Blue Bloods

Book: Blue Bloods
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: blood-sucking New York socialites really are blood-suckers

Schuyler Van Alen comes from old money and an old New York family, but the money has run low, and even her historic name doesn't keep her from being an outcast at Duchesne, a prestigious private school where most of the students can trace their ancestors back to the Mayflower. She and friends Oliver and newcomer Dylan keep to themselves and prefer more of a grunge/goth look to their classmates' uber-style. But just like some of her fellow sophomores, Schuyler has begun to get prominent blue veins and flashbacks to places and times she's never been.

Turns out she's a Blue Blood, better known as a vampire. They do feed on human blood, but not to the death, and after about a hundred years in one body, they go into a sort of blood hibernation until a drop of their blood is entered into another body and they are reborn. They are fallen angels who no longer follow Lucifer, but wish to regain God's favor and re-enter heaven. The same vamps have lived over and over since the time of ancient Egypt. But now something is happening to Blue Bloods. One of Schuyler's classmates is found murdered, drained dry by another Blue Blood. The leaders don't want to admit it, but the dreaded Silver Bloods have returned to gain power through the blood strength of other Blue Bloods.

I didn't want to like this book (needed to clean up my pile quickly), and I'm not entirely sure I did, but I couldn't stop reading. The constant label- and name-dropping irritated me to no end, but I wanted to know what would happen next. De la Cruz reveals the mystery of who BB's are very gradually, darn her. The ending is a huge set-up for the forthcoming books in the series. I would recommend this for older teen vampire fans, especially those drawn to Laurell K. Hamilton, mostly because vamp readers usually can't get enough and this isn't too bad. Maybe more fashion-minded readers will like all the name-dropping more, but it just got on my nerves.