Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz, 302 pages
Book 1 of the Blue Bloods series

An interesting twist on Vampires. In the story, they are actually fallen angels trying to make their way back into heaven. They prey on human blood because that is what gives them the ability to keep living their lives (reincarnation) until they "get it right" and get back into heaven.
Schuyler Van Alen is part of Manhattan's most elite and exclusive circle. She attends a private school with very few students. When a student is murdered, Schuyler discovers things about her society that she had never imagined possible before. With the help of her friends, she must discover the mystery of who/what is hunting the elite and why. She will also find keys to her past that unwrap a whole new world of questions.

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith, 310 pages

 Quince Morris is a 17 year old orphan who has lived with her young and distracted Uncle since her parents' death years before. Together they run a soon-to-be vampire themed restaurant that is Quince's legacy.  Her only solace is her longtime bestfriend/ love interest/ half-werewolf, Kieran, who will be leaving her soon to join his werepack. When the longtime chef of the restaurant is murdered within hearing distance of Quince, she and her uncle scramble to find a replacement "vampire" chef.  Young, idealistic "Bradley" steps into the position and Quince is quite taken with his culinary gifts. Soon Kieran starts to fade to the background as Quince starts to notice there is more to Bradley than meets the eye. In the meantime, a killer is on the loose in her town and many have fallen victim. When the killer once again stalks closer to home, Quince is shocked to discover who it is. This vampire/were-creature tale and love triangle teen story was predictable and a little hard to digest (pun intended). I did get a kick out of the menus and how the chapters are divided up into food courses, however, and that kept it entertaining.

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz, 344  pages

Emma has lived a very hard life. Her father left her at a young age. Her twin brother died a tragic death shortly after... And her mother died leaving Emma with a very abusive stepfather. After being injured in a drunk driving accident, Emma goes to live with her Aunt (her mom's sister). Her Aunt Christine is very well off and immediately enrolls Emma in an exclusive and expensive private school. There Emma meets her best friend who is gay, her other best friend who is a witch and her soulmate. But after losing all the ones she has loved, can she really expect things to get better? Spellbound will keep you spellbound through the pages as Emma faces a thousand year old curse head-on that could mean the end of everything she loves and holds dear. Toss in typical teenage drama of the stuck-up, jealous and mean popular girl, the overly touchy and menacing jock and the usual trumped up rumors that flood the halls of high school .. and you have Spellbound in a nutshell.

Tilt - Ellen Hopkins

Tilt by Ellen Hopkins - 602 pages

Witnessing the fallout from the poor choices their parents make and the lies adults tell themselves, three teens are clinging to the remnants of the secure and familiar world in which they've grown up. Makayla is sure she's found the love her parents seem to have lost, but is suddenly weighing nearly impossible choices in the wake of dashed expectations. Shane has come out, unwilling to lie anymore about who he is. Harley, a good girl just seeking new experiences, never expects to hurtle towards self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.