Fantastic YA book!
I thought it had great writing, well developed characters, a great sense of place and history (set among old New York city families - old as in Dutch- but set in the present), and a kind of style and verve that reads (to me) as a kind of cross between the goth-y vampire glamour and shadows of Twilight and the glitzy clubbing richkids scene of Gossip Girl. I thought it was a delicious book in every way.
From ancient Egypt to modern day Manhattan, the Blue Bloods have always ruled. I thought the book was surprisingly readable on a political level, too, with the Blue Bloods (the vampires) aided by the sycophantic upper middle class ( the Conduits) to live off the blood of the poor.
Schuyler is a great heroine, and the spattering of colonial American history (Roanoke colony, the history society, etc) was fun. I appreciate that de la Cruz didn't condescend to her readers- she left enough information that it would be tempting to find out more about 'what really happened' and it would be easy to find. Also, the characters showed familiarity with the world, appreciation for the arts, and a sophisticated worldview (well, they're ancient vampires, after all!) but that is refreshing after YA book after YA book that writes about teenagers as if they live on some desert island with only pop or punk (that depends on how 'deep' the book is) music, a tv, a cell phone, and some annoying/distressing parents and siblings. I love a book that mentions opera and exhibits at the Met.
Quality: 10 Popularity: 9 Overall: 19
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