~ Book Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead ~

Author:  Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: August 16, 2007

Pages: 332
Format: Paperback

Source: Bought

Genre: YA/PAranormal

 Order Here: AMAZON / B&N

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...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Finally, after months of my friends begging me to read The Vampire Academy, I decided why the hell not.  Well, I am kicking myself in the butt right now, because I should have read it a long time ago.  The good thing is that now the whole series is out and I can read them all without having to wait a year in between.  I LOVED Vampire Academy! It was just awesomesauce from the very beginning.  Plus, I ended up with a new book boyfriend by the end of the book.  Yes, my friends, Dimitri is my new book boyfriend – can you say HOT! So now I have the whole series I can read and a movie coming out in February 2014!

 In the first chapter of the book you find out that Lissa and Rose are on the run.  You aren't sure why, but going back to St. Vladimir Academy, isn't an option, that is until they are confronted by this hot, sexy, Guardian-God, Dimitri.  Unfortunately, they are out-numbered and are taken back.  Yeah, so much for being captured not being an option, right?  You don’t really find out why they left until further into the story, which totally adds to the twists that Michelle Mead created for us.

Let me just say I am absolutely in love with Richelle's writing.  I found myself wanting to read more and more and didn’t want to put the books down until I was finished – which we all know it's hard to do when we have a life besides reading awesome kick-ass books! I absolutely love the characters, Rose being my favorite.  I love me some feisty, sarcastic, I-don’t-give-a-crap-what-you-think-of-me heroines!  Lissa on the other hand, sort of annoyed me.  Yeah I understand she's supposed to be a princess and delicate and well mannered, blah, blah, blah, but seriously? I wanted to snap my finger at her and tell her to snap out of it.  Now let's talk about Dimitri.  Am I the only one that felt like there needed to be more scenes with him in it? Yes, my new book boyfriend is seriously hot.  High-five Richelle for creating such an awesome character.  To be honest, every character in the story is perfect.  Even though some really annoyed me or pissed me off, they gave the story every element it needed to be a great book.  I cannot wait to dive into Frostbite! So stay tuned my friends, because I don’t think I can contain myself from hearing more about Rose, Lissa and Demitri.