Book Review: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

BOOK 2 of the Vampire Academy Series

READ THIS REVIEW AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Title: Frostbite

Author: Richelle Mead

Synopsis: Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose... It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians--including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks....This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

Review:

a.) Characters: 3/5 score.  Same characters from before, plus some.  The new characters are easy to follow, and the old characters have returned with the same spunk.  However, something was missing.  The characters felt ‘safe’ and ‘easy’, and there was no real achievements mad until the end.  And even then, it was all Rose’s.  

b.) Plot: 4/5 score.  While the suspense was edgy, it was also slow and drawn out all the way up until the end.  I feel like the first half of the book was longer than it needed to be.  Not that I didn’t enjoy reading it (I did), just that the focal point was a little wide in this plot than the last one.  But the ending was what made it a 4 instead of a 3.  

c.) Writing style: 3/5 score.  Same writing style, but there were times I lost myself in certain descriptions that were unnecessarily lengthy.  Some of that could have been used elsewhere.  I still enjoyed the snark and sass that made Rose.  

Rating: 10/15 total

Favorite quote: “Do you know your birthday?” [Dr. Olendzki]
“Of course I do. What are you asking me such stupid things? Did you lose my records?”(Yep, Rose is still snarky in this one.)

Book Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Title: Vampire Academy

Author: Richelle Mead

Synopsis: 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...

Review:



a.) Characters: 4/5 score.  Rose is a powerful character, snarky and sarcastic, and a major flirt (which I enjoyed).  Lissa wasn’t the perfect princess, and her depression made the story real.  Even the side characters were believable and aided in the storyline, though they were not as strong.  I am amazed at how, even now, their story rages in me, and I have concern for these characters for what the future holds.

b.) Plot: 5/5 score.  The plot was actually slow and even-paced in the beginning, with enough subtle hints to keep you interested but not jumping into anything crazy right away.  Lots of teen drama, but it’s real teen drama.  Then the end, wow- you just have to read it to really see what I mean.  These teens are put into adult situations, startling and shocking.  It was amazing how much I clung to each action, each decision.  

c.) Writing style: 4/5 score.  The writing style didn’t bother me for a YA book, which is what I am finding to be with other books.  I don’t know if it is because some authors feel the need to “simplify” it for their audiences or not, but Mead doesn’t do that at all.  I like that it reflected a lot of what Rose felt and thought during the progression of the story.  I was clever for Mead to have Rose “slip inside” Lissa’s head through their bond and create small 3rd person parts of the story.  

Rating: 13/15 total

Favorite Line:  “Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face.  If you’re going to think about me naked, do it on your own time.”- Rose Hathaway.  I really lost it when I read that line- a true laugh-out-loud moment.  I loved Rose's character because of this dry humor she had.  Lissa was equal as real with her problems, and as the book progresses, you can see they are above their maturity for the age.