i read vampire academy so you don't have to 🧛 another booktok revival recommendation that...well...

[@vinm7420]

i mean this in the nicest way possible: your misery is my greatest form of entertainment

[@caricanread]

hahahhah happy to please :')

[@thequierra]

LOL same

[@sacredpaw]

😂😂 So true.

[@erussoart]

Honestly! I love when people review “bad” media.

[@bookoffholicbookwart5945]

🤣

[@Sarah-ss6fr]

The way you are so calm about Dimitri turning into a strigoi when at the times it was the biggest tragedy that ever happened to me 😭💀

[@caricanread]

😂💀😂💀😂💀

[@kkmmrew]

Too this day, the biggest cliffhanger my heart has ever been through. 14 year old me was not emotionally prepared 😆

[@blondiiejx]

This part destroyed me😂 I criedddddd. So funny watching this

[@RoseSparkz]

This part of the series sent me into a Bella-newmoon-depression when I was 14

[@lexilindsey170]

LOL I cried in my bed at 1 am because of this when I was 13 🤣

[@kaliladevitt5167]

Apparently, my 14-year-old brain blocked out the age difference because I loved these books and completely missed Dimitri being a whole grown-ass adult. In my mind, he was like... 19

[@caricanread]

The amount of times the author is like “that seven year age gap tho…” 😂😂😂

[@thetiniestninja2624]

Same 😂

[@KylaMichelleC]

okay me too

[@marielaberge8236]

Yeah, I did too.

[@jamesisaacson6379]

@caricanread question have you read Ann Rice vampire chronicles series?

[@AnixielLu]

I remember watching a movie about this and being like “wow this would have been so much better if the main girls were in love with eachother instead”

[@rosykindbunny1313]

That's honestly how I thought it was gonna go when I first started

[@burnerburner-rk5nv]

I had never read this series so when i clicked on this video and she started describing the main girls in the beginning and the only other context i had was 'bodyguard falls for person they are protecting' i was like *delighted* are they gay??? but no ofc i should've known that YA books from the 2010s would have AT BEST a sorta gay side character. never the main characters. sigh.

[@zionhalder1017]

That was the reason I had watched that movie when I was like 13 and was sooo dissapointed for many reasons lol

[@E_Does_YT]

Right?? They literally have a SOUL BOND

[@thurielangel3239]

My exact thoughts when I first learned about the series

[@MinAgust]

The movie adaptation was simultaneously the most horrendous thing I ever bore witness to, as well as the most camp 😔✋

[@caricanread]

i want to watch it now that i know anya taylor joy is in it!

[@tashamckinney4158]

Yes!

[@cotevallejos7230]

@@caricanreadwhat?? 😮 Did it watched the same movie?? I thought it was Zoey Deutsch and Dominic Sherwood the actors 😱 maybe I saw something different

[@kaninramone6365]

​@@cotevallejos7230she's in it but not the main character. She's listed as "feeder girl" in creddits

[@m72ar]

​@@cotevallejos7230yes, the movie has Zoey Deutch as Rose and Dominic Sherwood as Adrian

[@niruktakrishnan5855]

omg the absolute chokehold that dimitri and rose's relationship had on 14 year old me is absolutely insane and the fact that i saw no problem with this obviously wrong relationship shows the kind of impact the depictions of these relationships have on the target audience. but to this day it is one of the most ridiculously entertaining series i read as a young teen and i am thoroughly enjoying cari's reaction to this 😂

[@-miaumiau]

RIGHT??? It weirds me out that an adult had the power to idk not put a 17 and a 24 year old together and just… didn’t makes my head hurt 😭

[@e_guy7931]

These books stopped my middle school frenemy and I from feuding because we were the only people we knew who read them all and had to discuss

[@caricanread]

lmfao hahahhaha

[@e_guy7931]

@@caricanread a prime example of how "x should have done y" "omg right??" can bring about peace lol

[@gabi4247]

This book series is my ride or die, honestly haha! I read it for the first time in high school and definitely connected with Rose, as a shitty, horny teenager myself. I feel like it really shines not as romance or fantasy, but as Young Adult. I loved Rose and Lissa's friendship because I had friendships like that as a kid. The codependency, the uncertainty of whether your friend will be mad at you for taking their secrets to the adults who feel like they're against you, the gross play-by-plays (shown by Rose being in Lissa's mind) of your friends' first sexual experiences, and so on. I reread them during the pandemic and I hated it all lol.

[@caricanread]

a shitty horny teenager 😂😂😂

[@anonymousanonymous1161]

this is totally me, when I was 13 I was OBSESSED with the books, ive read most of them at least 5 times. its even what got me into fanfic, but I also tried to reread the during covid and it was terribly bad. but I will defend them to the death!

[@Isa-pc6il]

@caricanread yeah she sucks but I also think that if you take the worldbuilding into account you can see where her whole additude comes from. there's also a lot of character development later once she starts to leave the school and meets some of the other damphir communities who aren't raised as child soldiers lol. yes it is a product of its time and the pick me slut shamy protagonist is tired as hell, but i think as the author grew as a writer in later books she challenged roses world view a lot, or maybe that was me adding my wishful thinking into the characters idk. All I know is that the worldbuilding and magic systems were kind of perfect for teen drama bullshit which is kind of the purpose of the book, whether that's fun to read or not is up to the reader lol.

[@hollyhomey]

I loved the books back then. It was refreshing, rose is rough around the edges but not a plain a-hole imo. The romance is steamy. When Adrian comes in, I'm done for, totally love him. Glad he got his own book. Rereading them last year: first book, well yeah it's slow but I can appreciate the high school vibe. Book 2 and 3 I skipped whole paragraphs and ok I skipped book 4 the hunt for Dimitri...I mean, he comes back right 😂 ok I read some book 6.... Yeah I think it could definitely be brought back to one or two books. Not the best ones ever but... Back then, yup totally dug it.

[@nospoonfulofmayonnaiseforme]

I'm around Rose's age and I had the complete opposite experience. I just listened to the first book recently. I hated Rose. She's so bitchy, cruel and immature. And her relationship with Dimitry grossed me out so much. He is WAY too old for her and they are both too irresponsible to be in a relationship with each other.

[@tanisha5709]

OH NO. NOT VAMPIRE ACADEMY. i’m not ready to revisit my absolutely unhinged crush on dimitri. fun fact: there’s a perfume gifted to rose in one of these books that i bought as a teenager bc i have no chill, and it smelled like straight grandma. so now whenever i think about these books i just imagine her smelling like that the whole time as all these boys drool over her 😂

[@caricanread]

omg noooooo hahhaaa

[@pretentioussunshine]

This comment is such a great addition to this video and the experience of this book as a whole Thank you!

[@myweakness1883]

Hahah what 😂 I probably would have bought it myself if I'd known it back then xD I only remember getting a Twilight perfume when I was 13, but it was actually good - I got lots of compliments whenever I wore it 🤣

[@danika_lu]

I could never get over Rose returning all those perfumes to Adrian Ivashkov. And the fact she chose that granny like, super heavy too sweet too bulgarian rose scent 🤣

[@CupcakesNrazerblades]

Lmao 😂

[@yinandyangmix]

It's funny seeing this series and other older series (Six of Crows, Vampire Academy, Throne of Glass, Shatter Me, etc.) being referred to as Booktok books because these have always been Booktube books to me, despite their resurgence on tiktok. They were popular 8+ years ago when they came out, and they're simply still garnering attention these days. Just a fun observation!

[@kkmmrew]

Right!? Like I remember watching booktalks of all thess books while I was still in junior-senior high. there's not a lot that I can claim I "liked it before it was popular" but books I definitely can 🤣

[@sindrealight5182]

Is Six of Crows an older series now!??!? My god.

[@rx500android]

Exactly haha

[@corau.3454]

@@sindrealight5182six of crows was published in 2015, so yes its been 8 years lol

[@XanderPGK]

​@sindrealight5182 I remember getting both books when I was 11 and kept forgetting to read them. So, it's only been recently (last year) that I finally read the duology through. Now I have no one to talk to about it. They were so good XD

[@micchikins4626]

Any time there's a book series I know I'm not going to like but I still want to know what happens in it, I can always count on Cari to come through.

[@caricanread]

Lmao I got you!

[@holo6933]

I don’t care what anyone says. I love Adrian and I love that these books introduced him. His spin off series feel surprisingly down to earth and I loved it so much.

[@Tattedgoddess747]

I love the spin off series!! I have listened to the audiobooks multiple times!

[@catpoke9557]

@@Tattedgoddess747 Dang, so these books actually produced a genuinely good spinoff? That's amazing

[@soup8900]

Yess Adrien is my favorite character in the series and his spin off was so sweet! I need to reread it lol

[@liztolley8488]

There were times were I was really rooting for Rose and him

[@rissacee1771]

Me too 🥹🥹🥹

[@tamaraman6478]

This series was my Twilight when I was a teenager. 😂 I loved the fact that most of the characters are from Eastern Europe - we rarely have a cool representation in the modern literature/TV shows as we are usually showed as mobsters, war criminals or refugees. That's why I was really obsessed back then. I don't know what my opinion would be now after 10+ years if I picked it up and read it again, but I can't wait to hear yours 🤗

[@caricanread]

but arent vampires traditionally eastern european? transylvanians giving you bombastic side eye rn

[@tamaraman6478]

​@@caricanreadYes (that's also where Richelle got the words moroi, strigoi and dhampir) but keep in mind this was the era of Twilight, later The Vampire Diaries etc. Nothing YA that was popular at the time when I was 13-16 actually had a lot to do with this part of the world. And after always reading/watching about negative stereotypes in the popular media about us, teenage me was delighted with VA.

[@dianam.60]

@@caricanread transilvanian here! the legends of the strigoi(basically vamps, but they are different) were present here but also in other parts of Romania and Eastern Europe. Also if it wasn't for Bram Stoker we probably wouldn't have been the ones to get the most vampire rep. Gotta love the guy:)

[@ananonebieridze1197]

THIS COMMENT! I love the Eastern European representation in these books.

[@hleebeg]

​@tamaraman6478 I was so annoyed that in vampire diaries the Salvatores didn't have Italian accents like they were supposed to 😑

[@makmakmakart]

Even if you didn't like Vampire Academy, it's sooo worth it getting through so you can read the spin-off with Sydney and Adrian! They still have my whole heart tbh :')

[@OfMiceAndDestiny]

I loved VA when I was in high school but when I started Blood Lines???? Definitely enjoyed it more than VA. I think the author's writing had a lot of growth between the two series.

[@KaiInMotion]

Always! Sydney and Adrian is the slow burn enemies to friends to lovers that feels so wholesome and iconic.

[@johannematheaangelsen1695]

Bloodlines is my fall comfort series to this DAY! I absolutely adoooore Sydney and Adrian😵

[@siyashah8227]

Yes bloodlines is one of my usual rereads just makes me happy

[@rissacee1771]

This comment makes me so happy ❤️

[@KylaMichelleC]

STOP- i love this series with my whole heart… immediately watching

[@caricanread]

omg no maybe dont hahaha

[@thethmooteresa]

sameeee this was my childhood🎉🎉🎉

[@kayliekat6158]

This is still one of my absolute favorite series 😂 still enjoyed this video

[@KylaMichelleC]

OH NO 😭😭 i’m like over halfway through i hate that u don’t love this series :( but that’s okay. DEFINITELY watch the movie (not the show) bc it’s so good. i haven’t seen the show

[@rozusperelko]

@@caricanread please read 4-6

[@Ita7986]

My high school best friend and I were huge fans of this book series. We used to have big debates on being team Dimitri or team Adrien... she's no longer with us..and the last conversation I had with her was about this book. Vampire academy is very bittersweet for me...I had to click this open.

[@sophiexavier]

as a newish viewer these videos have RAPIDLY become my favorite way to pass the time away at work, thank you for your sacrifice of sanity 💕

[@caricanread]

wahhh thank YOU 💕

[@pwetty4r4]

I am extremely protective of VA. This series was my childhood 🥺

[@lovetaty5125]

Same….😅

[@eduardadiniz9205]

OMG same. I loved these growing up. I don't care if they are bad, nostalgia wins

[@evomee92]

Honestly, I'm so protective of it, I've paused the video and I'm not sure if I wanna continue watching 😬 my heart can't take it, I'll probably go reread the series for the fifth time 😬😬😬

[@kaiaswrld]

me too lmaoo im rereading it again too plss

[@Ninetalesnails]

Me too! I'm over here cringing at her not liking it lmao I did also read it when I was in eighth grade so there's that haha I reread it almost yearly and I find it to still be good albeit problematic in certain areas

[@bunny_koo]

I paused my movie and came here to be like “eeeee!! Cari posted again” 😂🤍

[@caricanread]

bahahah :')

[@SashaS-s2z]

Age gap of 7 years would be serious in real life, but paranormal romance craze started with "17 for 100 years" Edward.

[@leaf111]

think buffy started the trend mostly. she was 16 with a 100+ year old vampire :s

[@mejalundstrom2855]

This book series and the spin-off are definitely my guilty pleasures. They are honestly not the best and I have reread them way too many times and still love them 😭

[@caricanread]

🙏🙏🙏

[@christinamansen8636]

Is it just me or is the spin of series much better than the first series???

[@Limonenmixgetraenk]

​@@christinamansen8636So much bettet!

[@Isa-pc6il]

@christinamansen8636 Thank you I actually love those

[@holo6933]

@@christinamansen8636yesssss, I feel like the spin off was more mature in a way and I loved the characters and their development

[@wiktoriaebis4176]

VA are lowkey the only books I reread. I listend to the audiobooks like 6 times 😭 The movie? Masterpiece in my mind.

[@sweetie868]

100% agree! This book series is one of my all time favorites and I have read it so many times! and I l enjoyed the movie 🙂

[@sweetie868]

and she calls these books boring so many times! ugh, they were so unboring to me! lol

[@pwetty4r4]

Soooo re-readable. I'm not even the type to re read a book, but VA is special

[@saraangel6696]

No, i loved vampire academy when i was like 14, please don’t tell me it’s bad. I remember it being so good 😂

[@caricanread]

Omg stop the video pls hahhahahha

[@magda.lena.0214]

Same i ate those books up 😂

[@saraangel6696]

@@magda.lena.0214 in all fairness, i read them when they came out and i was 14, so…. Of course i would have loved them, three books about nothing in high school but with vampires lol

[@violett5418]

I LOVED IT TOO HAHAH I was also literally 14 when i started the series.. ready for cari to destroy me

[@BoraLinda]

Omg, reading through all the comments and seeing everyone saying they still hold the series close to their hearts LAHAJAHSJAKK this is great 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 First read in it college actually, I was 17-18. LOVED IT. Didn’t find the relationship between Rose and Dimitri off putting, because HOT MAN, but rereading it now 5 years later 🧍‍♀️uh oh. But still, truly love it. This is great, truly great. FINALLY you’ve read it 😭

[@caricanread]

Idk why that standing girl emoji sent me but I snorted reading this hahahah

[@gztloji]

I remember loving this series when I was 13. I am a turkish woman and it was so interesting to see a turkish vampire. The representation I never know I needed also Adrian was one of my first crushes.

[@tunemaiden]

At this point Cari and her viewers have a trauma bond. Like- I feel like I’ve fought in WWIII with you, Cari. It’s fantastic.

[@brisiavillanueva5455]

STOP I haven’t even watched the video and I already know you’re going to roast the crap out of this series LOL and although it’s well deserved it still this holds such a special place in my little nostalgic middle school heart nooo😭❤️‍🩹

[@caricanread]

Middle school you deserved better hahha

[@Orkhevaliet]

I think I loved this book in highschool because it felt very realistic to how teenagers acted. Catty to each other, constantly talking about who was hot and who they'd bang. Yet so few actually did anything 😂 And who didnt want the hot teacher to have a crush on them back! Super juvenile but it really did hit all the beats and tropes. I can definitely see how it's not super vampirey, its weird that they act so humanlike and "cultured" despite looking down on humans lol. I wish they had made more quirks to the vampire daily life 😂

[@katherineeaster5799]

This is actually one of the few YA series I actually enjoy. I'm not a huge fan of Rose, but I like the plot. The spin off series is better, in my opinion. Sydney has way more interesting problems and her romance with Adrian made me like Adrian.

[@Azul2025_A]

❤❤❤❤amo a esos dos

[@adorkthatreads]

PLEASE READ BLOODLINES 😂 I got flashbacks to the Bloodlines books as soon as you mentioned Adrian! I really liked the ship of those books though (the MC is someone you meet in the last or second to last VA book). They had good chemistry. Adrian is the male lead of course.

[@shaelynmartin1996]

Actually you first meet Sydney in the fourth book of the VA series--Shadow Kiss.

[@michellecgb]

Your book summaries are like a hug to me tbh, so your suffering reading some of these leads to nothing but putting amazing vibes into the world.

[@myweakness1883]

This used to be my favorite series when I was a teen 😂 Mainly because Rose was the first sassy female character I met back then. In all of the books I read there was either a Bella Swan or a male protagonist 😂 Even back then I didn't ship her with Dimitri though 😅

[@swimminginhoney]

Yes!!! Exactly how I felt about Rose! Like she was actually flawed in an interesting way compared to all the other female protagonists whose main flaws were “you don’t know you’re pretty” “you’re too kind” lol

[@CAiTLiNx354]

oh boy i am so ready for this one! This was my series as a teen and I cannot image that it has aged well.

[@caricanread]

Omfg hahha

[@SariaSage]

literally, i adored this book series but i was 13 and didn't know what good writing was so hearing her trash on it was both not surprising and a little hurtful

[@maryiasiamenava1737]

I have read this series maybe 12 years ago in Russian (my native language) and recently I reread it again in English (it’s like reading this book in the first time, it’s always like that with rereading books in the other language ) and I was surprised how much I enjoyed this serie! I think this is one of the best books in this genre I have read. It’s a little bit cringe, but there is logic in the story. I believe how characters behave, they behave like teenagers!

[@christenbass380]

I loved Adrian sooo much😭😭😭🥹🥹and his spin off series with Sydney like 😭loved it

[@caricanread]

Not me not even knowing who sydney is 😂😂😂

[@zeeniarathore9334]

​@@caricanreadOMG!! She is the real one. U gotta do Adrian's spin-off. Actual, developed romance instead of underage, undercooked one. No needlessly rude female lead. She wont piss u off.

[@thethmooteresa]

yessss🎉🎉🎉 the romance is mwah and so many times I go WHY CANT I BE HER RN AHHH

[@irreplaysable]

pleaseeeeee cari read the spin-off!

[@nathandre3442]

The spin off is so much better. I read it last year and love it.🥰 It still has strange moments with a underage secondary character but the rest is very good.

[@rissacee1771]

This book series was precious to me when I was in high school and I still will die for the spin-off series, Bloodlines. However, I re-read VA as an adult and a young teacher, and I physically cannot stomach the idea of this romance anymore 😂😂😂 like I want to still be able to love it but it gives me the creeps hahah. Thank God that Bloodlines is still safe (and it’s better)

[@pendragon2012]

You are such a good friend, lol. I don't know how you do it tbh. I call you my Mystery Science Theater 3000 for books! Thanks for cheering up an evening when I feel like shit. Hope your weekend is stellar!

[@caricanread]

LOL have a good weekend too!

[@rolanslide8509]

I think the name Vasilisa is a reference to the old fairytale "Vasilisa the Beautiful" (or Brave, or Fair), which is considered to be one of the earliest versions of Cinderella. It involves Baba Yaga, a flaming skull, and a living doll. Not sure what the connection is to this book... but it's interesting.

[@suedove2416]

Vasilisa is also a normal Slavic name

[@kaiaswrld]

They mention the meaning of Lissas name ^ in the book a few times because she is “Beautiful, Brave and Fair” as a character.

[@TheWretchedOwl]

“Why do you read these books if you know you’re going to hate them?” Me, reads the tittle: “so you don’t have to, maybe?” 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@calimero9840]

I was obsessed with this book when I was 14-15 and in my Mortal Instruments era 😂😂 I have no memory of the age gap wtf I knew he was older but 17 and 24???

[@Katisobsessed]

Oh my god. My friend was OBSESSED with this series like 2 years ago, and she told me to read it- so I did. And it honestly was not THAT bad, I enjoyed most of it and I even read the spin off books. Would I read it again? No. Did I have the same reading taste 2 years ago? Hell no. Did I enjoy it (somewhat) when I read it? Yes. I'm very excited for this Cari

[@julieann9246]

I loved Vampire Academy and the follow up series. Looking back, I see the issues you brought up. I just loved the experience of reading them with friends! I guess it’s a good memory series for me.

[@funkylittlebidiot4936]

VA is one of the first bookseries i've read where the main lead is SUPPOSED to be unlikeable and she grows SO MUCH during the series

[@niphredilmeleth2177]

I was so obsessed with Adrian Ivashkov 🙈 I also really enjoy his spin-off series. Both series hold so much nostalgia for me and I’m probably gonna reread vampire academy when the new german editions release in fall. 😅 (I think Lissa is pronounced with an short I, like Larissa for example)

[@caricanread]

I feel lile he is one a could grow to like but not enough to read a whole spin off hahhaha

[@marliscan]

Back when i read this series, long before the movie, which i hated, i loved this entire series so much, it was alot of fun and Rose was such a great character, she goes through the ringer in this. Hope you like, be sure to read them all. Happy Reading❤

[@bettyswitchedhomerooms]

Tbh this is myabsolute fave series & probably because I read during my teens which is the target demographics. I couldn’t get over this series then lol but idk what my opinion will be if I read it now esp because I’ve read more books & my tastes have changed but I’m still sticking with it that it’s my comfort & fave series just because it brought nostalgia and the feelings I had then is still with me. 😅 Sorry I’m an absolute Adrian stan 😂

[@caricanread]

😂🙏

[@niphredilmeleth2177]

Yeees another Adrian stan 💗😆

[@bettyswitchedhomerooms]

You should read the spin off and go crazy again 😂😂

[@kylier404]

i think one of the main reasons for the weird age gap is the fact that this is supposed to be YA, in which most authors tend to make their main characters the age of their target audience, but the love interest the actual age they intened the main characters 😂😂 i think if she had decided to either go totally YA and age down dimitri and made a more interesting school dynamic (like how they actually take classes seriously in Harry Potter), or if she had gone NA and aged up the girls and made it like an adult army-type training and leaned in the paranormal aspect, it wouldnt have read as poorly lol

[@FrenkTheJoy]

I think a lot of people also just like... pretend that young girls/women don't think it's so cool to imagine being with an older guy. When you're a teenager all the boys your age seem like children so the idea of being with an older guy seems really appealing. I mean think of all the people who were like 10 years old and assuming that 19 year old Kevin Jonas was going to fall in love with them at a concert. That age gap is not okay in real life but when you're a kid and it's all ENTIRELY IMAGINARY like an older VAMPIRE boyfriend it just seems appealing and romantic. When you're a teenager you should be able to tell the difference between a real life problematic relationship that is also illegal and a completely fictional relationship that involves A VAMPIRE.

[@shaelynmartin1996]

@@FrenkTheJoy I agree. The relationship between Dimitri and Rose in and of itself is not that problematic. It's actually kinda healthy, which I'm always here for. The only issue is the age gap. But even then, it's an age gap that no adult would really blink twice at? Like if she were 21 and he were 28, no one would really care other than maybe questioning if she's ready emotionally for the next step. It's just because she's 17 and he's 24 where people start pointing fingers. Hell, in Shadow Kiss, Mead even shows the a relationship as problematic as hell and shows how the person needs to get away from that environment.

[@happyviruses9937]

I love having these videos on while I do a task. Love the mess of it all and your reactions. So excited for this one though, cause I used to read these back in the day!

[@caricanread]

bahahah enjoy!

[@chellbear94]

The spin-off series from these was actually one of my favorite series’ but I always liked the main series less 😂 but I still ate them up in middle/high school and like an occasional reread lol

[@PerpetualPrograstinator]

Same! Till this day Adrian remains such a realistic flawed heartthrob! I love how Sydney's main power is how smart she is. You never get these characters in books. Everyone in books just is born a kickboxing champ 🙄

[@holo6933]

@@PerpetualPrograstinatorexactly. Sydney and Adrian showed their flaws and their growth in such a realistic manner. I loved them so much. The center will hold ❤

[@jacquelinelugo5518]

Although I don't love how Bloodlines ends, Sydney and Adrian were a much better couple in my opinion. They knew each others flaws and were understanding of it. Sydney never held Adrian to be perfect and he was okay with her being herself around him

[@ae.k4474]

The show is actually quite enjoyable! It made me like these characters so much more. I could not get past the first book in this series for the life of me.

[@jm8714]

the casting for dimitri was perfection

[@mysteriouspsyche]

Teenage me loved these books since twilight was becoming crazy popular and I was one of those teens who hated what was popular if I read it first. VA was my ish but I’m sure if I reread it, I’d hate it. I remember loving Rose because she was like me in attitude and I now see that I was a self absorbed brat as a teen (but who isn’t?) 😂 thank you for suffering through this Cari! I appreciate it so much!

[@kyraallegro]

Haha I was obsessed with these books in high school 😂

[@caricanread]

i dont know how i missed them!

[@oatmeal_reads]

PLEASE do this with the red queen series!!!! its my favorite of all time and its so bad, i think youll have a great time with it.

[@morganweber8698]

Seeing your struggles brought back a repressed memory from high school of my friend telling me to push through the first few books because the action picks up later on 😂😭 that being said I was absolutely giddy seeing this video pop up, because I did push through and wholeheartedly discuss it with her over lunch period

[@caricanread]

Nooooo hahahhaha

[@lucachristina5520]

This series is literally my guilty pleasure read. Its so bad yet so good.

[@kevinsecretplace4546]

I read this book series for the first time when I was about 13 and became obsessed. To an embarrassing extent. I read them over and over again to the point where I still have the majority of the plot points memorized. I have tried rereading them as an adult and I just cannot get through the books. The writing is cringier as an adult, but also the main draw for me as a kid was Romitri, and now I truly cannot get past the age gap at all and therefore when I read it now, I am actively rooting against them. That said, I recently watched the TV show, and I really, really liked it. It completely mixed up the plot between the 6 books in a way that I honestly found more interesting because yes, the first few books are definitely more boring than the final few. And the show is vague about ages, but based on the casting Rose and Dimitri are totally appropriate for each other and incredibly easy to root for. Unfortunately, they did totally nuke Christian's personality, but overall, I think the majority of the show's changes made for a much better and more interesting story. It didn't get renewed for a second season, though, so it is left with a lot of loose threads.

[@caricanread]

Omg romitri hahhahha

[@giuliacampy2172]

Wow I would have never imagined someone reading these books after soooo much time! I have to admit this was one of my favourite series when I was teen, like almost a decade ago 😂. I still cherish it with much love but it aged baaaad. Still, will always be in my little girly teeneger heart ❤

[@allisonmyers5874]

Omg I looooved vampire academy as a teenager. It was what twilight tried to be at the time😅.

[@amiracaroline2642]

I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A BOOKTUBER WHO WOULD REVIEW THIS SERIES AND CARI FINALLY DID!!!!!! THANK GOD!!!! also, your reactions are always hilarious 😂😂😂

[@youknowlikealiar1300]

Girl where do you always find the strength to read these series? I really respect you for that because I would not be able to

[@caricanread]

I have years worth of comments requesting this so i finally caved hahhaha

[@FANGRUNlN]

Please don’t stop making videos like this they are genuinely so entertaining

[@Beckyd17]

Please please please continue the series!! I need your commentary for the last 3 books ( especially the last one which is my favourite). You make it so fun to revisit teenage me’s favourite series! 😂

[@prettylittlebookends1480]

My younger self can own that this series was not going to win awards, but it kept me hooked for a long time 😂

[@carolinesch.]

The first book is so much highschool and then the last book is just politics, it was the first books were I had the world open up like that. It has a lot of what I had found I really like in high fantasy

[@athanasiagalani]

This was one of my favourite book series when I was in high school. Guilty pleasure for sure! 😅 Also, fun fact: The name Vasilisa translates to queen in greek, so I think it matches her perfectly.

[@emilysunaz9727]

Oh my god. I really really hope you read the spin-off series, Bloodlines. I read vampire academy when I was younger and enjoyed it enough to try that one out but I ended up loving that one so much.

[@chrissiecat2181]

I was obsessed with the series 15 years ago, but watching you read it has made me wonder why so I’ve just bought it to re read, I’m so excited to see how badly it aged 😂😂😂

[@liss2503]

I loved those books. Sometimes books that maybe aren’t the best writing are better because it’s pure entertainment and don’t need any deep thoughts.

[@Ang_1312]

these (and plot summaries) are my FAVOURITE book channel videos of yours so thank you!!!

[@0nlydans]

this book series is the reason I spent two years trying to learn russian and wanted to go to med school in Novosibirsk... when I saw this pop up my brain registered it as the House of Night series but I loved these books way more than those and twilight combined so I'm excited to see how much my opinion has changed in the 14 years since I first read the books. it was a gift from a friend on my 12th birthday.

[@emwemmy]

These are genuinely my favorite kinds of videos from you, I think the passion of talking about something horrible is so raw and full of emotion that it's the perfect form of book review. Please make more of these :3

[@kyramcphee1041]

Absolutely adored this series when I was young and I was so bummed when I saw the covers of your books!!!! You haven't lived until you've seen the horror of that soul patch 😂 those books have NOT aged well but still a wonderful blast from the past Love your vids Cari, keep up the beautiful work❤

[@pharsalianostra]

Cari I just wanted to say that even though some people might not like these kinds of videos I love them so freaking much. my favorite book reviews are for books that I wouldn't read, these videos are just such a great time :))))

[@emmacampagnolo882]

You have to read the spin off though, Adrian was like one of my top fictional crushes lol

[@marcusfaze]

The movie holds a special place in my heart

[@carolinesch.]

My guilty pleasure! These books were my twilight and really got me into reading series. I really loved that it was kind of different from the other ya books I read with the diffrent romance and types of vampires, badass main character and east european charecters. I reread them a few years ago and I have such fond memories and nostalgia I cant really see them as bad for me. I kind of love how people without that suffer through then😅

[@jxey1]

These books were EVERYTHING to me and my friend group in high school. But looking back, as an adult, they do not hold up, at. all. In saying that though, I did read a few books from the spin-off series with Adrian and enjoyed them!

[@ashlyn2025]

I'm so glad we can all love different things, I actually am loving this series! 😂

[@jocey1364]

I'm so glad we all agree we loved this series as teens . One thing i loved about rose back when i read these books was that she was kind of different from other main character out there in YA books . She talked about sex how attractive she found guys and being out there,had a crush on older guy, wasn't nice but sarcastic and badass instead of ur typical modest kind "i will save the world" main character . If u went through ur edgy phase ud love character like rose . Also Most teens are just thinking if a guy is hot or no I mean hormones and all . Also loved the friendship between rose and lisa . Dimitry was played by Danila Kazlovsky who i still think is very hot and casting an actual Russian actor was a nice touch. The vampire lore was interesting to me with royal families different types of vampires . And Lastly we all loved Adrian he has a special place in my heart.

[@racheldoesathing]

I just want to say I LOVE these videos, 1: It’s like reading these silly books without having to actually spend time doing so, and 2: Just like it’s fun to watch bad and silly movies and comment on it with friends, or listen to others comment on them (like How Did This Get Made, who also, covered the Vampire Academy movie!), it’s fun for me to watch someone whose bookish opinion I like comment on the silliness. I will always watch these videos please keep doing them.

[@funkylittlebidiot4936]

i watched the movie when i was 13 and loved it so much i rewatched it on loop for three days until the books arrived and then spend the next six days reading the entire series and LOVED it. i can still quote along to it perfectly eight years later. reread it last year along with the Bloodlines spin-off and it's still genuinely one of my favorite series because it's so good and entertaining and i actually love the worldbuilding. but I still love these videos! it's so fun! also "i wouldn't jump in front of Vasilisa, i'd jump in front of you." SLAYED. It literally has so many good lines i can't lie

[@sasaprelog5450]

I read these books as a teenager and absolutely loved them, they kickstarted my love for vampire and other fantasy books! I also reread them a bunch as a teenager, so I used to know the story by heart 😂 But I tried rereading them a couple years back and besides finding the age gap much more alarming I also realised they were pretty badly written, my standard must have raised with reading more books. I remember reading the spin off series much later in life and I did enjoy that one, so maybe the author got better? Or I just really liked the tortured charachter of Adrian 😅

[@sasaprelog5450]

I just got to the part where you mention the recap at the start of the second book and these recaps used to irritate me so much! When rereading these book I always read them one right after the other so I knew what happened, the recaps just prolonged me getting to the actual new content! I don’t remember if the author ever stopped doing them or if they were in all six books…

[@yoogrldude]

Never got into this series as a kid, I was busy rereading the same Tamora Pierce fantasy series over and over again lmao

[@RandomOwlExterminators]

Yaaaas you are my people

[@scheherazade2291]

Saaaame.

[@yoogrldude]

@@RandomOwlExterminators i crave content of people reading those series for the first time as adults. some of the stuff doesn't hold up great (and, lets be honest, the alanna series is the worst written of the bunch, cause its the first books she wrote) but good god i still love kel with all my heart (and the years-later acknowledgement that kel probably realized she's ace as an adult, made me very happy as an ace person lol-- same with tammy's considering that alanna herself probably wouldve id'd as genderfluid in modern days; we love adapting views of the world)

[@bug_joony]

I like both 😊

[@Sofia-jw6wj]

I love your videos, but, ngl, it hurts when it's a series I love so much

[@caricanread]

You can still love it 🥹🙏

[@alexamurray1800]

I love when you do these kinds of videos! As a person who love bad YA fantasy tropes and all, it's even more fun to listen to you talking about them.

[@tanxxattack]

I actually loved this series and the spin-off series Bloodlines. Book 4 is where it is at tho! Those first three are really just the setup but one book 4 happens, EVERYTHING starts going HAM!

[@muskan3697]

I honestly love your accent, it is always a pleasure to hear you speak, no matter about what. Also the plot adds humor to the experience.

[@mooneyandcrookshanks1077]

Okay, but the TV series for this is actually really good!

[@salsabilaeka7646]

Pls don't stop, i love listening to you reading while working

[@rachaels742]

i just looked up the movie that was based on these books and the cast is CRAZY..zoey deutch, dominic sherwood, anya taylor-joy, sarah hyland, cameron monaghan, and claire foy!! like what???

[@Cha_len_Novels]

Your videos *chef's kiss* 💖💋 This series 100% fell into the "in it's time" dilemma because adolescent me was all for the raunchy YA but I don't think I could make it through the series today 🙈🙉🙊

[@_laurenolo_]

You're a real one for doing this 😭🥰

[@caricanread]

:'''')

[@anwiwa804]

ive been binging all ur videos the last week and ur sjm videos ARE SO HILARIOUS. also in just a few days of watching you've influenced me sm that i read the ballad of never ever AND MY GOD I CANNOT SURVIVE AFTER THAT ENDING

[@kendall-elaine]

This series and the spinoff series are my guilty pleasures 😅

[@caricanread]

Spinoff?!!!!! Nooo hahha

[@sproutsprite]

these videos of yours are among my favourite things on the entire internet. that includes not only on youtube, but every streaming service and website you can name.

[@elfonedge]

I never finished this series, this is my chance to do it through you 😂 thank you for your efforts

[@Syd_in_Pink]

These are some of my FAVORITE types of videos! ❤ And honestly, sometimes you making fun of a book makes me want to read it…and the I end up unironically loving the book 😂

[@maudschouten1731]

I was absolutely FERAL for this series when i was like 13-14... When the movie was in theaters i asked if i could get the cardboard cut out of Rose and Lissa and had that in my room for like a solid two years hahahahaha! Looking back on it now tho, it was definitely problematic

[@nanamikawaifu]

This brings back memories 🥺❤ no other vampires stories can be compared to this one. And i had read this from library which didn't had the final book in the series...so i still didn't know how it ended😂 but was dying for it in my teenage life .

[@roasiahazarilall7917]

😭😭idc these books got me into reading fantasy romance as a teenager😭 I love this series so much