Loren, our newest member talks all things new adult and adult!
Mystery, Danger, and Seduction…I’m talking VAMPIRES—more specifically, Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. I absolutely love vampires—I don’t know what it is about them but I am instantly drawn to them. Actually, scratch that, I do know why I love them so much: THEY ARE DANGEROUSLY GORGEOUS CREATURES. But as much as I love vampires, this series is one that should be met with precaution.
Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir whose whole life purpose is to protect the Moroi, the race of vampire, from the Strigoi, the evil undead (they are basically the stereotypical type vampire that most grew up with), but to Rose the most important job on earth is protecting her best friend and Moroi Princess, Lissa Dragomir.
Sounds innocent enough, right? Well, I am afraid I may burst your bubble.
Here is the problem with the series—and it probably the one and only problem with the entirety of the series: vulgar language and explicit content; they’re on the border lines of YA and NA because of the content that is within the bindings.
The first three books do not exploit the sexual content as much as the last three, but it is there and it is somewhat steamy—it isn’t Fifty Shades of Grey steamy, but for YA it is (that seems a little redundant).
Don’t get me wrong, these are terrific aspects that enrich any story but I think there is a fine line between sexual content and sexual exploitation within a YA book. When we are first introduced to Rose she is getting hot and heavy with some gorgeous Moroi.
As the story progresses, and a sudden and fierce attraction blazes between Rose and her twenty-something trainer/instructor Dimitri Belikov gets even hotter and heavier. Things only pick up over the course of the books and especially when Adrian Ivashkov comes into play (and I can’t say I blame her with either of these guys because they are GORGEOUS!). The sex only progresses in content with the books and the books only get better. I have to honestly say that without the sexual content and Rose’s language only adds to the story line and I don’t know that the spunk and feisty attitude of Rose could happen without it.
The main thing beside the sexual content is the way that Rose describes the state of bliss she feels when she is occasionally fed on; for Rose being fed on and sex are one in the same thing and they only intensify when added together. It’s a great sensation and the way that Richelle Mead writes the scenes is phenomenal because she really pulls you into to what Rose: feeling everything she feels, thinking everything she thinks.
But for me—and this is just a personal opinion—I don’t think that thirteen year-old girls or boys should be reading these books. I understand that we can’t shelter out kids forever, but what is wrong with keeping them young and innocent for just a little longer?
For me, I would let my daughter, son, whoever read them at fifteen, by that age they are more mature and they understand more about anatomy then they did at thirteen.
They are great reads—just be careful of its content and the eyes that are reading it.
Theme Songs:
“Bittersweet” by Ellie Goulding feat. Skrillex;
“Closer” by Anberlin
Such A Novel Idea 
My thinking is – a thirteen year old should not really be reading books about 17 year olds. I would classify VA series as mature YA since it is high school, but the end of high school for these characters. Toward the end of the series they graduate and move into their roles as adults, so YA/NA is a good classification.
I agree but some may say “My thirteen year-old read Harry Potter and Twilight,” which is great but they both don’t deal with the content that VA does…well, maybe Breaking Dawn but that’s-in my opinion-tame compared to the maturity level in the VA series. It’s like you said, VA is a very mature YA and needs to be met with caution for little eyes.