Masquerade

Melissa de la Cruz

Published 2007

320 pages

Rating: B+/A-

Synopsis (may contain spoilers for those who haven't read the first book)

Schuyler Van Alen wants an explanation for the mysterious deaths of young vampires. With her best friend, Oliver, Schuyler travels to Italy in the hope of finding the one man who can help--her grandfather. Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly underway for the Four Hundred Ball, an exclusive gala hosted by the city's wealthy, powerful, and unhuman--a true Blue Blood affair.

But it's at the after-party, a masquerade ball thrown by the cunning Mimi Force, that the real danger lurks. Hidden behind the masks is a revelation that will forever change the course of a young vampire's destiny.

Rich with glamour, attitude, and vampire lore, this second installment in the Blue Bloods saga will leave readers thirsting for more.

My review

After reading Blue Bloods, I was excited to get started on Masquerade. I thought that Blue Bloods was great but Masquerade was even better! It continues right off where Blue Bloods ended, with Schuyler and Oliver running off to Italy for help involving the Silver Bloods mystery. In New York, as said above, Mimi is planning an extravagant masquerade party. Strange things occur at the ball, such as passionate kisses with masked gentlemen. Everything is changing in the Blue Bloods society and not in a good way..

This book was far more enjoyable for me than Blue Bloods. I understand more about the characters now and I really liked the turn in Mimi and Jack's relationship. I wanted to know more about their past lives and Masquerade reveals a lot more not only about them, but about a few other characters' true personalities and qualities. I also loved how Schuyler and Jack's relationship blossomed into something bigger and more exciting. It kept things exciting.

As for the plot, I thought it was fantastic and Melissa de la Cruz included more action, more romance, more mystery, etc. Secrets (that I was dying to know the truth about) surfaced and I was hoping that they would be revealed quickly but obviously you're kept in the dark for awhile to keep things exciting. I thought that everything about the book was very satisfying but I have to admit that it took me awhile to finish the book, for the simple reason that although it was exciting, I just wasn't interested enough for it to keep me up at night, reading whenever possible. But it's not that big of deal since very few books have ever had that impact on me.

I recommend this series to everyone! For those who thought Blue Bloods was just okay, take a chance on Masquerade since it is a great sequel, way better than the first book in the series. It was an awesome read for me. Also, look out for my Revelations review coming up soon!

-Marisa