My first experience reading a novel about vampires was Twilight. At first, I got swept up in its popularity but I soon found myself hating it. After that, I didn’t think I could ever get into that theme again. But then this novel came along. I didn’t really expect too much from it if I’m to be honest. But when I read it, I fell in love with it and was excited to read the rest of the novels in the series. At that time, the rest of the novels hadn’t been written yet so I forgot about the series completely. When the novel popped up on my recommendations list, I decided to reread it and see if it matched my standards today. So without further ado, here is my review:
Schuyler Van Allen has always felt at odds at her prestigious New York City private school, Duschesne. Although her family tree is just as impressive as the other students in the school, Schuyler does not have the sizeable inheritance that comes with it. While she is an outcast among the popular students, she has a true friend in Oliver Hazard Perry, who has been her best friend since childhood. When a student is found dead, the whole school is in shock. This leads to a rapid turn of events, and Schuyler finds herself invited to join “The New York Blood Bank”, better known as “The Committee”, a select group comprising of the most influential and elite families of New York. And it is at her first meeting of The Committee that Schuyler discovers that she and all the other members are vampires, fallen angels cursed to be born again and again to walk the Earth. In this way, the vampires or “Blue Bloods” find themselves living a series of different lives. But this “life” may prove to be the most dangerous, as something begins to kill the newly awakened vampires one by one. But is the threat really from something unknown? Or does the danger lie within the Blue Bloods themselves?
Just as before, I found myself swept up by the story. I couldn’t stop reading it and loving every inch of detail. This novel reads like Gossip Girl but has enough fantasy and mystery to give it substance. I loved getting a glimpse into the life of Manhattan’s elite but I also loved that the quintessential “gothic” vampire image was maintained. The idea of “cycling” or reincarnation was quite interesting and just made all of the character connections that much more appealing. Schuyler is a great protagonist; although she is initially presented as being quiet and unobstrusive, she soon emerges to be a strong-minded and courageous teen that anyone would love to be friends with. This book was a great teaser that sucked me in and left me wanting more action and more secrets. Now that the series is finally complete, you can count on it that I will get through it all and write a review for each book! So if you are looking for a good teen/adult vampire fiction, this should definitely be on your list!
Happy reading ~