Hunted (House of Night, Book 5) [Hardcover]

P. C. Cast (Author), Kristin Cast (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2009

The good news: Zoey’s friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren’t Neferet’s secrets any longer.  The bad news: Ancient evil with the face of an angel has been let loose – that and various other nasties (whose faces aren’t so angelic).  Grandma Redbird is in trouble.  Heath is in trouble.  The House of Night is in trouble.  Okay, let’s face it – Zoey’s whole world is in trouble!  But when the trouble comes from a being who appears to be beauty personified, will the world believe it? Especially when only a teenager and a group of misfits are the only ones who really understand the danger he brings.  Will Zoey have the strength and wisdom to reveal the truth?  Especially when, in the House of Night, the truth is often hard to come by…

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Book Description
What if the hottest guy in the world was hiding a nameless evil and all he wanted was you?

At the start of this heart-pounding new installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey's friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren't Neferet's secrets any longer.  But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses.  Kalona looks gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life shows Zoey secrets she doesn't want to hear and truths she can't face?

On the run and holed up in Tulsa's Prohibition-era tunnels, Zoey and her gang must discover a way to deal with something that might bring them all down.  Meanwhile, Zoey has a few other little problems.  The red fledglings have cleaned up well--they've even managed to make the dark, creepy tunnels feel more like home--but are they really as friendly as they seem?  On the boyfriend front, Zoey has a chance to make things right with super-hot ex-, Eric, but she can't stop thinking about Stark, the archer who died in her arms after one unforgettable night, and she is driven to try to save him from Neferet's sinister influence at all costs.  Will anyone believe the power evil has to hide among us?

An Interview with P.C. Cast

Amazon.com: Why vampyres? What was intriguing to you about them? (Also, why "y"?)

P.C. Cast: Actually, the idea for the series originated with my fabulous agent, Meredith Bernstein. We were at RWA [Romance Writers of America] Nationals in Reno several years ago and Meredith said she had an idea for a series she'd like to see me write. Then she said the three magic words: vampire finishing school. I instantly thought of YA because I'd been reading the Hawksong books by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes--so my head was already in YA. Also, I've been teaching high school English since 1993 (I'm from a family of teachers) so I definitely knew my audience. Basically, it sounded like fun to write, so I jumped in even though I'd only written fantasy and paranormal romance up until then.

Oh, and the spelling is just my choice 'cause I like the way it looks!

Amazon.com: I don't want to draw too many comparisons between your series and Twilight, because they are completely different types of stories. However, I am curious if the popularity of that series has changed the way you see your genre, or do you even see it being the same genre?

PC: I see my genre as YA, and to me that encompasses everyone from Rowling to Laurie Halse Anderson to Janice Erlbaum. So, yes, Twilight fits in the same genre. And while I enjoy Ms. Meyer's books very much, I think the genre has been growing and changing and gaining popularity steadily over the past decade--mostly thanks to Ms. Rowling! As a high school English teacher I certainly noticed the increase in sophistication and popularity of the genre some time ago. Today's YA has an incredible range and depth, and it deals with real coming of age issues in varied and interesting ways. I'm proud to be a member of the ranks of YA authors!

Amazon.com: Can you talk a little bit about the role that religion plays in the novels? The whole series revolves around the worship of Nyx, the Goddess of Night, and Hunted really digs into questions of faith and free will (often related to what guy Zoey will be drawn to next...very clever to make that her weakness!). At various points in the series you also have People of Faith, Catholic nuns, and Cherokee legend. How do you see all these elements working together?

PC: Very clever of you to recognize the ramifications of Zoey's weakness!

It's easy for me to weave the different religious elements of the world together because it's not really "religion" I'm dealing with when I create the conflicts and faith foundations in the House of Night. Instead I see it as a way to illuminate coming of age issues, which often deal with conformity and obsession and trying to learn boundaries. I chose to give my heroine a belief system in which to live that is matriarchal because my purpose is to empower young women, and by allowing Zoey to join a world where women are valued as leaders and really have no glass ceiling, except the ones they create for themselves, as exemplified by Neferet, I have a springboard for a lot of girl power.

Amazon.com: What were some of your influences for the House of Night school?

PC: South Intermediate High School in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma! I just looked around me and wrote what I saw. I also write what I wish I could see, as in the amazing HoN facility and their very cool classes. I'd love to teach a Vampyre Sociology class!

Amazon.com: How has Kristin being in school affected the series as it's progressed? The scenes with friends hanging out and geeking out on movies in the dorm seem pretty familiar...

PC: When the series started Kristin was nineteen and was still living at home her first semester in college. And then when she did move out it certainly wasn't into a dorm that looked as cool as the House of Night dorms! But she does DEFINITELY geek out with her friends. (She's going to kill me for that…)

Amazon.com: When did the two of you decide to write a book together? How does your writing process work?

PC: I brought Kristin in while I was writing the first three chapters of Marked. I kept stumbling over silly little things, like specific slang that I thought I knew, but found out once I started writing about teenagers that MY deeply buried inner teen from the 70's kept trying to resurface and butt in with her slang! Kristin keeps me straight about that. She also says she keeps Zoey from "sounding like a 40-something disgruntled school teacher." Sigh.

We're on book six of the series, and we have the process down. We do some brainstorming, then I write the first draft, often asking Kristin questions right in the manuscript or leaving blanks for her to fill in. Then I send the entire thing to her, and she goes through it, answering questions, filling in blanks, and asking me questions/making comments of her own. She sends it back to me and I go through it again. Then it's ready to go to St. Martin's and our lovely editor, Jennifer Weis. It sounds like a tedious process, but it's really very freeing for me. I can write whatever and know Kristin has my back.

Amazon.com: Zoey has a few mother-daughter-like relationships--with her mom, her grandma, Neferet, Nyx. How much does your mother-daughter relationship inform your writing? Is it ever awkward?

PC: Hmm...that's a good question. Kristin and I have a unique writing relationship. Actually, I probably wouldn't even consider writing with anyone else--it's unusually easy with my daughter (perhaps because I can beat her?). She and I have always been close, and we have a very honest relationship. Talking with each other has never been a problem, so we're used to communicating. That helps a lot in a co-author situation.

Regarding the mother-daughter relationships in the book: clearly Zoey's relationship with her own mom is nothing like Kristin and mine. Sadly, both of us have met many Linda Heffers here in Oklahoma, which is why she is so easy--and disturbing--for us to write. When I write Nyx's words I often think about how I feel about Kristin, and then try to expand that to how this goddess would view the vampyres, especially Zoey, as her children.

We get the awkward question often because of the sexual tension in the books. Kristin and I do discuss the temperature of the books and the specific situations a lot. It doesn't feel awkward between us because we're used to communicating, and because we don't just stick sex in our series to be gratuitous. The sexual issues are there because they're realistic to teenagers. Yes, Zoey has several boyfriends--often at the same time. But in six books she has had sex once, and that was because she was manipulated and used by a charismatic adult. It wasn't awkward writing those parts with my daughter--we believe in the reality of the books and the points we make about mistakes and consequences.

Amazon.com: Each of the books sort of has its own personality. Chosen, for example, was more focused on the friends and the guys, and Untamed was much more deeply focused on folklore and goddess rituals. Do you think that's influenced by each of your interests, with Kristin having more influence on one book and P.C. showing up more in another? Or is that just the natural arc of the story?

PC: I think the shifting emphasis is because of the natural arc of the story. Think about your own life. Doesn't your focus shift from time to time? I know mine does. Actually, sometimes it feels like events happen in waves: lots of guy, no guys, friend stres, no friend stress, crazy stuff at school, kinda calm school, etc. So I guess fiction is just mimicking the patterns I see in life.

Amazon.com: Even though it has a satisfying ending (no spoilers!) Hunted certainly doesn't seem like the end of Zoey's story. What's next?

PC: Zoey has to save the world! And it's definitely a big job. Seriously, now that the dark influences that have been lurking on the periphery of Zoey's world have been brought out into the open, it's time to deal with them. Of course that's a lot harder than "Okay, Z, kick their butts and save the world now!" sounds. Especially as there are many layers to the House of Night world and often good appears bad, and bad seems terribly attractive.

---

Review

<DIV><DIV><DIV><DIV>Praise for The House of Night:<DIV><DIV><DIV><P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> 

<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> Move over, Stephenie Meyer. People on Hunted

Zoey Redbird's first-person adventures take on added danger and importance in the latest House of Night release. Forced by circumstance to grow up quickly, Zoey's emotional and spiritual evolution is fascinating. The Cast duo breathes life and vibrancy into the characters and makes each one an integral part of the saga. Awesome and unforgettable as always! --Romantic Times

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1 edition (March 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031237982X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312379827
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (256 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Ugh. (But, if you've made it this far...), July 26, 2009

By 

J. Simpson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hunted (House of Night, Book 5) (Hardcover)

I am fairly certain that this entire book was written on the back of several paper napkins on the bus ride to the publisher's...

More than half the book takes place in the tunnels and seems to consist mostly of filler babble. The most interesting thing that happens in the tunnels resulted from a risk that was very unlikely to have been taken, given the circumstances, so it seemed very convenient and gratuitous.

The book is chalk-full of bad writing, horrible editing errors (multiple cases of character confusion... saying Darius when they mean Damien, for example), and continuity errors. The Casts are so obsessed with trying to make these characters seem like "normal teenagers" that they come across seeming shallow and moronic. I mean, what teenager in their right mind is going to be thinking about what boy they want to kiss when the world as they know it is crumbling around them?

A fantastic example of the sloppy and embarassing writing, is when the writers devote an inordinate amount of time talking about the girls' cute purses, which they must be sure not to leave behind in the tunnels. Given the fact that in book four, the girls fled the HoN mid-ritual-circle and unable to break their hand holds as dangerous chaos erupted behind them, it seems unlikely anyone was worried about something as trivial as a freaking CUTE purse. Not to mention the fact that they would have had to have been holding their purses throughout the whole ritual in the first place, which also seems very unlikely (if not downright LAME).

The characters continue to be an unnerving mix of endearing and annoying qualities. The twins are still unbelievable cartoon characters, Zoey is still the self-conflicting love-obsessed-horny-but-I-don't-wanna-be-a-ho she was in the other books, and Hunted comes with the added bonus of a really embarassingly racist portrayal of an African-American girl who is the polar opposite of Shaunee.

As the icing on the cake comes from the return of the love triangle. If you weren't already sick and tired of Zoey's constantly shifting and conflicting affection, you will be very tired of it after this book. And, just like in Marked, Heath-- despite his earlier and rather vehement rejection of Zoey, makes a mind-numbingly unlikely and painfully gratuitous re-appearance which will leave you wanting to rip your book in two.

BUT... having said that...

If you've made it through the first four books, you might as well keep going and read this one, too. As with the first four books, despite how earth-shatteringly bad the writing is, you can wade through all of the embarassing and poorly written crap and somewhere beneath you'll find the makings of interesting and endearing characters, and a compelling plot.

It'd be kind of like rummaging through a dump... it's trashy, smelly, embarassing, and downright awful, but somewhere beneath all the garbage there are little treasures waiting to be discovered. It takes a lot of work, and for most people it's not worth it, but if you can stomach it you might find something worth keeping.

Oh, to go back in time and encourage the publisher to hire a GOOD writer to write this series. If they had, they might have really had a true gem and a rival for Twilight on their hands.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Bad book in an inconsistent series, May 25, 2009

By 

Karissa Eckert "Devourer of all books fantasy" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hunted (House of Night, Book 5) (Hardcover)

This is the fifth book in the House of Night series; all in all this series has been very inconsistent. The third book was kind of ho-hum, the fourth book was excellent, and the fifth book, well, it kind of sucked.

In this book Zoey and friends are hiding in the tunnels with Stevie Rae and her red fledglings. Somehow they need to get back into the House of Night to face Neferet and Kalona and somehow break the influence they are having on the vampires and fledglings of the House of Night.

The above is basically the whole story. Sadly the first 2/3's of the story are spent in the tunnels with not a whole lot happening. Zoey spends a lot of time whining about Erik being too possessive. Then, of course, Zoey has to get involved with Heath...again. And because Zoey wouldn't have enough to whine about without being involved in a love triangle, Stark is drug into the picture too. This story felt like it was almost a repeat of the third book; at least in the relationship aspects. Seriously nothing exciting actually happens until the last section of the book. This section was pretty good and dealt with Zoey and friends going back to the House of Night and facing Neferet and Kalona.

This has been a very inconsistent series for me. Some of the books I love and some I hate. I feel that there has been more hate than love for this series for me. There are so many interesting things that could be happening with these characters and this world; it seems though that the majority of page space islent to Zoey so she can whine about relationship troubles. All of her whining makes me think that maybe she is not the special Priestess that everyone thinks she is; I mean she is one of the weakest heroines I have ever read about.

I had a tough time getting through this book. I am finding that I don't really care about many of the characters all that much. The plot wasn't very exciting or griping. Believe it or not I though Aphrodite was my favorite character of this book; her actions are much more heroic than any of the others. I am not sure I will read the 6th book. My overall reaction when I finished this book was, "Thank goodness I am done, I can read something good now!"

Sorry this is such a scalding review, but I am sooo disappointed that this series can't be more consistent!

43 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Filler book to make more money?, March 25, 2009

By 

Gnomenapper - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hunted (House of Night, Book 5) (Hardcover)

I was incredibly disappointed with this latest House of Night installment. It came across as a blatant filler book to prolong a series that could have been a trilogy at best. I really loved the first few books- but these last two have been full of recaps and reminders of what happened previously, and spoon feeding the obvious to the reader. I know this is written for a YA audience, but YA are not idiots who forget everything that happened instantly- and need a full book to remind them.
Nothing big happens, the same old problems surface again (enough boy issues already! Can something be resolved? It's been 5 books) and I'm tempted to just give up on this series all together. Do I really want to waste more of my money on a 3rd recap book?