#1 - "Blue Bloods" by Melissa de la Cruz

[sweet-adelheid.livejournal.com]

This is my first review in my second year of counting. I got two books away from 50 last year (Feb09 to Feb10) in terms of reading (but I'm a little behind on reviews) and after a little while away from the whole counting thing (during which life was so busy I barely read any books) I decided to start a second year: 25 May 10 to 24 May 11.

So - here's book number 1 in my new year of counting.

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz (Hyperion Paperbacks, 2007)

This is, in a way, my accidental 50books_poc. read. Melissa de la Cruz is an American writer of Filipina background, although I didn't even think to look into her background at first. I'm not that used to the popular (as distinct from good) adolescent books also being possible reads for 50books_poc. Reading the rest of the series won't be so accidental. Blue Bloods is pretty much the only vampire-related series that has really caught my eye amongst all the myriad of vampire books available at the moment.

I keep describing Blue Bloods to the kids at school as "Gossip Girl with vampires" - despite the fact that I haven't ever seen Gossip Girl. Schuyler van Alen is on the outer at posh Duchense Academy, despite her lengthy pedigree. But then Schuyler discovers that most of the most moneyed families in New York City are actually vampires: Blue Bloods and members of the 400. But something is attacking the supposedly invincible Blue Bloods, and the Blue Bloods are dying - something which is not supposed to happen.

Schuyler and her almost-friend, Bliss Llewellyn, the twins Mimi and Jack Force, and Schuyler's longtime friend Oliver are all fabulously drawn characters. The adults are rather shallowly drawn in this book, but there are (at the moment) three more books published and another one scheduled. It's not great literature (by any stretch of the imagination), but it's fluffy and fun, and it's certainly not annoying like Twilight. The backstory also has a fascinating twist on the vampire mythos (did you know that Bram Stoker and Joss Whedon are mere pawns of The 400, disseminating all sorts of conspiracy theories about vampires to confuse the Red Bloods?)

So far the story stretches back beyond the Mayflower settlers and Roanoke, encompasses modern day politics (in a vague sort of way), and is notable (to me) for being the first non-internet usage of the word "hipster" where it doesn't refer to clothing. The next two books in the series were returned to the library today (I had them both on reserve) and I will admit to squeeing aloud. ~grin~

(tags: filipin@-american, young adult, vampire, women writers)