Waiting on Wednesday (26)

  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting. This week I can't wait for Keys to the Repository by Melissa De La Cruz! Keys to the Repository is the the fifth book in the Blue Bloods series, and it's not really about Schuyler but short stories and other expansion info about the series. I'm excited to read it when it comes out June 29, 2010!

 Summary from Amazon:

Lavish parties. Passionate meetings in the night. Bone-chilling murders. Midterms. The day-to-day life of Schuyler Van Alen and her Blue Bloods friends (and enemies) is never boring. But there's oh-so-much more to know about these beautiful and powerful teens. Below the streets of Manhattan, within the walls of the Repository, exists a wealth of revealing information about the vampire elite that dates back before the Mayflower. In a series of short stories, journal entries, and never-before-seen letters, New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz gives her hungry fans the keys to the Repository and an even more in-depth look into the secret world of the Blue Bloods.

The Van Alen Legacy: Blue Bloods Book 4 Review

Title: The Van Alen Legacy (Blue Bloods Book 4) 
Author: Melissa De La Cruz 
Publisher: Hyperion Book 
Publication Date: October 6, 2009 
Pages: 384 
My Edition: Hardback 
Reading Level: 9-12 
Where I got it: Library 

Summary from  
Melissa's website:
With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss’s true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry; love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Schuyler has made her choice. She has forsaken Jack for Oliver, choosing human over vampire. But old loves die hard...And even coldhearted Mimi seems to suffer from the ties that bind. Young vampires unite in this highly anticipated fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series.

Review:

The Van Alen Legacy is the fourth book of the great Blue Bloods series and is just as good as the first three. I really liked how the chapters change from either Schuyler's, Bliss's, or Mimi's point of view. It was interesting to read about their different adventures and was a pretty smart idea since it wrapped their different stories together. The only thing I didn't like about the book was at several points throughout the book, I was confused because either I didn't read carefully enough and missed something or at some point information was left out.

The characters are well-developed which make them fun to read about, and I love Schuyler and Oliver. I couldn't believe what happens to Bliss, but I wouldn't spoil anything. The Van Alen Legacy is also a little depressing because of the deaths and Silver Bloods attack in Rio from the previous book and some major traumatic events in this sequel. There are many twists, and things I did not see coming. Also, it had a lot more action and less romance.

Once I got midway through, I couldn't stop reading and found myself wanting to finish quickly to find out how it all would end. The ending was very surprising and a total cliff-hanger. I now can't wait to read the next book in the series, Misguided Angels (publication date 2010). The cover is really great, and I love how the black buildings always reflect where the story takes place. Altogether it was a great book, and a nice addition to the series.

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Friday Firsts (8)

The first line can make or break a reader’s interest. Just how well did the author pull you in to the story with their first sentence? To participate in this weekly book meme is extremely easy.

• Grab the book you are currently reading and open to the first page.
• Write down the first sentence in the first paragraph.
• Create a blog post with this information. (Make sure to include the title and the author of the book you are using. Even an ISBN helps!)
• Did this first sentence help draw you into the story? Why or why not?

The book I'm currently reading is the Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz. I just started reading it, so I'm not vary far into it yet. I've been dying to read it and finally after being the tenth person on the hold list at the library, I got it...yay! : D I love all the Blue Bloods books and can't wait to devour this one too. This is the first sentence: (it starts off with a sort of intro of a "conversation", but I will just put the first sentence of Chapter 1)

"There had been little time to mourn."

 

This is an okay first sentence. If you have read the first three books and especially the third, this make sense to you but if not, it won't. Since I remember how the last book, Revelations, ended, this does draw me in and make me want to know more. Like I said above, I can't wait to this and find out how everything turns out.

What's your current book's first sentence?

The Best and Worst of Covers (6)

Every Saturday, I will post one book cover I love and one I hate from books that I have read. I will post information on the edition of the book, the summary, and my thoughts of the cover. This week the cover I love is Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz, and the cover I hate is Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. Summaries from Amazon.

The Cover I Love: 
Title: Masquerade
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Pages:336 
Edition: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult   

Summary:
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 underway 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.

Thoughts of the Cover:

This cover is amazingly stunning! I love the big masquerade mask and the title font. This cover is my favorite out of all the Blue Bloods covers, even though I really like them all. This cover goes perfectly with the story, which is very good. I love this series and can't wait for the Van Alen Legacy!

The Cover I Hate:
Title: Lock and Key
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Publication Date: April 22, 2008
Pages: 432
Edition: Hardback
Reading Level: Young Adult
 
Summary:
What happens when your past is not just past, but wiped clean entirely? How do you figure out where you're going when you can't even claim where you've been? These were the questions that inspired Lock and Key. It's the story of a girl named Ruby who is abandoned by her mother and determined to make it on her own, even---and especially---when she is sent to live with her long-lost sister in a whole new world of privilege, family, and relationships. As Ruby learns, there's a big difference between being given help and being able to accept it. And sometimes, it takes reaching out to someone else to save yourself. 

Thoughts of the Cover:

This cover is very boring, kind of like the book. I really love all of Sarah Dessen's covers and books, but this one is probably my least favorite. The beginning of the story line starts off pretty boring, but once it gets going it starts to become good. The hardback cover could've been much better, like the paperback cover. The paperback is so mysterious and very pretty.

What are your thoughts on these two covers?

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting.


This week I CAN"T wait for the Van Allen Legacy!! It is the 4th book in the Blue Bloods series by Melissa De La Cruz and comes out very soon, October 6, 2009. I love the cover of this one!

Summary from Melissa's website:
With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss’s true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry; love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Schuyler has made her choice. She has forsaken Jack for Oliver, choosing human over vampire. But old loves die hard...And even coldhearted Mimi seems to suffer from the ties that bind.
Young vampires unite in this highly anticipated fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series.

Revelations: Blue Bloods book 3 Review

Title: Revelations (Blue Bloods book 3)
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: July 21, 2009
Pages: 288
My Edition: Paperback
Reading Level: 9-12
Where I got it: Barnes & Noble

Summary from Melissa's wbesite:

Have you ever wondered what secrets lurk behind the closed doors of New York City’s wealthiest families? They’re powerful, they’re famous… they’re undead.

Schuyler Van Alen’s blood legacy has just been called into question—is the young vampire in fact a Blue Blood, or is it the sinister Silver Blood that runs through her veins? As controversy swirls, Schuyler is left stranded in the Force household, trapped under the same roof as her cunning nemesis, Mimi Force, and her forbidden crush, Jack Force.

When an ancient place of power is breached by Silver Bloods in Rio de Janeiro, however, the Blue Bloods will need Schuyler on their side. The stakes are high; the battle is bloody; and through it all, Schuyler is torn between love and passion, duty and freedom. And in the end, one vampire’s secret identity will be exposed in a revelation that shocks everyone.

Review:

Revelations was altogether very surprising. It was a little slower than the first two and in my opinion not as good. I was not expecting all the twists and turns that just kept coming and coming. A lot of things I was wondering and information I wanted to know was revealed in this 3rd book. There was lots of romance and action which I liked. If the plot was a little faster (like the first two in the series), I would have liked it much more. I really love this series and can't wait til October for Van Alen Legacy!

Rating:

Masquerade: Blue Bloods Book 2 Review

Title: Masquerade (Blue Bloods Book 2)
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Pages: 336
My Edition: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Where I got it: Borders

Summary from Amazon:
Schuyler Van Alen wants an explanation for the mysterious deaths of young Blue Bloods. Her search brings her to Venice, Italy, in the hopes of finding the one person who can help. Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly underway for the famous 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 masquerade that the true danger lurks. Hidden behind the masks is a revelation that will 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 thirsty for more.

Review:
Masquerade did not disappoint me at all. It had action, romance, suspense, and of course vampires. As the sequel to Blue Bloods, I thought Masquerade was just as excellent as the first. All throughout it left me wondering, and I couldn't put the book down. I love how the characters interact and just love reading about them. The ending was perfect and left me hanging for more. I'm excited to read the third book Revelations which I just bought in paperback. The fourth book the Van Alen Legacy will be released October 6, 2009.

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