fantasy book reviews science fiction book reviewsurban fantasy novel reviews Melissa De La Cruz Blue BloodsBlue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Blue Bloods is the first book in a series by Melissa De La Cruz about the upper-class students at a prestigious school in New York who enjoy fashion and gossip, and just happen to be turning into vampires. We follow Schuyler Van Alen, a 15 year old girl who has never fit in with the other students at Duchesne — preferring to wear charity shop vintage clothes and hanging out with Oliver Hazard-Perry. Little does she realise that her life is about to change forever, as she is initiated into the exclusive Blue Bloods society and finds out that she is one of the ‘Fallen Angels’ — immortals striving to regain the grace of God.

For some reason, I found myself compulsively turning the pages and read Blue Bloods in two brief sittings, but it was rather akin to reading a trashy gossip magazine or eating a meal from MacDonald’s rather than a three course meal. I enjoyed it well enough as a piece of disposable entertainment and would likely read the sequels as well, but I certainly won’t be rushing out to pick them up.

I think the reason it felt so quick and disposable is because I didn’t manage to really identify with any of the characters or to start rooting for them. Schuyler is rather the best of a poor bunch, but even her character does not follow consistent behaviour — oh, and what gives with the name? Upper-class children are sometimes given rather unusual names, but I was jarred out of the prose every single time I encountered her name because I was unsure how to pronounce it.

Schuyler is an outcast with little interest in fashion or of being popular, yet she still ends up falling for the most popular guy in school and taking on a modeling contract! The other characters were barely two-dimensional, let alone three, and I struggled to remember who was who at times. Their motivations seemed slight, to say the least.

I’m no prude, and I understand that kids these days are going further in relationships at an earlier age, but I felt deeply uncomfortable at some of the scenes where the girls, in particular, seemed to think nothing of jumping into bed with the guys they liked. The underage smoking and drinking, to a lesser extent, also left me cold. I didn’t like the idea that these cool and popular kids in the story were presented as being able to do what they liked; impressionable young eyes will be reading Blue Bloodsit’s being marketed to teens.

Despite these things, there were parts of Blue Bloods that I enjoyed thoroughly. The history of the vampires was different and, consequently, exciting (even though it was given to us in a massive infodump disguised as a meeting between new and old members of the Blue Bloods). The idea of these fallen angels is one I’ve encountered in other books, but never combined with the vampire myth, and it ended up being very effective.

In conclusion, Blue Bloods is entertaining enough — but distinctly forgettable.

Blue Bloods — (2006-2013) Young adult. Publisher: Within New York City’s most elite families, there lurks a secret society: its members are powerful, wealthy — and unhuman. They are the Blue Bloods, an ancient group of vampires. Schuyler Van Alen has never fit in at her prestigious New York City private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes to Prada and pearls. But when she turns fifteen, Schuyler’s life changes dramatically: haunted by the death of a classmate, she craves raw meat and finds herself the romantic interest of Jack Force, the most popular boy in school. As one discovery leads to the next, Schuyler finds herself drawn into the elusive social circle of the Blue Bloods — and a mystery that threatens to destroy them all.

Melissa De La Cruz 1. Blue Bloods 2. Masquerade 3. Revelations 4. The Van Alen Legacy 5. Keys to the Repository 6. Misguided Angels 7. Bloody Valentine Melissa De La Cruz 1. Blue Bloods 2. Masquerade 3. Revelations 4. The Van Alen Legacy 5. Keys to the Repository 6. Misguided Angels 7. Bloody Valentine Melissa De La Cruz 1. Blue Bloods 2. Masquerade 3. Revelations 4. The Van Alen Legacy 5. Keys to the Repository 6. Misguided Angels 7. Bloody Valentine Melissa De La Cruz 1. Blue Bloods 2. Masquerade 3. Revelations 4. The Van Alen Legacy 5. Keys to the Repository 6. Misguided Angels 7. Bloody Valentine Melissa De La Cruz 1. Blue Bloods 2. Masquerade 3. Revelations 4. The Van Alen Legacy 5. Keys to the Repository 6. Misguided Angels 7. Bloody Valentine Melissa De La Cruz 1. Blue Bloods 2. Masquerade 3. Revelations 4. The Van Alen Legacy 5. Keys to the Repository 6. Misguided Angels 7. Bloody Valentine Lost in Time fantasy book reviews science fiction book reviewsMelissa De La Cruz 1. Blue Bloods 2. Masquerade 3. Revelations 4. The Van Alen Legacy 5. Keys to the Repository 6. Misguided Angels 7. Bloody Valentine Melissa De La Cruz 1. Blue Bloods 2. Masquerade 3. Revelations 4. The Van Alen Legacy 5. Keys to the Repository 6. Misguided Angels 7. Bloody Valentine

The New Blue Bloods Coven — (2014-2015) From the bestselling author of Blue Bloods and Witches of East End comes a new novel that explores the battle between good and evil, in the city that never sleeps…VAMPIRES OF MANHATTAN: The New Blue Bloods Coven. You’ll devour Melissa de la Cruz’s hot new adult novel, in which her Blue Bloods immortals have matured and are now exposed to new challenges, new loves, new threats, and a haute, hot hipster lifestyle. It is ten years after the great War with Lucifer, and the Coven has rebuilt. Leader of the Fallen, Oliver Hazard-Perry, plans to celebrate this prosperity by throwing a 400 Year Ball-and all Blue Blood society will be there.

Vampires of Manhattan: The New Blue Bloods Coven

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  • Amanda Rutter (guest)

    AMANDA RUTTER, one of our guest reviewers, used to be an accountant in the UK but she escaped the world of numbers and is now living in a fantasy world she creates. She runs Angry Robot's YA imprint, Strange Chemistry. And we knew her when....

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