Publisher: NAL Jam
Release Date: October 3, 2006 (Original)
Format: Audio MP3 (Tantor Media, Released June 1, 2009)
Pages: 256 (Paperback) / Audio Length: Unknown (7+ hours)
Source: Overdrive via Download Destination
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Review Date: November 1, 2012
Rating: 3 bookmarks
Book synopsis: College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.
Release Date: October 3, 2006 (Original)
Format: Audio MP3 (Tantor Media, Released June 1, 2009)
Pages: 256 (Paperback) / Audio Length: Unknown (7+ hours)
Source: Overdrive via Download Destination
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Review Date: November 1, 2012
Rating: 3 bookmarks
Book synopsis: College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.
The synopsis says Claire is a collage freshmen...which she is. Based on that I was hoping that this would be a YA book with a more mature feel. BUT, Claire is 16!! She's a prodigy student away from home for the first time. She's young and socially naive. Due to this, the book was not what I expected. Instead of an more mature feel, it was more PG and age appropriate toward younger teens.
Basically Claire gets severely bullied and after an incident that seriously injures her, she sets out to find somewhere else to live other than the dorm. She finds the Glass House, meets Eve and from there they click and Claire ends up living with Eve, Michael and Shane. It's a interesting mix of personalities, but they all get along. Even though her three newly found roommates are 18, Claire still fits in with them. Shane, smart mouth and impulsive. Micheal, a much older soul and is beyond his years and Eve a tough Goth girl who is a loyal friend. Then we have Claire, young, naive, but book wise smarter than the 3 others put together. They all play off each other and that make them a good unit.
Basically Claire gets severely bullied and after an incident that seriously injures her, she sets out to find somewhere else to live other than the dorm. She finds the Glass House, meets Eve and from there they click and Claire ends up living with Eve, Michael and Shane. It's a interesting mix of personalities, but they all get along. Even though her three newly found roommates are 18, Claire still fits in with them. Shane, smart mouth and impulsive. Micheal, a much older soul and is beyond his years and Eve a tough Goth girl who is a loyal friend. Then we have Claire, young, naive, but book wise smarter than the 3 others put together. They all play off each other and that make them a good unit.
This book had a lot of content to be so short. Jam packed and pretty fast listening once I was able to get into it. It was an easy and somewhat predictable story. This story didn't require you to think too much on why Claire did this, or why Shane said that...it'll pretty cut and dry.
To save Claire, Shane makes a deal with a pretty bad vampire. This backfires of course, so the gang sets out to find something important to the vampires they can trade with to secure their safety. The story goes on and we learn some people aren't what they seem, we find out there is a whole structure going on in Morganville. Almost like a vampire government of sorts. It's all pretty different.
I started to wonder about the parental figures since Claire is so young, but just when I was thinking about it, a little past halfway mark of the book, Claire's parents finally show their faces. They really treat her like a child, too bad for Claire.
Now the very last little bit did surprise me, it sort of came out of nowhere. That is a true cliff hanger, my first instinct was to get the next book immediately just to see what happens directly after that last scene.
I listened to this in audio, and for me it was a slow start. I don't contribute the slow start to the book, but to the narrator. Believe it or not, a good book can be a crappy audiobook if the narrator isn't on point. I felt my attention drifting away from the narrator. At times, I had a difficulty determining whose dialogue it was. I was able figure it out using context, but the narrator didn't do a great job differentiating the characters from each other. I recommend reading this one...the audio will not do it justice.
I probably will continue on with the series, but it won't be right away. I have so many books on my TBR list, and since this book didn't wow me, The Morganville Vampires has been put on the back burner for now.
A few of my favorite quotes from the book:
“You're kidding. I thought all geniuses read Latin. Isn't that the international language for smart people?"
“Damn, Claire. Warn a guy before you do a face-plant on the floor next time. I could have looked all heroic and caught you or something ."
“Hell", Shane spit in disgust. "I can't hit a girl. Here, Claire. You hit her"
Happy Reading,
~Tamara~
To save Claire, Shane makes a deal with a pretty bad vampire. This backfires of course, so the gang sets out to find something important to the vampires they can trade with to secure their safety. The story goes on and we learn some people aren't what they seem, we find out there is a whole structure going on in Morganville. Almost like a vampire government of sorts. It's all pretty different.
I started to wonder about the parental figures since Claire is so young, but just when I was thinking about it, a little past halfway mark of the book, Claire's parents finally show their faces. They really treat her like a child, too bad for Claire.
Now the very last little bit did surprise me, it sort of came out of nowhere. That is a true cliff hanger, my first instinct was to get the next book immediately just to see what happens directly after that last scene.
I listened to this in audio, and for me it was a slow start. I don't contribute the slow start to the book, but to the narrator. Believe it or not, a good book can be a crappy audiobook if the narrator isn't on point. I felt my attention drifting away from the narrator. At times, I had a difficulty determining whose dialogue it was. I was able figure it out using context, but the narrator didn't do a great job differentiating the characters from each other. I recommend reading this one...the audio will not do it justice.
I probably will continue on with the series, but it won't be right away. I have so many books on my TBR list, and since this book didn't wow me, The Morganville Vampires has been put on the back burner for now.
A few of my favorite quotes from the book:
“You're kidding. I thought all geniuses read Latin. Isn't that the international language for smart people?"
“Damn, Claire. Warn a guy before you do a face-plant on the floor next time. I could have looked all heroic and caught you or something ."
“Hell", Shane spit in disgust. "I can't hit a girl. Here, Claire. You hit her"
Happy Reading,
~Tamara~
Get Kindle version here: Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires, Book 1) (The Morganville Vampires)
Get Audio version here:Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires)
