Book Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)
Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill(UK)

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. 

I've been hearing amazing things about this series as a whole, but I managed to ignore it. You see, I am over vampire book after the "Twilight Craze" with a few exception. In the end though, I failed and gave in. I picked this book up. I had to know why everyone was raving about it, why everyone kept telling me "READ IT, THIS IS DIFFERENT." 
Also, the ratings on Goodreads quite tempt you to read this book. They're extremely HIGH! I happen to be one of those people to check reviews before checking out/buying a book.

So, what did I think of Vampire Academy? 

Well, before I fully go into reviewing this one, I have to say that I was hooked reading this book.

Positive aspects of Vampire Academy:

1-Writing style: Well let me say this, I instantly fell in love with Richelle Mead's writing style. It has a mix of everything bundled up in its own unique style: humor, sexiness, drama...

2-The world-building: Everybody just stand up already and start cheering, clapping, and applauding for Mead. This book is indeed different than any other vampire novel in the world-building aspect. Yes, you do see the classical vampire elements, but the Moroi, Dhampir, and Strigoi are just really mind-blowing stuff to come up with. 

3-Characters: Well, one thing really amused me about the characters, especially the main character:

Rose: Although she proved to us she's a slut the whole way (which is not a good thing), I actually really liked her! That's weird, I know, but again, all credit goes to Mead for creating awesome characters.

Lissa: Lissa's Rose's best friend. I think her character was really well written, as we could see all sides of her. The happy side, the dark side, the creepy side.

Dimitri: Rose's love interest. Who wouldn't have guessed, eh? Well, he's a great character as well. I like how he's Russian and comes from a different background.

Christian: Hands down, Christian is my favorite character. Why? Well, certainly because of his weirdness. His family was a Strigoi. He is different than other people. Misunderstood. Seriously. Awesome. 

4-The story: Well, even though this book/series is called Vampire Academy, it certainly doesn't focus on vampires. There are many other things going on. Killing. Drama. Everything. Again, Richelle Mead has crafted an extremely well-written story that will keep readers hungry for more.

Negative aspects of Vampire Academy:

While I did really like Rose, I sometimes felt like I wanted to slap her and punch her. I mean, she was too free. She always wanted to sleep with guys. She proved to be a slut. I said I liked her earlier, but I liked her for her courage, for her care. I seriously couldn't understand how a someone could be this free about sexual stuff. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I definitely want to read the next five in this series.