Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead = LOVE LOVE LOVE.  

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. (GoodReads)

So I actually dont know what the unspeakable nighttime rituals are... maybe I missed that? Nonetheless, I loved this!  I go through phases, Nook-lover, Nook-ignorer.  Currently there is no wait list to download these books from the library, so I took a chance and I am not looking back.

• Originality: 7.  I like the good/bad vamp spin to this book, as well as the addition of kick ass-ness and magic.  And as always, nothing like a good private school setting to get teenage angst going.  
• Absurdity: 5.  This is a book about vampires in high school who have magic powers.  Get over that absurdity, and the rest of it is pretty normal: crushes, dances, classes on how to kill vampires.   
• Paranormal Romance: 6/10. Ok, I give most of this a 6- there is some heavy petting high school style and some great insults to girls that let vamp boys drink their blood, but then POW 10!!!  Lust Spell. The hotter older mentor wins over insta-love any day.  When I was a highschooler, man did I love my college age sailing instructors.....Dimitri is A+ in my book.  O yea and Rose? She is a bombshell and she knows it.
• Level of Harry Potterness: 7.  Characters, actual introspection, challenges, plot twists!  I loved it.  Grad Student knows- last night I called her to ask her how her day was, and actually all I did was talk about this book and how I was having trouble downloading the next ones...oops.

And the best part? There are so many books in the series to come. Nothing better then the knowledge that you liked a book, and you can dive right into the next, and the next.  GS and GM- go get these books, then lets Google Hang out and drink wine ( it doesn't count as drinking alone if we are in person via the internet) and lets talk about these.