Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Marked: A House of Night Novel by P.C. Cast

21 reviews

tashaj's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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another_badger's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

Marked does have a couple of interesting elements, such as the use of mythology and elemental magic, it becomes a lot of the characters are drowning under the weight of being some of the most gratuitous stereotypes imaginable.  The main character is also extremely inconsistent to a frustrating degree. 
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bendersreads's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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anniedactyl's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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arys_library's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I remember reading this book when I was somewhere between 10-12 years old. I absolutely loved it (even though I probably should have waited a few years to read it). So I’m glad I got to pick it up again as an adult. It is a y/a fantasy book and comparing it to what I remember reading as a kid, there are many things I don’t remember reading and enjoying throughout the book, things I focus on more now than then. Even though I’m older, I  love it as much as I did when I was young. I do like y/a but this seemed rushed and a little too light for me. I don’t take that as a negative thing in terms of how the book was but if you’re into more graphic and descriptive books in terms of violence, people’s thoughts, and sex, this might not be for you. It’s a part of a pretty big series but the books are super fast paced you could finish all of them very quickly. This first book only takes place over a period of a few days which is why I think it feels rushed. If it were spanned out over a few months, and there was more conflict within the book and not just the ending, I would have loved it more. But I did still love it. I’m definitely going to finish the series over again. 
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adventurouspotato's review against another edition

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0.25

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jonsnowsmanbun's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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jonsnowsmanbun's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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eleanorryd's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

I read these books when I was 12-13? Ish? With my friends and while I didn't love the books as much as my friends did, I thought they were okay. Now, at 21, I definitely don't think they're okay. Zoey is the meanest most unsympathetic and unlikeable main character I have ever read and I absolutely hate that everyone thinks she's the ultimate good guy. She is the chosen, the saviour, the love interest, on top of all of the qualities that are almost given for a YA heroine (humble, pretty, smart, funny, sarcastic). Except, she's not. Her ego is so fucking massive and yet she looks down on other people (mainly Aphrodite) for also having an ego?

There are a bunch of problematic terms just casually thrown in there for no good reason ('retard' is used several time, she uses 'midget' about corn, so I don't know if that counts but it definitely made me cringe), the only lgbtqia+ character is described by his friends as the 'token guy friend of the group' but, eh, yeah, no. The only black character of the main cast is described as looking like an 'African princess' until we learn her name (and that she's not African at all, she's from Connecticut with Jamaican heritage?). The main character's grandma is Cherokee and 'her people' are described as 'barbaric'. I mean, I'm white as they come, but if even I react then that feels like a sign they should have hired (some more) sensitivity readers.

The plot was not good, much like the writing, but that's really all I have to say about that.
When tension actually starting building up and the story got closer to its climax, I was actually getting invested and thinking "wow this could actually be something? The stakes seem pretty high right now" but no. They pull the most cliché deus ex machina and all of Zoey's friends show up so she can save the day and look like the hero. After spending half the book talking about how she wanted to 'bring [Aphrodite] down', she then tells Aphrodite that she 'never wanted to win anything'?? That is simply not true. And then Zoey says that they don't have to 'continue playing their roles' and, again, 100 pages ago or something you called her a 'ho' for being comfortable in herself and her sexuality?


Zoey is so mean and judgemental and rather than being 'wise beyond her years' she just acts like everyone's mum Karen and judges all the 'kids today' for being just that - kids. It's so horrible to read and I can't believe I didn't notice it when I was younger - which is exactly the problem! A book aimed at young kids (girls, most likely) tells them that if you're mean to everyone, and I mean EVERYONE (who isn't, like, super-attractive), you're still the good guy. That whole message is huuuugely problematic and absolutely disgusting.

Here is an incomplete list of people Zoey thinks she's better than:
1. Fat people
2. People who condone drinking
3. Her step-dad
4. Her sister
5. Dorks
6. Emos
7. Goths
8. Vampyres
9. Kathy Richter, 'the biggest ho in school'
10. Aphrodite
11. Her mum
12. Enyo, Deino, and whatever the third girl was called (the Wasp)
13. Elliott
14. All of the Dark Sons and Daughters
15. Stevie Rae (geez just let the girl enjoy her cowboy boots)
16. Heath
17. Kayla
18. Aphrodite again
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doomluz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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