Review Detail

Vampire Academy was surprisingly entertaining. I went into it not knowing what to expect, other than the fact that a well-respected reader-friend-teen of mine really loves it, and I ended up reading it very quickly and really liking the whole thing.

What I liked the most: Rose as a real, likable girl. Rose Hathaway is one of the best protagonists I've ever met. She carries the book on her stubborn shoulders, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Rose is complex, nuanced, and changes appropriately over the course of the story. She reacts in ways that are consistent to her character, her feelings for Lissa never waver, while her feelings towards other characters shift and develop as her relationship with them changes. Rose is funny, endearing, and strong. She is the reason I want to keep reading Vampire Academy books.

What I liked the least: The action scenes near the end of the book. The fight between Rose and the other Guardians and the creepy spirit wolf things was a little bland, not very tense, and left me kind of confused afterwards. The story really isn't action-packed, so I can see how the biggest fight scene in the book wouldn't be very strong, and it wasn't that bad, but I'm hoping the rest of the books develop the action scenes better.

Overall I really enjoyed the first book in the Vampire Academy series and would highly recommend it to readers looking for a fun, dramatic paranormal story.