27. Cast, P.C. and Kristin Cast. Hunted. 323 pages. 3.16.09.

I have very low standards when it comes to judging popular fiction - especially popular fiction intended for teenagers. I have always viewed the genre as a rather simple form of entertainment and try to judge it as such. Likewise, when I read young adult fiction I always keep in mind that I am actually seven to ten years beyond the intended audience. That being said, the most recent novel in the "House of Night" series is atrocious. The quality of the writing - which was not great to begin with - seemed to deteriorate as the series proceeded, and the latest installment supports this observation. Mrs. and Miss Cast seem to have very little faith in their readers, and as such write far below the typical expectations of the genre. Despite her reported intelligence (and other positive qualities), Zoey Redbird is written like a thirteen-year-old as opposed to the seventeen-year-old she is supposed to be. The text itself moves awkwardly between standard fiction and the amateur scrawling of an overly romantic and naive preteen, and the first twenty pages or so of the novel are completely useless. The language itself, which is intended to create a sense of familiarity for young readers, is already dated and out of touch, and it won't be long before it will completely fail to connect readers to the characters. While the conclusion is more satisfying than previous novels, Hunted does little more than illustrate the weaknesses obvious in previous novels, and will do little to recommend any further additions.