CANR
WORK TITLE: Alex and Eliza
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 9/7/1971
WEBSITE: http://www.melissa-delacruz.com/
CITY: Hollywood
STATE: CA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME: CANR 323
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born September 7, 1971, in Quezon City, Philippines; naturalized U.S. citizen, 2013; married Michael Johnston (an architect and novelist); children: Mattea Katharine.
EDUCATION:Columbia University, B.A., 1993.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, novelist, and editor. Computer programmer, 1993-2001. Formerly worked as a child model.
AWARDS:New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, Bank Street Bookstore Best Children’s Book, and a California Readers California Collection citation, all for Fresh off the Boat; ALA Quick Pick, for The Au Pairs; New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age list, for Crazy Hot; ALA Top Ten Quick Pick, Chicago Public Library Best of the Best, Tayshas pick, all for Blue Bloods.
WRITINGS
Contributor to periodicals, including Allure, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Feed, McSweeneys, Hamptons Country, Nerve, Marie Claire, Gotham, Hamptons, Lifetime, Glamour, New York Press, Cosmopolitan, Allure, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl!, Seventeen, and Manhattan Style.
SIDELIGHTS
Philippine-born novelist Melissa de la Cruz is a former child model and computer programmer who worked for a number of years as a fashion and beauty editor and writer. Though most of her best-known books are for a teen audience, de la Cruz also writes for adults. Her works include series such as “Au Pairs,” “Blue Blood,” “Ashleys,” “Angels on Sunset Boulevard,” and the “Beauchamp Family” series, plus several stand-alone novels.
De la Cruz found material for her first novel, Cat’s Meow, in both her own life and the lives of those she writes about as a fashion journalist. Her protagonist, Cat McAllister, was a child actress, just as de la Cruz once was; and Cat dreams of socialite celebrity, something de la Cruz remembers from her childhood as well. After moving from Manila, where her mother was a socialite and her father an investment banker, to the suburban United States, she longs for some of the trappings of her former life. Speaking to Amy Larocca in New York, de la Cruz recalled: “I would read books by Jay McInerney and dream of some kind of return to glamour.”
Reviewing Cat’s Meow for the Los Angeles Times Book Review, Mark Rozzo described de la Cruz’s novel as a kind of celebrity-obsessed Inferno, saying that “Cat is a hilarious Virgil leading us down into New York’s rings of fashion hell.” In pursuit of a wealthy husband to help bolster her status among the New York social aristocracy, and to pay her mounting credit card bills, Cat starts by throwing herself her fourth twenty-fifth birthday party and quickly adopts a Chinese orphan as a status symbol. When her money runs out and she loses her apartment, she is forced to look for work. Good fortune finally strikes when she finds a job at a fashion Web site that sends her to runway shows in Paris and other fancy locales.
Several reviewers noted the humor in Cat’s Meow, as well as de la Cruz’s eye for telling details. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly, for example, suggested that “society page addicts will no doubt enjoy its irreverent spin on the glamorous life.” Tobin Levy, writing for Look Online, called Cat’s Meow “a delightful quick reading satire as sick and twisted as it is funny and addictive.” Rozzo wrote that while the frothy shallowness of the book and its heroine may be initially off-putting, de la Cruz makes Cat a character readers begin to care about. He concluded that de la Cruz “pinpoints the sinister vanities of this air-headed realm while making it all sound absurdly fun.”
With The Au Pairs, de la Cruz inaugurated a popular series featuring a trio of young women hired as summer au pairs to the wealthy, Hamptons-dwelling Perry family. The culturally diverse characters come from diverse backgrounds. Eliza comes from a wealthy family whose fortunes abruptly deteriorated when her father’s financial chicanery and shady accounting practices were discovered. She is desperate to fight her way back to the top of the social order, but Jeremy, a handsome gardener, causes her to reconsider her ideas of class and status. Mara, a small-town girl, takes the job to earn needed money for college, but she initially finds it difficult to fit into the brazen and luxurious life of the Hamptons. When a friendship with the Perry’s eldest son, Ryan, evolves into something more, her surprise quickly becomes delight. Gorgeous Brazilian model Jacqui has an ulterior motive for coming to the United States: she is searching for Luca, a young man she knew in Sao Paolo and with whom she wants to rekindle a relationship.
Underlying de la Cruz’s “over-the-top fantasy of high life in the Hamptons is a trio of fairly ordinary teen romances,” commented a Publishers Weekly reviewer. “Strong writing and interesting characters help set this book apart from the many other books that seem similar,” noted Amanda MacGregor in Kliatt. A Kirkus Reviews critic remarked that “teen girls will voyeuristically enjoy the slightly decadent escapism” of de la Cruz’s first “Au Pairs” novel.
The three au pairs return in Skinny-Dipping, which finds Mara and Jacqui again working for the Perry family while Eliza has taken a job in a popular nightclub. Relationships have shifted, as Eliza takes up with Mara’s old boyfriend Ryan Perry without realizing that Mara wants him back. Jacqui, temporarily swearing off men, finds herself tempted back into the game by Philippe. Her rival, however, may be undefeatable, since her employer, Mrs. Perry, also has an interest in the gorgeous young man. “The story is ultimately about the fleeting nature of popularity and how easy it is to get caught up in the game,” commented School Library Journal reviewer Michele Capozzella.
In the series’ third installment, Sun-Kissed, Jacqui finds herself trying to keep the Perrys from splitting up (and depriving her of a job). Eliza pursues a career in fashion by taking a job with Mikael Lappin, a once-hot designer looking to make a comeback. A scheming coworker, Mikael’s assistant and Eliza’s boyfriend’s ex, sabotages her plans. Mara wants to reunite with Ryan Perry but finds herself deprived of time by her new job as a journalist for Hamptons magazine. “As always, the girls’ foibles are fun but trite,” remarked Jane Cronkhite, writing in School Library Journal. The series wraps up with the 2007 title Crazy Hot, in which the trio of au pairs reunite for a summer in the Hamptons when Eliza’s stepmom figures that she needs some nanny assistance.
The protagonist of Fresh off the Boat, fourteen-year-old Vicenza, nicknamed V, is a new arrival to the United States. After growing up wealthy and privileged in the Philippines, V struggles to adjust to a much more modest lifestyle in America. Here, she has to work in a cafeteria run by her mother, and she shops for clothes at the Salvation Army. Though she attends a private girls’ school on an academic scholarship, she is socially awkward and has no friends there. Perhaps worst of all, people around her in San Francisco insult her by calling her FOB—Fresh Off the Boat. When V corresponds with a friend back in the Philippines, she creates a dream life in which she’s popular, wealthy, and romantically happy. As V progresses, however, she makes a first friend in Isobel and comes to realize that, despite her own troubles, her mother is having even greater difficulty adjusting to the family’s new life.
“In the end, the colorful details and the mother-daughter relationship make up for some familiar plotting,” noted a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Kliatt contributor Stephanie Squicciarini called the novel a “satisfying and quietly humorous read.”
De la Cruz serves as editor with Tom Dolby on Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys: True Tales of Love, Lust, and Friendship between Straight Women and Gay Men, a collection of twenty-eight essays by straight women and their friendships with gay men. These chronicles talk about women who bear children for gay friends and a variety of other topics written by both celebrities and lesser known figures.
Writing in Library Journal, Anna Katterjohn noted that this work “celebrates … manifestations of straight woman/gay man bonds,” but she felt that only a few of the essays “dig deeper and satisfy.” Booklist reviewer Whitney Scott had a higher assessment, calling Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys a “compelling anthology focused on various aspects of such relationships.” Similarly, a Publishers Weekly contributor, while observing that there are numerous collections on lesbians and gays in print, further commented that de la Cruz’s “justifies itself by tapping a less-explored subject with fresh voices and fervent first-person accounts.”
De la Cruz adds an element of the fantastic to her work in Blue Bloods, a new approach to the traditional vampire tale suggesting that New York’s social elite are, in fact, undying vampires. The vampires came to America on the Mayflower, and de la Cruz explains that they do not die; instead, their old souls simply take up residence in a new shell, or body. In modern times, Schuyler Van Alen and her friend, Bliss, struggle against the social barriers put up by the group of popular kids, led by Mimi and Jack Force. When Schuyler and Bliss turn fifteen years old, however, they develop unusual symptoms, including a taste for raw meat. Soon they learn that they are part of the vampiric blue bloods. Their previous problems pale in comparison to the struggle to learn to cope with the vampire lifestyle, to adhere to the strict codes of conduct (such as never draining so much blood from a human that they die), and finding their way through an unfamiliar and frightening new society. In the background, the entire vampire population finds itself facing a new and unfamiliar danger, as someone has started murdering vampires, who are supposed to be immortal.
Booklist reviewer Jennifer Mattson observed that “many teens will savor the thrilling sense of being initiated into an exclusive secret society” as they read the novel. Sharon Rawlins, writing in School Library Journal, commented that the book’s “intriguing plot will keep teens reading.”
The “Blue Blood” series continues with Masquerade, blending high fashion, social elites, and vampires. Here the socialites of the Blue Bloods come to fear the Silver Bloods. Booklist contributor Mattson called this an “entertaining installment that whets appetites for more,” while a Publishers Weekly reviewer termed it a “tasty and alluring sequel for the vampire-sex-and-fashion set.”
The fourth in the series, The Van Alen Legacy, examines the origins of the New York coven in the distant past of angels and demons, and it follows the current and dangerous lives of three of the young women, Schuyler, Mimi, and Bliss, as they battle Lucifer. “There is plenty of adventure, romance, brand-name dropping, and even classical history in this installment,” noted Vikki Terrile in Voice of Youth Advocates. Writing in School Library Journal, Amy Olson similarly commented of this installment: “There are messy love triangles galore, character surprises, plot twists, and international travel and espionage.”
De la Cruz ends the series with the seventh installment, Gates of Paradise, in which the major characters are still battling to keep Lucifer out of heaven. Once again, chapters alternate between the three female protagonists, and with the various incarnations of Gabrielle, and true love wins out in the end. “Fans of the series will likely not be disappointed,” observed Voice of Youth Advocates reviewer Terrile. School Library Journal contributor Edie Ching likewise noted: “Fans will be satisfied with the conclusion, which holds many surprises.”
De la Cruz fashions a stand-alone novel with Girl Stays in the Picture: A Girl Novel, featuring a trio of young beauties charming the paparazzi in the south of France. Devon is a pop star at sixteen, but now on location in France for her first film, she hopes to become a box-office smash as well. To that end she befriends the film producer’s beautiful daughter, who has managed to lose a couple hundred pounds thanks to a tummy-tuck and a personal assistant with star power of her own. This mini-entourage soon has the press eating out of their hands, but they also develop various forms of guy troubles in the process.
Reviewing Girl Stays in the Picture in Booklist, Debbie Carton found it to be “perfect summer reading for celebrity-obsessed teens.” For a Kirkus Reviews critic, Girl Stays in the Picture is “better-than-average teen fluff from a reigning queen of the genre.”
Witches of East End kicks off de la Cruz’s “Beauchamp Family” series, about three witches of the Beauchamp family who reside on the tip of Long Island. There is the mother, Joanna, and her two daughters, Freya and Ingrid. Long ago, after the Salem witch trials, they were forbidden to practice magic, and ever since then the three women have led unassuming lives. This changes, however, when a stranger arrives in town and evil begins happening all around. The Beauchamps finally determine to take up their old calling in the service of good in this novel that is a mix of magic, romance, witchcraft, and mythology.
A California Bookwatch reviewer felt that this first novel for adults shows the author’s “ability to spin a complex, involving plot based on adult characters.” Booklist contributor thought that this “should be a popular series.” A Kirkus Reviews critic had measured praise for this first installment, concluding: “A decidedly weird mishmash of mythologies, a serpentine plot and a thicket of back stories intertwine as de la Cruz sets up the continuing saga, but it all gels magnificently.” Similarly, a Publishers Weekly writer observed of Witches of East End: “Even readers who generally avoid witches and whatnot stand to be won over by the time the cliffhanger-with-a-twist-ending hits.”
The action continues with Serpent’s Kiss, in which “the romance heats up, [and] so does the mystery—and the danger,” according to Library Journal reviewer Jennifer Anderson. With the sisters practicing magic again, their brother Fryr has managed to escape the bounds of Limbo where he was long ago banished for misuse of his powers, destroying a sacred bridge called Bofrir. His twin, Freya, agrees to hide him, for he tells her he is innocent of this crime. Fryr also makes Freya wonder about her boyfriend, Killian, and if he might have had a hand in framing her brother. Meanwhile, Ingrid is also having second thoughts about her love interest, and their mother, Joanna, is experiencing pangs of love for her estranged husband.
A Publishers Weekly contributor felt that this second installment displays the usual difficulties of such a bridge novel, observing: “This minimally engaging sequel suffers from middle-child syndrome.” However, Anderson found Serpent’s Kiss to be a “compelling tale of powerful magic, romance, betrayal, and suspense,” and Booklist reviewer Annie Bostrom similarly termed it a “speedy and compelling urban fantasy-romance for series fans and newcomers.”
In the third installment, Winds of Salem, the Beauchamps have to travel through time to the seventeenth century to save Freya. She has been transported back to 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, as a maid, and she cannot recollect her former life. Wooed by a newcomer to Salem, Freya is unaware of the danger she is in, but her family and boyfriend back in North Hampton know she has been spirited away to die as a result of the witch hunt.
A Publishers Weekly reviewer complained of too much backstory and a “confusing web of mythologies” in Winds of Salem, but also noted that the “compelling Salem scenes are bright spots amid a disorganized larger narrative.” Likewise, a Kirkus Reviews critic thought that “too many subplots and characters, not to mention the increasingly impenetrable Norse arcana, draw focus away from the more coherent and compelling Salem plotline.”
De la Cruz teams up with her husband, Michael Johnston, on the 2013 novel Frozen, the first installment of the young adult, postapocalyptic series “Heart of Dread.” The authors create a mixture of fantasy and science fiction in a future ice-covered world populated with bizarre and powerful creatures. In this grim future world, the Remaining States of America is a totalitarian country, out of which teenager Nat Kestal hopes to escape. Aided by a map that leads to the promised land of Blue, and by a young rebel, Wes, and his band of fighters, she hopes to make her way to Blue, dodging government troops, slavers, and traitors.
“Romance, magic, and excitement drive the pace of this genre-defying adventure,” noted a Publishers Weekly reviewer of Frozen. Ryan P. Donovan, writing in School Library Journal, also had praise for this novel, concluding: “Fans of The Hunger Games will no doubt enjoy sinking their teeth into this exciting book.”
The Ring and the Crown is a fantasy novel that features historical figures from the early-twentieth century. Ronan Astor, an eligible bachelorette from a family with dwindling influence travels to London for the wedding of Marie-Victoria of the Franco-British Empire and Prince Leopold of Prussia. There, she falls for Wolf, the nicer younger brother of the vicious Leopold. Writing in Voice of Youth Advocates, Deborah L. Dubois noted: “This book will appeal to historical romance readers, more than to sword-and-sorcery fantasy readers.” “Readers captivated by the setting may enjoy this novel-length setup; they will hope for more plot in the next installment,” asserted a Kirkus Reviews contributor. Referring to de la Cruz, School Library Journal critic, Marissa Lieberman, commented: “Her vivid descriptions are just enough to transport us into the world without bogging down the narrative.”
The Vampires of Manhattan: The New Blue Bloods Coven is the first in a series. It introduces vampires Oliver, Ara, and Mimi, as well as Finn, Oliver’s human lover. Sarah Hunger, reviewer in Booklist, remarked: “Fans of the characters … will be plenty satisfied by the dishy, Gossip Girl-style story.” In a lukewarm assessment of the volume in Publishers Weekly, a critic stated: “There’s nothing especially awful about this novel, but there’s nothing especially great either.”
In The Isle of the Lost, Disney villains and their progeny populate the titular land. Four of the children of the villains set off on a quest to find Maleficent’s scepter and discover that they may have the ability to care for others. Meanwhile, on the island of the Disney heroes, a betrothed prince finds himself longing for a girl he has never met. “Stuffed full of cartoon nostalgia and reluctant friendships … this is sure to find an audience,” commented Maggie Reagan in Booklist. School Library Journal critic, Mandy Laferriere, suggested: “Clichéd characters and a predictable plot probably won’t deter young readers from finishing this fun little romp through practically every Disney movie ever made.”
Triple Moon is the first book in the “Summer on East End” series, which borrows the setting from the “Beauchamp Family” books. Teenage twins, Molly and Mardi, new witches, go to train with Ingrid Beauchamp on East End after having been falsely accused of murder. There, they develop crushes, learn more about their powers, and fight against evil forces. Ed Goldberg, contributor to Voice of Youth Advocates, remarked: “The book hastily draws to a close with an improbable ending, even for a book about witches.” However, Booklist writer, Melissa Moore, suggested: “The sense of place and ties to Greek mythology give depth and personality.” A critic in Kirkus Reviews noted: “De la Cruz returns to the realm of teen lit but seems to keep some of her racier adult elements.”
Molly and Mardi return in Double Eclipse. Their lives on East End become complicated when their estranged mother finds them. “A very entertaining read, this book will be an easy sell to teens, especially girls,” asserted Debbie Wenk in Voice of Youth Advocates.
A Filipino girl named Jasmine deals with issues related to her and her family’s undocumented status in Something in Between. Anita Lock, reviewer in BookPage, suggested: “Provocative, eye-opening and poignant, Something in Between is a timely read in a troubled era.” “Teens looking for a current, hot-button social topic or to celebrate a girl overcoming the odds will be pleased to find this book,” commented Stacey Hayman in Voice of Youth Advocates. A Publishers Weekly critic described the book as “a timely and thought-provoking look at the complex reality of being young and undocumented in the United States.” Briana Shemroske, contributor to Booklist, opined: “At its gooey heart, this is a love story suited for romance-thirsty teens.” “Jasmine’s tale feels too good to be true, but this possible shortcoming is offset by the timeliness and importance of the immigration issues,” noted Amy Thurow in School Library Journal.
Stolen, sequel to Frozen, finds Nat flying on her drakon to save the land of Vallonis. Meanwhile, her lover, Wes, stays in New Vegas, where he is kidnapped and force to serve in the army. Booklist writer, Debbie Carton, commented: “The concept of overlapping worlds on one planet will intrigue readers and raise philosophical questions.” “A sputtering start leads to an action-packed adventure for patient fans,” suggested a contributor to Kirkus Reviews. Ryan P. Donovan, reviewer in School Library Journal, remarked: “Fans of the first book will no doubt be very happy with where this action-filled trilogy is headed.”
Alex and Eliza: A Love Story is the fictionalized retelling of Alexander Hamilton’s relationship with Eliza Schuyler. Though they come from vastly different backgrounds, the two fall in love and marry. Bonnie Lynn Wagner, contributor to the BWW website, asserted: “The book can be slow-moving at times, but all the extra tidbits sprinkled throughout expanding the lives of these people was very much appreciated and worth it.””De la Cruz’s writing is fluid, intelligent and beautiful, with spurts of humor and witty dialogue. The characters are well drawn,” suggested Diane Scott Lewis on the Historical Novel Society website. Writing on the Blogcritics website, Leslie Wright commented: “Enticing and interesting, De La Cruz finds a way to bring back the past and bring in history, romance, and mystery that satisfies both cravings of excitement, romance and knowledge.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, July, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of The Au Pairs, p. 1833; April 15, 2005, Debbie Carton, review of Fresh off the Boat, p. 1447; May 15, 2006, Jennifer Mattson, “After the First Bite,” review of Blue Bloods, p. 56; May 1, 2007, Whitney Scott, review of Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys: True Tales of Love, Lust, and Friendship between Straight Women and Gay Men, p. 56; September 15, 2007, Jennifer Mattson, review of Masquerade, p. 61; July 1, 2009, Debbie Carton, review of Girl Stays in the Picture: A Girl Novel, p. 52; June 1, 2011, Krista Hutley, review of Witches of East End, p. 48; May 15, 2012, Annie Bostrom, review of Serpent’s Kiss, p. 31; August 1, 2014, Sarah Hunter, review of Vampires of Manhattan: The New Blue Bloods Coven, p. 14; November 15, 2014, Debbie Carton, review of Stolen, p. 45; May 15, 2015, Maggie Reagan, review of The Isle of the Lost, p. 67; October 15, 2015, Melissa Moore, review of Triple Moon, p. 46; August 1, 2016, Briana Shemroske, review of Something in Between, p. 64.
BookPage, October, 2016, Anita Lock, review of Something in Between, p. 26.
California Bookwatch, October, 2011, review of Witches of East End.
Cosmopolitan, October, 2016, Angela Ledgerwood, review of Something in Between, p. 35.
Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2004, review of The Au Pairs, p. 535; April 1, 2006, review of Blue Bloods, p. 344; April 15, 2007, review of Masquerade; May 15, 2009, review of Girl Stays in the Picture; May 1, 2011, review of Witches of East End; July 1, 2012, review of Serpent’s Kiss; July 1, 2013, review of Winds of Salem; August 15, 2013, review of Frozen; April 1, 2014, review of The Ring and the Crown; October 15, 2014, review of Stolen; April 15, 2015, review of Isle of the Lost; September 15, 2015, review of Triple Moon.
Kliatt, September, 2005, Amanda MacGregor, review of The Au Pairs, p. 18; September, 2006, Stephanie Squicciarini, review of Fresh off the Boat, p. 21.
Library Journal, May 15, 2007, Anna Katterjohn, review of Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys, p. 103; June 1, 2012, Jennifer Anderson, review of Serpent’s Kiss, p. 91.
Los Angeles Times Book Review, August 12, 2001, Mark Rozzo, review of Cat’s Meow, p. 10.
New York, July 30, 2001, Amy Larocca, “Smart Set: Melissa de la Cruz.”
Publishers Weekly, July 30, 2001, review of Cat’s Meow, p. 63; June 21, 2004, review of The Au Pairs, p. 64; May 9, 2005, review of Fresh off the Boat, p. 72; June 5, 2006, review of Blue Bloods, p. 64; June 26, 2006, review of Skinny-Dipping, p. 54; March 26, 2007, review of Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys, p. 76; January 14, 2008, review of There’s a New Name in School, p. 58; April 25, 2011, review of Witches of East End, p. 106; April 16, 2012, review of Serpent’s Kiss, p. 36; July 1, 2013, review of Winds of Salem, p. 65; August 12, 2013, review of Frozen, p. 62; July 14, 2014, review of Vampires of Manhattan, p. 55; August 15, 2016, review of Something in Between, p. 75.
Reference & Research Book News, August, 2007, review of Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys.
School Library Journal, July, 2005, Michele Capozzella, review of Skinny-Dipping, p. 101; October, 2005, review of Fresh off the Boat, p. S73; June, 2006, Jane Cronkhite, review of Sun-Kissed, and Sharon Rawlins, review of Blue Bloods, p. 152; August, 2009, Amy S. Pattee, review of Girl Stays in the Picture, p. 102; February, 2010, Amy Olson, review of The Van Alen Legacy, p. 62; June, 2013, Edie Ching, review of Gates of Paradise, p. 57; October, 2013, Ryan P. Donovan, review of Frozen, p. 120; April, 2014, Marissa Lieberman, review of The Ring and the Crown, p. 161; December, 2014, Ryan P. Donovan, review of Stolen, p. 131; July, 2015, Mandy Laferriere, review of The Isle of the Lost, p. 75; November, 2015, Kimberly Garnick, review of Triple Moon, p. 113; September, 2016, Amy Thurow, review of Something in Between, p. 149.
Seventeen, March-April, 2017, review of Alex & Eliza: A Love Story, p. 23.
Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 2010, Vikki Terrile, review of The Van Alen Legacy, p. 263; April, 2011, review of The Van Alen Legacy, p. 9; June, 2011, Vikki Terrile, review of Bloody Valentine, p. 182; June, 2013, Ryan P. Donovan, review of Frozen, p. 120; December, 2013, Susan Hampe, review of Frozen, p. 72; August, 2014, Deborah L. Dubois, review of The Ring and the Crown, p. 80; December, 2015, Ed Goldberg and Shirley Yan, review of Triple Moon, p. 68; October, 2016, Stacey Hayman, review of Something in Between, p. 58; December, 2016, Debbie Wenk, review of Double Eclipse, p. 70.
ONLINE
Beatrice.com, http://www.Beatrice.com/ (December 5, 2006), Ron Hogan, interview with Melissa de la Cruz.
Blogcritics, http://blogcritics.org/ (May 18, 2017), Leslie Wright, review of Alex & Eliza.
BWW, http://www.broadwayworld.com/ (May 12, 2017), Bonnie Lynn Wagner, review of Alex & Eliza.
Heart Full of Books, https://heartfullofbooks.com/ (November 16, 2016), review of Something in Between.
Historical Novel Society Website, https://historicalnovelsociety.org/ (May 1, 2017), Diane Scott Lewis, review of Alex & Eliza.
Look Online, http://www.lookonline.com/ (December 5, 2006), Tobin Levy, review of Cat’s Meow.
Melissa de la Cruz Website, http://melissa-delacruz.com/ (August 7, 2017).
Rhapsody in Books, https://rhapsodyinbooks.wordpress.com/ (November 9, 2016), review of Something in Between.
Teen, http://www.teenmag.com/ (December 5, 2006), profile of Melissa de la Cruz.
Teenreads.com, http://www.teenreads.com/ (July 20, 2005), July 20, 2005, interview with Melissa de la Cruz.
Your Look Your Life, http://www.yourlookyourlife.com/ (December 5, 2006), “Fashion Windows: Your Look, Your Life.”*
Series
Au Pairs
1. The Au Pairs (2004)
aka Beach Lane
2. Skinny-Dipping (2005)
3. Sun-kissed (2006)
4. Crazy Hot (2007)
Beach Lane boxed set (omnibus) (2013)
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Blue Bloods
1. Blue Bloods (2006)
2. Masquerade (2007)
3. Revelations (2008)
4. The Van Alen Legacy (2009)
5. Misguided Angel (2010)
6. Lost In Time (2011)
7. The Gates of Paradise (2013)
Blue Bloods 3-Book Boxed Set (omnibus) (2009)
Bloody Valentine / Keys to the Repository (omnibus) (2010)
Keys to the Repository (2010)
Bloody Valentine (2010)
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Ashleys
1. The Ashleys (2007)
2. Jealous? (2008)
3. Birthday Vicious (2008)
4. Lip Gloss Jungle (2008)
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Angels On Sunset Boulevard
1. Angels On Sunset Boulevard (2007)
aka Angels on Sunset Strip
2. Angels Lie (2009)
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Girl
1. Girl Stays in the Picture (2009)
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Beauchamp Family
0.5. Diary of the White Witch (2012)
1. Witches of East End (2011)
aka Witches of the East
2. Serpent's Kiss (2012)
3. Winds of Salem (2013)
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Wolf Pact
1. Wolf Pact, Part 1 (2012)
2. Wolf Pact, Part II (2012)
3. Wolf Pact, Part III (2012)
4. Wolf Pact, Part IV (2012)
Wolf Pact, The Complete Saga (omnibus) (2013)
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Heart of Dread (with Michael Johnston)
1. Frozen (2013)
2. Stolen (2014)
3. Golden (2016)
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Ashley Project
1. The Ashley Project (2014)
2. Social Order (2014)
3. Popularity Takeover (2015)
The Ashley Project Complete Collection Books 1-4 (omnibus) (2015)
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Blue Bloods Coven
1. The Vampires of Manhattan (2014)
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Ring and the Crown
1. The Ring and the Crown (2014)
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Descendants
1. The Isle of the Lost (2015)
2. Return to the Isle of the Lost (2016)
3. Rise of the Isle of the Lost (2017)
Treasures of the Isle of the Lost (omnibus) (2017)
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Summer on East End
1. Triple Moon (2015)
2. Double Eclipse (2016)
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Alex and Eliza
Alex and Eliza (2017)
Love & War (2018)
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Novels
The Girl Can't Help It! (2001)
Fresh Off the Boat (2005)
Cat's Meow (2010)
Surviving High School (2016) (with Lele Pons)
Something in Between (2016)
Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe (2017)
Someone to Love (2018)
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Omnibus
Mistletoe (2006) (with Hailey Abbott, Aimee Friedman and Nina Malkin)
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Collections
Witches 101 (2011)
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Non fiction
How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less (2003)
The Fashionista Files (2004)
Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys (2007) (with Tom Dolby)
Because I Was a Girl (2017)
Melissa de la Cruz
Melissa de la Cruz at LA Time Festival of Books 2013.jpg
Born September 7, 1971 (age 45)
Manila, Philippines
Occupation Writer
Nationality American
Genre Young Adult and Teen Fiction
Website
www.melissa-delacruz.com
Melissa de la Cruz (born 1971) is a Filipina American author known for her work in young adult fiction. She has written several series of young adult novels, including the Au Pair series and the Blue Bloods series, and a contemporary fiction series following The Beauchamp Family, as well as a number of stand-alone novels.
Contents [hide]
1 Early life and education
2 Career
3 Series
4 Bibliography
4.1 The Ashleys
4.2 Au Pairs
4.3 The Beauchamp Family
4.4 Summer on East End
4.5 Blue Bloods
4.5.1 Blue Bloods Novellas
4.6 Heart of Dread
4.7 Disney Descendants
4.8 The Ring & the Crown
4.9 Stand-alone novels
4.10 Anthologies
5 Personal life
6 References
7 External links
Early life and education[edit]
Melissa de la Cruz spent her early years in Manila, Philippines and immigrated to the United States with her family when she was 12. Her father was an investment banker.[citation needed] The family settled in San Francisco, where she graduated from Convent of the Sacred Heart High School. She went on to study art history and English at Columbia University in New York City.[1][2]
Career[edit]
Her work as a nanny and her visits to The Hamptons formed the background for the book series, The Au Pairs.[3]
Her work as a fashion writer for Marie Claire was the inspiration for How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less which she co-authored with Karen Robinovitz.[4]
Series[edit]
Au Pairs – The first book in this series about three young girls working as au pairs in The Hamptons, The Au Pairs, was published in 2004
Blue Bloods – The first book in this vampire novel series, Blue Bloods was published in March 2006[5]
The Ashleys – The first book in this series about girls who attend an exclusive preparatory school, The Ashleys: There's a New Name in School, was published in 2008.
The Beauchamp Family - The first book in the series about a family of witches, Witches of East End, was released in June 2011. It was adapted into a television series by Lifetime in 2013, with the show lasting two seasons before it was cancelled.[6]
Wolf Pact - This spin-off from the Blue Bloods series was released from September to December 2012 as four short e-books. It was later published in paperback.
Heart of Dread - The first novel from this brand new series, Frozen, co-written with her husband Michael Johnston, was released on September 17, 2013[7]
The Ring & the Crown - In this romantic historical fiction novel, the first of the series, bestselling author, Melissa de la Cruz, shares the perspectives of five young adults embroiled in love, politics, and magic during a London coming-of-age season which will dictate all of their futures. Published April 1, 2014.
Bibliography[edit]
The Ashleys[edit]
There's a New Name in School... (2008)
Jealous? You Know You Are... (2008)
Birthday Vicious (2008)
Lipgloss Jungle (2008)
Au Pairs[edit]
The Au Pairs (2004)
Skinny Dipping (2005)
Sun-Kissed (2006)
Crazy Hot (2007)
The Beauchamp Family[edit]
Prequel: Diary of the White Witch (June 12, 2012)
Witches of East End (June 21, 2011)
Serpent's Kiss (June 12, 2012)
Winds of Salem (August 13, 2013)
Summer on East End[edit]
Triple Moon (November 10, 2015)
Double Eclipse (November, 2016)
Blue Bloods[edit]
Blue Bloods (2006)
Masquerade (2007)
Revelations (2008)
The Van Alen Legacy (2009)
Misguided Angel (2010)
Lost in Time (2011)
Gates of Paradise (2013)
Vampires of Manhattan (2014)
Blue Bloods Novellas[edit]
Keys to the Repository (2010)
Bloody Valentine (2010)
Heart of Dread[edit]
Frozen (September 17, 2013)
Stolen (2014)
Golden (2016)
Disney Descendants[edit]
The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel (2015)
Return to the Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel (May 24, 2016)
Rise of the Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel (May 23, 2017)
The Ring & the Crown[edit]
The Ring & the Crown (April 1, 2014)
The Queen and the Courtesan (coming 2016)
Stand-alone novels[edit]
Cat's Meow (2001)
How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less (co-author) (2003)
The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-Inch Heels and Faux Pas (2004)[8]
Fresh off the Boat (2005)
Angels on Sunset Boulevard (2007)
Girl Stays in the Picture (2009)
Wolf Pact (2012)
Surviving High School: A Novel (2016)
Something In Between (2016)
Alex & Eliza: A Love Story (2017)
Anthologies[edit]
Mistletoe (contributing author) (2006)
666 (contributing author) (2007)
21 Proms (2007)
"A Manhattan Love Story" in anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys (2007)[9]
"Shelter Island" a short story in anthology The Eternal Kiss (2009)
Personal life[edit]
De la Cruz is married to Michael Johnston,[10][11] and lives in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, California with her family.[12]
Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, #1 Publisher’s Weekly and #1 IndieBound bestselling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages. Her more than thirty books have also topped the USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists and have been published in over twenty countries.
The Isle of the Lost, the prequel to the Disney Channel Original Movie The Descendants, has spent more than fifty weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, fifteen at #1, and has over a million copies in print. The Descendants starring Kristen Chenoweth and Dove Cameron is the #1 cable TV movie of 2015, and #5 of all time, and its soundtrack is the #1 bestselling album on iTunes. The Isle of the Lost’s sequel, Return to the Isle of the Lost, is also a #1 New York Times bestseller and spent sixteen weeks on the New York Times List. The third Isle of the Lost book will be published in May 2017.
De la Cruz is the author of the Blue Bloods series (with three million copies in print), among many others. Her first series for adults launched with Witches of East End, which People magazine called a “bubbling cauldron of mystery and romance.” The bestseller was followed by Serpent’s Kiss and Winds of Salem. Lifetime Television aired a two-season drama series based on Witches of East End, starring Julia Ormond, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Rachel Boston and Mädchen Amick. De la Cruz’s young adult spin-off of the series, Summer on East End has also been optioned for television.
Her recent books include Something in Between, a YA contemporary novel inspired by de la Cruz’s own immigrant experience coming from the Philippines which launched the Seventeen imprint at Harlequin Teen, as well as Alex and Eliza, a historical novel about the romance between Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler, forthcoming from Penguin Teen in April 2017.
Angel Falls, a television movie she wrote for the Hallmark Channel, will premiere this December as part of the network’s Countdown to Christmas and will star Rachel Boston from Witches of East End. Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe, her latest novel for adults will be published by St. Martin’s and Melissa has also written the script for the television movie.
A former fashion and beauty editor, Melissa has written for The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
In addition to her literary work, Melissa is the co-founder of YALLWEST, and the co-director of YALLFEST, two of the largest teen book festivals in the country. She is also on the Advisory Board of Facing History, which reaches five million school children nationwide with a curriculum devoted to teaching empathy and social justice.
She grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. At Columbia University, she majored in art history and English.
Melissa de la Cruz lives in West Hollywood, California with her husband and daughter.
Book Awards
The Au Pairs is an ALA Quick Pick, a YALSA Top Ten nominee and on the PSLA Fiction List. Skinny-Dipping is an ALA Quick Pick Nominee, and Crazy Hot is a New York Public Library Book for the Teenage and was named a best teen series book by TeenReads.com. The series is published in twelve countries and has been optioned for a major motion picture by Warner Brothers, with Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films producing.
Blue Bloods is an ALA Top Ten Quick Pick, a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best, a TAYSHAS pick, an Alabama Public Library “Best Fang” nominee, a Cybils nominee and merited a starred review from Booklist. Masquerade is an ALA Quick Pick and a New York Public Library Book for the Teenage. Revelations is a New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly best-seller. The Van Alen Legacy debuted at #3 on the New York Times Children’s Series Best Sellers List, #12 on the USA Today Top 150 Best Seller List, #4 on the Wall Street Journal Hardcover Fiction List and #2 on the Bookscan Juvenille List. Keys to the Repository, a companion book, hit the USA Today Bestseller List. Misguided Angel hit the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. Bloody Valentine hit the New York Times and USA Today Bestsellers List. The Blue Bloods series has three million copies in print, has spent a cumulative forty weeks on both the New York Times and USA Today Bestsellers List, is published in twenty countries, and has appeared on numerous best-seller lists abroad. Entertainment Weekly named Schuyler Van Alen from the Blue Bloods series as #9 in their list of 20 Greatest Vampires of all time.
Witches of East End, Melissa’s first novel in a new adult paranormal series, was an instant New York Times Bestseller and is currently in pilot production at Lifetime, starring Julia Ormond, Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Rachel Boston as the witches.
Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys, an award-winning anthology Melissa co-edited with her friend Tom Dolby, about the friendship between straight women and gay men, is now a reality-television show on the Sundance Channel.
Fresh off the Boat is an ALA Quick Pick nominee, a New York Public Library Book for the Teenage and a Bank Street Bookstore Best Children’s Book and a California Readers California Collection.
Angels on Sunset Boulevard was named Best Debut Series by TeenReads.com.
The Isle of the Lost is was designated a best book of the year from Barnes and Noble, Target and Books-a-Million in 2015. It is the #8 bestselling juvenile title overall for 2015 and has over a million copies in print. It is an ALA Quick Pick. The book is the prequel to Descendants, a Disney Channel Original Movie, which was the top-rated children’s cable program of 2015 with over twelve million viewers.
My Advice To Young Writers
So many of you have been sending me emails asking me for writing tips. So I thought I would put some of my thoughts down here about writing and the writing business. This is what works for me. It might not work for everybody.
1. Getting Started
Before you begin to write your story or novel, write a detailed outline and character backgrounds first. So many unpublished first (or second or third or 44th) novels begin halfway through the book because the writer has spent the first 150 pages giving us the background story instead of starting with THE STORY. Know your characters inside and out, where they came from, where they want to go, so that when you begin writing the book, you already know how they will act/react to events in the story. I love outlines. I read somewhere that Stephen King said writers who like to write outlines wish they were writing masters theses instead of novels. For the longest time, I thought this was true. Now I think he was just exaggerating. You need an outline. Even just the barest outline so that you know the story’s beginning, middle and end. Sometimes, I don’t stick to my outline.
The story begins to take off in a different direction, so I chuck the outline. But when this happens, I write a new outline. Outlines are the blueprints of stories. It will also keep you working, since you will see how far along you need to go. In general I write 10-20 page outlines, with a paragraph for each chapter in the book, describing the action that will occur in that chapter.
2. Begin Writing and Don’t Stop
Now that I am a mother, I write on Monday to Wednesday from 10am – 3pm everyday at a writer’s office. On Thursdays I do revisions at home and on Fridays I spend time with my baby. When I’m on deadline, which means the book was DUE YESTERDAY, the schedule goes whacky, and I just work ALL THE TIME and try to see my family in between.
The three-day writing week usually results in a solid ten to twenty pages. The manic work that happens during deadline crunch can result in anywhere from twenty to fifty pages a day. This is when the novel really happens.
Before I had my baby, when I was not on deadline, sometimes I didn’t work at all. I went to the movies, I went shopping, I hung out with my friends, I tanned by the pool, I read a ton of magazines. But that only lasted for a week or two. Most of the time I’m banging it out. Which means I force myself to sit at my desk and write.
Now that I am a mother, the time that I am not writing is spent with my child. I try to read magazines and watch TV when she is asleep.
When I did not make a living as a writer, I wrote AT EVERY CHANCE I COULD GET. I was a computer consultant at a major bank, but I would say I spent six hours writing to the two hours I spent working on my computer programs. I also spent weekends writing.
3. Cliffhangers are Key
How do you write a page-turner? By making each chapter end with a cliffhanger. What’s a cliffhanger? A cliffhanger is when the action reaches a feverish pitch and then the chapter ends with the protagonist hanging on a limb or about to kiss the boy or about to open the secret safe—but not revealing what is inside. It has to keep people reading to find out WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
I got schooled in crafting page-turning cliffhangers because I used to write a serial novel in GOTHAM magazine called “The Fortune Hunters”. My story appeared every month, and every month I would end it on a cliffhanger to keep readers interested in reading the next story, which they would have to wait a whole month for. Apparently, it worked. The serial novel was very successful, and I even sold it as an adult novel. But I have not had time to whip it into shape for publication, so we will all have to wait for that for now. (I even had to return the money!)
But writing THE FORTUNE HUNTERS taught me how to write cliffhangers. Also reading Michael Crichton novels. Those taught me about cliffhangers too. And of course, the best advice to any writer is to READ. You can’t be a writer without being a reader.
4. Always Say Yes To Everything
Making a living as a writer or an artist means that some years, you can make a lot of money, and some years are very lean. One of my producer friends in Hollywood said that whenever he feels like blowing a lot of cash, he looks up at the Hollywood Hills at all those half-built mansions and reminds himself that sometimes, one hit is all you can get, so don’t get too cocky. The people who started building those houses didn’t have enough money to finish building them. Yikes!
All through my writing career, I have taken EVERY assignment offered to me. In addition to big-name magazines, I have written for obscure websites, shopping catalogs, health and fitness magazines, free newsweeklies, blogs, anything and everything. I have written about my family, my sex life, my staggering credit card debt. I have endured humiliation and good-natured ribbing. I have survived to write about it. Did I want to dress up as a man and crash my husband’s bachelor party? YES! Did I want to try out every position in the karma sutra and write about it? YES! Did I want to go around New York and ask men to tell me the length of their bananas and see if they could get women to date them if they wore their inches on a t-shirt on their chest? Um…er…do I really have to..oh well..YES!
These days, I have the luxury of being able to say no to things. I would say yes to everything still, but I found saying yes was taking away from my main job of writing the books. Writing books is the only thing I have time for right now.
BTW, I only worked with Alloy on the Au Pairs series. Everything else (Blue Bloods, Angels, Ashleys, Social Life, etc.) is mine and mine alone. I just add this because people ask, and that is the answer. But I loved working with Alloy and wholly recommend working with them. If they come calling, say YES!
5. But Don’t Sell Yourself Short Either
Never take a first offer. Always try to push the deal to the farthest you can push it. Glossy magazines have paid me $1 a word, $1.50 a word, $2 a word, and at my highest, $3 a word. I’ve heard other writers can command $4 or $5 a word. So it’s possible. And it never hurts to ask.
Book advances are NOTORIOUSLY low for first-time novelists. Mine paid for three months’ rent and living expenses in New York, and that was it. (And I lived in a rent-stabilized apartment! Still, it wasn’t as small as some others I’ve heard. I’ve heard unagented writers are offered $1500 for a book. I mean, my god. That’s not even enough for a Chloe Paddington these days!) So you need to push. Ask for more. Or don’t sell them all the rights. Definitely not your movie/film rights. Hold on to stuff. MAKE YOUR AGENT WORK FOR YOU. In the end, you have to be the judge of your work. You know how much it’s worth. Publishers can always say no, but most of the time, they will try to say yes.
A CAVEAT: If you’ve pushed and pushed and pushed and they still won’t budge, take the money and do the job.
6. Write what you know, write what you love, but research is fun too
Sometimes I have really happy days when I realize I am getting paid to write the kind of stories I used to write in my notebooks when I was a teenager. I used to write soap-operatic dramas modeled on Dynasty, but starring the members of Duran Duran. I know. Very sad. Thankfully, my writing has developed since then. But I still sometimes feel like I’m fourteen and I’m just writing things that I think are really, really fun to write about.
I’ve written about fashion shows, sample sales, private school, the Hamptons, all subjects that I am very familiar with. But I’ve also written about surfing, skateboarding, college radio stations, and other subjects I’m not so familiar with. I’ve always been interested in surfing, skateboarding, and college radio, but I didn’t know so much about them so I did research. I love doing research. I love figuring out subcultures and learning new slang. It widens my horizons as a writer. So don’t be afraid to tackle new subjects, writing about what you don’t know can be fun too.
7. Finally, live a little
So many people want to WRITE but they have not yet even begun to LIVE. I think that the reason so many of us YA writers are in our 30s is because at this age, we finally can see clearly, what being a teenager really meant. When you are too close to the experience, you don’t have the objective distance with which to write about it. I can’t wait to be 50 and write about a young mother in her 30s. 😀
Also, a lot of the fun in my books is inspired by the REAL fun I had going to clubs, covering fashion shows, trying to get into all those crazy parties, dancing on tables with my friends, indulging in a lot of boyfriend/girlfriend drama. I went out there and experienced life. I recently read about a young writer who had published her first novel (a teen romance) and she said she had never even been kissed! How can you write about boys if you don’t know what they are like? If you have never even had a boyfriend? I was quite appalled. I don’t want to read a romance from someone who has never experienced love. Puh-leeze.
So, get out there. Kiss tons of boys. Fight with your girlfriends. Go to a lot of parties. Spend too much money. Have FUN. Fall in love. Fall out of love. Make mistakes. Wear platform shoes and trip on them.
Then, a few years later, write about it. You have all the time in the world to be a writer, but you are only young and can fit into that size 2 Betsey Johnson silver micro-mini skirt once. (Ah, I remember that skirt very fondly. It came up to my upper thigh, barely covering my butt, and it got me in a lot of trouble with many cute boys.)
8. All the Usual Stuff
How to get an agent? How to get published? I found my first agent through the WRITER’S MARKETPLACE. Are they still around? Everything is on the web now. Follow their instructions. Be patient. Try again. Don’t give up. Try to have a day job while you’re doing this, so you can still afford to shop at Barneys and get $150 dollar haircuts at Frederic Fekkai while you’re only making $100 an article (like I did). 😀
A lot of really great writing advice is already out there—see Stephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird and Lawrence Block’s Telling Lies For Fun and Profit.
On this page, I have tried to answer questions you guys have sent me, essentially, how do you write a fun and glam page-turner like the Au Pairs, or a sexy thriller like Blue Bloods. I hope I’ve helped.
A very successful friend of mine in Hollywood (who has a new show coming out this September on a big network and she’s the EXECUTIVE PRODUCER hello!) says, the world is ALWAYS looking for new voices, new writers. If you have talent and determination, you will succeed in this business.
Good luck!!!
xoxo
Mel
PS – I recently devoured and very much enjoyed Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, and she has some great writing advice too. There are many different kinds of writers in the world, and it gets easier when you figure out what kind of writer you are. For example, I once thought I would be the kind of writer who wrote self-conscious poetry and published small books titled “Epiphanies.” LOL! I mean, gack, Epiphanies?? It turned out I was much, MUCH better at writing about partying nannies and hot vampires!
Alex & Eliza
76.2 (March-April 2017): p23.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Hearst Magazines, a Division of the Hearst Corporation. Reprinted with permission of Hearst.
http://www.seventeen.com/
Alex & Eliza
Melissa de la Cruz
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
If you've been listening to Hamilton on repeat, you know Eliza Schuyler fell in love with Alexander Hamilton at first sight. But if you need more details than what you learn from "Helpless," you won't be able to resist this novelization of the early days of their romance.
Caption: Historical Romance!
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Alex & Eliza." Seventeen, Mar.-Apr. 2017, p. 23. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA485670838&it=r&asid=1f3720450af8303bafaf4a6eb991e8a4. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A485670838
QUOTED: "A very entertaining read, this book will be an easy sell to teens, especially girls."
de la Cruz, Melissa. Double Eclipse: Summer on East End, Book 2
Debbie Wenk
39.5 (Dec. 2016): p70.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
3Q * 4P * M * J * S
de la Cruz, Melissa. Double Eclipse: Summer on East End, Book 2. Putnam/ Penguin Random House, 2016. 336p. $17.99. 978-0-399-17356-1.
Molly and Mardi are goddesses masquerading as seventeen-year-olds, albeit very wealthy ones. Their father is Troy, aka. Thor, the god of thunder. The twins are spending the summer in East Hampton with Troy's ex, Ingrid (goddess of the hearth), and her sister, Freya (goddess of love). Mardi is actually staying with boyfriend Trent (Tyr, god of war) and his family at their palatial estate, Fair Haven. When the mother they have never known shows up at Fair Haven, Molly and Mardi learn of an ancient prophecy that disturbs them. At the same time, their goddess powers start to kick in (Mardi is the goddess of rage, and Molly, the goddess of strength), and the twins discover that controlling their powers takes some work.
This is the second book in the series, but the author does a good job of integrating bits of the first book into this story so readers just discovering the series will have no trouble connecting to the characters. The story is told through alternating chapters of Mardi and Molly's journals, giving readers a first-person perspective of the events. One endearing aspect of the story is the way the girls' relationship is portrayed--even when they are at odds, it is evident how truly connected they are to each other. A very entertaining read, this book will be an easy sell to teens, especially girls.--Debbie Wenk.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Wenk, Debbie. "de la Cruz, Melissa. Double Eclipse: Summer on East End, Book 2." Voice of Youth Advocates, Dec. 2016, p. 70+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA474767977&it=r&asid=36cd65ad371ca2c62bb5fabf48f56b58. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A474767977
QUOTED: "Provocative, eye-opening and poignant, Something in Between is a timely read in a troubled era."
Something in Between
Anita Lock
(Oct. 2016): p26.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 BookPage
http://bookpage.com/
SOMETHING IN BETWEEN
By Melissa de la Cruz
Harlequin Teen
$18.99, 448 pages
ISBN 9780373212385
Audio, eBook available
Ages 14 and up
FICTION
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Loosely based on the author's own struggles prior to gaining U.S. citizenship, Melissa de la Cruz's latest teen read is a tender yet unlikely romance between an illegal immigrant and a congressman's son.
Jasmine de los Santos has been offered a National Scholarship, the most prestigious award in the nation--quite a feat for an immigrant who has been in the United States since the age of 9. For her parents, leaving the Philippines for "the land of hope" proved to be more difficult than expected, as they had no choice but to take less than stellar jobs with meager wages.
But Jasmine knows she has finally made her parents proud.
Prior to sharing the exciting news with her folks, Jasmine meets Royce Blakely and is quickly enamored. Thoughts of Royce momentarily disperse when Jasmine learns that she and her family have been living in the U.S. illegally. Against all odds, Jasmine resolves not only to find a way to fulfill her educational dreams, but also to hold fast to the love of her life.
Through engaging dialogue and a flurry of unanticipated scenes, de la Cruz shines a light on the pressure immigrants face within an unjust and politically driven system. Provocative, eye-opening and poignant, Something in Between is a timely read in a troubled era.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Lock, Anita. "Something in Between." BookPage, Oct. 2016, p. 26. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA463755884&it=r&asid=c8db516a1846cbcefb2d65bed31126d5. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A463755884
Something in between
Angela Ledgerwood
261.4 (Oct. 2016): p35.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Hearst Communications. Reprinted with permission of Hearst.
http://www.hearst.com
SOMETHING IN BETWEEN
by Melissa de la Cruz
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] - Jasmine de los Santos is the pride and joy of her immigrant parents--a college scholarship is just her latest win. But an ominous secret lurks: Her family's visas expired years ago, making deportation a very real threat in this ripped-from-the-headlines YA novel, the first from Seventeen Fiction from Harlequin Teen.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Ledgerwood, Angela. "Something in between." Cosmopolitan, Oct. 2016, p. 35. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA463399229&it=r&asid=7a2eaf002a1de14cb168727c10d42e91. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A463399229
QUOTED: "Teens looking for a current, hot-button social topic or to celebrate a girl overcoming the odds will be pleased to find this book."
de la Cruz, Melissa. Something in Between
Stacey Hayman
39.4 (Oct. 2016): p58.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
3Q * 4P * J * S
de la Cruz, Melissa. Something in Between. Harlequin Teen, 2016. 448p. $18.99. 978-0373-21238-5.
Jasmine was only nine but clearly remembers the day when her mom, dad, and two younger brothers arrived in the United States from the Philippines. Knowing that her parents gave up everything for better opportunities, Jas spent her childhood working longer and harder than other kids. That effort is paying off in her senior year: captain of the cheerleaders, high academic honors, and the extremely prestigious National Scholarship Award, which will cover the cost of attending the college of her choice for all four years. Expecting the scholarship to be the best kind of surprise, Jas is stunned to find out that her family has been living without legal documents for years and could be deported anytime.
This story covers such dramas as dating, popularity, peer pressure, college/career choices, family relationships, and friendships and adds the unique twists of being raised on the values of one culture while living in the reality of something completely different. It offers something for almost everyone, including a number of secondary characters dealing with their own issues: The new boyfriend, Royce, son of a congressman, is trying to keep the peace in his fractured family. Royce's angry older brother abuses alcohol and is flunking out of college. Best friend, Kayla, is struggling with her parents' contentious divorce and engaging in destructive behaviors, which may cause readers to feel overwhelmed. Teens looking for a current, hot-button social topic or to celebrate a girl overcoming the odds will be pleased to find this book.--Stacey Hayman.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Hayman, Stacey. "de la Cruz, Melissa. Something in Between." Voice of Youth Advocates, Oct. 2016, p. 58+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA467831082&it=r&asid=7d0c1e444c6d61a72de9700ac85f0bfc. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A467831082
QUOTED: "a timely and thought-provoking look at the complex reality of being young and undocumented in the United States."
Something in Between
263.33 (Aug. 15, 2016): p75.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Something in Between
Melissa de la Cruz. Harlequin Teen, $18.99 (448p) ISBN 978-0-373-21238-5
The future is bright for high school senior and all-American girl Jasmine de los Santos: the daughter of Filipino immigrants, she has spent her high school years focused on being a well-rounded and academically successful student, as well as a model Filipino daughter. When Jasmine receives the National Scholar Award, a highly competitive scholarship that covers college tuition, her dream of attending Stanford is within reach. To her surprise, her parents don't share her excitement and reveal a long-kept secret: the de los Santos family is in the United States illegally. After her family's status is discovered and they face deportation, Jasmine's perception of herself is thrown into question. De la Cruz (the Blue Bloods series) presents a timely and thought-provoking look at the complex reality of being young and undocumented in the United States; Jasmine is painfully aware of the anti-immigrant forces she's up against, especially after she starts a relationship with the son of a congressman working against an immigration reform bill. Readers will root for Jasmine as she fights for her future and finds the power of her own voice. Ages 14--up. Agent: Richard Abate, 3 Arts Entertainment. (Oct.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Something in Between." Publishers Weekly, 15 Aug. 2016, p. 75. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA461444620&it=r&asid=0589dd8968e4e43c3c0edea96c9a233f. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A461444620
QUOTED: "At its gooey heart, this is a love story suited for romance-thirsty teens."
Something in Between
Briana Shemroske
112.22 (Aug. 1, 2016): p64.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Something in Between. By Melissa de la Cruz. Sept. 2016.416p. HarlequinTeen, $18.99 (9780373212385). Gr. 9-12.
Since arriving in the U.S. from Antipolo, Philippines, at age nine, Jasmine de los Santos has spent every second striving for success, and she's got the credentials to prove it: cheer captain, future valedictorian, and now National Scholar Award winner. In the face of the all-expenses-paid honor, Jas' parents are forced to reveal a momentous secret: the de los Santos are undocumented immigrants, and Jasmine's acceptance of the award could entirely jeopardize her family's freedom. As the family works fruitlessly to obtain visas, Jas falls for charmingly offbeat Royce Blakely, son of conservative California congressman Colin Blakely. Over first kisses, favorite quotes, and Ferris wheels, Jas gives her heart to Royce. But to save her family, she'll have to put her faith in something far more unreliable. Despite a far-fetched solution to the family's palpable plight, de la Cruz's portrayal of a crooked political climate, peppered with useful words of wisdom (Jas prefers undocumented immigrant to illegal alien), is sure to inform. At its gooey heart, this is a love story suited for romance-thirsty teens.--Briana Shemroske
HD HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Perennial best-seller de la Cruz is getting an even bigger push than usual: a major Seventeen magazine partnership, an eight-city tour, and numerous web exclusives.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Shemroske, Briana. "Something in Between." Booklist, 1 Aug. 2016, p. 64. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA460761811&it=r&asid=2e7da6d4b1a7739879d83c8fe84c5207. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A460761811
QUOTED: "The book hastily draws to a close with an improbable ending, even for a book about witches."
de la Cruz, Melissa. Triple Moon: Summer on East End
Ed Goldberg and Shirley Yan
38.5 (Dec. 2015): p68.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
2Q * 4P * J * S
de la Cruz, Melissa. Triple Moon: Summer on East End. Putnam/Penguin, 2015. 368p. $17.99. 978-0-399-17355-4.
Mardi and Molly, sixteen-year-old, beautiful, spoiled, rich twin witches used to clubbing in Manhattan's hot spots are banished by their father, Troy, to the sedate East End hamlet of North Hampton for the summer. When their names are linked with the deaths of two students, Parker and Samantha, after a penthouse party, in an attempt to rein in their use of magic and teach them "values," the girls must babysit Troy's friend and Ingrid's two children--summer jobs like "normal" kids. As the summer progresses, however, the situation deteriorates. The White Council of witches is seeking to censure (or worse) the two teens because their visible use of magic will draw mortals' attention. In addition, witnesses have come forward stating that Mardi and Molly actually pushed Parker and Sam in front of the deadly oncoming subway train, and criminal charges are being contemplated against them. The problem is that the twins have only vague recollections of that night's happenings.
Regaining their memories and solving Parker and Sam's murders take a backseat in Triple Moon--behind the sixteen-year-olds hooking up, wearing and having boys remove their expensive clothes, drinking expensive wines, and being jealous and secretive with each other. The twins are self-centered. The boys are gorgeous, blue-eyed, ripped, and rich. The twins provide no role modeling and surely project the wrong image for teens. The book hastily draws to a close with an improbable ending, even for a book about witches. While de la Cruz is a popular young adult author and Triple Moon will no doubt have wide readership, this reviewer would not recommend it to readers of any age.--Ed Goldberg.
Triple Moon is a magical story featuring two opposite twin witches and their incredible journey through love, betrayal, wickedness, and trust. Evil threatens to ruin and separate the twins, even as they hide together in the sleepy town of North Hampton. Under guidance from the Goddesses of Love and Hearth, they bravely manage to save the town, clear their names, and stop the cruel being from messing with their own lives. 5Q, 5P.--Shirley Yan, Teen Reviewer.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Goldberg, Ed, and Shirley Yan. "de la Cruz, Melissa. Triple Moon: Summer on East End." Voice of Youth Advocates, Dec. 2015, p. 68. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA438130215&it=r&asid=679337b93f399f4a1c0620183d28d291. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A438130215
QUOTED: "The sense of place and ties to Greek mythology give depth and personality."
Triple Moon
Melissa Moore
112.4 (Oct. 15, 2015): p46.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Triple Moon.
By Melissa de la Cruz.
Nov. 2015.368p. Putnam, $17.99 (9780399173554). Gr. 8-11.
Witch sisters Mardi and Molly may be identical twins and the daughters of Thor, but they could not be more different. They compete constantly, and the only thing they willingly share is a ring of their mother's. When their powers inadvertently cause the death of two teens, Thor sends them to North Hampton for the summer to learn self-control from their "aunts," Ingrid and Freya. But conflict and danger find them even there, in the form of two handsome young men, and it looks like the girls may be exiled to Limbo by the White Council as punishment for their crimes. Witches of East End series fans will be thrilled with this new offering featuring the next generation. Confused identities and mysterious deaths add tension to the story, and while the character development, particularly with Mardi, may be rushed it's still believable. The sense of place and ties to Greek mythology give depth and personality to this first in a spinoff series. ---Melissa Moore
Moore, Melissa
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Moore, Melissa. "Triple Moon." Booklist, 15 Oct. 2015, p. 46. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA433202273&it=r&asid=a3efb6912056236befba960233f962eb. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A433202273
QUOTED: "De la Cruz returns to the realm of teen lit but seems to keep some of her racier adult elements."
de la Cruz, Melissa: TRIPLE MOON
(Sept. 15, 2015):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
de la Cruz, Melissa TRIPLE MOON Putnam (Children's Fiction) $17.99 11, 10 ISBN: 978-0-399-17355-4
Terrible teen witches seek and sabotage safe haven in this spinoff's spinoff. Suspected of murdering two private school classmates, identical twins Molly and Mardi Overbrook grudgingly give up their glitzy Manhattan lives for a summer in Brigadoon-ian North Hampton, New York (setting for the Witches of East End series). Catalog-perfect Ingrid Beauchamp gives the goddesses (literally--Thor is their dad) a rustic reality call, forcing the girls to get jobs, limit their magic use, and babysit, but reform is slow in coming. Vapid, high-fashion Molly and antagonistic, retro-and-rebel Mardi enjoy playing pranks but engage in tiresome bickering and outrageous behavior to prove their (superficial) differences. Surprisingly ignorant of Norse mythology and their own family history, Molly and Mardi end up re-enacting a Wagnerian plot over a special ring and unusual romantic situations. The twins are unsympathetic characters for much of the book, and the impermanence of death lowers the stakes, but readers seeking tales of Gatsby-style excess, gourmet meals, hot bodies, and outrageous wardrobes can find a quick fix here. De la Cruz returns to the realm of teen lit but seems to keep some of her racier adult elements as she liberally--if sometimes unsuccessfully--mixes an epic story cycle and ancient legends with a summer beach romance, supernatural mystery, and teens-gone-wild tale. A stormy beach read that is more soap than opera. (Paranormal romance. 14 & up)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"de la Cruz, Melissa: TRIPLE MOON." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2015. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA428372785&it=r&asid=894033b4952651ec12f9a5c3d8d94e77. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A428372785
QUOTED: "Stuffed full of cartoon nostalgia and reluctant friendships ... this is sure to find an audience."
The Isle of the Lost
Maggie Reagan
111.18 (May 15, 2015): p67.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
The Isle of the Lost.
By Melissa de la Cruz.
May 2015. 320p. Disney/Hyperion, $17.99 (9781484720974). Gr. 3-6.
Where do defeated villains go? To the Isle of the Lost, a tiny, magiclcss island off the coast of the kingdom of Auradon, where the heroes live, ruled by King Beast and Queen Belle. On the island, the children learn "Advanced Evil Schemes" and "Vanities" to better live up to their wicked parents' reputations. For Mai, daughter of Maleficent, nothing is more important than nastiness. Resentment runs deep among the villains, and a years-old grudge puts Mai at odds with Evie, daughter of Snow White's Evil Queen. But magic may be waking on the island, and Mai, Evie, and a few others must join forces to find it. Meanwhile, on the mainland, Prince Ben has plans for the children of villains. The concept is a bit odd--this isn't a fairy-tale retelling; it's about the actual Disney characters--and this novel acts as a prequel for the upcoming Disney Channel movie, out later this year. But stuffed full of cartoon nostalgia and reluctant friendships--and backed by Disney's considerable weight--this is sure to find an audience.
HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: This paves the way for the Disney Channel movie, and both will benefit from the extensive cross-promotion.
Reagan, Maggie
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Reagan, Maggie. "The Isle of the Lost." Booklist, 15 May 2015, p. 67. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA417738665&it=r&asid=b660851f3bf88a84df38e86db9821422. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A417738665
de la Cruz, Melissa: THE ISLE OF THE LOST
(Apr. 15, 2015):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
de la Cruz, Melissa THE ISLE OF THE LOST Disney-Hyperion (Children's Fiction) $17.99 5, 5 ISBN: 978-1-4847-2097-4
In a prequel to an upcoming Disney Channel film, the offspring of four familiar villains bond in an effort to impress their evil parents. Having grown to adolescence in exile beneath a magic-banishing dome on the titular island, Mal, Carlos, Jay, and Evie--the children of, respectively, Maleficent, Cruella De Vil, Jafar, and Snow White's Evil Queen--set out to fetch Maleficent's staff from her Forbidden Fortress. Along with having to pass riddle and other tests clumsily designed to get them to admit the banality of their parents' values, the quest forces the young would-be baddies to cooperate and even to moderate their 'tudes. De la Cruz turns the quest and its interminable buildup into a wordy string of trite situations in which every character trait is carefully explained lest readers miss something: "Lonely, Mal thought. I was lonely. And so were they. Evie, with her beauty-obsessed mother; Carlos, with his screeching harpy of a parent; Jay, the happy-go-lucky thief with a quick wit and dashing smile, who could steal anything in the world except his father's heart." Meanwhile, over in the United States of Auradon, Prince Ben, son of King Beast and Queen Belle, chafes at his lack of life choices and with an impulsive but unspecified notion at the end serves up a teaser for the film. A paint-by-numbers effort to market a spinoff that's likely to be equally ephemeral. (Fantasy. 11-13)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"de la Cruz, Melissa: THE ISLE OF THE LOST." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2015. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA409360014&it=r&asid=71066e0d5697845d3011fbd70f354e17. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A409360014
QUOTED: "The concept of overlapping worlds on one planet will intrigue readers and raise philosophical questions."
Heart of Dread: Stolen
Debbie Carton
111.6 (Nov. 15, 2014): p45.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Heart of Dread: Stolen. By Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston. Nov. 2014.304p. Putnam, $17.99 (9780399257551). Gr. 7-12.
Alternating chapters follow drakonrydder Nat and her boyfriend, Wes, in their respective parallel worlds: Blue, where magic is real and the earths environment is stable and unpolluted, and the RSA (Remaining States of America), where most of the earth has been swallowed by the oceans, and what's left battles a constant winter. De la Cruz and husband Johnston combine dystopian futures with more standard fantasy conventions, all the while maintaining the giddy pace, nonstop action, and comfortably predictable romance of their first title, Frozen (2013). Two interesting new characters have been added: the enigmatic sylph Faiz, Nats teacher in all things magic, whose handsome presence makes Wes jealous; and Wes' twin sister, Eliza, who emerges after years of internment in the hospital system reserved for "marked" children with special powers. The concept of overlapping worlds on one planet will intrigue readers and raise philosophical questions about the nature of reality. The cliff-hanger ending assures readers that a finale is in the works.--Debbie Carton
Carton, Debbie
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Carton, Debbie. "Heart of Dread: Stolen." Booklist, 15 Nov. 2014, p. 45. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA392900301&it=r&asid=74fa94a590302bd2ef737b7d33fcd628. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A392900301
QUOTED: "A sputtering start leads to an action-packed adventure for patient fans."
de la Cruz, Melissa: STOLEN
(Oct. 15, 2014):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
de la Cruz, Melissa STOLEN Putnam (Children's Fiction) $17.99 11, 18 ISBN: 978-0-399-25755-1
Drakonrydder Nat and her guy-for-hire Wes are at it again.In a dystopian world destroyed ages ago by global warming, heroine Nat Kestral fought like hell to reach an Edenic place called Blue (Frozen, 2013). This sequel finds her there, training with white-haired, handsome Faix, messenger to the queen of Vallonis, and longing for her lost love, Wes, who's found enough trouble of his own in a quest to find his long-lost sister. Readers are plunged right in the middle of the action from the first page, and the story unfolds in alternating chapters told from each character's perspective. Readers will definitely need to review the first installment of the series to catch themselves up, and this one is chock-full of fantasy-novel-esque character and place names that may have them wishing for a dramatis personae or a map. The novel takes off with a start-and-stop sensibility, but the authors do provide the back story eventually (and cleverly), and the plot takes off from there. Everything feels mostly real, with the exception of Nat's dark phase in the first part, which renders her more a cheesy Bella ("an artist unable to paint; a poet unable to write") than the fierce fighter she is. A sputtering start leads to an action-packed adventure for patient fans. (Dystopian romance. 14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"de la Cruz, Melissa: STOLEN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2014. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA385540292&it=r&asid=ca616f4e9d76dbab762127714c376d52. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A385540292
QUOTED: "Fans of the characters ... will be plenty satisfied by the dishy, Gossip Girl-style story."
Vampires of Manhattan
Sarah Hunter
110.22 (Aug. 1, 2014): p14.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Vampires of Manhattan. By Melissa De la Cruz. Sept. 2014. 288p. Hachette, $26 (9781401324711).
De la Cruz's popular YA series, Blue Bloods, concluded with Gates of Paradise (2013), but the prolific author is far from done. This series-opener finds the Blue Bloods characters, now in their thirties, contending with marriage, divorce, careers, and an unexpected resurgence of demonic activity. Ventators Ara (formerly Minty) and Edon investigate a pair of murdered girls found in close proximity to dangerous, powerful pentagrams. Meanwhile Oliver, now regent, prepares for the grand 400 Ball, a celebration that will unify the coven and solidify his future as its leader. Oliver is so fixated on making the ball perfect, however, that he fails to notice how close the dark magic has come to his door. There could be a compelling paranormal police procedural here, but de la Cruz spends so much time filling in back story and giving voice to her characters' deep inner conflicts that important plot points are lost in the fray. Fans of the characters, though, will be plenty satisfied by the dishy, Gossip Girl-style story and eager for further installments.--Sarah Hunter
Hunter, Sarah
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Hunter, Sarah. "Vampires of Manhattan." Booklist, 1 Aug. 2014, p. 14. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA379569249&it=r&asid=5728f7a1e90b33f5cbf670e631ca530d. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A379569249
QUOTED: "This book will appeal to historical romance readers, more than to sword-and-sorcery fantasy readers."
de la Cruz, Melissa. The Ring and the Crown
Deborah L. Dubois
37.3 (Aug. 2014): p80.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
3Q * 3P * S
de la Cruz, Melissa. The Ring and the Crown. Hyperion, 2014. 384p. $17.99. 978-1-42315742-7.
Marie-Victoria, princess and heir to the Franco-British Empire, is expected to marry Prince Leopold of Prussia to cement the truce between their warring nations. He seems perfect to everyone, but Marie remembers him from childhood as a bully, and he is worse as an adult. She prefers Gill, one of her guards. Aelwyn is the bastard daughter of one-thousand-year-old Merlin, who is the power behind the throne. Aelwyn is destined to serve Marie as her mage, although they were brought up almost as sisters. Isabelle of France, engaged to Leopold from birth, is forced to release him so he can make the political match. He continues to use her for sex even after their engagement is ended, in spite of her protests. Ronan Astor from New York has come to London to find a rich husband to repair the family fortunes. On the journey, she falls in love with Wolf, Leopold's brother, masquerading as a commoner. She turns down his proposal, not realizing that he is everything she is looking for.
The cast of characters and their intertwining relationships are complicated, but de la Cruz focuses each chapter on a different character, which helps to keep them straight. The intrigue and plots in the royal court change these relationships in unexpected ways, and the end will surprise readers. This book will appeal to historical romance readers, more than to sword-and-sorcery fantasy readers.--Deborah L. Dubois.
Dubois, Deborah L.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Dubois, Deborah L. "de la Cruz, Melissa. The Ring and the Crown." Voice of Youth Advocates, Aug. 2014, p. 80. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA378680581&it=r&asid=8570c4d917679349842bc263642bfe05. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A378680581
QUOTED: "Readers captivated by the setting may enjoy this novel-length setup; they will hope for more plot in the next installment."
de la Cruz, Melissa: THE RING AND THE CROWN
(Apr. 1, 2014):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
de la Cruz, Melissa THE RING AND THE CROWN Hyperion (Children's Fiction) $17.99 4, 1 ISBN: 978-1-4231-5742-7
The lives of five teens intersect in turn-of-the-20th-century London, the capital of the Franco-British Empire. Aelwyn Myrddin, daughter of the Merlin, the magical power behind the throne, has just returned from exile in Avalon. Princess Marie-Victoria, sickly daughter of the 150-year-old Queen Eleanor, reluctantly awaits her marriage to Leopold, Kronprinz of Prussia and wielder of the magical weapon that brought the mighty empire to its knees. Wolf-short for Wolfgang-Leopold's rapscallion younger brother, has just boarded the Saturnia, on his way to London from New York. Ronan Astor, beautiful scion of the impoverished colonial family, is also on the Saturnia, hoping to snag a rich, titled lord. And Isabelle de Valois, whose family would rule France had the British not defeated the witch Jeanne of Arkk 500 years earlier, heads across the channel to salvage her engagement to Leopold. Intrigue and heartbreak ensue. De la Cruz effectively plaits real-world history together with what-ifs both magical and political to create a fizzy period soap opera. So much attention has been spent on worldbuilding, in fact, that the actual plot takes forever to start and then resolves both abruptly and all too conveniently. Moreover, incompletely explained inconsistencies with regard to the length of Aelwyn's exile will drive some readers crazy. Readers captivated by the setting may enjoy this novel-length setup; they will hope for more plot in the next installment. (Historical fantasy. 14 & up)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"de la Cruz, Melissa: THE RING AND THE CROWN." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2014. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA363187647&it=r&asid=cc31e315bf78b8b3bd601ede2fb08f5c. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A363187647
QUOTED: "There's nothing especially awful about this novel, but there's nothing especially great either."
Vampires of Manhattan
261.28 (July 14, 2014): p55.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Vampires of Manhattan
Melissa de la Cruz. Hyperion, $26 (288p) ISBN 978-1-4013-2471-1
De la Cruz brings the characters from her Blue Bloods YA books into a new adult series with this bland opener, which combines a bare-bones plot with lots of sex. The characters and the core concept--that vampires are actually angels on earth, fighting against the forces of Lucifer--transition well and engage new readers easily enough, but the story and writing are still immature. Ten years after defeating Lucifer, Oliver is the leader of his vampire coven. With his human lover, Finn, he plans to reinstitute the tradition of the Four Hundred Year Ball. Ara, a vampiric police officer, is investigating a suspicious murder. And Mimi has left her cushy life in Hell with her husband, Kingsley, to work in an art gallery. As the threads converge, de la Cruz wastes all the tension on flashbacks that only highlight how obvious the betrayers and villains are. There's nothing especially awful about this novel, but there's nothing especially great either. (Sept.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Vampires of Manhattan." Publishers Weekly, 14 July 2014, p. 55. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA375948403&it=r&asid=66367cc4102ad366ad2fc0227e34efd2. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A375948403
QUOTED: "Jasmine's tale feels too good to be true, but this possible shortcoming is offset by the timeliness and importance of the immigration issues."
De la Cruz, Melissa. Something in Between
Amy Thurow
62.9 (Sept. 2016): p149.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
DE LA CRUZ, Melissa. Something in Between 416p. ebook available. Harlequin Teen. Sept. 2016. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780373212385. POP
Gr 6-10--Jasmine is valedictorian, a scholarship winner, and captain of a Nationals-winning cheer squad. Her Filipino family are close-knit, and they live in L.A. Her crush is the son of a senator, and he's sweet and devoted. Her college essay is about her storytelling project with terminally ill seniors. Early into the book, readers learn that Jasmine and her family are undocumented. Jasmine is not eligible for the financial aid she would need to attend college, and she and her family face the real threat of being deported. The plot unfolds with Jasmine's boyfriend's father's anti-immigrant Congressional bill being shot down and the family's lawyer telling them that the odds are against them being able to stay in the United States. Through a series of extremely fortuitous developments, Jas receives a full ride to Stanford, a university that reviews international students' applications without regard to their financial need. Her romantic troubles also end happily. De la Cruz received a need-blind scholarship to Columbia. She shares in an author's note more details on how this story is semiautobiographical, which will make the narrative richer for some readers. Though the work centers on a high school senior, the romance is chaste and the plot is not too complex, making this a great choice for younger teens. VERDICT Jasmine's tale feels too good to be true, but this possible shortcoming is offset by the timeliness and importance of the immigration issues raised and explained. This book belongs in every middle school library.--Amy Thurow, New Glams School District, WI
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Thurow, Amy. "De la Cruz, Melissa. Something in Between." School Library Journal, Sept. 2016, p. 149. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA462899763&it=r&asid=ce61008a44b34245bb8558aa45408483. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A462899763
De la Cruz, Melissa. Triple Moon: Summer on East End
Kimberly Garnick
61.11 (Nov. 2015): p113.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
DE LA CRUZ, Melissa. Triple Moon: Summer on East End. 368p. ebook available. Putnam. Nov. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780399173554.
Gr 8 Up--Fans of the author's adult title Witches of East End (Hachette, 2011) and the now-canceled Lifetime television show of the same name will flock to this YA spin-off that features some of the series' most beloved characters, as well as two new teen witches. Molly and Mardi Overbrook are 16-year-old twins who are in desperate need of guidance after they are blamed for the deaths of two kids at an exclusive party they attended. Rich, spoiled, and entitled, Molly and Mardi are sent to live with Ingrid Beauchamp, an old family friend, for the summer in hopes she will teach them to control their magic and behave appropriately. While in North Hampton, the sisters are forced to get summer jobs. They also meet the younger Gardiner brothers, who are as enigmatic as they are sexy. But dark forces are at work as the girls realize someone has tampered with their memories and set them up for murder. This work reads like a cross between Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries. There are many mentions of designer fashions and cocktail parties where no one is checking IDs. But there are also sisterly bonds that are tested and romances with the wrong guy. Best-selling author de la Cruz has said that if the canceled television show won't see a revival, she may resolve some loose ends in this new series. VERDICT Purchase this title to satiate East End fans.--Kimberly Garnick Giarratano, Rockaway Township Public Library, NJ
Garnick, Kimberly
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Garnick, Kimberly. "De la Cruz, Melissa. Triple Moon: Summer on East End." School Library Journal, Nov. 2015, p. 113. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA433878111&it=r&asid=83415383420d6c0aa60ec7addf571e38. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A433878111
QUOTED: "Cliched characters and a predictable plot probably won't deter young readers from finishing this fun little romp through practically every Disney movie ever made."
De la Cruz, Melissa. The Isle of the Lost
Mandy Laferriere
61.7 (July 2015): p75.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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DE LA CRUZ, Melissa. The Isle of the Lost. 320p. (A Descendants Novel), ebook available. Disney-Hyperion. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781484720974.
Gr 4-6--All the evil villains of Disney movie fame have been exiled to the Isle of the Lost. A huge dome covers the island, keeping them from using any magic. They are relegated to eating scraps and wearing castoffs of the good citizens of Auradon, ruled by King Beast and Queen Belle. The children of Maleficient, Jabar, Evil Queen, and Cruella De Vil (respectively Mal, Jay, Evie, and Carlos) don't know any other life away from the island. Every aspect of their existence is focused on becoming more evil, and finding nefarious ways to entertain themselves. When Carlos invents a device that is meant to provide them with more cable channels, he inadvertently opens a hole in the dome, allowing a tiny bit of magic to reactivate Maleficient's scepter, the Dragon's Eye. The four go off on a quest to find the staff, each for their own selfish reasons. All the while, though, the descendants of the most evil villains to ever walk the earth are starting to (gasp!) show signs of caring for each other. And over on Auradon, Prince Ben, son of Beast and Belle, is having visions of a beautiful blue-haired girl he's never met, even though he's betrothed to Princess Audrey, daughter of Aurora. Cliched characters and a predictable plot probably won't deter young readers from finishing this fun little romp through practically every Disney movie ever made. VERDICT Billed as a prequel to a Disney Channel movie, there's a built-in fan base for this story. Disney lovers and fairy-tale fans alike will need to get their hands on this book.--Mandy Laferriere, Fowler Middle School, Frisco, TX
Laferriere, Mandy
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Laferriere, Mandy. "De la Cruz, Melissa. The Isle of the Lost." School Library Journal, July 2015, p. 75. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA420435536&it=r&asid=e3bfa874a732312effc93b49a3eadefb. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A420435536
QUOTED: "Fans of the first book will no doubt be very happy with where this action-filled trilogy is headed."
De La Cruz, Melissa & Michael Johnston. Stolen
Ryan P. Donovan
60.12 (Dec. 2014): p131.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
DE LA CRUZ, Melissa & Michael Johnston. Stolen. 304p. (Heart of Dread: Bk. 2). ebook available. Putnam. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780399257551.
Gr 9 Up--In this follow-up to Frozen (Putnam, 2013), readers are reunited with Nat, who as reclaimed her flying drakon and has left the love of her life, Wes, in order to defend her lost homeland, Vallonis. Nat finds growing support among the populace and with ships filled with pilgrims seeking "The Blue," the mythical nickname for her lost kingdom. When the Remaining States of America soldiers find a way to magically disable her drakon, she rejoins her mysterious guardsman Faix in an attempt to learn more about her own power. Meanwhile, Wes has attempted to settle back into his old life in New Vegas without Nat. Still looking for his lost sister Eliza, he suffers further setbacks when the slyph (mage) Liannan and the two dwarfish smallmen on his team mysteriously disappear. Wes is ultimately recaptured and redrafted into the army against his will. As his trajectory propels him closer to the ocean and to Nat, he struggles to find his place in the growing war between the marked (humans with powers) and the wealthy elite. De la Cruz and Johnston further the adventures of the frozen dystopian wasteland. The story slightly drags as Nat learns to harness her newfound abilities, but the narrative is intercut with Wes's thrilling quest to save his sister, which picks up the slack. Readers who haven't read the previous installment will be lost, but fans of the first book will no doubt be very happy with where this action-filled trilogy is headed --Ryan P. Donovan, Southborough Public Library, MA
Donovan, Ryan P.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Donovan, Ryan P. "De La Cruz, Melissa & Michael Johnston. Stolen." School Library Journal, Dec. 2014, p. 131+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA392367785&it=r&asid=bb089b38c894ccccc3f911e84810b277. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A392367785
QUOTED: "Her vivid descriptions are just enough to transport us into the world without bogging down the narrative."
De La Cruz, Melissa. The Ring & the Crown
Marissa Lieberman
60.4 (Apr. 2014): p161.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
DE LA CRUZ, Melissa. The Ring & the Crown. 384p. Disney/Hyperion. Apr. 2014. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781423157427.
Gr 9 Up--In an alternate 20th century, the world is controlled by a united Franco-British Empire and backed by a Merlin. Aelwn Myrddyn, the beautiful and powerful daughter of Merlin, returns from exile to find that her childhood friend, Marie-Victoria, the sickly daughter of the Empire's Queen, will be engaged to Prussia's Prince Leopold in order to solidify a peace treaty. Isabelle of Orleans, royalty from the formerly independent France, is forced to break off her engagement to Leopold. Tragically, she had been raped by her guardian as a child and is continuously taken advantage of by Leopold. The royal engagement has made London's coming-of-age season all the more glamorous, and for Ronan Astor, a feisty New Yorker invited to attend, it means a chance to marry rich and save her family's decaying status. On her way to Europe, she meets Wolf, Leopold's younger brother. Wolf is a total flirt but, unlike his brother, has strong morals. Bestselling author de la Cruz expertly writes from five different perspectives, allowing readers to emotionally invest in the protagonists' lives. Her vivid descriptions are just enough to transport us into the world without bogging down the narrative. This character-driven novel has fabulous balls, glitzy gowns, and plenty of drama and plot twists, making it hard to put down. Unresolved issues hint at future books.--Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ.
Lieberman, Marissa
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Lieberman, Marissa. "De La Cruz, Melissa. The Ring & the Crown." School Library Journal, Apr. 2014, p. 161. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA363686697&it=r&asid=3dc71c19ecebf427e0bd809db23ae0cf. Accessed 25 July 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A363686697
Review of “Something in Between” by Melissa de la Cruz
Posted on 11/09/2016 by rhapsodyinbooks
This story about an undocumented Filipino family mirrors in some ways the experiences of the author herself, as she explains in a note at the end of the book.
28688476
The book is about the ordeals of illegal immigrants, emphasizing that while all the press coverage in the U.S. tends to be mostly about Latinos, there are also Filipinos, Burmese, Turks, and people from many other groups facing the same problems. The focus is 17-year-old Jasmine de los Santos, a successful overachiever, who just found out she won a National Scholarship Award which will cover four years of tuition to the college of her choice. But her parents break the news to her that she cannot accept the scholarship; her whole family lacks legal papers to be in the country. Her parents, also hard workers, have been using fake papers ever since the person they hoped to sponsor them for green cards lost his business. They had already started a new life in America and didn’t want to leave.
Adding to Jasmine’s devastation, she meets a boy she really likes for the first time, Royce Blakely. But it turns out he is the son of the congressman who is sponsoring legislation for deporting all undocumented immigrants and then denying them any path to citizenship. As Jasmine realizes, “…he’s one of those politicians who think illegal aliens are as good as criminals, and deserve punishment rather than mercy.”
Jasmine and Royce have other obstacles to their relationship, at least from Jasmine’s point of view. Royce is from a rich, privileged, and connected family – the kind that has a Filipino maid. Jasmine is definitely from the other side of the tracks, and she projects her insecurities about it onto Royce, his friends, and his family.
The novel follows her quest to adjust her concept of who she is, avoid deportation, and come to terms with her differences with Royce.
Discussion: It is great to have this issue treated so thoroughly in a story for teens, but I had several criticisms of the book.
Jasmine is 17 and later 18, and is supposedly one of the top 300 students in the country, but she acts more like 14 or 15, and not very bright at that. The level of prose in the book is, in my view, more suited to tweens than to young adults.
It also seemed overly long to me; I thought much of it was repetitive and could be pared down.
In addition, I didn’t feel that de la Cruz ever presented an adequate case for why any illegal immigrant besides the high achiever Jasmine should be granted clemency and allowed to stay in the country. Jasmine keeps arguing about how unfair her own particular case is, and how hard she and her family work, but what about all the rest of the illegal immigrants? It almost seemed as if the author was arguing exceptionalism just for this family, although I got the impression she advocated lenience on a wider basis.
Finally, Royce, a year older than Jasmine and a boy who came from a much more sophisticated background, with private schools and congressional dinners and contacts and so on, seemed barely more mature than Jasmine. I just didn’t buy it.
Rating: 3/5
QUOTED: "The book can be slow-moving at times, but all the extra tidbits sprinkled throughout expanding the lives of these people was very much appreciated and worth it."
BWW Review: ALEX & ELIZA by Melissa De La Cruz
Bonnie Lynn Wagner May. 12, 2017
Anything about Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler is still super hot thanks to the success of the smash Broadway musical Hamilton. When word dropped that New York Times Best Selling Author Melissa de la Cruz was coming out with ALEX & ELIZA, a historical fiction novel that explored the duo's relationship before they were married, people freaked. When the cover was revealed, the excitement was fueled even further because the cover used a silhouette profiled the mirrored the silhouette approach the musical uses in all of its advertising. When the book released last month, it immediately debuted at #2 on the New York Times Best Sellers List.
Don't go into ALEX & ELIZA expecting a retelling of Hamilton. though. You won't get one. Instead, you get the story of how Alex and Eliza met. Eliza's father, General Philip Schuyler, is being court-martialed despite not being at Fort Ticonderoga when it fell. When it fell, the General also lost his country estate in Saratoga He had put a vast amount of his fortune into the house, and before he could reacquire it, the land was razed. Now, the Schuyler family isn't as rich as everyone believes, and they need to marry the eldest three daughters, Angelica, Elizabeth, and Margarita (Peggy). Catherine Schuyler decides to throw a ball and invite all the eligible men. Unfortunately, the day of the ball is also when Alexander Hamilton arrives to deliver the bad news about the General being court-martialed. Alex and Eliza meet already off on the wrong foot, and it isn't until two years later when Eliza joins her aunt in Morristown, New Jersey to help in the war effort and inoculate soldiers against smallpox that the two meet again. Alex has never been able to shake Eliza from his head and hopes that this time around, he can make amends. Eliza, on the other hand, still wants nothing to do with him, especially since her family would never approve. But she finds herself thinking about Alex more and more...
Granted, some artistic license was definitely taken in order to give the story more twists and turns, but de la Cruz also peppered the book with her favorite real-life moments from their courtship, such as the locket Eliza wore with a piece of poem that Alex wrote her and the way Alex forgot the password to the fort after an evening with Eliza. Those moments are still there, and still precious.
I really loved that the book flipped between both Alex's and Eliza's perspectives. I loved seeing Alex interact with the soldiers, and I also loved seeing Eliza hold her own as she began to become her own person. In Hamilton, Eliza is very much to the side and we don't know that much about her until much later in life. In ALEX & ELIZA, we see how much she does for the war effort and how close she is to her sisters and her family.
There were times that there were little nods to the musical in terms of phrasing, but some of this also comes from the fact that both mediums were flavored by the letters Alex wrote that are still accessible today. Hamilton fans may be sad to find that Angelica is never attracted to Alexander and is intent on her own courtship. In fact,this is one place where the musical messed with the timeline of events in order to bring more drama to the show. It was nice to see Peggy in her own courtship and find out a bit of what made her tick. These are moments that just don't get explored in the musical. The book can be slow-moving at times, but all the extra tidbits sprinkled throughout expanding the lives of these people was very much appreciated and worth it. After I finished reading, I had to look up information about various characters to see if things happened or not...which is also what I did after falling for Hamilton, so de la Cruz did make it so readers will care about these people and want to know more about them and their lives!
ALEX & ELIZA ended in a way I wasn't expecting, and it made me hope that the author would return to the world. Publisher's Weekly recently announced that a sequel entitled LOVE & WAR: An Alex and Eliza Story will debut in Spring 2018! When you finish ALEX & ELIZA, you'll know where the sequel is headed!
Review: Something In Between by Melissa de la Cruz
PUBLISHED ON November 16, 2016
28688476Something In Between by Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Contemporary
Published by: Mira Ink
Pages: 432
Format: e-book
Rating: ★★
Note: We received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was really excited to read Something in Between because of the subject matter. It’s a shame that I read this one so soon after The Sun is Also a Star, though, as I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between the portrayal of illegal immigrants. Both authors took the same stance: that it’s unjust and an ugly term to describe people that have only done what was best for their families, and I think that message was the most powerful, but I wholeheartedly preferred Nicola Yoon’s take because it felt less romanticised. Let’s discuss…
Real Life Fairy Tale?
Being granted full citizenship to a country you’ve lived in all your life is definitely up there with mermaids learning what legs feel like, and I really liked this modern fairy tale vibe Something in Between had running throughout. I liked best figuring out what elements were most prominent, like the fairy god mother, but couldn’t help cringing at the heavy-handed ‘So, I’m Cinderella and you’re Prince Charming’ reference at the end.
But, the thing with fairy tales is…they always have a happy ending. And as The Sun is Also a Star admits, being deported doesn’t always end in happily ever after. I was really wondering how this book was going to end, and whether Jasmine would get to go to college and stay in the States.
If there’s one thing I can’t stomach though, it’s drama for the sake of drama. There were so many near-misses in this book, so many moments where Jasmine almost got caught out, or thought she’d found a solution, only for it to go pear shaped in the next chapter. I got tired of reading the repetitive structure, that I ended up putting the book down for two weeks to read something a little less predictable.
The Perfect Protagonist
Jasmine was literally perfect. There’s no other word to describe her. She was captain of her cheerleading team, adored by teachers and students alike, had a great circle of friends and got amazing grades. Do people like this really exist?? I was reading the book just waiting for Jasmine to have a flaw.
And although I know this wasn’t what Melissa de la Cruz intended, it almost felt like Jasmine was more worthy than a more average person to be given a green card. We knew, from her National Scholarship award, that she’d be a credit to society, but so would all the other illegal immigrant that do what her parents do, the tough jobs that no one else wants. If Jasmine had had a bit more grit to her personality, I think I would have got more onboard with her campaign for reform.
Coincidences left, right and centre
Jasmine wouldn’t be in the situation she was in unless she’d stumbled across an old, rich lady and got in a relationship with Royce, who’s father was powerful in the US government and with very little persuading, would help the de los Santos family gain legal citizenship. I definitely had to suspend my disbelief with the sequence of events and how everything seemed to work in Jasmine’s favour, until some fabricated drama came along to mess up her life for a chapter, before being resolved.
Verdict
Overall, I’m only giving Something in Between 2 stars. It hurts to say it, but I was genuinely bored reading some parts of this book. The romance didn’t engage me, because it felt like Royce and Jasmine didn’t have enough sympathy for each other’s positions, the conflict always expired within a few pages and perfection is overrated. I definitely enjoyed the relevant quotes at the beginning of chapters and would still recommend this book to anyone wanted to inject some well needed diversity into their TBR, but be aware that this book could probably do with some seasoning, to help it be digested better.
QUOTED: "De la Cruz’s writing is fluid, intelligent and beautiful, with spurts of humor and witty dialogue. The characters are well drawn."
Alex and Eliza: A Love Story
BY MELISSA DE LA CRUZ
Find & buy on
Young Colonel Alexander Hamilton works as secretary to General George Washington in Albany, New York, in 1777. Hamilton begs for a command of his own so he can fight the British during America’s Revolution, but Washington depends on Alex’s diplomatic skills. Alex is sent to deliver news of a court-martial for General Schuyler after the loss of Fort Ticonderoga. The Schuylers are throwing a party, and Alex reports his ugly mission as the general’s middle daughter, Eliza, overhears. An energetic, practical girl who is working for the rebel cause, she dislikes Alex at once. But Alex is instantly smitten with her. The Schuylers are a prestigious family, while Alex is an illegitimate child born in the West Indies to a Scottish aristocrat who abandoned him. He’s penniless, with little hope of marrying one of Albany’s “princesses.”
This novel is a good introduction to Hamilton, one of our Founding Fathers, and Elizabeth Schuyler, a formidable woman and humanitarian. Details of the American Revolution are worked in with the horrible conditions of the war for soldiers. The story focuses on Hamilton’s determination to rise in importance and win Eliza’s hand—even after she’s promised to a wealthy cad. The author admits to embellishing much of the private moments, since scant information is known of their courtship. De la Cruz’s writing is fluid, intelligent and beautiful, with spurts of humor and witty dialogue. The characters are well drawn. Recommended for teens who are interested in a lively tale and one of history’s great love stories. For ages twelve and up.
Review
APPEARED IN
HNR Issue 80 (May 2017)
REVIEWED BY
Diane Scott Lewis
QUOTED: "Enticing and interesting, De La Cruz finds a way to bring back the past and bring in history, romance, and mystery that satisfies both cravings of excitement, romance and knowledge."
Book Review: ‘Alex & Eliza’, A Love Story by Melissa De La Cruz
Posted by: Leslie Wright May 18, 2017 in Book Reviews, Books, Genres, Historical Fiction, History Books,
In Alex & Eliza, Melissa De La Cruz takes us back into history with a love story sure to ignite your imagination. Set during the time of the American revolution when Alexander Hamilton was still just a mysterious young man, yet even then at the right-hand of George Washington, Cruz entertains us with a story of politics and intrigue as well as love and romance.
One of New York’s biggest events was the Schuyler’s grand ball, and this well to do family had three daughters, each soon to be ready for marriage. A social event as well as an introduction of their daughters to society, their daughters Angelica and Peggy were excited for their chance to dress up and begin their round of social meetings.
Eliza the youngest was not very into dresses and balls, she was more interested in aiding the colonists cause, but her parents were insistent. Both fierce and beautiful she was a handful, and they worried as to what type of man would attract her attention. Due to her fascination with the cause, she was very excited to learn that Alexander Hamilton would be arriving. Once they meet, their attraction and love begin a series of events that change the course of history.
De La Cruz does a wonderful job of taking you back in history and finding the most interesting of situations to bring into the story, holding you enthralled in the telling. By tying the politics and the romance together she incorporates the dangers of the times as well as the strong feelings of her characters, holding you intrigued and wanting to know more.
If you enjoy history and love a good romance than this is the book for you. Enticing and interesting, De La Cruz finds a way to bring back the past and bring in history, romance, and mystery that satisfies both cravings of excitement, romance and knowledge.
This would be a great work for a Book or reading club with may merits to discuss and help create a great deal of dialogue.