Just Read: Blue Bloods

If you've ever been a The Vampire Diaries fan, then it's very likely that you'll like this book.

The story is ostensibly about 15-year-old Schuyler Van Alen and the secrets she uncovers about herself and her family, plus a gorgeous boy - the most popular one in their school - Jack Force who she starts to fall in love with. But it's an ensemble story, and the various characters' points of view push the story forward.

The book creates a pretty interesting set-up, with enough blank spaces around in book one to build the world further and elaborate on the story... as I found out when I checked the Wikipedia entry for the series. Melissa de la Cruz gives you enough of the popular YA tropes nowadays: vampires, angels, nephilim, past lives, past loves, unrequited love, love triangles, coming-of-age problems, childhood friend turned sweetheart, reincarnation, forbidden and twisted ties, history, mystery, magic, popular girls and jocks versus outcasts, and copious references to fashion styles and icons. I was hoping to see a reference to Filipino mythology, even a little, given Melissa de la Cruz's heritage (and it did say she spent part of her life in Manila), but I guess kapres and manananggals (types of ghouls) haven't found their way yet in YA fiction. The book teases you enough so that you'd like to go on to the next book to see what happens.

My biggest turn-off, though, with this book, is not the predictability and the stereotypes, but the writing. It's not at the level of The Tiger's Curse but I think Melissa should have gotten a better editor. The structure of the narration needs work, and the changes in the points of view in one scene could be smoother. I really do think this material would work better as a screenplay. In fact, I am convinced it would be gorgeous as a movie.

But hey, if you're 15 years old and looking for a book to sink your teeth into one boring night, this is a good enough place to start. Just be sure to check out Robin McKinley, Maggie Stiefvater, Laini Taylor, and Kristin Cashore when you're a bit older if you want stories that not only grab you but feel like honey in your mouth when you read the words, even if it's just in your head.