Vampire Academy

Richelle Mead

332 pages

Razorbill, August 2007

eBook

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.

When vampires story (I mean, Twilight movie) was booming, I became hunger for more and more bloods and fang. Then I heard about Vampire Academy. I literally just hear about it and that is all. I did not make effort to read it or even search the books. It started to catch my attention again when I watched the teaser trailer for the film adaptation last year. Still, I was not searching for the books or every little thing about the story. I wanted to watch the film without expectation. But once I watched it last month, I expected something ‘wow’ from the book. Did I disappoint or not?

“If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you.”

Once again, did I disappoint or not? I did. I think I just love the movie so much.

Even though, Vampire Academy’s stories in both movie and book have not big differences, I did disappoint. I mean, the story was good but not as funny as the movie. I surprised to found the setting explanation is less but I still get it the perfect picture of the academy building. Oh, wait, I watched the movie. But deeply in my mind (and especially, in my heart) I expected more explanation of relationship of Rosa and Dimitri, then Dimitri and also Dimitri. That guy, Danila Kozlovsky, made me experience movie-hangover (Dhyn, there is not such a thing). I hope I also feel book-hangover like when I watched and read Twilight long time ago. But sadly, it is not so much. I think it is because I just read the first book. Their relationship must be mention more in the rest of the series then. Okay, I am gonna read them to cure my ‘hunger’. Aside my personal disappointed, the book did give me something more than the movie. It helps me to understand several odd things that I found in the movie. I finally understand the complicated relationship between Moroi-Dhampir-Stigoi, why it is taboo for Moroi to drink Dhampir’s blood, why there is no chance to Rosa dan Dimitri relationship and why Zoey Deutch’s chest dominated the screen. Thank you very much!

At last, Vampire Academy is just not another story of sparkling vampires or love triangle (yet?). It is complicated, it is full of blood and fang and I am so thankful for that. I am very looking forward to read the second book, Frostbite and hopefully watch it on screen in next two or three years? Hope for the best hehehe :D