Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Somehow I find it difficult to write about books that I really loved. When a writer creates something truly beautiful, I want my review to be just as well written and it can’t be – I’m just not that great of a writer. So let me just say from the beginning that I loved Dreamland. I love Sarah Dessen’s books. She touches my heart.

Caitlin is the younger sister to the perfect child. Her older sister Cass was chosen to be homecoming queen, scored the winning goal in the soccer state championship, elected student body president, and accepted into Yale. There’s really no way for Caitlin to match up to all this perfection. And then, on Caitlin’s sixteenth birthday, Cass runs away from home to live in New York with her boyfriend.

Caitlin does the one thing that Cass never did – she tries out for cheerleading and makes the team. But even as she’s learning the routines and tumbling across the floor, she hates every moment of it. She is going through the routines of high school life, more for her mom than for herself. And then one night she meets Rogerson Biscoe. It is obvious from the beginning that Rogerson is a Rich Bad Boy – the type who is into drugs, sex, and rebellion. Rogerson sells pot to the local school crowd, and as he and Caitlin become a couple, it is clear that she is not going to be making the types of decisions that her parents would approve of.

Caitlin quickly begins to spiral down. She smokes pot with Rogerson and her friends, she skips class and cheerleading practice, and she lies to her parents about what she’s doing. Caitlin and Rogerson’s relationship becomes more and more physical and she begins to spend all of her time with him. Then one night, after she doesn’t show up to meet Rogerson, he hits her. And as shocked, and as hurt as she is, Caitlin takes it. “I could have just gotten out of the car and walked up to my house, leaving him behind for ever. Things would have been very different if I had done that. But the fact was that I loved Rogerson. it wasn’t just that I loved him, even: it was that I loved what I was when I was with him. Not a little sister, the pretty girl’s sidekick, the second runner-up. All I’d ever wanted was to make my own path, far from Cass’s. And even after what had happened, I wasn’t ready to give that up just yet.”

Rogerson controls Caitlin completely. Because she knows that he gets furious waiting for her, she is careful to be on time, to never let him see her talking with a boy, but still the beatings come. Caitlin has to keep her arms and legs covered at all times, so that no one will see the bruises. And she tells nobody what is going on with her.

I think this is the first book about dating abuse that I have read. I expected to identify with the victim, but I never expected to feel sympathy for Rogerson. He is bad and wrong and needs serious consequences, but he also needs a lot of help, and I felt sorry for him because I don’t think that he’ll get that help.

Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz

I must say I read this one quickly. I started it last night and it was the first thing I picked up this morning (even before the paper!).

Anyway, on to Masquerade. Schuyler has gone to Venice with her best friend Oliver in a quest to find her grandfather. She thinks that only he can help her figure out what's happening with the Silver Bloods who are preying upon the Blue Bloods. The adult vampires are still denying that the Silver Bloods are back but Schuyler knows better. A Silver Blood almost killed her grandmother and has killed several teenagers her age. How then, can the adults be convinced?

Another book that I don’t know exactly what to say about. Did I like it? Yes. I started it last night and finished it early this morning. While it didn’t have the driving plot of the first book, and some elements were confusing, what I liked about it was the vampire world that De La Cruz has created. This very high society world has many cracks and yet it still manages to do at least some good for the Red Bloods (or humans). They aren't painted in such wonderful light -- they are selfish, narcissistic beings who do somehow manage to do good for others, if only to redeem themselves.I also liked the whole theme of ignoring or even denying that a bad thing is happening in an attempt to make that bad thing go away. After all, don't we as humans do that all the time? Another interesting theme is that of sacrifice. There are several sacrifices made in the book, the most poignant when Oliver allows Schuyler to use his blood in order to save herself. This book made me think about the world De La Cruz has created, and I must say I will buy the next volume when it comes out next fall.

Now, if the copy of Eclipse that I ordered for the library would just come in!!!

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Well. Ever since I got to the mid-way point in this novel, I've been thinking about what I was going to say when I blogged about it. I'm still struggling. Did I like it? Yes. But there were aspects of it that made me uncomfortable. I tend to read more middle-school stuff and this is definitely a high school book. But more about that later.

When we think of the term "Blue Bloods" we think of those who are fabulously rich and can trace their wealth back generations. That is what the term means in this book, but it also means so much more. Blue Bloods are vampires -- have been vampires since they were expelled from the Kingdom of Heaven. They want atonement -- to be accepted back into Heaven. Until then they live their lives (or cycles as they are called) using their wealth to bring culture to and do good for others. The Metropolitan Museum of Art? Founded by Blue Bloods. You get the idea. Although there is a theme of reincarnation, the vampires are born human and when they are fifteen, they start changing. Schuyler has just discovered that she is a vampire, not an easy thing for her to accept at first. But worse things are happening. Vampires are supposed to be immortal, but somehow the young teenage vampires are dying and the older vampires seem to be in denial about what's going on. Schuyler is in danger and so she and a couple of her friends set out to figure out who is causing the vampire deaths.

What's good about the book? I love the twists on the vampire myth. I think that's why I love Stephanie Meyer's books so much. The story is exciting and I've already gone out and bought the next book.

What made me uncomfortable about it? The drinking. Now I know it's explained in the book that alcohol doesn't affect vampires, but these fifteen year-olds drink. A lot. And quite frankly that bothered me. I do understand it goes with the "rich kids who are above the law stereotype" that she's creating but I wish she had chosen some other way to show this. There is one almost sex scene, but interestingly enough I don't think there was a single swear word.