Blue Bloods (Blue Bloods, #1)

by Melissa de la Cruz

[Katie King]

**2 stars**

First and foremost, ignore the plot synopsis. Technically everything mentioned does happen, but it really isn't an accurate description of the book. I think it's a little misleading because it makes it seem like we get a glimpse of these Pilgrim vampires meeting and vowing to keep their nature a secret, but no, that is what happens. Instead we get intermittent flashbacks to the time of early settlers via a diary, but never any concrete information. There is mention of the first Pilgrims as vampires but John Alden? Constance Hopkins? Those people are never mentioned in the book. The Pilgrim thing more just rounds out the plot with a background story. And Schuyler as a loner? She actually has a few friends that she enjoys spending time with, and by the end of the novel she has gained many more. We don't see her discovering the veins on her arms - when they are first mentioned it is implied Schuyler has had them for a while. Ignore the plot synopsis.

Moving on, this book reads as "Gossip Girl" with vampires on the side. I should know - I've watched the entire series. The brand-dropping in this book is ridiculously annoying. I tried to read the Clique series in middle school and I didn't make it past the first book for the same reason. I get that letting your readers know exactly what lifestyle these kids have is important, but at some point there's a line and de la Cruz crossed it. Also mentioned are lavish parties, expensive shopping trips, endless drama, and snobby teenagers. Like I said, Gossip Girl.

A very small portion of the book is dedicated to introducing and developing the vampire plotline, which really suffers. Kids find out they're vampires with blood that's magically alive and carries memories of past lives, but all that is forgotten in comparison to figuring out whom everyone is hooking up with. A "popular girl" (who appears in the novel only upon her death) gets all her blood sucked out and everyone goes from shocked to wondering who they should ask to the fall dance. The latest round of vampire kids definitely don't let their undead status affect their social lives.

The characters were boring and predictable. Schuyler fit neatly into the alternative stereotype. Bliss fit into the country girl stereotype. Mimi fit into the popular "bitch" stereotype. The male best friend secretly in love, the bad boy, the cold grandmother, and so on and so on...

Lastly, the romance. Obviously our little punk sweetheart Schuyler manages to fall deep in love after one chat with the popular jock who's "different" from the other popular kids. I guess different these days means a suggestive relationship with his twin sister. I can't decide whether or not it's worse because of the fact that he apparently loves Schuyler back. Then there's her best friend Oliver, who turns out to be something like "vampire's little helper." He also seems like he's in love with her, but of course she doesn't see it and routinely picks the jock over him. That love triangle is seriously worn out.

The best part of the book is when we actually read something relating to vampires. For an entire series based around them, they don't really feature prominently in this novel. I liked the whole backstory we get on them, the library, the flashbacks - that whole part was interesting. Problem is, we don't really see a lot of it.

If you like Gossip Girl, you'll love this book. If you're hoping for a better Twilight, this isn't your book. Lots of high school drama and not a lot of paranormal action. If it weren't for the fact that I had already bought the next book, I would be done with this series.