Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill (November 25, 2009)
Source: My Choice; Library

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead is the first in the Vampire Academy series.

From GoodReads:

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 avoiding the Vampire Academy books for quite awhile. They came out around the time of the vampire craze, and I'm just not crazy about vampires. Sure, I like them, I've read books about them, I don't boycott them...but I don't pick up every vampire book I see either. Maybe it's they way the books were displayed or the title Vampire Academy but I always imagined these books were the epitome of the vampire hype. I assumed they'd be some dramatized version of high school with hot vampires walking around ready to suck the next thing in sight. The vampires would be sexy, not dangerous. The main character would be some weak human who constantly needed to be saved.

Boy was I wrong.

These books are awesome. The main character is a dhampir (human and vampire hybrid) whose job it is to protect Moroi vampires. That's right. The half human chick protects the fully vamped Moroi. Sure, the vampires are hot, but the dhampirs can be hot too. *Ahem, Dimitri.* Let's not forget the Strigoi either. Those creepy vamps are definitely not hot and are supremely deadly.

The main character is refreshing. Rose has spunk. She's sexy and she knows it. She can kick butt and isn't afraid to do so (regardless of how much trouble she'd get in). And she's got this carefree attitude that I love. When I read about Rose, I feel sexier, stronger, and more free. Now that's a sign of an awesome character.

Despite the fact that Rose can easily be seen as a bi....witch to outsiders, she also has amazing depth. Her character is as strong as her punch. Even if I can't relate to her on many physical levels, I can relate to her thoughts. She truly cares for those around her and I respect her for the length she goes to help others.

Oh, and did I mention Dimitri? Let's just say, he's worth reading about. :D

If you've been avoiding this book as just another vampire novel, I urge you to give it another look. I'm glad I did.

Overall rating:  Buy it or borrow it. It's worth the read.