Book Review: Blue Bloods

Title: Blue Bloods
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Series: Blue Bloods (#1)
Publication Date: March 27, 2007
Publisher: Hyperion
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult, Vampires

Summary: Schuyler Van Alen has never fit in at Duchenese, her prestigious New York City private school. But when she turns fifteen, the death of a popular class mate haunts her in unexpected ways, and, strangest of all, Jack Force, the most popular guy at Duchenese, is taken a sudden interest in her. Once an outcast, Schuyler is thrust into Manhattan's most exclusive social circle. Its members are the most powerful, wealthy, and - as Schuyler soon discovers- inhuman. They are the blue bloods, an ancient group of vampires. Now something is preying on this elite group, and Schuyler wants to find out the truth. But is she the most vulnerable one of them all?



***
Going into this book, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. This time, the book was recommended (actually, she threw the book at me and forced me to read it) by my close friend, Katie Sharmer.
 It follows a young Schuyler Van Alen as she discovers the truth about herself and Manhattan's most elite, wealthy, and powerful social circle. And, to be honest, I liked it. It was okay. I might read it again. It really is suffering from that "it-was-okay" or "in-the-middle-book" syndrom I heard Sarah from imlovingbooks.blogspot.com mention (perfect description of how I feel about this book).
Though, initially, I wasn't sure about Schuyler, I found her enderaring once in a while. She may be a total Mary-Sue, but the fact that she just turned 15 makes her young, and the way she acts portrays her naive and youthfulness once in a while. The way she dresses classes with her cutesy attitude, but it also makes her somelike another of those teenagers trying to find out who they are, and I think that makes her more relatable. I like her friend, Oliver, but I felt very sorry for him. It seems like he worships and cares so much for Schuyler and though she cares for him, too, she seems to play around with him a little, and that's something I can't stand. I can't wait to see how his story plays out in the next few books.

I really liked reading about Mimi Force. She was fascinating because sometimes, I couldn't be sure whether she was heaving real feelings or just faking them. I really think she was unique and well developed, and I can't wait to watch her grow more as the books progress, and I feel lots of sympathy towards her. I can't quite pin point why, but I like her a lot and I was happy that I got a few chapters in which we were following her and not Schuyler. And call me sick, but I really like Mimi and Jack together. In order to avoid spoilers, I will refrein from going into too much detail, but I think the two fit well together and their personalities complimented each other. I don't think much for Schuyler and Jack together, simply because it seems like the author is forcing them to be together and trying to hard to make them work, but overall I enjoyed the book lots. It definitely isn't my favorite, but if you are looking for a light read, this is a great book for you. I'd really recommend it to anyone who is looking for something nice, and light to read. It does hold your attention and such, but it isn't really "page turning" or a book you will stay up late reading. The world that De La Cruz created is amazing and I really can't wait to discover more about it. I would read it again- like I said, it's a nice, light read.
-Astrid