Bloodlines

Review

Common Sense Media says

Vampire story with strong heroine explores prejudice.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is the first installment in the new series by best-selling Vampire Academy author Richelle Mead. The heroine in this installment does not fall head over heels in love, like most female YA protagonists, so there's very little romance, for once. There is some language -- mostly the occasional "s--t" or "assh--e" -- as well as a climactic scene involving a couple of deaths, as well as some injuries to a few main characters. A 21-year-old character drinks and smokes cigarettes, but the school-aged teens are pretty chaste and party-free. The book features a strong female lead and some valuable lessons about prejudice and discrimination.

  • Educational value1
    In a couple of classroom scenes, Sydney responds to the history teacher's questions about ancient Greco-Roman architecture and infrastructure and how they relate to modern-day politics.
  • Positive messages2
    The overwhelming message of this book is that you can't discriminate based on people's bloodlines. Sydney has been trained to believe all vampires are evil or immoral, but the vampires around her (for the most part) are more "human" than her nearest human colleague.
  • Positive role models2
    Sydney is a very intelligent, moral and generous protagonist. Although she takes her obligation to the Alchemists and her family quite seriously, she's also willing to challenge her strict, narrow-minded upbringing when confronted with Moroi vampires who act in a "human" manner. She helps the vampires in her charge even when it's not her responsibility to do so. She shows kindness when other Alchemists show only disdain.
  • Violence2
    Most of the novel is uncharacteristically violence-free until a climactic battle scene in which characters are killed (drained of their blood, stabbed, lit on fire, etc.). One of the deaths is particularly upsetting. Stories recount how a character brutally lost his eye and how a character in the story is a rapist.
  • Sex1
    Some flirting between Jill and a couple of interested suitors. Jill goes on a chaste date with a guy a who is four years older. There are occasional references to womanizing Adrian's hookups, but we never see him in action.
  • Language2
    "bitch," "assh--e," "s--t," "bulls--t," and a few exclamations of "Jesus," "Jesus Christ," and "Christ."
  • Consumerism1
    Gearhead Sydney has a Subaru Outback she grows to love.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking1
    Adrian drinks and smokes cigarettes, but he's 21. Jill looks hungover one morning, but she hasn't had anything to drink.
CloseExpand to see more details

What's the story?

In this Vampire Academy spin-off, the focus shifts from Rose Hathaway to secondary character Sydney Sage, a clever 18-year-old  Alchemist who's sent on an undercover mission to protect Jill, the Moroi vampire queen's sister. Sydney must pretend to be Jill's sister as they attend an elite boarding school in Palm Springs, Calif., along with Jill's bodyguard, Eddie, and the smug and sexy Adrian, who lives nearby with the town's one Moroi inhabitant. Complicating the assignment is Sydney's palpable dislike of Palm Springs' head Alchemist, Keith, who keeps threatening to replace Sydney with her less experienced younger sister if she keeps acting like a "vamp lover." As Sydney grows accustomed to her vampire-guarding post, she discovers her human classmates keep sporting mysterious "magical" tattoos. Plus, young women -- human and vampire alike -- keep popping up dead.

Is it any good?

 

Some "firsts in a series" are all punchy exposition to get you hooked before the action revs up in subsequent novels, while others (The Hunger Games, Divergent) are spectacular even by stand-alone standards. BLOODLINES is more the former. While there are a few suspenseful central mysteries to follow and be resolved, this is clearly an exercise in getting to know Sydney -- a brilliant introvert who has never felt appreciated or unconditionally loved by her perfectionist father -- and see her adapt to her precarious new mission. Her interactions with flirtatious vampire Adrian and intriguing human classmate Trey are particularly fascinating, because they force the self-conscious Sydney to entertain the idea that she's actually a girl, not just an Alchemist.

Fans hoping for fluttery romance will have to wait for the next installments. Mead has a knack for making it seem like ever male could possibly be interested in every female and vice-versa, but there definitely were a couple of bold-faced possibilities for Sydney in the next book. Since Sydney is often portrayed as a Hermione-esque character (incredibly smart, logical and invested in helping others) with no romantic experience, it will be interesting to see how Mead weaves in a first-love plotline for the plucky and mature heroine. You don't have to be familiar with Vampire Academy to enjoy Bloodlines, but those who've read that series will have a deeper sense of the various characters' personalities.

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how the cover makes this book look like yet another paranormal romance, but there's actually little romance in it. Publishers seem to believe tween and teen girls are unable to read a book without romance. Do you think they are?

  • Discuss the author's theme of prejudice and discrimination. How do Keith and even Sydney make assumptions about the vampires and dhampirs? How is Sydney an example of someone who learns to see past the superficial?

  • For those familiar with the Vampire Academy series: How is Sydney a different kind of protagonist than Rose? Which story line do you prefer? Do you like how the author inludes supporting characters from VA into a more prominent role in Bloodlines?

This review was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
Teen, 15 years old
February 20, 2012
AGE
13
 
Great book
This is a good read which is slow at first but becomes fast paced and exciting with some twists. Bloodlines deals with problems that teenagers face such as; drinking, prejudice, being super skinny.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (5) | Read my mind (2)
Flag as inappropriate 
See all user reviews
This review was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
Topics:magic and fantasy
Author:Richelle Mead
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Fantasy
Publisher:Razorbill
Publication date:August 23, 2011
Number of pages:432
Hardcover price:$18.99
This review was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!

About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

More paranormal adventures
For kids who love Vampires
Browse more books
 

vote now

Will you read Bloodlines?

Won't miss it
On the fence
No way

Already read it? What do you think?

I recommend it
It's a pass
 
More from Common Sense Media
Age-appropriate reviews
Top advice and articles

Been There? Tell us about it