Review: The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

 

Title: Vampire Academy
Series: Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher/Publication Date: Penguin Group-Aug. 16, 2007
Source: bought, paperback, 332 pages


Goodreads Summary:
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




My Feelings:


I picked up Vampire Academy way back in February not really sure if I was going to like it or not.  It sounded like a really great story but I wasn't sure if I wanted to get sucked into another series about vampires and schools.  
I am so glad I gave this book a chance because I really enjoyed it!
This story is much more than your typical vampire romance.  There is strong emotions going on here and situations that, even though vampires are dealing with, many young adults go through even in real life.  
Lissa and Rose are too pretty amazing BFFs.  At first I thought it was going to be Lissa being childish and Rose always having to put up with her but again, I was wrong.  
Rose is tough but she is gentle with Lissa who is almost more than her best friend, like a sister.  Rose stops at nothing to ensure Lissa's safety, sometimes overlooking her feelings in the process, but definitely embodying what a true Guardian should be.  
Lissa is adorable.  She is such a sweet and angelic vampire.  That sounds like a contradiction doesn't it?  But Lissa does find her toughness and is able to pull through some pretty messed up situations.  
I love how Mead is able to show us the absolute love they feel for each other.  Everyone hopes for that best friend that can feel your emotions and with Rose and Lissa it is there.  
The plot is intriguing too.  I like how you have Mori- living vampires,  Strigoi- the undead vampires, and Dhampirs-half human, half vampire guardians.  
I love how Mead takes on these perspectives and weaves it in to create a unique story line.  
This is a Young Adult paranormal romance but it is a dark one.  There is cursing in it, sexual situations, and even some of the violence is harsh.  But I feel like Mead wrote the story this way because it is harsh out there.  Teens do curse and they do go through bullying in school and life.  
Some of the problems that Lissa is dealing with I was able to connect with on a personal level, even though this is book about vampires.  I feel like it is much more than that too.  
Usually the author will write the vampire being much stronger than the human, but in this story the roles are reversed(for the Mori) and there is a symbiotic relationship between the humans and the vampires, physically and psychologically.  
There were parts, though, that would get confusing when Rose would remember scenes from the past or get sucked into Lissa's mind.  It would have been nice to have more of a warning when Rose would just drift off into the past.  
I would have liked to see more of the Strigoi presence in this book but I guess Mead will give us more of them in the next books... I hope.  
As I type I am itching to pick up the second book in the series right now... I cannot wait to see more of Dmitri in future.  


I gave Vampire Academy four hearts.  








Would you like to pick up a copy of Vampire Academy?  


Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My Final Update on Once Upon a Read-a-thon: The Wrap -Up

I had a ton of fun taking part in this Challenge!!!  I want to thank Reading Angel,  Lori at Pure Imagination and Candace at Candace's Book Blog for putting together such a wonderful fun event!


I had a goal of four books and I am pretty proud of getting what I did get done.  (I also have four boys so I am pretty proud indeed for the time I could spend on reading :) )




I finished:

I didn't finish:

I actually got half way through it though- like 52% (Kindle)  

I also had a great time doing all the mini challenges and thank you again for letting me be a part of it all!

Here is the link to the post where I have all the mini challenges listed I took part in.

http://readtomyhearts.blogspot.com/2012/07/updates-on-once-upon-read-thon-and-mini.html

I had so much fun!

Updates on Once Upon A Read -a-Thon and Mini Challenges- Day 3

UPDATES: Day 3 around noon



I loved The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead!!!  That was such a great book, I started it last night around midnight and I couldn't put it down.  I finished it about 3:30 pm today and was in complete "Wow!" the whole time!

I am also on page 94 (Chapter Eight) in Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis.  I will probably be finishing it before I fall asleep tonight. I finished this book July 10 around 2 AM.  It was so so but I will put up a review in the later days.
I have now started Valknut: The Binding.  It is on Kindle and I am around 46 % done so far.  It is pretty good.  It has a lot to do with the Norse mythology set in a modern time.
July 11 around 1 AM- I finished Valknut: The Binding
I am just on Chapter four of The Gaia Wars, so I am not sure if I will finish this book before the deadline but I will be posting quick reviews of these books later.  
So now I am ready to work on the Mini Challenges too!  I am going to try to do all the challenges but I might not be able to.

I will just keep updating this post as I finish each book!  I am just so happy to be participating in this challenge.  It is really fun and everyone that has commented on my post has been just really wonderful!

Mini-Challenges:














We have to answer four questions all about characters.
These were fun questions.  I am not going to post the answers on here but I will put the questions up.

1.  In a Want So Wicked what is Elise's sisters name?


2.In The Fault In Our Stars, who did Hazel and Augusts go to meet in Amsterdam?


3. In Pushing The Limits, what was the name of Echo's step-mother?


4.In Twilight, Bella falls in love with who?


Thank you Loretta for such a great mini challenge and I am looking forward to finding out who wins those awesome prizes!






Bailey at Ibbookblogging has a two questions about covers:

1.What is your favorite cover that has been revealed this summer and why?

I have gotten tired of the series but I have always been in love with the covers.  Does that make sense?  It does to me lol.

I love the design of the tattoos especially in blue and the moon casting a shadow against the land.  

It is very eerie and yet hauntingly beautiful.

2. Do you rely on the cover to help you choose whether you want to read a book or not?

   That is a tough one.   Covers aren't the only thing I consider when picking out a book.  It could have the most beautiful cover in the world and be the most boring book, so if the blurb doesn't sound interesting to me...then it is a no go.  

With that being said, I have turned down books if the covers look bleh.  But like I said the blurb has to grab me too.  That is one reason I like having my Kindle.  I have read books that covers may not have been at the top of my list (in fact I have read books without even looking at the cover) but have been a very grabbing story.  

Mini Challenges Day 2

1.  Here is the mini challenge at Stiletto Storytime:

Below in the comments simply share a foreign author whose work you adore. I personally am from the United States but we may have readers from all over so just make sure the author you share is from a country other than your own. Tell us why you like them. Are there any books by them in particular that you would recommend? How did you come across their work? The whole point is to share and allow us all to discover a new author that we might otherwise never have been exposed to..to literally open up a whole new world of books for one another.

The foreign author I would pick is Julie Harris.  She is from Australia and has many books that are very entertaining.  The one that has really reached out and touched me was No Exit.    It is about a young woman who  has seen the future and it involves the president of The United States dying.  She must work with a team of Navy Seals to try to keep this from happening.  

This book is very emotional and full of suspense and love.    I love the strong male character in this story especially because he is a Native American and also has a little special to him as well.  

This is my favorite book by Mrs. Harris but I have also read one of her other books, A Tear of Blood, a vampire novel in a very different way.  

I found Mrs. Harris' books on Amazon and took a chance.  I am really glad I did.  I believe there is some really great writers in Australia and Julie Harris is definitely one of them.

2. The second mini challenge is hosted at Kindle Fever and here it is:

Once upon a time there was a bookish fight…

As the story teller, I now want you to tell me which two characters are fighting and WHY! If you want to, you’re also more than welcome to guess the outcome. ;)

Alright so Edward was walking in the woods one evening dreaming about all that was right in the world and then out jumped the biggest man he had ever seen.  This guy was huge!  He had a bald head with a goatee and this strange light coming out of his hand.  

"Yo.  I am sick and tired of you going around sparkling all the time, kid.  Now what I gotta do to cut down on all this glitter?"

Edward just scanned this huge vampire like he was out of his mind. " She is mine! No one touches Bella!" 

"Dude??? Who's Bella?  Does she sparkle too?  Look, I just think us vamps need to keep up appearances alright? So can you tone it down some?  Maybe you could put some blinders on it or something."  Then this vampire named V, turned to go back into the darkness, happy with setting the teen heartthrob straight.  

Edward stopped in his tracks.  Then he grinned real big, " Your hand looks like a disco ball.."

V turned around and just stared at the smart mouth in shock!  "What did you just say to me?"

Edward, on a roll, couldn't stop now, "Yep and I might sparkle but Bella loves glitter. Who wants to be blinded by that neon light you got there?"  

V stepped up real close to Edward, nose to nose, staring this dude down.  Right as V was getting ready to send this kid into the next timezone there was a loud growling coming from the bushes.  Both vampires turned just as the a huge wolf bounded up to both of them.  

All three stood there staring each other down for what seemed like an eternity when all of a sudden the wolf started to lift his leg......

"Jacob!! Wake up!! Dude, quit growling in your sleep, will ya?"  

"All man, that was the best dream I have ever had!!!"

Mini-Challenges-Day 3

1.  Christy @ The Reader Bee has a pretty cool mini challenge up for today:
Her question is: 
What is your most anticipated book of 2012?


You know that is kind of a hard question because I am looking forward to reading A LOT of books that have come out this year.  So I am going to show you what I have been craving to read ever since it came out....

and I am going to show you what I was super excited to read and happy with it completely too!

2.  Magnet 4 Books is hosting another mini challenge where you have to match up fictional best friends.  I know a few but there are some I don't know so I guess I am going to have to pull from my super assuming skills (yea I know about what happens when you assume...)

Head over there and see my guesses under the comments section.  

I have enjoyed taking part in this Read A Thon very much!!  I am going to do my best to finish The Gaia Wars today and hopefully post a last minute update before time is up.  

Good luck everyone!

My goals for Once Upon A Readathon challenge

Wow!  I am like super giddy right now with everything I have planned this week!  I am so stoked to be able to take part in this challenge and I can't wait to get started on it!  
Since this is my first "Read a Thon"  I am going to take it a little slow.  
My goal is four books for this week.  
I told my sons about this challenge and they were telling me, " Mom, you could do like 20 books in that time period."  Unfortunately they thought I was talking about the small books that we read each night before bedtime.  But it is nice to have such admiration from them!
So here is my books for my goal:
Update: I just finished The Vampire Academy.
The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead(I had bought this series back in February but still haven't got to it yet.  I think I might be the only person who hasn't read this series yet lol )
The Gaia Wars (Gaia Wars # 1) by Kenneth G. BennettI have also had this book since January and I have promised to read this out loud to my sons but keep putting it off.  Not anymore!!
Never Cry Werewolf by Heather DavisI have already started this one but I am only a few chapters in it.  
Valknut: The Binding by Marie Loughin This is another one that I have been meaning to start but just haven't got around to it.  I put it up as currently reading but I haven't actually started it...yet. 
So that is it for my goals!  I hope I can accomplish them but I know one thing: I will definitely have fun doing it!