Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)

Reader reviewed by justin

vampire academy is a great book. i thought it was interesting that the auther created a world that had three types of vampires. the moiri (living vampires), dhampire (half vampire), and the strigoi (the immortal undead). moiri and dhampir go to schools around the world to learn how to be proper vampire citizens. this book had a lot of action and great characters. it was a great read.

the beginning of the book was kind of slow, but near the end alot of stuff happens. i didnt really like the writing syle in some parts. i thought the book was really fun to read though because it was so different from the "twilight" idea of vampires.

Well, I finally did it. I finally read Vampire Academy! The series has been out since 2007 and hoards of adoring fans rave about it, but I just never got around to reading it. So, when I saw a super cheap copy of the first book at my local used book store I decided to pick it up. I'm so happy I did! This is really a different kind of vampire book and the characters are honest and refreshing. The story is mysterious and captivating while still being fun. I can't say I loved everything about it but I still think Mead is deserving of all the praise she has received, at least based on the first book.


LIKES:

Rose and Lissa. The friendship that these two share is really incredible. Rose is headstrong and wild and fiercely protective of her best friend, the sweet, unstable Lissa. Lissa, in turn, trusts and respects Rose, despite her lower social status and questionable reputation. There were definitely times where I forgot that this book was about Vampires at all because Rose and Lissa's friendship was so commanding. Lissa is intensely vulnerable after the deaths of her parents and brother. Although she is a royal Moroi vampire, she has few real friends at school but Rose makes up for this completely. Rose, in addition to being her best friend, is also her guardian and has devoted her life to protecting Lissa. However, Rose does not act out of duty but rather out of love and loyalty. There's really nothing like a best friend, even if you're a vampire.
The Vampires. I was really expecting the vampires in this book to be tough, powerful, bloodthirsty immortals - you know, vampires. I'm usually a purist when it comes to these sorts of things, but Mead really put the humanity back into these guys. At least, some of them. There are two types of vampires, Strigoi and Moroi. Strigoi are more like the classic vampire: undead, ruthless, soulless monsters. Moroi, though, are alive and connected to the earth. And while they are strong and need blood to survive, they also need regular food and sleep and protection. They are hunted by the Strigoi and they need half-vamps to protect them. Their vulnerability makes them relate-able and easy to understand. It also makes it necessary for them to bond with their protectors. I just really liked they weren't huge bad-asses. And that surprised me.
It doesn't feel like an intro. Finally, I like that this book doesn't feel like it's just here to set up the rest of the series. There are so many first books that do this and it is one of my pet peeves. Vampire Academy could almost be a stand-alone novel. It isn't a cop-out.

DISLIKES:
Adult Themes. First, let me say that I don't have problems with adult themes in YA books, as long as they are dealt with tastefully and responsibly. Part of being a teenager is learning how to deal with "adult" things so I see no problem with putting them in YA literature. There were a couple of things about this book that bothered me. First of all, the language was a little iffy. I was sort of surprised by the amount of cursing throughout the book. I am no prude when it comes to language, but I thought Mead went overboard sometimes. Second, self-mutilation is a huge issue in this book. This is something that real teenagers sometimes have to deal with, whether it be with their friends or themselves, but I think it was handled a bit too lightly in some place. For instance Rose refers to Lissa's cutting as "her weird way of coping" at one point. I think that's a bit flippant, personally. To be fair, this issue is dealt with on a more responsible level later on, but it still bothered me.
Lots of dead/mutilated animals. This sort of goes hand-in-hand with my first problem. The shear amount of animal mutilation in this book is a little startling. I get it, it's a book about vampires, who cares if a bunny gets ripped apart when people are dropping like flies. But, it was just a little gratuitous.
Pedo-alert? Okay, this one might make some of you angry because I know how much you all love Dimitri, but seriously, Rose is in high school! He's in his mid-twenties. I'm 25 and I would go to jail if I were involved with a high school-er. Plus, yuck. I know, he's super hot and moody and ripped, but couldn't they be a little closer in age. Maybe as the books go on this gets less creepy as Rose gets a little older. Here's hoping.
Overall, I really enjoyed Vampire Academy. I think it was just what I needed after a stressful couple of weeks. It has adventure, action, horror and romance. It's a great summer read and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one!

I think this book will definitely have its fans. The plot and the characters are interesting. The story as a whole fell a little short of what I wanted. I felt like the writing was "thin." I wanted more detail, a tighter storyline, and just ... more. But, I also enjoy thick books with lush prose and so keeping that in mind, I will say again that there's nothing wrong with this book and I'm sure it will have many fans.

Reader reviewed by Isa

This book wasn't one of the best I've read. I didn't feel like the characters were very relatable (if thats a word). I didn't identify with Rose's I'm-Invincible character or with Lissa. Lissa was quiet, shy and far off. What I did like were a lot of the minor characters like Christian! The story started out an a pretty actiony point in the story so you could dive right in. Overall, it was a pretty fast read and interesting too.

Title: Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: YA fantasy

Where I got it: ODLC (the library’s e-book collection)

One sentence: Rose, a dhamphir guardian, and Lissa, a Moroi princess, return from their time on the run to St. Vladimir’s Academy, where they become caught in scandal, rumors, and danger, from both themselves and the evil Strigoi vampires.

Themes: Vampires, scandal, rumors, romance, bonds, social pressure.

Main character: I don’t really know how I feel about Rose and Lissa. Their ‘bond’ kind of weirded me out at first, but it came into play later in the book. I felt like Mead tried to hard to make Rose the brash, reckless, aggressive, party girl, and some of it felt too…forced? Obvious? I don’t know. Lissa frustrated me sometimes. She alternated between passive and aggressive, and I know she was struggling with herself or whatever, but it also seemed like she had absolutely no backbone. There was very little character development.

Secondary characters: I didn’t feel enough of a connection to either Christian or Dimitri. They felt wooden, and although Mead explained Christian’s background, I just couldn’t get into what he was feeling.

Writing style: A little wooden at times. I wouldn’t say anything distracted me, but I found it difficult to picture anything, there was little description and the word choice was poor throughout.

Plot: I didn’t mind the background of the story: the relationships and folklore between the Strigoi, Moroi and dhampirs. However, the actual plot left me a little disappointed. The pacing is slow until the last fifty pages, and much of the plot is pretty predictable. I did actually like the last bit, and the plot twist caught me by surprise (maybe I’m just really blind to clues hidden along the way).

Best scene: The scene with Lissa in the bathroom. Really creeped me out, actually.

Positives: Entertaining, good background with the folklore, well thought out world, plot twists.

Negatives: Wooden and unchanging characters, slow pacing, not very descriptive writing.

Ending: Eh. I actually didn’t mind the ending scene, and it did kind of set up for future books, but just…eh.

Verdict: It was entertaining, but I didn’t really understand why it’s average rating on Goodreads was a 4.25. Crazy.

Rating: 6.9 / 10

Reader reviewed by Julie

At the beginning of this book, it was hard to understand. But, as the book went on, it became easier to understand. The book took me a week to read because I just couldn't get into it, but when I got closer to the end, the book got more exciting. I couldn't stop reading it and I had to get the second one after it ended. The beginning was boring because it was just explaining everything.

Reader reviewed by Mariah

I was really excited to read this book because I heard so many good
things about it but when I read it I was sadly disappointed, the book
did not captivate me, parts of the book were entertaining but overall I
was disappointed.

I did not like that Rose and Lissa kept
alluding to things that had happened before. Usually I am ok with it
but I was confused for much of the book, I kind of felt like I had not
read a prequel that would have cleared things up for me I don't know.

Maybe I will try and read it again later or like the sequels better.



reprinted with author's permission

Reader reviewed by Meg

Dear Readers,

This is one of my favorite books!

Rose is a girl who is comitted to protecting her friend from enemies. Rose and her friend get caght and have to go back to school. Rose didnt know that she would be personally trained by a hot teacher though. See what happens...........

I love the suspense and the mystery of who is the bad guy. I dont think the books were bad.
Boys wont like it at all. It would be a great movie. 

Meg

Reader reviewed by Taylor

I ordered this book in hopes of finding another vamprie series to enjoy instead of just rereading Twilight over and over again. Man, am I glad I did. This book, and the others in the series are without a doubt the best books I have ever read.

The book starts quickly, with Rose and Lissa being dragged back to St. Vladimir's by the gorgeous Dimitri (my soon to be husband :D) and life at the Academy starts off with a bang. Right at their return their schedules are very busy, and the girls don't get to spend as much time as they would like together.

Lissa is batteling with her Spirit powers (she doesn't know she has them yet) and they begin to cause her depression. Lissa is a cutter, and because Rose is shadow-kissed, she can get into Lissa's mind and always comes to her rescue when she needs it. On top of constantly being worries about her best friend's mental state, Rose is taking two extra training sessions a day from the gorgeous new Guardian, Dimitri.

Right from their first day, Rose feels a connection with Dimitri. Their forbidden romance is extremely addicting, and I kept having to stop myself from skipping over parts just to read about their sessions together. Although Rose doesn't seem to realize it, Dimitri acts just as attracted to Rose but in a secretive and sexy way.

Rose is one of the most powerful and strong willed characters ever written about. She is sexy and flirty, but at the same time she doesn't take crap from anyone, making her the girl that every guy wishes they had and every girl wishes they were. She also goes through struggles that every girl can relate to. She flirts with people, gets caught making out, has a crush on her hot teacher, feels like she has no one to talk to, and is constantly protecting her best friend. Her character is the perfect blend of every element, which made me feel as if I were her.

Toward the end of the book, Lissa and Rose's fears for leaving were proven right, and Lissa is in mortal danger.

This book is absolutely perfect, Mead's writing style couldn't fit the characters more accurately, and I can assure every girl 13+ that they will NOT be able to put this book down until they finish it!

I give it a 5+/5 for being AMAZING!