Something Wicked This way comes. . .

Something Wicked this way comes is a gothic novel by Ray Bradbury and was read for the Basics Challenge.

Writing a proper summary for this book is very difficult. Simply its a story of a strange carnival coming to town and two boys, Jim and Wills discovery of its horrific secret and purpose. This sentence summary doesn't do this story justice, as it touches on many themes such as the sins and follies of human kind, whether its the wish for youth (or age) or for immortality, on family, friendship or the soul.

To be perfectly honest i found this book to be a slow read, not because i found the story to be boring etc. or because i was 'making myself' read it but mostly due to the complexity and layers of the book which is reflected in Ray Bradbury's unusual (but amazing) writing.

Definitely a book i think that needs to be read several times, as I can imagine that each sentence and word of this novel was chosen for a specific reason. The style of the writing is so unusual and often confusing but reminds me of poetry/lyrics in the way it pulls you into the story.

I'm giving this book 8/10, because i'm still unsure of what to make of it? A book that needs time and a ponder, me thinks.

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

I never thought I would read another vampire book after reading, The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer.  However, I had heard so much about the Blue Bloods books by Melissa De La Cruz that I had to get the first two books.   First there is Blue Bloods and second there is Masquerade.  I will have to review the second later as I have just started to read it.

In Blue Bloods, Melissa does a great job bringing a society of vampires to life.  These vampires are not your typical vampires.  They can go out in the sun, they're not as pale as we think vampires to be, they don't glitter in the sun like diamonds, and their fangs aren't in the front of their mouth like traditional Dracula.  However, these are the creme de la creme of the vampire world.  These vampires own most of Manhattan, New York. 

The story is in third person and follows first and foremost, Schuyler Van Alen as she learns about being a Blue Blood and tries to figure out her life as a teenager with her best friend, Oliver, who is human.  But Melissa also shows us the story in other character views such as the new Texas transfer, Bliss Llewellyn who is also the daughter of a New York senator and Mimi Force, the most popular girl on private school, Duschesne's campus.

Along the way, we learn that vampires are fallen angels with Michael and Gabriel (the archangels) as their leaders to help them through their lives on earth.  Also, these vampires that Melissa has created always save a bit of their blue blood in order for them to reincarnate and return to life later on.  And they learn about Croatan or the thing that wiped out the Roanoke colony back when Plymouth was first established.

I have to say that I did enjoy the story Melissa De La Cruz has come up with.  However, I'm not into all the talk of Gossip Girl like stories.  Probably the best character this author has come up with in this story is Bliss.  Bliss is very down to earth and reminds me very much of how girls really react to their surroundings when they are in their teen years.  Mimi Force is way on the popular side with really no worries except how to plan the next big party and then there is Schuyler who is our main character, but on the opposite end of Mimi, being the most unpopular girl at school and dressing like a goth.  Nothing wrong with goths, I have nothing against them, but I see that I like Bliss because we see the conflict in her as she tries to choose which side to be on, Schuyler's or Mimi's.

I really do like the innovative take on vampires.  They are definitely new and the story really wasn't as predictable as I thought it would be.  She even ends it on a climactic point.  I think what could have made this story more interesting is smoother scene changes and more on the feelings on how these girls feel about being who they are.  I believe it would have added more depth to the story and to the characters themselves.  I'm not saying the story is really dry, I'm just saying that it has its high points but a lot of it is low points.  I have started the second book, Masquerade, and hope to enjoy it far more than I how I somewhat enjoyed Blue Bloods.

P.S. Sorry for the layout of this review...for some reason I can't get it to go the way I want it to look.