Search - Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires, Bk 1)

First book in a young adult series. Claire Danvers is a freshman at Texas Prairie University in Morganville. At 16, two years younger than other students starting school, she is very smart, but unfortunately slated for hazing because she made popular girl Monica Morrell look stupid. At first the abuse seems extreme, but as she learns more about the town, that is the least of her problems. Morganville is run by vampires, and Monica has protection under them. Claire leaves the dorms to escape Monica, and moves into a house with a group of other kids who have grown up in Morganville. Written with a teen voice, this book is very face paced as Claire runs from one danger into another with only the Glass House as a place of safety. Crushes, bullies, first love, supernatural characters. Akin to L. J. Smith, maybe better. I was impressed that the author thought about Claire being underage and younger than her housemates who seem to consider this carefully before letting her live with them and also make rules about what she is allowed to do because of her younger age. What 18 year old thinks about that?

OH, the book has something of a cliffhanger! You may want to have the second book in your hands before you get to the last few pages. I guess I have to wishlist the next book now.

First in the Morganville Vampire series and a very quick but fun read. I didn't realize that this series was geared to the youner generation until after I started reading it, but it kept me entertained all the same. I even decided to pick up the rest of the series to see where the hijinks end.

This is a fun little book to read when you are waiting for the next Kelley Armstrong or Kim Harrison to be shipped. It is a young adult novel, so it is definitely tame in comparison to other novels of the same genre. The concept of a vampire-run town that no one outside of the town knows about is intriguing. The mystery surrounding Morganville is told in a way that leaves you wanting more.

I love the characters and will definitely be ordering the rest of the series. I have a daughter who is a bit of an academic over-acheiver so it it was fun to picture her in Claire's shoes. I like the fact that we never forget that she is sixteen in a world of eighteen year olds and that yes, there is a difference between those two ages. While Claire is mature enough for college, there are some things that she really does just want to call her parents for help with and that is refreshing. I like that the characters' respect for their parents and other adults is still strong while not being portrayed as wimps because of it.

I really liked this book. Kept you guessing. Loved how it ended. Made me ready to read the next book. Will continue on with this series

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.

In this book you will meet Claire Danvers, a smart 16 year old, Shane, a lazy boy, Eve, the Gothic girl and the only other girl in the house, and Michael, the owner and he has a secret. Claire gets into some trouble but finds her way out of it. But in the mist of that she finds out the towns secret and Michaels while she is at it. Suspence is in every page and its making you want more.

Shallow confession time: I almost didn't read Glass Houses because I was put off by the cover. I'm just far enough out of the age demographic to find goth characters pretty offputting. But I'd heard so many good things about Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampire books, I had to give it a try. I'm glad I didn't judge the book by it's proverbial cover, because I would have missed an introduction to one of the most intriguing paranormal YA series I've encountered in a long time.

The vampires in Morganville don't sparkle. They aren't romanticized or crush-worthy. They're superior, hard-core killers that run the town of Morganville and offer lucky residents Protection for their fealty and a monthly, required blood donation. College students like 16-year-old prodigy Claire aren't so lucky. The transient population in town has a way of disappearing, and lots of people turn their heads when they do.

This is bad news for Claire, who made a powerful enemy in the dorms. She feels her life is at risk, and begins a desperate search for a new place to live after the threat turns physical. Claire stumbles upon the opportunity of a lifetime when she answers a roommate ad for the Glass House, a spooky old gothic mansion on the outskirts of campus. Not only is it a safe, spacious property full of mysterious rooms and a strange energy, her new roommates (goth Eve, sarcastic jock Shane and mysterious day-sleeping musician, Michael) offer her a chance for friends and a real home. Unfortunately, life away from the house isn't so safe for a young girl without a bracelet to signify Protection, and Claire finds herself the target of vampires with a grudge. After one of her roommates saves her life, Claire makes a deal with the enemy, goes on a search for an ancient and coveted vampire relic, and discovers that there are more secrets in Morganville than she ever imagined.

I haven't read any of Caine's adult novels, like her popular Weather Warden series, but I'm eager to do so after this introduction. Her characters are likeable and well-written. The dialogue is witty and believable, and the dynamic of the four Scooby-esque roomies reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- in a good way. The whole thing was well-written and humorous, without sacrificing the horror elements that are the cornerstone of the vampire novel genre. And it's kind of refreshing to read a book with scary vampires again, to be frank.

Glass Houses introduced an ambitious amount of plot for a first book in a series, and the cliff hanger ending was really annoying. But overall, I really enjoyed the book. I will seek out Dead Girls Dance, the next book in the series, as soon as I can.