Betrayed by P.C. & Kristin Cast

"Zoey has managed to settle in at the House of Night and come to terms with the vast powers the Goddess Nyx has given her. Just as she finally feels she belongs, the unthinkable happens: human teenagers are being killed, and all evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves."

Betrayed is the 2nd book in the House Of Night series by mother and daughter writing team, P.C. and Kristin Cast. The House of Night is a vampire finishing school. What happens is certain teenagers begin their change in early high school, and must then give up pretty much everything about their human lives and join the House Of Night. They are Marked, with a symbol on their forehead. Zoey Redbird is different. Her mark is filled in, like an adult vampire, and also like an adult vampire, she quickly develops further markings, spreading from the mark on her forehead, over her cheeks, her shoulder and back. She's an exceptionally talented fledgling and learning fast. But who exactly can she trust?

I liked the first book in this series, Marked, but it was never going to be a favourite. This book however, seems to have found its stride. It's pretty funny in places, and even brought a tear to my eye at one point which was totally unexpected. Zoey is not the smartest girl when it comes to guys, something I've no doubt will actually get worse in the next few books, but I can live with it, cause mostly I'm laughing at it right now. I think Zoey has been created pretty well here. She's a bit geeky at times, and not the most confident, not naturally the most popular girl, but capable of adapting and leading when she needs too. I think she's someone that many teenagers can relate to because of that, and it helps. She can be a tad annoying at times, but somehow that works as well, in this book.

The plot flows well and feels much more solid than the first book. It gets very interesting at the end, setting up for future books, but I won't give the main plot away. I will say that I'm really looking forward to picking up Chosen, and am vaguely annoyed that I'll have to wait until August for the 4th book when book 5 is already out in the States. Ah well. It's great to find another decent YA vampire series to read.