After discussing this series with a friend the other day, I realized that I stopped after the first two (because that’s all that had been released at that stage). I want to get back into this series that many people I know rave about! So I’ve decided to read one Morganville Vampire book a week for the next twelve weeks! Morganville Mondays I shall call the days when I post my reviews!
Welcome to the first Morganville Monday – starting with the first book in the series, Glass Houses.
Book Review:
Title: Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires #1)
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Contemporary, Vampires
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: January 2011 (first published 2006)
Pages: 372
Rating: 3.5 stars
Synopsis (from goodreads):
It’s a small college town filled with quirky characters. But when the sun goes down, the bad comes out. Because in Morganville, there is an evil that lurks in the darkest shadows—one that will spill out into the bright light of day.
Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. The popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks on the school’s social scene: somewhere less than zero. And Claire really doesn’t have the right connections—to the undead who run the town.
When Claire heads off campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Hew 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…
My Review:
This book surprised me from the start. I’m used to violence in the books that I read but generally in the paranormal variety all the blood and pain is caused by the supernatural beings. Not so in this case.
Main character Claire Danvers – super genius, starting college at 16 years of age and majoring in physics – is being bullied and assaulted by the First Daughter of Morganville, Monica Morell. Having her clothes stolen by Monica, face punched and otherwise violently attacked by her clan of evil followers, Claire decides that she HAS to move out of the college dorm. It’s either move out or start shopping around for a gravestone.
After finding a notice in the local classifeds, Claire leaves campus and arrives on the doorstep of 714 West Lot Street – The Glass House. There she meets three quirky and endearing roommates who seem relatively normal. Except for the fact the little goth girl, Eve, believes in vampires.
Claire moves in and discovers that maybe Eve isn’t crazy and that Morganville isn’t all it appears to be.
As the first book in the series, I enjoyed this one. Yes, there’s a lot of ground work laid – probably to set up the next 11 books in the series – and there are some things that don’t make sense but it’s a good read. I enjoyed the inhabitants of the Glass House; Michael is gorgeous and tormented, Shane and his addiction to video games amused me and Eve is incredible in her own way. The only let down was Claire – she got a little irritating and she infuriated me with her inability to do what she was told. I don’t like a pushover but after all she’d been through and the enemy still at large she still leaves the house without an escort? And then after she gets assaulted again she does it some more? Oh Claire…. for someone who is so smart (and I know she is because one of the few things I know about Claire from this novel is that she likes to study. A LOT!) she sure can act rather stupid at times.
The vampires are fascinating. I love that they could hold an entire town hostage and because of their mind-controlling ways there’s no one outside of city limits that has a clue. I love the idea of Protection and enforced donation.
This book has a lot to offer in terms of action, romance and supernatural nasties. I am looking forward to reading Dead Girl’s Dance later this week.
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