Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
New Series, October 15, 2006
Under attack by an upperclassman and her cronies, Claire Danvers, a young college freshman, moves into off campus housing with a group of teens that clue her in on the realities of life - and unlife - in Morganville.
Glass Houses had strengths and weaknesses. When a clique of psychotic popular girls is decidedly scarier and far more vicious than the vampires controlling the city, something doesn't seem right. In this, the first installment of a series, the vampires were, unfortunately, very much one dimensional, and aside from Amelie, uninteresting.
Caine did a better job with the heroes. Claire, Eve, Michael and Shane had distinct personalities, a good mixture of maturity and immaturity and enough quirks to make them seem real and likeable. I cared about them, and that drew me into the story.
This was the first book I've read by Rachel Caine, and while I had problems with a few of the characterizations, I found enough to like in this story to want to check out some of her other books.
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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five-star entertainment!, June 15, 2007
I'm 51 years old and I LOVED this book! Sure, the main characters act a little immature now and then, but THEY'RE KIDS.
This is my first book by this author and I could only put it down with difficulty (as opposed to the second book in the series, which I absolutely could not put down at all). The background of the town and vamps has been intricately built, with fascinating characters on all sides. Claire, the lead, is especially interesting and multi-dimensional (and I hope someone points her towards birth control real soon because she's gonna need it).
There is a real fear factor in the scary parts, real humor in the funny parts, and the guys are hilarious when they're being guys. The pace is get-up-and-go (2nd book even more so). All in all, tremendously entertaining.
The only sore spot was the sudden cliffhanger at the end, which (disregard the "look ahead" excerpt at the end of the book) is speedily dealt with in ch. 1 of Part 2. It almost made me NOT buy volume 2 after I'd determined that I wanted more of this author, but I bought it and am darned glad I did. Beware: volume 2 also has its own cliffhanger as well as numerous plot threads that need to be resolved fairly quickly. But that's what series are all about, right?
Buy this book! I don't like many vampire books, but this one is a winner.
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50 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Okay, but..., October 12, 2006
I'm not exactly sure what age group Ms. Caine was writing for with this novel. The main action takes place in a college town, but I can easily see college students passing this one by, the immaturity of the characters is hard to stomach. High School students might also be looking for something a little more mature (sorry to say, the few in my family prefer a little adult interaction with their violence - how shocking!). This could be considered a few age bumps up in fantasy from Harry Potter, but grade school children are too young for this book, its scary enough for nightmares. Junior High? Maybe, I have no current reference. As for those in my age group (well over 30 and then some), I left college years ago, and have no desire to revisit those times, I barely got out, sanity relatively intact, without the added complication of vampires. Who's left?
I have come to the conclusion that Rachel Caine is incapable of writing a bad book, she's more than talented, and this book does show that gift. I am obviously just the wrong reader. No matter how well written this was, I never became fully captivated with the characters, the plot, or the premise. Others, however, may love it, hence the three stars. When Glass Houses does find its audience, I truly believe she will have another successful series on her hands, I just won't be following along on this particular adventure.
I really would like to recommend this book, I'm just not sure who to recommend it to...
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