Review: ‘Burned’ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Burned
by P.C. Cast, Kristin CastSeries: House of Night #7
Published by Atom on April 27, 2010
SubGenres: Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Paranormal
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 323
Source: Purchased
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WHEN FRIENDS STOP TRUSTING EACH OTHER, DARKNESS IS THERE TO FAN THE FLAMES...
THINGS HAVE TURNED BLACK AT THE HOUSE OF NIGHT. ZOEY REDBIRD'S SOUL HAS SHATTERED. With a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, she's fading fast. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to save her. But how? He will have to die to do so, the Vampyre High Council stipulates. And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only seven days left...
Enter BFF Stevie Rae. She wants to help Z, but she has massive problems, too. The rogue Red Fledgings are acting up again. Her kinda boyfriend, Dallas, is sweet but too nosy. Stevie Rae's hiding a secret that might be the key to helping Zoey, but which also threathens to explode her whole world.
In the middle of the whole mess is Aphrodite: ex-Fledging, trust-fund baby, total hag from Hell (and proud of it). She's always been blessed (if you could call it that) with prophetic visions, but now it seems Nyx has decided to speak through her, whether she wants it or not. Aphrodite's loyalty can swing a lot of different ways, but right now Zoey's fate hangs in the balance.
Three girls... playing with fire... if they don't watch out, everyone will get Burned.
I’ve been diving back into the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast since I realized I never finished reading the series. I read Burned, the seventh book in the series when it was first released in 2010. I enjoyed it the first time I read it. The second time around, I’m finding some issues with the book, and I think it’s due to me being older. Yup, I’m older, and I noticed my love of the Young Adult genre had changed a bit. That doesn’t mean I don’t like this series by the fabulous P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast.
Storyline/My Thoughts: If you haven’t read the previous six books in the series, I would recommend not reading my review on Burned. I may end up spoiling something that happened from the earlier books. However, I try not to in my reviews.
The book picks up from the previous book where Zoey has had her soul shatter in pieces after what happens to Heath. Kalona kills Heath in front of Zoey, and it breaks her. It’s going to be a mission for Zoey’s friends to get her back from the Otherworld, but it’s not going to be easy. They also have a time limit, so they do everything they can to get Zoey back.
What I enjoyed from this book:
- I loved how Zoey’s friends never gave up on her after her soul shattered. Her Warrior, Stark, felt he failed on keeping Zoey alive and was determined to get her back from the Otherworld. There were extensive risks with getting her back, but he didn’t care. Stark learned something about himself in this book was a shocker. His character is growing on me.
- The only real drama and action were really with Stevie Rae. She put herself in a predicament that almost got her killed, and Rephaim saved her. She also had to deal with the other red fledglings that didn’t want to go back to the House of Night but cause issues in town. Stevie Rae has to deal with them. Stevie Rae is dealing with a lot for a Red High Priestess.
- I did like the ending and how Zoey was saved. It took a lot to get there, though. (which I go over slow pace below in my review.)
What I didn’t like in this book:
- There was quite a bit of point of view in this book from others. Although there was a plus that Zoey didn’t get much POV time. She was pretty annoying in this book, especially since her soul shattered. There was more Stevie Rae in this book, and even she was driving me crazy. Her keeping secrets is what drove me bonkers the most. Readers will also get Kalona, Stark, Aphrodite, and Rephaim’s POVs. It was too much at times.
- The pace in this book was slower than the previous books. It took forever to get to any action and drama. It dragged on, and I found myself putting this book down to pick up another book or watch a tv show. I needed some more action.
Overall, this time around, this book receives 3.5 stars from me. I liked it but didn’t enjoy it the first time I read it. I’m older now, and my reading tastes have changed a bit. I do plan on finishing my re-read and finally finishing this series, but I’m doing it slowly.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the House of Night series, and I recommend reading in order.
Cliffhanger: Yes
Would I recommend this book? Yes. I recommend it to the readers that have already dived into the previous books in the House of Night series. I do recommend it to young adults/older teens that enjoy YA Paranormal/Fantasy. There is cursing in this book—more than usual. Since I was in the U.S. Navy, I can handle cursing, but some readers may not enjoy it in a YA/Teen book.
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About P.C. Cast
PC was born in the Midwest, and grew up being shuttled back-and-forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell in love with Quarter Horses and mythology (at about the same time). After high school, she joined the United States Air Force and began public speaking and writing. After her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today Best-Selling author and a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Prism, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Booksellers’ Best, and the Laurel Wreath. PC is an experienced teacher and talented speaker. Ms. Cast lives in Oregon near her fabulous daughter, her adorable pack of dogs, her crazy Maine Coon, and a bunch of horses. House of Night Other World, book 4, FOUND, releases July 7th, 2020. More info to come soon about the HoN TV series!
About Kristin Cast
Kristin is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author who was born on an Air Force base in Japan and grew up in Oklahoma where she explored everything from tattoo modeling to broadcast journalism. After battling addiction, Kristin made her way to the Pacific Northwest and landed in Portland. She rediscovered her passion for storytelling in the stacks at dusty bookstores and in rickety chairs in old coffeehouses. For as long as she can remember, Kristin’s been telling stories. Thankfully, she’s been writing them down since 2005.
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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