Last summer, I started the Blue Bloods series, after finding myself in love with the covers at the bookstore. I know, I know. They say to not judge a book by its cover, but I can't help the fact that I do. Pretty covers with masquerade masks on them draw me in unlike others.
Regardless, I picked up the first two books in the series and devoured them both quickly. I began to notice parallels between Blue Bloods and Harry Potter that were undeniable. It's like Harry, Ron and Hermione were vampires instead of wizards, sent off to vampire school to learn all about their vampirism. I was curious.
Revelations, the third installment, came out in the fall of 2008, and I eagerly anticipated it for months. The first two novels were well put together and read decently. I expected the third to move the story along fluidly, just as the others had.
Instead, I found, Melissa De La Cruz fell flat with this one. It jumped around between the characters too quickly, introducing far too many subplots that felt useless, despite them coming together in the end, anyway. I no longer connected with the characters, and found myself caring less and less about their well being. The love triangle De La Cruz tried to really hit home in this book left me feeling empty - I didn't care whether or not main character Schuyler got together with either gentleman.
What really drove the point home for me was the end, where instead of feeling sympathy for the characters, I laughed, at the climatic moment that was meant to be devastating to a number of characters. I laughed. Literally. I read the paragraph and laughed out loud.
I am surely going to hell.
It's disappointing. I was really feeling this series until this book flopped for me. I'm not sure I can even be bothered with the fourth installment at this rate. What a waste.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
all of our secrets, coming undone
In 2008, with much thanks to the horrific, albeit insanely successful and somehow addictive Twilight series, I once again found myself in love with all books paranormal. I went from the Twilight series to the Blue Blood series to a plethora of other vampire, magic, witch, and more based books that all obviously surpassed the quality of Twilight, but fed my hunger for a love I had discovered many, many moons ago before realising I was a baby trapped in an adult's body and entirely unable to sleep with the lights off after reading or seeing anything scary.
With some time to kill around Christmas, I began the Blue is for Nightmares series, starting 2009 off with the last two books of the series - until the Fall of this year when the 5th installment, Black is for Beginnings, is released.
To be honest, I was surprised with how much the series sucked me in. When I started Blue is for Nightmares, I kind of rolled my eyes initially, wondering how in the world this series had become so notable. I'm not sure what it was, exactly. It may have been the way the characters interacted in the first couple of chapters, or the dialogue they spoke, but something seemed a little off.
Then, I got into it. Things started to pick up and I was itching for the next page, and the next, and the next. I needed to know what was going to happen. Sleep was no longer an option. I'm serious. I ended up reading much of Silver is for Secrets in one night, staying awake until one in the morning on a work night because I just could not put it down. I had to know, and I had to know immediately.
Things didn't change much with Red is for Remembrance. It was a little bit more slow going at first, as I found it hard to get over the tension of Silver is for Secrets. Hell, Silver made me cry for the first time in a long time over a novel. That is some tough material to follow up.
Once I figured out the plot twist in Red, however, I needed to read the remaining 60 or so pages before sleeping, resulting in another rude wake up call the next day.
Sure, the Blue is for Nightmare series is not literary genius that will be taught, studied and broken down, but it is enjoyable. It flows and reads well. It grips you. It does exactly what a thriller should, and that's keep you engaged and involved. Overall, it's a job well done and deserves to have sold the 200,000 copies or so it has.
Now, if only I could sell 200,000 copies of something.
With some time to kill around Christmas, I began the Blue is for Nightmares series, starting 2009 off with the last two books of the series - until the Fall of this year when the 5th installment, Black is for Beginnings, is released.
To be honest, I was surprised with how much the series sucked me in. When I started Blue is for Nightmares, I kind of rolled my eyes initially, wondering how in the world this series had become so notable. I'm not sure what it was, exactly. It may have been the way the characters interacted in the first couple of chapters, or the dialogue they spoke, but something seemed a little off.
Then, I got into it. Things started to pick up and I was itching for the next page, and the next, and the next. I needed to know what was going to happen. Sleep was no longer an option. I'm serious. I ended up reading much of Silver is for Secrets in one night, staying awake until one in the morning on a work night because I just could not put it down. I had to know, and I had to know immediately.
Things didn't change much with Red is for Remembrance. It was a little bit more slow going at first, as I found it hard to get over the tension of Silver is for Secrets. Hell, Silver made me cry for the first time in a long time over a novel. That is some tough material to follow up.
Once I figured out the plot twist in Red, however, I needed to read the remaining 60 or so pages before sleeping, resulting in another rude wake up call the next day.
Sure, the Blue is for Nightmare series is not literary genius that will be taught, studied and broken down, but it is enjoyable. It flows and reads well. It grips you. It does exactly what a thriller should, and that's keep you engaged and involved. Overall, it's a job well done and deserves to have sold the 200,000 copies or so it has.
Now, if only I could sell 200,000 copies of something.
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