard.

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

Five Sentence Summary

It's been a month since Heath was taken captive my the dead un-dead and Zoey saved him and made an arch enemy of Neferet; luckily, she is on winter break, so Zoey doesn't have to worry about the repercussions, and yet, she hasn't told any of her friends. She has also has yet to deal with her multiple boyfriend and Imprinting problem, and when she tries to fix it, she only gets herself deeper in trouble. But Zoey has somewhat teamed up with Aphrodite to try and save Stevie Rae from losing her humanity. Zoey's problems only intensify when one of the teachers turns up dead and it looks like her step-fathers People of Faith community might be behind it. By the end of the novel, Zoey has righted some things, but the negatives outnumber the positives, and she is left alone to deal with the consequences.

Moments That Made an Impression

• So, the birthday scene in the beginning, I really thought that maybe her friends were just joking with her and that they had actually planned a really good birthday for her. I totally get why she hates her birthday; anyone I've known to have birthdays anywhere around Christmas, or any holiday, I separate it. I don't want them to feel like I'm trying to combine their birthday with another holiday like Zoey felt. But she should have said something to her friends beforehand.
• Zoey and Aphrodite's bond that's building makes me happy. Zoey is really stepping out on a limb to support Aphrodite when she shows an Earth affinity and the others don't agree that she should be able to join the Dark Daughters again. And because Aphrodite is the only other person whose mind Neferet can't read, Zoey is able to confide in her about Stevie Rae. It makes me sad that Aphrodite loses her mark at the end of the book because Zoey is really going to need someone now that she's lost all of her friends.

(Source: Giphy)

• I've always been told that if something is too good to be true, it is. And I've learned this lesson enough times in my life to know that that statement is true. So the fact that Zoey fell for Loren, an adult vamp that is a hot Poet Laureate, she should have known better. Especially since she knows that Neferet is evil, she should be wary of adult vamps. And she should know what type of target she is. And if she really paid attention to how Loren was treating her, she would have seen it and she could have prevented so much.
• I am so glad that after this book, Stevie Rae isn't going to be dead creepy. I have some vague memories of what happens with her in the next book, but I know that she isn't all dead and nasty smelling. And I'm really intrigued by the red crescent that she has and what will happen with it.
• Although Zoey still refers to herself as being slutty with her multiple relationship (which, she was dishonest, not slutty), she does tell her friends to stop calling Aphrodite names. So I'm glad that the female hate is lessening a little bit.

(Source: Giphy)

• Also, I have forgotten to mention this in the other reviews, but I love Nala! If it's not obvious to everyone, I love animals, and I love cats, and Nala reminds me of my Lovin' Spoonful, only he is a boy so he would be a grumpy old man, which he totally is. But he's also a pillow hog and the sweetest cat ever. My Panda Bear is a sweetie also, but he's nothing like Nala.

(Panda Bear
Source: Kelsey Darling)

(Lovin' Spoonful
Source: Kelsey Darling)

During this series, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the phrase "the path to hell is paved with good intentions." Zoey has a lot of good intentions with trying to handle everything on her own, but she could have handled everything a lot better. She could have filled her friends in on it once Neferet left for her vacation and they could have taken care of Stevie Rae then, and they probably would have understood better why she hadn't told them when Neferet was around. 

As for Blake, that was just plain stupid. Although we never learn hold old he is, Zoey thinks he is around 20-21; she was 16 when he started pursuing her. Sure, that's only a 4 year age difference, but she is still a minor. I'm sure the vamps have a bit of a different moral code, but he is her teacher. She is a fledgling, he is a vamp. She was being an idiot. 

(Source: Giphy)

Neferet has evil written all over her; even when I read it the first time, I could tell in the first book that she was not a good person. Reading these books through again (although the farther into the series I get, the more I don't remember), I can see all of her evil motives before Zoey does. 

My hopes for the next book are that we learn more about Stevie Rae; that we figure out what the hell happened with Aphrodite; and that Zoey's friends give her a hard time about all the shit she's pulled, but they find a way to work through it and can take down Neferet.

Rating: 7/10

Pages: 307 (paperback)

Series: House of Night

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal