Common Sense Media Review
By Julie A. Carlson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sexy, mean-girl vampire story has strong language, bullying.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 29 kid reviews
Kids say the book features a strong female protagonist and explores themes of friendship, but it also contains mature content such as violence, swearing, and sexual situations that may not be suitable for younger readers. While many enjoy the story and its depth, some believe it pales in comparison to other vampire narratives, indicating mixed opinions about its overall execution and appeal.
- strong female character
- mature content
- themes of friendship
- mixed reviews
- comparison to other works
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Rose and Lissa are on the run for some mysterious reason. Readers soon find out why when Rose, a dhamphir (guardian to the Moroi vampires) and Lissa, a Moroi vampire princess, must return to St. Vladimir's Academy. At school they discover more mysterious and secrets within St. Vladimir's walls. Rose and Lissa encounter something else at the academy, too: forbidden romance.
Is It Any Good?
VAMPIRE ACADEMY imagines a different kind of vampire, but the story is pretty much Mean Girls meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Rose thinks she has a sarcastic wit but it comes off more nasty than funny. She's extremely vain about her looks and thinks about boys 24/7. Her only redeeming quality is that she truly cares for her best friend, Lissa, and wants to protect her at any cost. Yet, her "I'm better than you" attitude's hard to get past. Granted Rose has some kick-butt fighting skills, but there are plenty of terrific heroines in other YA books. Vampire Academy seems more about high school life with vampires and a mystery thrown in the mix -- not much to sink your teeth into.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether you plan to see the movie version of Vampire Academy. Why do you think the filmmakers chose to give it a more comedic tone than the novel?
Did you figure out the mystery of the novel -- why Rose and Lissa ran away from St. Vladimir's? What makes a good mystery?
What are your thoughts on Rose's sarcastic attitude toward everyone?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Arts , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Razorbill
- Publication date : August 16, 2007
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : December 4, 2025
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