Vampire Month is finally upon us!
To kick the month off with a bang we’re taking a look at Vampire Academy, a vampire novel from a pre-Twilight world. It’s hard to believe that world ever existed.
In Vampire Academy Rose and Lissa must survive not only the ridiculous politics of their high school, but figure out who it is who is threatening Lissa before it is too late. Rose and Lissa are complimentary to one another. Lissa is the reserved, smart thoughtful one while Rose tends to take the initiative and act before she thinks. Their friendship is the heart of this story. Their chemistry feels natural and never forced. The novel shines when the two of them are interacting.
The major issue with this novel is it’s Freudian love hate with female sexuality. Rose bounces between being empowered and comfortable with herself, only to be shamed for her interest in boys. Her relationship with Dmitri is the prime example of this. As her trainer, and a co-guardian to Lissa their is no hope for a future together. But whenever Rose shows interest in another guy he shames her. The saving grace is this is the first novel in a series. There is a possibility that this will be analyzed and dealt with in the future.
Despite its short comings and uncomfortable message, Vampire Academy is extremely entertaining. Mead manages to balance her over-arching plot, the girl politics and the school problems leaving never a dull moment. Vampire Academy is a quick read and sometimes it is fun to turn your brain off and enjoy some high school level nostalgia. That is as long as you remember that that is exactly what it is.
