Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires, Book 1) by Rachel Caine Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires, Book 1)
Book Review: New Series
Summary: 3 Stars
Under attack by an upperclassman and her cronies, Claire Danvers, a young college freshman, moves into off campus housing with a group of teens that clue her in on the realities of life - and unlife - in Morganville.
Glass Houses had strengths and weaknesses. When a clique of psychotic popular girls is decidedly scarier and far more vicious than the vampires controlling the city, something doesn't seem right. In this, the first installment of a series, the vampires were, unfortunately, very much one dimensional, and aside from Amelie, uninteresting.
Caine did a better job with the heroes. Claire, Eve, Michael and Shane had distinct personalities, a good mixture of maturity and immaturity and enough quirks to make them seem real and likeable. I cared about them, and that drew me into the story.
This was the first book I've read by Rachel Caine, and while I had problems with a few of the characterizations, I found enough to like in this story to want to check out some of her other books.
Book Review: Wow--great read for all!
Summary: 5 Stars
Rachel Caine fans are in for another rockin' ride in this new series!
Some may be tempted to compare this one to her Weather Wardens books, but that's a big mistake. Each should be read on its own merits, keeping in mind it IS a whole different world and the rules are different. Were I in the right age group for this book I'd likely go nuts over it and be craving another one ASAP. As an adult I'm still nuts over it, but for different reasons.
The characters, especially the brainy, courageous Claire, are very well drawn and likeable for their quirks and shortcomings. Each has a history, baggage, and a unique way of dealing with problems. Young Claire is scary smart in some things, inexperienced in others, and attending college in Morganville, Texas, which has nasty goings on under the surface. Psychotic classmates, sinister cops, and other threats abound in a town where vampires make the rules and unwary humans are there for the taking.
Caine has gone all out on the "What if vampires (the e-vul, bloodsucking, barely controlled fiend kind) designed and ran a town?" It ain't a pretty sight, but it's a page-turning read as Claire and her housemates figure out how to survive. As if classes, term papers, and after school jobs weren't enough on a freshman's plate, the freshman could end up being the meal on that plate!
Think Veronica Mars crossed with Buffy, throw in a gallon of espresso shots to pitch things into high gear and that's what you'll find in Glass Houses. Just like the real world, this one isn't a fair place, and it can get very dark indeed, but you can get past that and thrive if you want it enough and have the support of good friends.
The other plus is the swift, effortless pace of well-executed writing. This is a book you can finish, turn to the front, and read again. That was my favorite kind of book as a teen and still is now. High school and college are long behind me, but Claire's fortune's, tribulations, and will to survive into adulthood take me right back to what it was like when I was her age. She doesn't deal with ordinary bullies, hers are certifiably insane, never mind the vampires and other things lurking about. Caine's characters are pushed to the limit, and just when you think things can't get any worse, they do, but the heroes ARE heroic and do their thing to the best of their ability.
I can't wait for the next one!
Book Review: A good book for the right age group but a disappointment for us "grown ups"
Summary: 3 Stars
I love Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series and was keen to read this, the first in a new series subtitled "The Morganville Vampires". However, this book is VERY different from the Weather Warden series - our heroine is a 16 year old girl going off to College. As an English woman the American college system seems very bizarre at the best of times but Claire's experiences in her first six weeks at her new college in Morganville are even stranger. She's a bit of a brainy nerd and pretty soon falls foul of Monica, the 'cool but dim' girl who, with her acolytes, virtually runs the college. They gang up against Claire and, in order to escape various attempts to harm her, some successful, Claire moves out and starts living in an old house with two young men, Shane and Michael, and a goth girl, Eve. Once there she begins to find out some very strange things about the town of Morganville, its residents and the rules that she needs to know to be protected from the evil things out there.
Claire's discoveries of the strange events that take place in Morganville unfold through the course of the book - she discovers vampires, ghosts, a long-lost secret book - whilst having to deal with injuries, a crush on one of the young men in her house and her parents' protectiveness.
The book moves along fairly swiftly and it's interesting and well-written but I can't give it more than three stars because, for me, it was unsatisfying as it was more a book for teenagers. I'm over twice Claire's age and I just can't identify with her - or even with the setting of the college and the events taking place there. Probably it's great fun for young adults who are interested in the vampire genre but don't want anything too gory or too full of sex. I expected another novel like the Weather Warden series for adults and the information on the book's cover didn't warn me otherwise.
Book Review: Okay, but...
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm not exactly sure what age group Ms. Caine was writing for with this novel. The main action takes place in a college town, but I can easily see college students passing this one by, the immaturity of the characters is hard to stomach. High School students might also be looking for something a little more mature (sorry to say, the few in my family prefer a little adult interaction with their violence - how shocking!). This could be considered a few age bumps up in fantasy from Harry Potter, but grade school children are too young for this book, its scary enough for nightmares. Junior High? Maybe, I have no current reference. As for those in my age group (well over 30 and then some), I left college years ago, and have no desire to revisit those times, I barely got out, sanity relatively intact, without the added complication of vampires. Who's left?
I have come to the conclusion that Rachel Caine is incapable of writing a bad book, she's more than talented, and this book does show that gift. I am obviously just the wrong reader. No matter how well written this was, I never became fully captivated with the characters, the plot, or the premise. Others, however, may love it, hence the three stars. When Glass Houses does find its audience, I truly believe she will have another successful series on her hands, I just won't be following along on this particular adventure.
I really would like to recommend this book, I'm just not sure who to recommend it to...
Book Review: Not just for kids
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a fan of Ms. Caine's Weather Warden series and pre-ordered this new series based just on that. I knew it was meant for young adults, but that's not a bad thing to this middle-aged mom. Lots of the best books I've read in the past few years have been catagorized as young adult, which I haven't been in 20 years. I read it for myself and at the end, I recommended it to my Darren Shan-addicted 14 year old son. This is definitely not your "feel-good" vamp book. The vamps are bad, evil bad. And the humans are flawed, but good. I found the characterizations of our heroes realistic and was really concerned about the way Claire was treated in her dorm. That freaked me out as much as the vamps (the vamps haven't cornered the market on evil). This is the start of a new series and it has lots of "set-ups," but not so many that the book can't be enjoyed on its own. There's some swearing and references to s-e-x to be aware of, in case you're sharing with a younger reader.