Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

As I waited impatiently for the copy of Eclipse to finally be shipped to my school library by Follett, I read a number of reviews of it by bloggers. Although many of the reviews indicated the readers were disappointed with the path the series is taking, Becky at Becky’s Book Review and Jen Robinson at Jen Robinson’s Book Page both have reviews of it that reflect the way I felt about the book. I’m not going to rehash what they said but I do want to add to it.

Many of the less-than-positive reviews I’ve read focus on the amount of agony Bella goes through as she is torn by her love for both Edward and Jacob (the reviewers say she whines too much). She wants to be a vampire so that she can always be with Edward, but she doesn’t want to hurt people, and she is acutely aware that becoming a vampire will hurt many people, most notably Jacob and her father, Charlie. Like I would, like anyone would, she just wants everyone to be friends – to be able to maintain the relationships that have been so important to her since she moved to Washington. She would be the worst kind of selfish person if she didn’t consider the long-reaching effects of her decision upon the lives of the other people she loves.

I must admit that as I read Eclipse, I kept thinking back to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. At the end of season 7 Buffy finds herself caring about two vampires, Angel and Spike. While Angel is her soulmate, she does acknowledge that Spike is also in her heart. She won’t deny either of them and she’s mature enough to know that she needs to grow up a bit more (or as she puts it, she’s uncooked cookie dough that needs to finish baking) before she decides upon her place with either of them.

That’s what I want Bella to do (and also what Edward wants her to do). So what if she’s five or even ten years physically older than Edward? She’ll have had plenty of time to make her decision and truly know that it’s the right one. Right now, my personal opinion is that she should choose to not become a vampire. Changing into something that will result in craving human blood forever? Into perhaps killing people? Not for me, and right now I don’t think that it’s for Bella at this point in her life. Meyer will have to do an awful lot of convincing in the next book for me to change my mind.

On a side note, the one thing I found frustrating about the novel is that I didn’t have time to reread the first two books and I needed to in order to understand some of the people that were being referred to. I never liked they way the Nancy Drew books always caught the reader up with who each character was, but I wish Meyer could have given me a little more to go on as I struggled to remember the stories of some of the minor characters.

I do love the way these books are clean reads – I can give them to any child and not worry about its appropriateness. I think I’ll hand them to my younger daughter next – she’ll love them.

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.