Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Glass Houses
    Glass Houses
    Glass Houses
    Audiobook8 hours

    Glass Houses

    Written by Rachel Caine

    Narrated by Cynthia Holloway

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Morganville, Texas, is a small college town filled with quirky characters. But when the sun goes down, the bad come 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. 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJun 22, 2009
    ISBN9781400181902
    Glass Houses
    Author

    Rachel Caine

    Rachel Caine (1962–2020) was the New York Times–, USA Today–, and #1 Wall Street Journal–bestselling author of more than fifty books across multiple genres, from adult thriller to urban fantasy/science fiction, as well as works for young adults. With millions of copies sold, she was a frequent guest at conventions in the United States and around the world. Her popular book series include the Morganville Vampires novels, the Great Library series, and the #1-bestselling Stillhouse Lake books. Caine lost her fight with a rare and aggressive cancer, soft tissue sarcoma, in November of 2020.

    More audiobooks from Rachel Caine

    Related to Glass Houses

    Titles in the series (16)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    General Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Heaven — The Earth

      Sep 10, 2022

      Instead of working on the Amtek account, William Morton stares at his wife’s Instagram. She stands near her black folding chair with hands on hips, a living cliché. He grabs his belly in discomfort. William Morton, VP-Sales, finds rolls of fat where

      18 min read

    • Article

      Pledge

      Jan 17, 2019

      Pledge
      5 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Apr 26, 2023

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Nanny

      Dec 15, 2019

      There isn’t much in the house,” Mary said. “I’m sorry.” Kayla looked around, shrugged. “I’m not even that hungry.” Mary set the table, bright Fiestaware on place mats alongside fringed cloth napkins. They ate microwave pizzas. “Gotta have something a

      21 min read

    • Article

      The Millions Least Anticipated: Post-Coronavirus Fiction

      Apr 8, 2020

      For nearly four weeks now, I’ve been practicing social distancing. When I’m not homeschooling or making beans or wiping up dog urine, I’ve thought a lot about what kind of fiction will come out of this crisis. It won’t all be good. The post The Mill

      4 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Jul 19, 2023

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Nov 10, 2021

      Book Club
      4 min read

    • Article

      Silver Spaceships

      Oct 7, 2022

      Push open the high school doors during lunch hour and breathe in the salty-sweet air of Burger King and Taco Bell and Starbucks, the delicious temptations of the franchised suburbs. Behind you, forever behind you, the cafeteria food is as appetizing

      10 min read

    • Article

      Losing The Plot

      Jun 19, 2022

      Our bathroom had dark-blue wallpaper with birds and flowers on it, like the wallpaper in an English country house. The paintwork was putty-coloured, with a putty-coloured bath shelf that Dad had built for Mum. As well as room for Mum’s mug of Nescafé

      9 min read

    • Article

      Come With Me

      Nov 22, 2018

      Come With Me
      23 min read

    • Article

      What Just Happened?

      Apr 9, 2021

      What Just Happened?
      4 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Jul 16, 2020

      Book Club
      4 min read

    • Article

      Better

      Aug 12, 2019

      Better
      18 min read

    • Article

      The End of Minimalism

      Jun 8, 2020

      Keeping a cluttered house has long been considered a little tacky, a little weak. But now it’s looking very wise.

      6 min read

    • Article

      A Symposium on Childhood

      Sep 1, 2021

      A Symposium on Childhood
      25 min read

    • Article

      The Mirror of Erised: On Death, Harry Potter, and Retreating to Childhood Reads

      Aug 16, 2018

      I’d known Monica 20 years when her sister was killed in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. We spent our childhoods in a tiny Bay Area town that I left at 14. I only went back to visit twice. In the years between, Monica and I sent each other videos,

      4 min read

    • Article

      Cat World

      Oct 2, 2020

      Cat World
      12 min read

    • Article

      All My Tomorrows

      May 10, 2022

      It was Misha’s first day minding the shop, and already she’d broken the fifth rule. Always lock the door immediately. When you had the most valuable merchandise in the universe, you had to take the utmost precautions. She hadn’t meant to disobey. It

      13 min read

    • Article

      The Turn

      Aug 14, 2019

      HERE’S a story. In college I entered the spring semester of my freshman year on academic probation. There wasn’t one reason this happened. There were many. I had signed up for a computer science class called Digital Security with no programming knowl

      5 min read

    • Article

      Mammy Dearest

      Mar 20, 2022

      Noelle McCarthy, the broadcaster, podcaster and journalist, has two obsessions: her mother and Dracula. She has written a memoir, Grand: Becoming my mother’s daughter, in which both characters flounce across the pages, one with fangs wearing a cape,

      8 min read

    • Article

      Bluebird Learns TO FLY

      Apr 29, 2020

      Bluebird Learns TO FLY
      6 min read

    • Article

      O Fortuna, Velut Luna

      Sep 15, 2018

      What is Miss Treece’s trouble, according to a popular notion? The man A has failed to show up. Arousing herself at the restaurant, she fixes her lipstick when her solo supper concludes and takes herself down the stairs situated behind the bar. There,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Part 2 SOCKS

      Apr 1, 2022

      Part 2 SOCKS
      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Glass Houses

    4/5

    1,188 ratings117 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Scribd needs a better summary for this book. I had to go to goodreads to decide if i wanted to start the series or not. Great book though.
    • 4/5
      This book was super addicting! I discovered the books while watching the Geek and Sundry web series last October and I've had them on my mind for a while now. I loved the show and I wanted to read the book it was based on.I really liked Claire as the main character. She was so rational and disbelieving of vampires, it was refreshing that she didn't immediately buy into their existence or fall in love with one immediately. She was as rational and level headed which was refreshing.I loved Claire and Shane's relationship. There was no insta-love which was a nice change in young adult fiction. They sounded like teenagers when they talked, not adults trying to be "hip" or cool.The cliff hanger ending was unexpected, but not unwelcome. I can't wait to see what will happen in the next book! Happy reading!
    • 5/5
      I loved this years ago, and I loved it now. That’s when you know you’ve got a great story, it’s like an old friend.
    • 2/5
      wasn't sure of the plot, or why things were happening.
    • 1/5
      I picked this one up after a short story set in this universe was featured in another anthology I read this year and wanting to learn more about Morganville. Unfortunately, I was so irritated by this one that I won't be reading any more, so my questions will just have to remain unanswered. My main issue with this book was that the main character was a whiny, spoiled child. I don't mind unlikable protagonists necessarily but she was just.so.offputting (example: she describes herself as being a "freak of nature" for the totally weird trait of having ready a lot of classic novels). Combine this with cartoonish villains (seriously, the main antagonist appears to have issues with Claire because she corrected her about WWII being the Japanese not Chinese. Except the character as written wouldn't appear to have cared about this?). And then after all of that, the author ends the book on a cliffhanger, presumably to get me to read the next book. Except, jokes on her, I don't actually care what happens to any of these people.
    • 5/5
      Loved this! By the time I finished this book I had already the next one ready...It's really well-written and the characters grown on you from the start, you only have to choose who you like most. Personally I have a thing for Shane...

      The Morganville Vampires It's surely one of my fav young adult vamp series!!!
    • 4/5
      At the moment I'm not quite sure how to feel about this book. It was good, but I still kind of didn't like it. I'm definitely going to read the rest of the series, I just need a little bit of break of it first.
      The book was definitely quite dark and the ending was absolutely shocking. I would have liked a little bit more romance in it and maybe a one nice vampire... But yeah, all in all, it was good start for the series.
    • 3/5
      This book was a slow start and a little confusing to me, but once it hit its stride, I flew through it. I'm really enjoying going back to the rest of Caine's novels after falling in love with The Great Library series.
    • 3/5
      entertaining story with a fast paced plot, but not the greatest writing
    • 3/5
      So this was a real quick read and helped me pass a really long drive. Also kinda refreshing in the teen vampire realm as they were bad. (Not sparkles etc) I think I will check out the rest of the series or at least book 2
    • 5/5
      This book surprised me. I heard a bit about the series but had never read any of Rachel Caine's books so had no idea what to expect and I enjoyed it more than I expected to. While the subject of vampires is very much in vogue at the moment, this is a fresh perspective which I liked and I truly did not see where this book was going which made me enjoy it more and I certainly did not expect the ending...

      Definetly reading the rest of the books in this series
    • 5/5
      This isn't your typical Teenage Vampire series. It's just not. The cover of my copy of the book says that fans of Twilight should pick this up...I am a fan of Twilight, but this is NOTHING like Twilight. First of all, vampires are definitely not romanticized in this series. They are the bad guy, no question about it. That's not where the differences end though...this book was intriguing and had some violence and mystery to it, much more than Twilight. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing on Twilight, but I find it refreshing to read a series that is so vastly different than others in the genre that I've read before. The whole idea surrounding this story (being vague on purpose to avoid spoilers) is something that just instantly drew me in and I wanted to know more. Be warned there is a HUGE cliffhanger, so be sure to have book 2 handy to start right away!
    • 3/5
      15-Dec: I started reading the series late last night, and it is really good, I was surprised, and very compassionate with Claire. But there is one questions what is it with ALL the writers and the name "Claire" written in different ways but the same nevertheless! For God sake pick different names! Morganville seems like hell on earth!! If I was born there I would with no doubt flee!! and start all over again! Monica and the Monickettes seem like devils!!

      20-Jan: I just finished the book and I am not sure I liked the ending. I don't get why Claire even stayed in that damned town in the first place. And please don't tell me because of love and friendship. No one is worth all that trouble.
    • 4/5
      I haven't been much for Young Adult novels of this particular type for awhile now, but I thought what the heck it has to be better than the other mainstream vampire series that will go unnamed here. I devoured this book in one sitting while I was on the greyhound bus going from Indiana to California (the bus trip was multiple days the book however was finished in one day of that trip).

      Caine, whose real name is Roxanne Longstreet Conrad, creates a new world of vampires that is engaging in a way that I haven't seen from the genre in awhile. She makes the vampires in charge of this singular town and creates a mystery as to why others cannot remember aspects of the town upon their exit. This made for a rather fun first read of the multiple book series.

      We are introduced to the main characters relatively quickly in the book, which is always nice since sometimes it can feel like an author takes their sweet time to make you aware of the big names. Someone may get introduced in chapter twelve in another series book, but here it is like "these are the big names for at least a few books", which was nice. You could also tell that it was a series because there are several moments where you go "I bet that comes back later". It made it feel like I was part of an ongoing world instead of just reading a one and done novel. Often I don't like feeling like I have to read more books than the one currently in my hands, but here it felt natural and right. I reached the final page of this book WANTING there to be more instead of being thankful I reached the ending and that it was enjoyable. I was saying, "Okay more and what happens to such and such character next..." I don't normally say that. I didn't even say that in the Sookie Stackhouse book that I read.

      This was engaging on an important fun level that many books have lost touch with. Often, as readers it appears we want to have really deep meaningful books to read. We want it to be literary masterpieces, but I state right now I find I enjoy the books that are not considered masterpieces so much better because they provide enjoyment over substance. I would rather leave a book feeling that I have went on a journey with characters I like and want to see again than to read a book where I feel like I am dragged through the coals to get to the ending. Glass Houses never felt like I was dragged along, but felt like an enjoyable ride! What if other writers understood that a book should be enjoyable like Caine does? I think we would all have better reading experiences.

      All of her characters are richly layered with secrets. You can tell from the first moment any character is introduced that something is not being said about them regardless of their importance in the series. To naturally have that with each character is rare. While this is a multiple book series commitment it is one that I am going to be taking on over the next several months between other reading I am doing as well because I feel that it will be well worth it based on this first book of the series.
    • 3/5
      Exciting and uncomplicated. Though it was hard to distinguish the two boys, and the plot was simplistic and occasionally the plot seemed pushed or yanked about, I enjoyed the read and the story idea.
    • 5/5
      I know this series has been out for awhile now but I just sat down and started to read it because I got Ghost Town in the mail for review (yes when that happens I read the WHOLE series) and I needed to get the background, at nine books in you kinda have to read from the beginning.

      I love that Claire is a fighter and I definitely though that Clare would have gone for Michael instead of uh....someone else, I really did. I hate Monica (even though I was shocked at first every time I read her name) she was a very evil villain, the kind you just want to kill off.

      I enjoyed this new (or well older but new to me) twist on a vampire YA. I also love the inclusion of the house, it's lore, and the extra-ness in one of the roommates. I also loved that they stood and fought with her, it was one of those wriggly happy moments of reading. I am continuing on to book two and I can't wait to keep reading more by this author.

    • 4/5
      I've had this book sitting on my bookshelf for years, finally decided it was time. Too bad I let it sit for so long this was a very good bad-vampire story.

      Some reviews of this book complained that Claire made lots of really dumb decisions throughout the story but I believe the same can be said of many characters in Steven King's Salem's Lot. Glass Houses in ways did remind me of parts of Salem's Lot.

    • 5/5
      I give this book about a 41/2 out of 5. This is pretty good in my estimation. My only hang up was that the character of Claire was a bit immature but falls within the parameters of a 16 year old. This book is about Claire, who is a sixteen year old college freshman in a little town known as Morganville. After a particularly awful bout of bullying by a girl named Monica, Claire decides that she needs to move out of the dorms before she is killed by Monica and her cronies. She finds an ad in the paper to be the fourth roommate in a house off-campus. And this begins her adventure into the world of the Morganville Vampire population and everything that ensues thereafter. This really is a good book and I really enjoyed it. I had read this book a while ago, but listened to it on audiobook yesterday and today. That is how much I really did enjoy this book. I also have a tendency to read books to fast and eventually forgets what I read previously.
    • 3/5
      Meh. This book was ok. Vampires ghosts mean girls goths...
    • 1/5
      It's been a while since I've read a book where I have actively hated the main character as much as I did Claire Danvers. Although she's portrayed as being smart (having graduated high school two years early), she sure doesn't act like it. Her parents still have a lot of sway in her life - picking the college that she will attend, at least for the first couple of years, although Claire definitely does NOT want to go there - but Claire never seems to get the idea that maybe, just maybe, she should tell her parents that she is being attacked by some random psychopaths who want to kill her. Because then she might not get to go to an Ivy League school like she wants to after she completes a few years at Texas Prairie or whatever it is. Here's a hint, Claire: if those psychos end up killing you, and their actions seem to say that they would like that very much, you aren't going to another college, either. Because you will be dead. Claire honestly lost me when she said that she loves physics but doesn't like calculus. Seriously? Physics uses a crap ton of math and equations, because, well, it's PHYSICS. And then later on, Claire says that she could have tested out of the calculus class she's currently taking but she wanted to see if she could learn something from it. Ugh. To be honest, Claire doesn't have the common sense of a turnip. After she's pushed down some stairs and the police are looking for HER, not the perpetrators, she figures it's probably just a good idea to keep going to the university and putting herself in harm's way again. Which she does repeatedly, with bad results each time. She never learns. Claire is the epitome of "too stupid to live." I just cannot get into the story with her as the ridiculously stupid main character.
    • 3/5
      I am truly enjoying this series much more than Twilight. If you are curious it is worth your time.
    • 5/5
      Easy read. Very good story. Love the characters. Many twists and turns that keep the story interesting. Will definitely read book two! I will definitely consider reading all fifteen books to this series. A part of me wishes that it's an adult series and not young adult.
    • 5/5
      Thoroughly enjoyed!!!
    • 4/5
      Glass Houses is one of those books that you read through in a single night. It's fun, fast-paced, and a light read. The story appears to be another new-girl-at-school-meets-the-mean-girls, at least in the first couple of chapters. Except, the mean girls are way too mean, as in mean enough to kill the new girl, and a strong streak of underlying menace makes the reader sense that things are not what they seem in Morganville. The story is narrated in third person, but from the perspective of the new girl, Claire Danvers. Not only is she just starting college, but she is underage, having finished high school in two years. When she inadvertently made popular girl Monica look stupid in front of her friends, she draws the pretty girl's wrath. Still, Claire is puzzled by the virulence of the bullying, and when Monica pushes her down the stairs and leaves with a parting threat about more to come at night, Claire realizes that her best alternative is to find a safer place to live than in the dorms. She casts about for anything reasonable, and finally finds a notice requesting a roommate at a place called the Glass House. When Claire arrives, she is sure no college kids would be interested in her as a potential roommate, but Eve, one of the Glass House residents, practically forces her inside. Eve insists that Claire is the most normal person to apply, and probably also feels sympathy for the visibly bruised young girl. Claire soon meets Eve's other roommates, Shane and Michael, two extremely hot boys a couple years older than Claire. Michael is unwilling to let someone so young live with them, but when they find out her nemesis is Monica Morrell, they give her a few days of sanctuary. They also inform Claire about Morganville's secret, which the reader has already deduced, even if the book cover hasn't given it away: Morganville is ruled by vampires. Monica is protected by her family's vampire, Brandon, one of the nastier ones of the bunch. Claire thinks everyone is crazy, until she has the proof of fangs presented in her face. Problems with Monica only deepen, and Claire's new roommates grow increasingly protective. Despite the many terrors mounting around her, Claire refuses to back down. When she returns to school, though, she is greeted by one of Monica's minions pouring acid down her back, and is taken to the hospital. Shane watches over her, filled with regret, since he was escorting Claire to keep her safe and he didn't see the girl in time to prevent the attack. Since he can't reach the mysterious Michael, he takes matters in his own hands. Shane makes a deal with Brandon to give Claire some protection. The other three are furious with his self-sacrifice, and are determined to find a way out. When Eve reveals to Claire that the vampires are searching for a special book, something they want more than Brandon wants Shane's blood, the gang work out a plot to find or recreate the desired tome. Their scheme brings them into conflict with a dangerous and powerful vampire, and might be the death of them all. The setting is original and quite fun. As I wrote at the beginning, the book exerts a hold on the reader's attention that is liable to keep her awake far past her bed time. The plot is packed with action. And vampires. I am partial to a certain kind of vampire story. I like the vampires to be dangerous and dark, but also exciting. It doesn't hurt if a few of them are sexy. I want the vampires to be complex, not all of them bad, but not all of them good. I definitely don't like brutal, evil vampire stories. This novel exactly captured my wishes for depicting a secret society of vampires. In addition, the author merged the supernatural with a school story, which was a fun twist. Also, the romance is good, actually great, but still appropriate for a younger audience. As to the downside of the book, the writing is a bit clumsy at times. Details like Eve asking Claire her name when she referred to her by it just a page earlier jumped out at me as examples of sloppy writing. Still, considering the easy-read nature of the book, I was able to overlook these flaws and just enjoy the story. This is certainly a series I will be exploring further.
    • 4/5
      Okay, so I will admit, I have seen this around for ages and read some good reviews of the series, but it didn't get my attention until I watched the first couple of web series episodes, and knew it had even more potential to make a good read, especially dropping the cheesiness that I cringed at a bit in the episodes. I love Claire, she is a brilliant 16 year old and she has this fierce determination, not backing down from a challenge, and never wanting to quit. She is first bullied by a mean girl type named Monica, and she finally stood up to her and was granted a shove down the stairs for her effort. She begins to look for a house off of campus and then subsequently discovers that this town is full of vampires. Since neither her, or Shane, Micheal or Eve has protection from a vamp and can be considered free range. As an intellectual she has a hard time believing until she sees vampire strength and presence with her own eyes. I fell for the other members of the house, Eve the goth but such a sweetie underneath, beautiful boys both with their own secrets who at first have a hard time accepting Claire as a fourth in their house but then she earns some respect because she did stand up to Monica and gets bonus points because she can cook. The secrets unveiled, the world building for the town, and the development of the characters really made this story, although it def made me want to read the next one right away. Bottom Line: Loved the main character and world building
    • 5/5
      Wow, I’m so glad I acquired all six of the books (out so far) at the same time. The cliffhanger ending left me so hungry for more that as soon as I finished Glass Houses I started reading The Dead Girls’ Dance right after just so I could find out what happened next. For a young adult book and a first in a series I was impressed, it’s rare to find any series that starts with a bang.

      I didn’t have a problem with Claire that others have expressed. Her attitude was justified, moving away from home to go to university is tough and to do it at sixteen as a child prodigy must be even harder especially when you are being targeted by a group of murderous bullies. If you wouldn’t feel scared and depressed in that situation then you’re a robot. She was entitled to a little whining.

      I haven’t read the whole of Caine’s Weather Warden series but I did read the first book, Ill Wind which wasn’t really something I could get into so if you couldn’t get into it either then you may want to give the Morganville Vampire series a try though I have to warn you it is addictive!
    • 3/5
      This book was recommended to my by a friend who hasn't yet steered me wrong, but as I read the first part of this book I'll admit I thought "well, there's a first time for everything". The constant beatings got to be a bit much, and for someone so intelligent, she seemed to rush into potentially dangerous situations with little or no fore thought. But as we got to the second half of the book, things got interesting and I can see why this series is a keeper.

      The residents of Glass House are all interesting and likeable. The action at the end held my attention until the end. The hints of romance gave me something to look forward to. And I'm intrigued by the character of Amalie. All of these reasons will have me picking up the next book soon.
    • 3/5
      Parts of the plot are pretty illogical, but the suspense really has me hooked.
    • 4/5
      A very intriguing, original YA story with some serious tension and horror moments. Although the premise sounds silly when explained, Caine manages to put it across as a deeply threatening setting, where some brave and thoroughly interesting characters struggle to remain in control, sane, and of course alive. I found the characterisation extremely compelling, with very convincing depictions of young adults, including the slight but significant graduations in outlook between different ages. The interactions were excellent and the writing gripping.My one gripe with this book is that the sequel kicked the rug out from under me completely, introducing egregious personal trauma backstories, changing the tone significantly, throwing in several plot points that make no sense in the setting, and in general completely undermining the hard work this book had done. So while I enjoyed it in isolation, I can't honestly recommend reading it unless you plan to stop shortly before the end.
    • 2/5
      I sincerely wanted to like this book- the ideas were fresh and exciting. A town run by vampires? Awesome! And as a college student, I was itching to read a fantasy set in college.

      But alas, the book ended up as too simplistic and superficial- I walked away from the book with only the tiniest glimpse of the personality of the characters, and the world of Morganville. And the villains- mean popular girls, childishly arrogant vamps. Nothing of interest to me there. And I was so hoping the mean girl thing would end up as irony, but it was deadly serious!
      And the heroine- for someone supposedly super smart she really is spectacularly stupid sometimes. She's the girl from all the horror movies, who you just want to scream at- DON'T OPEN THE DOOR! DON'T OPEN THE DOOR! I was painfully aware of her youth (16) throughout the book- not to say I haven't encountered some amazing 16 yr old heroines, but Claire was so so naive and immature.

      I think I could have really liked this book if it had some more depth, stepped away from some of the cliches, and had a more mature and street-smart heroine. Perhaps the sequels provide that? In any case, I won't be picking any of them up unless I get really desperate for a new book to read.

      *****I know I am a young adult, and this book is probably more directed at young teens, but that is really no excuse. There are some children's books out there with way more depth and sophistication than this one.