A review by kandicez
Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
2.0
This could have been an excellent book. The idea and story were very interesting. The original pilgrims were vamps, continually "re-incarnated" about every hundred years or so. One doesn't know they are a Blue Blood until the fifteenth year. This gives them time to be normal humans, and the maturity to accept what they are at a time in life when we all want a little more power. Like I said, great premise.
My biggest complaint was de la Cruz's constant name/designer/label dropping. I get that these kids are rich. Not just wealthy rich, but filthy rich. Okay, okay, but that does not mean I want to hear the designer of each article of clothing they are wearing, or the ingredients in the their food. The name dropping was enough to trip over. It was so intrusive I occasionally lost track of the narrative because of a page and a half of rambling on riches. I can see why this may have been neccesary to "set the stage", but if you don't have a handle on these kids' lifestyle by page 100, you just aren't going to get it. The only thing in de la Cruz'a defense is this is the first in a series. She may feel this entire installment is "setting the stage". Of course, for me, that's lost. I won't be reading book 2. Or 3.
I read a fair share of YA, and I have an open mind. I'm okay with a bit of sneaky drinking, smoking, sex, but this book took everything teens usually do on the sly to an entirely new level. They drink, smoke and have sex all the time. They did nothing on the sly. It was unclear to me if their behaviour was allowed because they were so rich, or because they were Blue Bloods. Either way, it was too much. There were no adults that acted in an adult capacity. These children may have access to memories millenia old, but they are still children! It seems to defeat the purpose of their souls being recycled if they are not treated as children and then young adults. They weren't made to earn any of their priviledges, and seemed to have no grasp of the consequences of their actions. No wonder many of their leaders and elders seemed like such jerks.
My biggest complaint was de la Cruz's constant name/designer/label dropping. I get that these kids are rich. Not just wealthy rich, but filthy rich. Okay, okay, but that does not mean I want to hear the designer of each article of clothing they are wearing, or the ingredients in the their food. The name dropping was enough to trip over. It was so intrusive I occasionally lost track of the narrative because of a page and a half of rambling on riches. I can see why this may have been neccesary to "set the stage", but if you don't have a handle on these kids' lifestyle by page 100, you just aren't going to get it. The only thing in de la Cruz'a defense is this is the first in a series. She may feel this entire installment is "setting the stage". Of course, for me, that's lost. I won't be reading book 2. Or 3.
I read a fair share of YA, and I have an open mind. I'm okay with a bit of sneaky drinking, smoking, sex, but this book took everything teens usually do on the sly to an entirely new level. They drink, smoke and have sex all the time. They did nothing on the sly. It was unclear to me if their behaviour was allowed because they were so rich, or because they were Blue Bloods. Either way, it was too much. There were no adults that acted in an adult capacity. These children may have access to memories millenia old, but they are still children! It seems to defeat the purpose of their souls being recycled if they are not treated as children and then young adults. They weren't made to earn any of their priviledges, and seemed to have no grasp of the consequences of their actions. No wonder many of their leaders and elders seemed like such jerks.