Shanan B. (yogimommy) reviewed on 1/10/2011 + 35 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

This volume contains two books in the Morganville Vampires series (Glass Houses and The Dead Girls' Dance). I found these two books to be very engaging. I could not put them down. I read The Dead Girls' Dance in one day.

I like Caine's writing. Most of her characters are not all good or all bad. They are a mixture. For the most part, as a reader, I knew who she intended for me to like and support and who were the bad guys, but I can tell there are times where she wants to leave us confused and wondering what side a character is on. Everyone had positive qualities and negative qualities, so everyone seemed like a real person (except for the vampire parts). It made it a much more interesting story to read.

Caine also brings out the emotions of the reader. I geninuely felt frustration for Clair (all she wanted was to go to school) and Michael (all he wanted was to be able to leave the house and help his friends). I geniunely felt compassion for Eve after learning what happened that led her to leave her family and her protection at 18.

There are a few things that I am still a little confused about after these two books, but I feel like more information is coming in the future books. How do the protections work? Or in other words, how does a person or family get the bracelets?

In past reviews I have been critical of the model of relationships presented in YA novels. And I will say that I have some concerns about the 16 year old dating the 18 year old who she lives with. But I feel that Caine has handled that relationship better than other authors. The teens in the relationship seem to get that they need to wait, but not in a way that it feels like a lesson to the reader. It is something these two teens are struggling with, but so far I think Caine has handled the struggle in a very realistic manner.

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