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| Masquerade (A Blue Bloods Novel) (Blue Blood Novels) | 
 enlarge | Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Creator: Tk
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Category: Book
List Price: $15.99
Buy Used: $1.93
You Save: $14.06 (88%)
New (29) Used (32) Collectible (1) from $1.93
Avg. Customer Rating:  35 reviews
Sales Rank: 61574
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.2
ISBN: 0786838930
EAN: 9780786838936
ASIN: 0786838930
Publication Date: May 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: NEW BOOK!! WE SHIP 6 DAYS A WEEK!!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Par for the course March 27, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is actually a 2 1/2 star review, but since you can't do half stars...
I consumed this sequel in just under four hours. Which would be impressive, although it should be noted that these books are not densely written and about a third of it consists of descriptions of what people are wearing and the names of fashion designers, which I am quite glad to skip.
That said, if you liked the first one, you're almost guaranteed to enjoy the second because the author doesn't really mess with the formula that worked so well before. Smart woman.
The intrigues thicken. Bliss' mystery deepens, including the identity of her mother and the whys and wherefores of all of her nightmares and blackouts. (It's amazing the girl stays upright with so little sleep.) Jack's infatuation with Schuyler is given more significance, and I liked the reasoning behind it. It makes it more than just a shallow, dude-she's-freakin-hot thing. The connection between Mimi and Jack through all of their life cycles is explored well, but apart from that their characters are much the same. I was hoping for more development from Mimi. Best friend Oliver takes a familiar and predictable turn in regards to his feelings for our heroine, Schuyler, who grows a bit more spine and remains likable as she travels in search of her exiled grandfather.
Once again, the book is strongest where its exploring the idea of these reincarnating fallen angels, how they interact in familiar and yet not-the-same patterns over and over again. I honestly wished the adults could put in more page-time. Charles Force remains the most complicated character in the book - hard to like but yet not bad (at least...not yet). The addition of Schuyler's grandfather gives the character landscape a boost. There's a moment where he's talking with 16-year-old Jack in a tone that suggests they've had this conversation before - through the centuries. It felt like a throwaway scene, but I wanted there to be more like them.
The book didn't start off on the right foot for me because it violated a pet peeve of mine. In the first few pages, it almost blatantly infodumped everything that had happened in the previous book. If people aren't clever enough to start with the first book in the series, then let them swim without a lifejacket and try to pick up what's going on.
There are other problems. The head-hopping by the author means sometimes she has to double-back and have characters remembering scenes that happened instead of us getting to see them in real-time. It's a method that tends to leave gaps, although she does pretty well at keeping her threads in hand. There a couple of divergences so Bliss and Schuyler can pursue modeling careers. (Why?) The addition of a new boy at school feels contrived - a means to a certain end - and a couple of other elements to the end (I don't want to spoil anything) feel a bit deus ex machina.
All the negatives aside, I'm still interested in how the intrigues will be resolved. Whenever the next book comes out, I'll definitely pick it up at the library as soon as I am able.
 Just as great as "Blue Bloods" May 12, 2007
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
I, for one, was thrilled when I heard there would be a sequel to "Blue Bloods." As soon as a friend of mine got it, she handed it off to me when she was done. Like her, it took me 6 hours to read cover to cover. Fast paced and just as good as the first, Melissa de la Cruz reveals enough answers to satisfy the reader's appetite (I can't count how many "Oh my God!" moments I had), but leaves just as many cliff hangers to leave you hungry for another installment. I cannot wait to read the continuation to this excellent story.
Trouble in paradise June 1, 2007
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
The rich have all the fun. Now imagine not only do they have power and money but immortality. This would give a whole new meaning to Paris Hilton's popular saying, "That's hot."
But even the designer dresses and winter school breaks to exotic locations can't mask the fact that there is trouble in paradise.
In the new Blue Bloods novel, Melissa De La Cruz gives us a peek into the lives of the rich who also happen to be vampires. Think Vampire Gossip Girls.
Schuyler Van Alen wants an explanation for the mysterious deaths of young vampires. With her best friend Oliver, Schuyler travels to Italy in hope of finding the one man who can help-her grandfather. Meanwhile back in New York, preparations are being made for the Four Hundred Ball, an exclusive gala hosted by the city's wealthy, powerful, and immortal--the Blue Bloods.
But the real danger lurks after the gala, thrown by Mimi Force, someone who resents her brother's attraction to Schuyler and who will do anything to get her out of the way.
This was a guilty pleasure. I loved reading how the rich and powerful could also be vampires. Melissa De La Cruz does a good job of showing how the Blue Bloods came to be. Familars are Red Bloods(humans) that vampires feed on. Somehow I doubt I'll think of hottie in the same way again.
I can't wait for the third book. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a different spin on vampires.
 Perfectly Mysterious June 26, 2007
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I think "Masquerade" was better then the first novel, but still not a ten for ten. Though this book unmasked some of my questions about the vampire history and tradition, I will still left confused and unsure at the end of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and the untraditional way de la Cruz has chosen to portray the vampire. However, I am still hoping that in the third book Cruz's focus is on the vampires and not the clothes on thier backs.
I confess to being a sucker for romance and the confusion that comes along with being in love with your best friend while still falling for the "jock." It may be a little cliche, but I can appreciate Cruz's efforts in the complicated twist of Skyes relationship with her best friend. The character development of this novel was exceptional and the climactic end of the book left me eager to read the next one.
 Delicious... May 27, 2007
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
This sequel ties in flawlessly to the end of Cruz's first book in the series, "Blue Bloods". It was a delightful read all-around, full of rich characters and situations that always keep you guessing. I actually stayed up all night to finish reading it. o.O
Cruz really opens up the world of the Blue Bloods in this novel, giving us so much insight into the different characters, as well as into the circumstances that brought the Blue Bloods down to Earth. By the end of the book you'll be so engrossed in these characters, you won't want to return to the real world.
Overall, this is a great addition to any dark-fantasy lover's collection.
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