
'Vampire Academy' by Richelle Mead follows the story of Rose Hathaway, a Dhampir, who is tasked with protecting her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. The two navigate the dangerous world of St. Vladimir's Academy, a hidden place where vampires are educated in magic and half-human teens train to protect them. As they are dragged back to the academy, they become entangled in forbidden romance, social intrigue, and dark rituals, all while facing the looming threat of the Strigoi, the world's fiercest vampires. is praised for its engaging plot, relatable characters, and the unique take on the vampire genre, with elements of friendship, loyalty, and teenage angst woven into the narrative.
The writing style of Richelle Mead in 'Vampire Academy' is commended for its fast-paced and captivating nature, keeping readers hooked from the first page. The characters, particularly Rose Hathaway, are highlighted for their depth and development, with Rose being described as impulsive, loyal, and fiercely protective of her friend Lissa. explores themes of friendship, romance, and the complexities of the vampire world, offering a fresh perspective on the genre with its well-crafted plot and relatable characters.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book touches on themes such as underage drinking, bullying, self-harm, and mental health issues which could be triggering for some readers.
Has Romance?
The book features a significant romantic subplot, particularly between Rose and Dimitri, contributing to the tension and driving character development.
From The Publisher:
The story that kicked off the international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series.
St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school-it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's-the very place where they're most in danger. . . .
Ratings (200)
Incredible (37) | |
Loved It (63) | |
Liked It (46) | |
It Was OK (32) | |
Did Not Like (19) | |
Hated It (3) |
Reader Stats (362):
Read It (210) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (91) | |
Did Not Finish (4) | |
Not Interested (56) |
9 comment(s)
2.5
This book is cheesy and fun in the exact same way as season one of
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Remember when you first watched that season: at first all you could see were the low production values and the fact that Sarah Michelle Gellar's pants were always too short (I assume this was everyone's experience). But then you started to like it. You got attached to Buffy and her sass mouth. The details of the universe became important to you. By the time she ended up at the dance, you were fully invested but still thought your friends might make fun of you for liking it.
Vampire Academy is by no means a
Buffy ripoff (although it is indebted to the show the same way most of today's vampire fiction is), but it has a similar feel, including the moments of compassion and pathos, the startlingly clear glimpses of female friendship. (Also maybe lesbians? We'll see where that goes.)
This is a fun supernatural ride, but it also addresses issues that are important to teens (depression, cutting, sex) in very accessible ways.
Ehh this book is not for me. I hate books directed to young women that have violent stupid shallow girls competing with and fighting with each other over their attractiveness and their sex appeal to boys. Then add an emo cutting vampire to it and ugh. Also I immediately figured out the entire plot, so it wasn't even a suspenseful read. There were typos in the book too. I do not think the world building makes any sense either. The best part was that it was fast and silly.
So, I watched the movie first, something I tend to do with book adaptations because we all know that the book is usually way better than the movie by a wide margin and I want a chance to enjoy the movie without being weighed down by everything that is not book accurate. I loved the movie, I've watched it many times now before reading the book and it became a comfort movie of mine to the point where I was scared to read the book series because I was afraid it would ruin my comfort movie. A similar thing happened with the Percy Jackson movie: I watched it and loved it and it got me invested enough that I wanted to read the books and I did and now I despise the movie because the books were so much better and I wish they had stuck to the book more.
Anyway, I know this is gonna be a weird review because of my love for the movie but it's still going to be a positive one. As it turns out, this may be the best book-to-movie adaptation ever. I was shocked at how the book was EXACTLY like the movie (rather the movie like the book but you understand). It made me love both the movie and the book more. They didn't continue making the rest of the books into movies so I am ecstatic that I get to continue the series of my comfort movie. For fans of the book who haven't watched the movie yet, have no fear! If you love the book you are basically guaranteed to love the movie.
I do want to discuss the reason that I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5: the age gap between the female and male love interest. The main girl is 17 and the man is 8 years older than her (and also her teacher/instructor). It's giving Pretty Little Liars. I'm almost 22 I really don't wanna be reading about that dynamic. I personally feel it's inappropriate. I do wanna continue the series and I probably will, I just wish I didn't have to constantly force myself to forget the age gap.
The storyline and world are so good
Rose is a total badass. She's funny and smart and a bit oblivious but she's also flirty and sexual
and kickass which is kind of unusual. She's not afraid to be labelled a slut or be seen hooking up because of social conventions. She's happy to just let it roll off her back - or punch someone in the face. Whatever works.
I loved the relationship between her and Lissa and how they look after one another. Lissa was an interesting character. Her depression is an interesting element and I liked that Mead tries to normalise it. Particularly the message that getting outside help can be beneficial to obtaining happiness. I liked Christian and her relationship with him. They clearly connected and really liked one another.
I loved the relationship between Rose and Dimitri - but I kind of just ignored the whole she's 17 thing and imagined her older. Or him younger. Because a 24 year old dating a 17 year old is icky. At 17 I would've thought so what. At 29 it's just plain wrong. So I'm kind of just ignoring that bit. If nothing else, I liked that they got to know one another and have a lot of the same views.
The banter between all the characters was funny and I enjoyed the plot. The action was fast paced and mysterious enough to have me dying for more. It wasn't anything particularly new (what is these days) but it was unique and well written enough to stand out and obtain 5 stars.
I am not really into young adult book but I have heard many good things about this series and I already had it on my shelf so I decided to give it a chance. I was pretty surprised by actually how good it is.
The thing I usually don't like in young adult books are the immature characters and tones of teen drama. But this is not a case in Vampire Academy. Rose, Lissa, Dimitri and Christian are quite interesting characters and mature enough not to drive me mad despite the whole romance parts. And there is less drama that I expected.
I also enjoyed the world created by the author. It's unique and refreshing. And the plot is interesting and well-developed.
I'm thinking about raising my note up to 4 stars. And I will definitely go with the second book in this series.
I liked vampire academy and the story line between each character. It grips you and draws you in to the plot.
Best book. My favourite even 12 years after I have kept reading Frostbite and Shadow Kissed over and over again.
About the Author:
Richelle Mead is the author of the international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series, the Bloodlines series, the Glittering Court series, and the Age of X series. Her love of fantasy and science fiction began at an early age when her…
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