Masquerade - Melissa De La Cruz

Schuyler Van Alen wants an explanation for the mysterious deaths of young vampires. With her best friend, Oliver, Schuyler travels to Italy in the hope of finding the one man who can help--her grandfather. Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly under way for the Four Hundred Ball, an exclusive gala hosted by the city's wealthy, powerful, and unhuman--a true Blue Blood affair.
But it's at the after-party, a masquerade ball thrown by the cunning Mimi Force, that the real danger lurks. Hidden behind the masks is a revelation that will forever change the course of a young vampire's destiny.
Rich with glamour, attitude, and vampire lore, this second installment in the Blue Bloods saga will leave readers thirsting for more.

Title: Masquerade
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Genre: Young Adult, Vampire Fiction
Publisher: Hyperion
My Rating: 4/5

This book was infinitely better than the first one! The story grabbed me right from the get-go and it didn't let up. The masquerade after-party was only the beginning. We get to meet Schuyler's grandfather, Lawrence, and we get to meet another key player. I really like Bliss's character (as well as Oliver's and Schuyler's) and can't wait to see how she evolves. We are left with some mystery pertaining to her character. At the end of the book a bomb-shell is dropped and I can't wait to see what happens next in respect to the comment! I'm trying to keep my reviews spoiler-free, so it feels like I'm talking in code at times! I really enjoyed this book though, and think that though the first one was "meh" this one was definitely well worth the read.


This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge over at J. Kaye's book blog.

In My Mailbox -5-

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren every Sunday. In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received or bought that week.


1. Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
2. Break - Hannah Moskowitz
3. Rogue Angel: The Spirit Banner - Alex Archer
4. Body Bags - Christopher Golden
5. Thief of Hearts - Christopher Golden
6. Fortress In The Eye Of Time - C. J. Cherryh
7. The Dragon Reborn - Robert Jordan
8. Angelic - Kelley Armstrong
9. Through Wolf's Eyes - Jane Lindskold
10. Legend Of The Jade Dragon - Yasmine Galenorn
11. Soul Survivor - Christopher Golden

I picked up a few books for the book club that I've recently joined. You can join here. (That is, if you want to!) :) D and I went out to a local antique store/secondhand book store, and picked up the rest of the books listed here. The only one that I received in the mail was Kelley Armstrong's Angelic. I can't wait to read that one! :)

That's what is in my mailbox this week, what's in yours?

Blue Bloods - Melissa De La Cruz

Schuyler Van Alen has never fit in at Duchesne, her prestigious New York City private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes to the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates. But when she turns fifteen, Schuyler's life changes dramatically. The death of a popular schoolmate haunts her in unexpected ways. And strangest of all, Jack Force, the most popular boy in school, is showing a sudden interest in her.
Once an outcast, Schuyler is thrust into Manhattan's most exclusive social circle. Its members are the powerful, the wealthy, and--as Schuyler soon discovers--the unhuman. They are Blue Bloods, an ancient group of vampires, and for centuries they've been invincible. Now something is preying on this elite group, and Schuyler wants to find out the truth. But is she the most vulnerable of them all?

Title: Blue Bloods
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Genre: Young Adult, Vampire Fiction
Publisher: Hyperion Paperbacks
My Rating: 3/5

I'm on the fence with this one. I really enjoyed the "vampire world" that Melissa has created. I really thought it was a unique spin on it, and I liked how it gave another variable for the lost colony of Roanoke. I liked Schuyler and Oliver, and Bliss... I'm on the fence about some of the other characters though. If the characters had been fleshed out more, they would have been excellent, but with all of the world building going on I can see why she (Melissa) focused on that more so than on the individual characters. The high-roller lifestyle of course comes with designer clothing, but it bogged the actual story down. I was kept busy reading about designer apparel (which I could care less about) and all I wanted was to read more about what was happening, who was the bad guy, how could they stop him/her, what are Blue Bloods really? etc etc. (You get the picture.) :) However... the further I got into this book, the more I enjoyed it, I was immersed in it, and then bam! That was the last page... and I'm really curious to see what's going to happen next. Luckily, I have a copy of Masquerade from the library. (I'm already 45 pages into it.) All in all, this was a good story, though there were parts that you could get bogged down in, but stick with it, it gets better, and leaves you wanting more! (Okay, so maybe as I'm typing this, I'm not as on the fence as I thought I was...) :).


This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge over at J. Kaye's book blog.