Chosen (House of Night, Book 3)

After finishing the second book, I was eager to continue the series. My enthusiasm diminished as I progressed through the book. It took me much longer to get through this book, and I read other books while attempting to finish it.
First, the whole "3" boyfriends has gotten stale and degrading. Zoey is supposed to have been "Chosen" by Nyx as exceptional and has powers that exceed any before, yet she continually makes bad choices, even murderous, through the book. One thing I've learned from relationships is if you can't decide who you want between 3 guys, or 2 for that matter, you're probably not meant to be with any of them. I was relieved to see the relationships dwindle by the end of the book. Erik was a bit of a disappointment, but I think he too needs to grow up like Zoey and he had the most potential. The "ho" comment repeatedly thrown out was just tacky!
I also understand that Zoey is a teenager and of course she's going to make mistakes. I just felt she has regressed as the novels have went on, not developed. She needs to be a bit less judgmental. After all her mistakes, she still quick to put others down for their mistakes.
Finally, how superficial were her friends. The descent and realistic step seems like most people would ask why. Especially girls. We over analyze everything, so we want our questions answered. We would have asked more questions before being so quick to shut out.
Hopefully the next book gets back on track. I'll give it one more shot.

The complications Zoey encounters in her new life at the House of Night escalate to new heights in this third installment of the series. Betrayals, deceptions and abandonment, horrors themselves, weave a path through gruesome murders occurring along the outside walls of the school. Who is murdering vampires? How can Zoey save her undead dead friend, Stevie Rae, without losing the trust of her friends? And how does she choose between the three men in her life? This vampire story will leave you thirsty for more.

Everything has changed for Zoey at the House of Night. Her best friend has turned into the stereotypical vampire, and is quickly losing her grasp on her humanity. Her mentor has now become her enemy, and Zoey might be forced to make her worst enemy her ally. She's has now acquired three boyfriends, and can't seem to get rid of any of them.

And then the People of Faith decide to strike out against the vampyres in an unforeseen attack against the House of Night, leaving some of their own truly dead. Zoey and her friends will have to struggle to stay together during a time when no one is as they appear, and trust is hard to come by. Zoey especially will get a taste of the responsibility and heartbreak that being a priestess entails.

The third book in the House of Night series is as exciting and heart pounding as the first. If it hasn't been evident before, it is now crystal clear that the Casts have planned out every detail of the House of Night series impeccably, making for a smooth, irresistible story that leaps out of the pages at you. Chosen is a bit darker than its prequels as certain secrets come to light and new mysteries surface, but not without the same wit and great interactions among Zoey and her friends. Zoey continues to mature and grow as a person, making this just as much as a down to earth coming of age novel as an engrossing supernatural thriller, with an ending that changes everything. The Casts with leave the reader groaning in anticipation for the fourth novel.

I loved the book and the action in it, but I was left STUNNED by the behavior of Zoey's friends. They turned out to be overy judgemental and fickle. I love how Zoey's story progresses, but if i was her, id definately find better friends.

After having been let down by Betrayed, the second book in the House of Night series, I wasn't sure what to expect with Chosen. Would Zoey be able to save her undead dead friend Stevie Rae? Would she ever resolve the boyfriend drama? What about her rivalry with High Priestess Neferet? It had seemed we were heading somewhere, and I wasn't sure it was going to be worth the ride, but I plunged ahead into Chosen anyway. And I was pleasantly surprised.

Zoey's world is crashing around her in Chosen. She's still got the boyfriend dilemma (why on earth didn't she just stay with Erik?), and her relationship with young professor Loren Blake is still just icky. Heath's still around, still Imprinted, and Zoey's still confused. In fact, this confusion takes a major amount of energy and drives a lot of the plot in Chosen. Meanwhile, Zoey's relationship with her mother and step-loser continues to deteriorate, and there's another Full Moon Ritual coming up. Zoey's unsure what to do to save her best friend Stevie Rae, but she knows she must do something, and it's going to have to involve arch-nemesis Aphrodite. Sound like enough turmoil? It's not. Adult vamps are turning up horribly murdered, and war against the humans is about to be launched.

I liked that this book showed us another side of Zoey--the confused teen who is led by her hormones to do things she knows she shouldn't. Yet Zoey still wants to protect her friends, though they don't understand. I was disappointed in their treatment of Zoey at the end; sure, she didn't make the best decisions but they are supposed to be her friends, the ones who have supported her throughout her transition into the House of Night. So now Zoey's alone, more confused than ever, and her worry over both Stevie Rae and Aphrodite will be driving her actions in the next installment. I hope the Casts will show us a continually maturing Zoey, not just a powerful one, in Untamed. I'll be waiting for it.