What Hides Behind the Blue-Blooded Fangs?: "Bloody Valentine" Review (Blue Bloods, #7)

Cynthia Ayala ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer 
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Published: December 28, 2010
Publisher: Hyperion Book
Series:   Blue Bloods (Book #7)
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery, Vampire
The Blue Bloods are not the typical vampires. Suffering for their sins of turning against God and siding with Lucifer, the Blue Bloods are fallen angels. Stronger and faster than humans, the Blue Bloods have control over traits humans wished they could have, except in the matters of the heart. This makes the Blue Bloods just as human as those they feed upon.
Melissa de la Cruz’s Bloody Valentine is a Blue Bloods novella published on December 28, 2010 by Disney-Hyperion. The book is compiled together from three separate stories, all of which share matters of the heart as the common theme, allowing young adult readers to delve into mystery, urban fantasy, and above all, paranormal romance. Cruz sets out to reveal the undying love, hope, and lust that have followed the characters throughout the series.
The first story follows fan-favorite Oliver Hazard-Perry as he searches for a release from the pain and longing he feels for Schuyler, his best friend and the love of his life. It’s a torment he feels from having his blood tied to Schuyler while he was her conduit. Readers are finally able to not only see the pain Oliver goes through but understand it as well, giving his character more life and substance; he no longer comes off as some heartbroken teenage boy. It is a story that is rich in detail and explains how he was able to break the bond with Freya, one of the Witches of East End. Nevertheless, what Cruz does is go in-depth with the emotions and the pain, creating a brief story about the pain Oliver feels, why he feels it and his path to being whole again. This was really a revitalizing story that gives Oliver a grounded personality and shows readers why he is so vital to the Blue Bloods series.
While the second story covers a lot of backstory that is incredibly important in the series, it wasn’t told well. It follows Allegra Van Alen, Schuyler’s mom (the archangel Gabrielle) back in 1985 when she attended Endicott Academy and where she fell in love with her human familiar Steven “Ben” Chase, Schuyler’s human father. It was very off-putting to see Allegra act as a stereotypical high school girl, the one with all the beauty and sweet attitude. However, she had none of the spunk that was in Mimi, who was the stereotypical bad girl through the Blue Blood Series.
On the one hand, it’s refreshing to see this character have a life and to see her as something other than “Gabrielle, The Uncorrupted”, but the way her character was written was strange. This character is in a coma for more than half of the series then wakes up with all the answers and strength befitting of her angel name, but she is obnoxious and rude to those who cared about her because she can’t deal with the events of their past lives. The story does give readers many answers surrounding Schuyler’s heritage and what makes her such a crucial part in the war between the Silver bloods and the Blue Bloods but the characterization was seriously lacking.
The third and final story was enjoyable to read. It centers on Jack and Schuyler and tells the story of their bonding ceremony. It really is a story about love, not just romantic but also the depth of love between friends. It is an amusing story with a lot of action and delves into how Schuyler not only cares about Jack, but also about her friends, Bliss and Oliver, as they have to rescue one of their own and face imminent death. This last story, while entertaining, really doesn’t add much to the background of the Blue Bloods series and seems to have been written for fans only. Old fans will appreciate this story a lot and to new readers it will give them an insight into the world of the Blue Bloods.