Friday, April 29, 2011
Review – Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a dilapated mansion. Schuyler is a loner…and happy that way. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a popular girl from her school is found dead… drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn’t know what to think, but she wants to find out the secrets the Blue Bloods are keeping. But is she herself in danger?
Could those vampire legends really be true? Steeped in vampire lore and set against the glittery backdrop of New York City, Blue Bloods will be devoured by Melissa de la Cruz’s legion fans.”
I had no idea what to expect when I opened Blue Bloods. I knew it would be something about wealthy vampires, but that’s about it. Melissa de la Cruz definitely has a knack for description. There was very little that was left to the imagination when it came to things like clothing, architecture, or scenery. She was very thorough, and it did help create this new, aristocratic-like world Blue Bloods was set in, but it also seemed to get in the way and make the story move very slowly. I understand that part of that has to do with the environment the characters live in and how they think (very focused on fashion, wealth, etc), but it felt like she was more concerned with throwing in the names of every major fashion designer in one book than building up her characters and plot.
That said, I didn’t connect with any of her characters. They all seemed shallow and underdeveloped. The only character I evenly remotely liked was Cordelia, Schuyler’s grandmother. I love BA old ladies! Schuyler (pronounced Skylar, FYI) herself was alright. I liked the fact that she was a free thinker and didn’t need to be surrounded by an entourage to feel good in her own skin. Her friend Oliver was very loyal and sweet. Their relationship seemed genuine and just like any other team of best friends. One thing that really gave me a creepy vibe though was the relationship between the ‘blood-bound” Force twins, Jack and Mimi. It was explained, to a point, but still kind of uncomfortable.
I love how de la Cruz blended history and the supernatural. It’s just really interesting and fresh; like the idea Life Cycles for vampires, the ‘coming of age’ memory flashbacks, craving raw meat and other side effects. The story really picked up when one of Schuyler’s friends was accused of murder, and from then on I couldn’t put it down. She really stepped up to the plate at the end, even though she had just learned some of who she was becoming and had just suffered a family tragedy.
I really was expecting a lot more from this book, but I’m interested enough to see what else is in store for Schuyler and the rest of the Blue Bloods crew in the future.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
COVER REVEAL – The Death Cure by James Dashner
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Waiting On Wednesday 4/27
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Review – Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.”
I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I took my first step into Lauren Oliver’s world. I was really taken back by how absolutely terrifying it was! Not in the ‘blood and guts’ way, but in the fact that the people in it had no choice in what happened in their lives. Zero. I thought the premise was extremely interesting. I also didn’t think I would be so emotionally involved as I was.
The only thing I didn’t care for was the “biblical” aspect that Oliver added to the mix. I understand the need for some sort of text that the characters all looked to for guidance, but the ugly twist on this just didn’t sit well with me, as actual Biblical context is important to me. This wasn’t a huge part of the story, but I felt it was worth commenting on.
Tune In & Teaser Tuesday (4/26/11)

My pick this week: Paper Lung by underOATH (the OFFICIAL video! Just released yesterday! This is a very loud, intense song (clean, no cussin'!), so if you don't like that type of music, skip on down and read my Teaser. If you do like it, ROCK ON!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
In My Mailbox/WAYR 4/25
This meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. This is a great opporunity for bloggers to show what books they bought, received in the mail, or borrowed from the library. (The latter is where a lot of mine come from. I should rename this meme "On My Library Card" lol)
On the Blog overview:
My stop on The Priest's Graveyard Blog Tour
Review – Wings by Aprilynne Pike
Revew – Captivate by Carrie Jones
Review – Captivate by Carrie Jones
Captivate by Carrie Jones