I Read The VAMPIRE ACADEMY Series So You Don't Have To 🧛🏻🩸

[@hot.bowl.of.stew94]

The whole thing about Dimitri is that they could have easily made him way younger like 19. I think it would have been cool if he was extraordinarily gifted to the point that they made an exception and he graduated early. The conflict of Rose and his relationship getting in the way of protecting Lissa is way more compelling anyways. Teacher/student relationships are so disgusting. I just turned 23 and I can’t IMAGINE ever being attracted to a 17 year old 🤢

[@n0thum4n]

Her age and their age gap is actually really integral to how their storyline progresses it’s supposed to be this unacceptable relationship especially because he has a sister around that age that we meet later on in the series not only is he struggling with his attraction to her because of them both being guardians he’s struggling with his attraction to her because she’s a 17-year-old girl and he can’t fathom the fact that he is attracted to a minor

[@Boraheartsss]

Nah even if he was 19 people would cry and complain about it tbh.

[@tor3736]

I know teacher/ student is disgusting but the book never makes their relationship seem okay. They bring up the fact that it’s wrong multiple times and Dimitri pushed Rose away countless times because of their age gap

[@katieb5707]

@@tor3736 and he still slept with her when she was still a minor

[@Contrarian-v7p]

​@@BoraheartsssOnly idiots would lol, it's a 2 year age gap.

[@hockeygrrlmuse]

So many condolences for Lissa/Rose shippers, truly in the trenches with that one

[@krussyarts]

Aren't wlw shippers always in the trenches.. :')

[@kaleidokai11]

yeahhhhhh

[@ettaetta439]

I hated Dmitri dude 😭 I was like "isn't he an adult??? Why can't she get with Lissa instead"

[@livieblauu]

as a turkish person, rose, the main character, being half turkish really made me happy at first considering that middle easterns don’t get representation most of the time BUT they didn’t even mention it unless it was for her ”exotic” looks and… curves…? like it was really disappointing and then they erased it completely in the movie and probably in the tv series as well? i’ve also read it somewhere that as she is considered as short-tempered and stubborn and most of the turkish people also have these same traits the author decided to go with it which is SUPER uncomfy like i was so disappointed idk how else to explain it i remember being super angry about it lol

[@eneyavorodecky]

If you never, ever learned anything about your own history or culture, it would make sense that you may excoticize yourself bc this is how the culture you are in sees you. It kind of sucks they didn't try to look more into it and express it, since it could have been a fantastic analysis of this topic.

[@lysander3459]

But really, what would you want her to do? Eat baklava and dance turkish folk dance?

[@livieblauu]

@@lysander3459 you know damn well that this is not what i meant at all💀 all i said was that i wanted her to embrace her turkish heritage some more and not only limit it by talking about her physical appearance or her dad. i don’t think that this is too much to ask for, since being turkish doesn’t consist only of eating baklava and dance to turkish folk music

[@eneyavorodecky]

@@lysander3459 Interesting question.

[@serosss5708]

@@lysander3459 Girl💀 Go back to your room

[@stevieatthemovies8186]

I'm a 23 year old high school teacher and I cannot imagine wanting to date any of my students, even the seniors.

[@kit922]

Right? Fuckin gnarly. I went to pick my nephew up from high school and the stank in those hallways alone is enough to convince me high schoolers are still children

[@ayannabranchcomb7535]

I’m also 23 and seeing the teenagers on the train in the morning, all I feel is irritation at them and at myself for becoming an old jaded adult 😂

[@marniekilbourne608]

Same, it's gross and beyond inappropriate. As a teacher you shoot that down immediately.

[@ateenybird]

I remember LOVING Dimitri and Rose when I was like 14/15, but then when I reached my 20s, I re read the books and just got....so much ick from it. Like I cannot see how Dimitri even saw Rose as a romantic prospect. I would rather die than date a teenager, not only are they immature, they also look like literal children?! Wtf

[@OfMiceAndDestiny]

Yeah I felt the same way when I read the books at 16. Especially coming from a home where my mother pushed the idea that dating older was better and relationships were all about financial security. So it felt completely normal in my child brain. Being 28 now, whenever I think back to how much I loved this series I kinda want to throw up.

[@chelsey8737]

I had the exact same realization last year when I re read the series!!! I read it for the first time about 14 or 15 and last year I turned 20 and I re read it and I was disgusted. There's still aspects of the series that I absolutely love but I ranted for days about how disgusted I was by their relationship and how I'm noticing how bad ya is for romanticizing those relationships as I grow up. I am a sucker for age gaps but I am not a sucker for age gaps with children and that's what rose is unfortunately. I even would have been more OK with it if she had ended up with Adrian (when I reread it I desperately wished they had been end game) bc the gap is smaller and he is way more similar to her as a person. She should have ended up with Mason though because they were such a cute couple and were at the same stage in life. I don't know if you are going to watch the TV series but I started the first episode and they changed so many things that I'm desperately hoping that they'll change the age gap but I don't think they will. You could always count on media to romanticize bad relationships to young girls.

[@BooksandBuns]

I'm 19 & even I wouldn't want to date a 16-17 year old 😩 18 year old, yes. But no one any younger than that

[@ixeliema]

There's two kinds of teens, I'm realizing. Ones who immediately get the ick from student/teacher relationships and ones who don't originally, but with time, reach the age that fiction seems to think is totally okay to bone a teenager and fully come to realize how icky it is. (I don't acknowledge the hidden third kind who don't do that and becomes predatory themselves because they have no rights.) I fell far more toward the former, but I feel really bad for the latter type because it shows how seriously a young mind can be manipulated into believing relationships with age gaps/power dynamics like that are okay. I never read much of VA, only a couple chapters, but I read House of Night when I was somewhere between 13 and 15, and vividly remember feeling physically ill when I read Chosen (if you know you know,) especially when you find out that he was working with the enemy directly to make her vulnerable and take advantage of her. He literally groomed her, and all the while the Cast duo seemed real intent on making it seem romantic by having Stevie Rae say it was so special that he took an interest in her. Real nasty shit. I'll honestly never forgive YA vampire fiction for romanticizing age gaps like that because I have to wonder how many kids didn't see the signs of abuse until it was too late.

[@ashleyyoung6107]

Teacher student relationships make me feel sick since the adult is a pedo for getting with a teenager and it sickens me how there are people who defend it by saying the age of consent is 16, like that is an abuse of power on the adult's part just like how a correction officer getting with an immate or a nurse and doctor or therapist getting with their patient.

[@charity._.]

Jjjjjjo jjjjjjjjjjj

[@akirasaito1551]

I don't care when it's a fictional relationship. What makes me sick are the people trying so hard to justify why it would be okay and fine as if it was happening in real life. Like you *can* and *should* be able to recognize that something would be toxic irl, even if you like it. I was a big fan of shoujo manga, and if I know anything, it's that the romance genre itself is full of relationships being toxic for the ✨drama✨ But even as a child (10-16 yo) I knew that I didn't want a relationship like those because I was taught repetedly and emphatically what a healthy relationship looked like, and how to separate fiction from real life. Idk how to explain my thoughts, but imo people who try to justify/rationalize a toxic plot point instead of acknowledging that it's toxic are making things worse for everyone

[@KateCat420]

@@akirasaito1551 THIS!! The fact people still defend Aria and Ezra's relationship (from PLL) as 'true love' makes me wanna hit something! It's also so scary, because I was a kid who read these books and watched those shows that presented it as 'ok', and I didn't even know why it wasn't until later. Why are so many people trying to brainwash young girls and boys into thinking this is OK?!

[@snoopygonewilder]

@@KateCat420 Oh, I was never able to watch that show because that disgusted me. I tried to make my niece understand how horrible and not romantic at all it was. The only time I read/watched something with a student/teacher relationship and I didn't mind was in Colleen Hoover's Slammed series. The girl was 18, and the guy was I think 21 or 22 and they were neighbors that were attracted to each other before they even knew he was a student teacher at her new school. 18 and 21 are two young adults who did not meet at school, they are both over 18 and have similar maturity levels.

[@MsSamy13]

Okay but can we talk about how Rose and Dimitri are both victims of SA via the lust charm from Victor. Victor said it strengthened what was already there so I don’t think anything would have happened without that damned charm.

[@Skyler_Rain]

Somebody freaking said it thank God. Literally this love story wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the love charm in the beginning. Rose is mature for her age. Her mom basically dumped her as a baby, she never knew her father.. She literally died, and she had been doing her adult job for months before the gaurdians caught up with them. She has to deal with PTSD from Liz losing her entire family, and her insanity from spirit. I agree the age gap could have been much shorter and it still would have worked but to hate the entire series based on the age gap is a bit silly when you think of the shit this girl has dealt with.

[@ettaetta439]

​​​​​@@Skyler_Rain It's not about maturity, it's about the fact that he's her literal teacher and an adult, and she's still a teen. Even if she goes through so much trauma it doesn't make her not a teen. If being "mature" was quantified by the trauma you go through, then I guess at 6 years old I would've also been mature enough to date Dmitri. Do you see the problem with that logic? You can make your point without implying that a teen is not a teen anymore because she suffered a lot. That is completely inane reasoning.

[@Skyler_Rain]

@@ettaetta439 I can understand your point, and it is gross that groomers will use that to get in with a teenager. I just never even really saw her as a teenage my first couple times reading it because she behaved more like an adult most of the time. Rereading it as an adult I have fresh eyes, but I still do love them together. The story wouldn't have been any different in my opinion if he was just a bad ass upperclassmen that transferred while she was on the road. There could have still been conflict if they were both planning on being assigned to Lissa but not as much.

[@ettaetta439]

@@Skyler_Rain Thanks for acknowledging that. To me, it's a fantasy series and Dimitri doesn't have a humongous age gap with her. Although I found their relationship creepy, I also don't judge people who loved it as teens or even adults since Rose doesn't really read like a teen. It's like reading Six of Crows and trying to believe that all these characters are teens--it's just not realistic. The only thing I disagreed with is that going through trauma makes you older. Yeah, it can force you into early maturity, but it doesn't change your age.

[@Skyler_Rain]

@@ettaetta439 we can definitely agree on that. Also Six of Crows was so good! I actually liked it better than the source material. The world building done by Leigh was fantastic.

[@piperbarnes4885]

As someone who's only experience with this series is a vague knowledge that it is a thing which exists, upon hearing an explanation of the characters I have immediately decided that I hate the canonical romance and that this series would probably be better if the main character and the girl she's protecting had a romance subplot.

[@kaitlyngilmore795]

Way back when I wish I had seen how Inappropriate Dimitri and Roses relationship was despite the over romanticising of it. Like I did NOT see that when I first read it and totally ate up what the author was giving. and looking back I think it brainwashed me a little because literally at 17 I liked this 24 year old man and completely fell for his “you’re mature for your age” and the best thing anyone ever said to me about this was “that doesn’t mean you are not mature for your age. All that means is HE is IMMATURE for his age.” And just MIND BLOWN.

[@anica311]

i agree that these series should have been for an older audience. I read it when i was about 14 years old and i had a crush on a guy that was 7 years older and those books kinda told me that it was ok if he liked me back etc so it influenced me a lot. And now that i’m about to turn 22, i see that it’s not ok at all and it’s creepy af.

[@TheRandoGal]

the worst thing about the 2000s was everyone calling kids "young adults." A young adult, by definition, needs to be an adult to be considered a young one.

[@Forty2Times]

This takes me back to high school (oh god😬). I was SO into these books. Then the movie came out and Dimitri looking like a 40 year old crypt keeper really put me off. Same with how Rose was oddly fetishized. 🤔

[@socialyawkwardginger]

Biggest problem for me beyond the rose/dimitri relationship was the reduction of peoples value to their ability to reproduce. All these dhampirs risking their lives because they can’t procreate without moroi, and in the first book rose and mason looking down on a pair of dhampirs who are in love and choose to live together not protecting moroi. The emphasis on being able to have kids was more ick than rose/dimitri for me.

[@anavelvel]

That was a part of the social commentary that Richelle was making with her book. The Moroi society was supposed to represent how classes form and the respective expectations for each of them. It's heavily criticized throughout the series and the characters change accordingly (Rose choosing to hunt Dimitri down instead of staying with Lissa to fulfill her duty, or Sydney and Adrian's relationship in the spin-off, the positive portrayal of Ambrose, etc.)

[@fire34fly]

2:23:57 "We can't have our main character die in a YA series" Tell that to Veronica Roth

[@dianesaccomano2671]

Had to take a day off after the damage that series caused me.

[@annie8400]

Oh gosh I know that was so unnecessary like she already passing through the gas then the other thing happened and I was *reaaaally?***

[@PinkGrapefruit22]

I read this series when I was in college, and yeah, Romitri really icked me out. I liked Adrian so much more, though not necessarily for Rose. At least with their relationship he wasn't her teacher and mentor like Dimitri. Also, Adrian's whole thing at that point was that he clearly did not have his life together and seriously needed some help, so at least him hitting on a 17-year-old can be contextualized as part of his generally shitty behavior. The story somehow wants us to think of Dimitri as a thoroughly honorable and good person...who decides to get with his underage student. Like, wtf???? Personally, I think Rose and Christian should've just shared Lissa. Heh heh.

[@jacquelinelugo5518]

Yeah when I went on one of VA fan pages on FB and I mentioned that although. Yes Adrian was weird for hitting on Rose. It still paled in comparison to Dimitri. And then they dragged me over it. I was shocked, they can have their ship, but call it out for what it is. That relationship is weird and it was not okay at all

[@Duhgel]

Hard agree

[@BenjiXAddictX4Ever]

@@jacquelinelugo5518 I'm so sorry that happened to you, I HATE how toxic the fandom is. They suddenly have this narrative that Adrian was harassing Rose and forcing hee to date him (some even say HE was gr00ming Rose WTF) yet Dimitri took advantage of Rose when she was having a mental breakdown and took her virginity. I honestly cannot believe these people but here we are. 😐😑

[@jacquelinelugo5518]

​@BenjiXAddictX4Ever Yeah they defend their ship so hard, but Dimitri was a creep and I will die on that hill

[@lenabittel5515]

I Read the series this Week for the first Time and god damit am I the only one who HATED it that The Autor made Rose and Dimitri get back together While she is still dating Adrian? Like I had to push myself to just finish the last books. I really kinda liked Rose in the first books how she Just says and does things what she thinks or what she thinks but in the last two books I really started to dislike her because she Just ignores who gets hurt Just so Dimitri her Ex is a Dhampire again EVEN if she Has a Boyfriend, even if it does mean to Free the Person who tortured her best friend and EVEN if it means her best friend Has to be the one who Stakes him. The Best friend who doesn't even like to punch people is suddenly sopused to staking a whole Strigoi? But okay Rose didn't want the last Thing either but it still happend Okayyy. And then she crawls around her Ex and Talks about that she still loves him?????? Even though she has a Boyfriend? Even though He didn't want to See her? God I Just hated it, why couldn't Rose Just break up with Adrian? Okay it does say that she loves him too... But it Just doesn't fit with me- like she couldn't try to Stay away from Dimitri for one minute but she still stays with Adrian?????? No honestly I Just don't like most of the plot points in the last two books and Not Just because I like The ship from Rose and Adrian or Rose and Dimitri I Just COULDN'T stand this useless Drama. Sorry for the long Text I really needed to get that of my jest

[@athenajaxon2397]

I re-read the series and really loved it. My favorite thing was Rose, almost exclusively in teen books especially teen romances the main character is a shy, awkward and introverted girl. I LOVED Rose and how outspoken and fierce she was and how self -confident she is, also as someone who matches her description (olive skin and dark hair) I'm also half-Turkish it was also refreshing to read about someone who looks like me. I'm really sad they didn't find a half-turkish actress for the movie or show.

[@thetoneofsurprise]

I hope you do the Bloodline series too - Adrian and Sydney sound so much more interesting!

[@Arezoo298195]

They are. Bloodlines was a way better series.

[@mariem24601]

Bloodlines was a better series. They were both adults. The relationship was healthier. The conflict was less ridiculous while still involving vampires. I don’t think the show will last long enough to support a Bloodlines spinoff sadly.

[@Arezoo298195]

@@mariem24601 I don’t know about that, the way they’ve gone mixing up storylines I expect to see the end of book three by the end of this season!🤣🤷🏻‍♀️

[@RealVincent1989]

No they dont

[@madalinaanton3253]

I remember devouring the books at 15 and being in love with Adrian. That is all I remember about the books and that is all they are worth to me. Also in romanian culture the moroi and strigoi are the opposite of what the books claim, strigoi are born and moroi are just babies who died a horrible death, they are the worst and the most tormented . At least in my part of the country.I remember I had a hard time remembering moroi are not the most horrible creatures.

[@khadijadirir8082]

I really hope you read the BLOODLINES series with Sydney, Adrian, Jill and Eddie because I remember loving it so much back in the day. I remember loving the witchy stuff, the action, the romance, Sydney escaping from the toxic control of the alchemists and the depiction of Adrian mental illness. The series (especially the last few books) moved at a crazy fast pace where it felt like something important or insane was happening in every chapter. A literary roller-coaster lol. Even if you don't like the series there will be so much to talk about and I would love to hear your thoughts. I wonder if the series would age well. Also slight spoiler but Sydney owns Abe because of a request for him to bring harm to someone who hurt her sister. At least that's what I remember.

[@tegztegz]

This series originally WAS catagorised as new adult (or rather, paranormal romance, bc Bew Adult wasn't a shelving genre then, just a demographic), because Richelle Mead's other books are pretty much paranormal smut and all are shelved in the romance section (and should be) . But the books didn't sell as well bc of the school setting, and they were moved to the YA genre shelves sometime after the twilight movies. I don't remember exactly when the switch happened (as in which movie/book release was the catalyst for the move), but I worked at a bookstore at the time, and we got an announcement from the publisher, and had to resticker all our stock and reshelve them. The posters were changed too, with comparisons to twilight included. Something similar happened later with Sarah J Maas books later, which explains why some of the sexual content of these titles is sometimes a little much for the YA shelves. As an aside, some of RM's more racy books have been rejacketed to appeal more for teen audiences too and 😬

[@ayannabranchcomb7535]

This explains so much, I remember picking up SJM’s book in my library when I was in high school and being highly confused at how explicit those books were 😂

[@hockeygrrlmuse]

If the high schoolers got aged up a bit, this could be an extremely kickass graphic novel

[@adamburns8338]

I like this long-form content.

[@annaissodone]

your sacrifices are unimaginable

[@light_reading]

2 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES?? i love it

[@bookwonderland3327]

Amazing video I’m so glad you posted this! I was actually planning on doing a reread but now I won’t. I absolutely devoured these books back in like 2015 so I completely forgot about the age gap. This whole video though I was thinking about literally how easy it would’ve been to not have it. So many ways to not have an age gap like she really went out of her way to create it😭 They already have the younger kids so just make it a college story. Say their abilities don’t start to show until they’re teens then at 18 they go for advanced training. Make Rose a few years into advanced training so 21 and Dimitri 24. Boom no illegal activity😂😂. She probably had to keep Rose a teen for YA though so why couldn’t Dimitri be another student like 17 and he was just the top of his class/in the school and was assigned to tutor Rose basically. Fits into YA and no age gap. She also could’ve added the forbidden romance element by making one of Dimitri’s parents a Mori royal or something. Adult/teen relationship is just so unnecessary.

[@cordeliacullen2621]

You're right and you should say it!

[@Crocsvevo]

3 minutes in thank GOD you also hated Dimitri and also Dimitri/Rose I thought I was the only one because every other person I’ve ever seen talk about this series loved them and it made me so uncomfortable!!!!!!!!

[@Aynabg93]

Same. And I stopped by book 5 because of how I felt Rose was ruined and thus the entire series for me. Never read the rest, not even the spin-off even though I absolutely loved Adrian.

[@Aynabg93]

Ok, so apparently I forgot and I read book 6 as well, but did not finish it because of the Rose/Dimitri thing that happens in that book. Ugh I loathed it so much. Ruined everything for me.

[@BenjiXAddictX4Ever]

I also hate Rose/Dimitri, I never understood everyone loving them and crying at Shadow Kiss, I kept waiting to love them but just hated them by the end of the series. Adrian is AMAZING, though!

[@BenjiXAddictX4Ever]

@@Aynabg93 Adrian is THE Best!

[@katieb5707]

@@BenjiXAddictX4Ever could you explain to me what you love about Adrian?

[@NA-zk1mu]

Mia Renaldi?? You mean, Princess Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, Princess of Genovia. I'm sorry but it just a reflex at this point when you hear the words Mia and Renaldi in a sentence together.

[@thescoopwithejo2022]

I loved this series when I was in middle school!!

[@got7ish788]

same, i was kinda obsessed with it.

[@thethmooteresa]

Same, I still love it but 😅👍Yea gona just turn off my brain to enjoy it again

[@happyjellycatsquid]

The way you pull off these fangs though omg 👁👄👁 I have to order some 😆

[@alicewren3505]

I loved, and I mean LOVED, this book series when I was younger. Probably one of the first ya series I read... so excited for this video!

[@HaleyJeanASMR]

okay why was I JUST thinking about reading this series for the first time and then BAM! you post this?!?! ur timing is impeccable.

[@andreafortozo5178]

This video made my day!! Please do Bloodlines next, such a great franchise!! It has its weird moments, for sure, but the overall plot is amazing!!

[@saint-theo]

the thing is the age gap between rose and dimitri wouldn't have put me off if a) it had been actively explored in the book and acknowledged as an issue and not just added for ~forbidden romance spice~ and b) if he wasn't her teacher/mentor and therefore in a direct position of power over her. i remember reading the books as a teen and finding dimitri to be so paternalistic? at times - the slut shaming scene really stands out (but again mead loves slutshaming female characters) but he also had this whole "im more responsible/older/more experienced than you rose so i'm always right" and it really icked me out. that was the part that made me actively dislike it and find him offputting - the power dynamics between them were just so off and it always went unacknowledged. like i wish if there had been an age gap it wasn't so severe (like maybe st. vlads could be changed to a college setting and rose/lissa/etc were all freshmen/18-19) or that dimitri himself was a little younger and not nearly 30!!! perving on a sixteen/seventeen year old girl. like ew no. also i do remember reading rose/lissa fanfic on ff.net lol i still love this series tho and loved rose so much especially since during that time she went against all the popular main character tropes - she wasn't shy and inexperienced with low self esteem - she was confident, and sassy and knew herself so well, and refused to let people walk over her. it was so refreshing at the time. i never read bloodlines but this is making me want to give it a try.

[@starlightmellie]

so i had paused to have a completely unrelated hour-long cry session in the middle of this video and after i was done crying i immediately thought "i should finish that video" then resumed it. stellar video. never read this series, never watched the show, never will, love your videos

[@zowho]

I’m 36 minutes in and i’m having an amazing time as usual in these kinds of videos 😂💜 thanks for making my day! Can’t wait to start the show lmao 😶 (also your haircut is awesome and you look amazing)

[@jackiearnolds]

I remember reading it as a teen and I always liked Lissa and Christian better. Also I liked Lissa's personality a lot more than Rose's, so I was not that invested in her romance plots. I don't remember if I read it all because I really think it's been 10 years since I touched one of those, but I'm liking the run down and I love how messy your feelings on it are, from ranting about the age issues to praising the cliffhangers, I'm here for it because same lmao

[@valentinatsvetkova4019]

🙌🙌🙌 oh my god i cant believe theres someone else who doesn't like Dimitri and his relationship with rose. You're making my day

[@clairejeter8274]

Thank you for your CORRECT opinion about the student/teacher romance! I remember watching that previous movie and being hella grossed out about it

[@_laurenolo_]

Girl you have no idea the joy I got seeing this upload when I woke up😭Not only a video on Vampire academy but one that's over two and a half hours? We truly being fed well today 💜 I discovered your channel a couple of weeks ago and since then its just been a binge of all your uploads until I ran out of content and wondered what I was supposed to do with my life 😂Truly your content brings such a smile to my face I adore it, so glad I stumbled upon your videos!

[@crazygamer_1082]

LISTEN-I read the entire Bloodlines series without ever touching Vampire Academy (I only watched that LA remake because a H20 character was starring in it 😂). But I can already tell you it is leagues better than VA. And I appreciate the MC in Bloodlines because if you were a reader like me who was going into this vampire world blind, Sydney was the true MVP because she was always telling you information. 😂😂 But I also never felt that hype true fans probably felt when seeing VA characters in Bloodlines. I would just be confused and like, “Who is this Rose chick? Dimitri?? Bro who are these randoms?? 😭”

[@paulacostrut5338]

I remember this series being popular when i was in middle school, but I completely forgot the Romanian folklore words being used? I think thats so cool ngl

[@leannj.3706]

(sry for the long comment but this series is bringing back so many memories) oh, vampire academy... its been years since i've read this series and even though i really enjoyed the books, even just thinking back on it now there are several things i can think of that don't hold up... my feelings from what i remember: -loved rose, rose x dmitri were okay (even back then i think i compartmentalized the weird/gross age gap), rose & lissa's friendship i loved, lissa x christian were the superior romance, adrian my beloved

[@jacquelinelugo5518]

Omg you have to finish Bloodlines. When I tell you that series blew VA out of the water. It was the overall better series.

[@rachelzimmermann8249]

I’m worried to watch this because this series has always been #1 in my heart since I was in middle school, I’ve reread the whole thing multiple times and I don’t think I can handle you trashing it 😂

[@mariamak3207]

This series was everything to me so I definitely agree with you! Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I too don’t have the heart for the trashing either. Please tell you have read Bloodlines!

[@callmecristal]

OMG! I'm 31 and read these books back when i was in high school! I was OBSESSED with this series! I would love to do a re-read many years later! Excited to hear what you have to say about this series... let's get into the video!

[@morfrid4262]

This video popped up on my recommend like it knew I've been thinking of rereading Bloodlines and needed a VA refresher 🥰

[@reynao.3671]

I've NEEDED this video for so many years, you don't even know, haven't even started watching yet but I know its going to be everything I wanted bc your fallen video was amazing too😭 now if there's any chance you read the guild hunter series 👉🏾👈🏾(though that's literally still ongoing wtf)

[@indievariety]

24:15 Christian and Lyssa figured out Rose lied about them having feelings for each other, so Lyssa is (understandably) pissed at Rose

[@JackieAdebayo]

You showed up on homepage because of Bridgerton, and I am very thankful to the algorithm!!! In terms of your summary of books, you do an amazing job of giving details and adding your very welcomed 2 cents! I look forward to seeing your reaction to next few episodes of show!!

[@jow2716]

It's funny, I pretty much have all the opposite opinions about the series lol I loved Rose and Dimitri's characters so much that I didn't care about the age gap (I thought the ship was good bc each character could really stand up on their own and still be a fully realized and interesting person; so they complimented each other in a good way). Of course I would never support such a realationship IRL, but in a YA novel about vampires it didn't bother me that much, although I fully respect anyone with a different opinion on this. Meanwhile I didn't like Lissa (I thought she was a very weak character that didn't grow enough and I just can't, for the life of me, bring myself to support the 18-year-old-Queen subplot... WTF? Who would vote for a child to be their leader?) I loved Christian and thought he had so much more chemistry with Rose and especially Mia than with Lissa anyway. Also I hated Adrian. He just felt like this "artificially cool" character that the author really wants you to believe is supper charismatic and sassy but it just didn't work for me (sorry?) I couldn't understand why anyone would back-up funding 6 spin-off books about him, but I guess I'm in the minority on that so... good for everyone else who enjoyed Bloodlines :) Finally, book 4 was actually my favourite! I loved how Rose finally got a chance to grow on her own and detach from Lissa. She also got to see the world and revise her opinion about many of her core-beliefs (which was satisfying to see as she is a very stubborn character). And the whole Dimitri keeping her prisoner part was fascinating because we learned that Strigoi are more complex than just monsters (they sorta have a hierarchy but in a very subtle way and they are very smart), I would have loved for the author to explore their race a little more in the 6th (maybe tie it in with the assassination investigation plot). Anyway, that is a very long comment, sorry! The video was great and I am excited for your commentary/review when s1 of the reboot is out! 😍

[@thegirlsvlogworld9541]

yes thank you finally, I have been waiting for someone to say this. I love the books and characters, but i think irl i would never support such a thing.

[@hanadewayne4942]

Adrian had a good development in Bloodlines, I found it interesting how, slowly, he starts to put his life together basically. However I agree with you, in the main series I found his character to be super annoying, and it had nothing to do with being a romance obstacle or sm like that. It was just him being him haha

[@aleigh26]

omg thank you! i was scrolling through the comments looking for someone with more of the same opinion as me. i understand why people hate rose and dimitri together, but they were the highlights of the book series for me. i loved their relationship SO much that i didn’t even really care about the age gap because she was almost 18 anyway. i loved that they both tried so hard not to love each other but in the end they just couldn’t help it. i also didn’t like adrian. i think that he was honestly kinda sweet and i felt bad for him, but i don’t understand how he would be anyone’s favorite character, when rose and dimitri are perfect for each other. i liked lissa but she always expected so much from rose and even wanted her to give up on dimitri in book three. overall i understand everyone’s opinions of romitri but they really were the reason i fell in love with this series.

[@hannahckirk]

this series has a special place in my heart just because it is what got me back into reading. But I still pretend the age gap is not real in it lmfao. I read it for the first time at 25, and the whole time I just pretended it wasn’t a thing 😭. Adrian and Sydney are my fave couple from the world though, I think I prefer bloodlines over VA even tho I like both a lot overall

[@suki9268]

I only watched the movie years ago. I wanted something to listen to while painting. Now I'm ready for the show 🤌

[@hotpeopleread3203]

Thank you for taking one for the team 🙏🏾

[@eveellisen]

Idk why but I remembered him being older when I read these in high school. I actually reread some of the books recently and when I saw he was only in his early 20s, I laughed.

[@hadiaaaa6754]

omg the dedication thank you queen 🫡 I read these books when I was in high school and i remember loving the bloodlines series so much more! pls tell me u are making a reaction video to that too

[@ad6252]

Honestly even I finished the series only for Adrian and Sydney’s story in the spin off, but yes Richelle Mead really does the darker elements of the story well. Romances? Noooot that great

[@ethlereal]

I honestly love you so much for doing like everything I'm hoping for in every video

[@dancingphotographer5793]

absolutely loved every second of this and hope you make a video on the bloodlines series as well.

[@baileyshort6676]

You should do this with the Bloodlines series as well!

[@victoriajones1575]

It so funny to me that I had forgotten so much but as you talked about it it's like the memories from the depths of my adolescent brain would pull out

[@kainatmughal9694]

I watched the whole video and i have an exam on monday.... I definitely deserve a medal...

[@burnt-croissants]

i remember being 13/14 when i watched the movie (never read the series) and thinking oh how cute two runaway teenage vampire lesbians with the amount of homoeroticism on my screen and then being severely let down

[@savvyshelly3983]

When I read this series as a teenager, I thought the Rose/Dimitri match was amazing and they made so much sense to me, because I wanted a connection like that with a slightly older guy. I never felt fully attracted to guys my age in that time, but wouldn’t reach into being half anyone’s age, which now I’m married to a man that is 5 years older than me. We met when we were both in our 20’s, and I’m so happy about that. I know things would’ve gone differently if we had met sooner, but there are reasons the guys I was interested in before him didn’t work out.

[@Fangirl_C]

I truly only watch these videos because your comments are so damn funny. There's just something so charismatic about the way you speak that I absolutely love and it keeps me entertained even if it's 2 hours-long like this one😂 Thank you so much. I only knew about this series because some classmates of mine loved the books back in high school and especially loved Dimitri, and now hearing all your thoughts about it, it is so* funny to me, and I wonder if my classmates now looking back regret their Dimitri phase or if they'll be watching the show adaptation 😂 we'll see.

[@kc_lee_ann]

I just wanna say thank you for making videos like these because I much rather listen to you explain a book to me like a friend then ever attempt to read these - like I wanna know what happened but I cannot be bothered to read ANOTHER vampire book

[@PetraP01]

You know what? Now I want to actually read the series and I like that I know what I'm getting into! Maybe it's because your energy is contagious 😄

[@jenthejen]

listening to or readin this series was so hard for me specifically because of the age-gap/student-teacher thing. as an educator i also find just the idea of it really gross. but i was so interested in your opinions lol and you’re hilarious! you’re a fantastic reviewer

[@emmanuellefabricio2789]

I was obsessed with this series when I read the first time, I loved dimitri and rose yeah they had a age gap but whatever, mind you I was 14, but I reared this year the first two books and omg I cannot tell you how I was sad when I realized the "she's too mature for her age" thing that this too have going on + the slut shaming, it tarnished the memories I had, and now I can't see this relationship as I did anymore, and that's a good thing because it's gross, but I watched the eps for the show and oh boy, the casting is *chef's kiss* and the changes so far are really good, this romitri a can get behind because the chemistry is absolute fire can't wait to see your reaction 💖

[@elleb5154]

LISSA AND CHRISTIAN ARE SUPERIOR AND THANK U FOR SAYING IT 😤

[@katymaurer388]

This is one of those books (and movies) where I read it and then immediately forgot every detail about it

[@angiebangie6372]

i’m commenting while only at about 2 minutes in but when you mentioned bloodlines i thought you HAVE to do a video on that!! i won’t say any spoilers but truly i love that gang of characters and the ships much more AND yep i started clapping and squealing when you mentioned adrian. he rlly is that bitch.

[@Patchouliprince]

I read these books when I was in the 5th grade (RIP to my parents who censored everything I watched but let me read literally anything because books are educational) and I used to think Rose and Dimitri were so cute and I never understood why he was so hesitant to be with an underage student. Now as a full adult with a kid of my own I’m like oh geeze yep okay that was not appropriate

[@bleh170]

THANK YOU IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS

[@ElysiaBrenner]

This has been insanely helpful, thanks! I hope you'll be doing the Bloodline books as well. :D

[@jameiramiller1755]

Didn’t read VA But loved Bloodlines soooo much

[@neivilde.1242]

- 13:50 you are right and you should say it LOUDER!!!! i simply never got the rose and dimitri hype i was like this is a grown man what do you mean??? and christian ozera is such a great guy like please???!! - 31:15 right??? like i was so excited about the show because i was like yes we get to see this world and the politics expanded on, and hopefully way less dimitri and rose, it suffers so much from that! the show so far (4 episodes) has been good at not being over bearing with them i think, or i didn't notice cuz they casted actors that work together where i don't wanna throw up every time they're on screen lmao, but still, my least fave part. - 41:03 i didn't even know when i read this that adrian had a spin off series, but even i knew he was THE guy, i was like i see, we've arrived at this portion of the story lmao. but i was also icky about the age gap, i was like what are you doing mate? - 48:12 the bit where they're all captive is one of the moments that lives in my brain always, because it was the first like big moment i felt that impacted the characters. i'll find myself randomly thinking remember when they all got captured and mason died??? yeah that was fun?! - the ending of book 3 is definitely iconic and one of the highlights of this series for me, like i love christian and rose team ups, and dimitri being turned into a strigoi, power movie indeed. there was a shot in the show of him with blood dripping off his mouth and i was like oop foreshadowing? - 1:30:50 oh i remember hating that part of the book, just because the implications, like ugh it was very icky for me, the whole her losing all sense of anything, it scared me. i was like this is bad, i couldn't explain why at the time but i hated it. - i remember really liking rose's dad, and i think maybe in my head i pictured him as having this very magnus vibe from mortal instruments and i was like yeah he's hot - 2:11:59 because of the change they made in the show with victor, robert and sonya, this whole thing is gonna hit so different and hard when they get to it in the show, like damn i can't wait lmao - 2:19:15 see now i have no idea if this scene is ever happening in the show because of the changes cuz like...i don't wanna spoil but iykyk - i feel the same way, i remember this series very fondly, i loved the world, and when the show got announced i got super excited because they get a second chance to tell this story properly , and so far with 4 episodes out, i have been loving the changes they made, like i do not know if i like the show because i read the books, bu i do not care lmao. and yeah the other part of me was always like what's with the gross age gap and the slut shaming babes? hated that. - i know you just daid you're not one for the big long videos, but i have a book series that ive been waiting for someone to revisit in that format lmao, it's the night world series, that was my shit growing up, it introduced me to the concept of soulmates and i was like yeah no this is it, even though now looking back like they're pretty cheesy, i'm still like but ash though

[@anyamiller9014]

Please do Bloodlines. I loved your video and I personally think you'll like the spinoff series bit more than Vampire Academy, cause I sure did.

[@noavm4090]

i dropped it around book 4 aswell, and even though the age gap between dimitri and rose didn't bother me that much, just didn't care for them at all. christian and lisa had a way better love story. I liked the plots fine back when i read it for the first time around 2018ish, but i also felt like i've outgrown them and maybe it's the ya issue but idk cause i have enjoyed recent ya books so maybe the book felt dated or smth. I enjoyed this long video and at least now i know what the last three books were about. (i just finished reading bloodlines this summer and i liked it.)

[@BonTonBunny]

I love that take on fantasy age gaps and also my thought was if they are trapped in a 17 year old body that means the hormonal aspect, the brain not being fully developed, ect with all the down falls too which makes it more understable for the 16/17 year old to fall for the 200 year old vampire not the nearly fully devolped mature 24 year old man flirting with the child.

[@NORA5693]

Hi, I just wanted to say that I have been really enjoying your reviews/plot summaries/reaction videos! They are so entertaining and insightful, and I just get a kick out of your righteous anger moments when you justly call out all the problematic bullshit that unfortunately still plagues so much of the YA fantasy genre. (I'm an English literary & cultural studies post-graduate student and I feel your pain 😂) Anyway, I really hope you make a long video about Bloodlines soon, because I can't wait to hear you talk more about our best girl Sidney Sage and gush about Sidrian 😉 All the best, Nora

[@fxls5300]

oh i didnt know the show was already so close!! i loved this saga when i was younger and it still kind of holds a place in my heart. i thought it did a relatively good job of tackling heavy themes and putting a different spin on the same vampire trope. i also liked how the entire series was very purposeful - no arc is really a filler, and it all ties back together at the end. so im curious to see some commentary on that again and how i feel about it now. ALSO, i feel you about the rosexdimitri romance. i wouldnt say i dislike him acrively, but i never really cared all that much about their romance.

[@nezzy11]

remember this series from intermediate ❤️ btw your lisp is fricken adorable lol 💓

[@spirytsworldinwords4901]

I read this last year and it’s honestly one of my favorite series!!!!

[@ralucarascanu2728]

I really liked this series way back when, it was one of the first series I ever read, if not the first and it's what got me really into reading in the first place. I still have a soft spot for it because it's the only series I've seen that includes authentic romanian vampire mythology which I always found rly cool. But I never like Rose and Dimitri I always it was a weird dynamic, even back when I was around 14 it made me uncomfortable because not only was he older, he was also her teacher and even if she was 18 it was a big power imbalance. I did enjoy the last 3 books though, mostly because Adrian and Sydney, even if Bloodlines did in fact let me down later on.

[@grandmazambie]

Yesss another long form video to watch while I embroider 🥰

[@Strannik01]

As a Russian, listening to our host pronouncing Slavic names is like... It's not even that they're mangled, they're just so _odd_

[@2000ppg]

This video is a great primer to watch before the Peacock show! I read all of the original series, but I don't remember much apart from the first book (because the movie is literally the book). I forgot about Natalie and Aaron!

[@nananutmuffin7380]

I love this video so much! If you enjoyed making it as much as we love watching pleaseee do more like it

[@illreadwhatshesreading]

loved this vid! I love big deep dives on books so this was a good watch

[@annas4975]

Years ago I also read up to book 4 but couldn't get through it lol. I didn't know that they fixed the age gap thing so I am definitely going to watch the series now

[@violeta3555]

God, for some reason I found this series amazing when I was younger. Hell I remember fantasies about my high school teachers and stuff. But now, and after growing tf up, I realize how sick this is. I really was convinced this was peak romance

[@SabineJansen-j3r]

It is hilarious to hear your hate of Dimitri after having first watched your reactions to the tv adaptation 🤣🤣🤣

[@svp632001]

Bloodlines >>>> Vampire Academy. Thanks for doing this video :)

[@jacquelinelugo5518]

Yesss, Bloodlines was the better series. Sydney is a better main character and you understand why she is the way she is. Also her love for Adrian is just top tier

[@lovelylei7748]

I remember being obsessed with this movie when it came out but never about the books until recently. I’m sat 😂

[@alyssaking3663]

I love your video so much! When I love a book or series 💕📚🌟 I talk about it with friends and my partner. I love sharing all the details of the book and characters so seeing this video is really relatable and wonderful!

[@jennifermitchell1]

I absolutely loved this video!!! It had been a while since I read VA, but I thoroughly enjoyed the series. I know you said you read this to get to Bloodlines and I hope you consider making a similar video for that series as well.

[@nadiajupiter8340]

Yes the childhood Nostalgia I was waiting for you to post your thoughts on VA I’m excited will you also be reviewing the show

[@aggiehulle7391]

You are a fabulous human being full of hot takes and I am here for all of it!

[@TAYBUNBUN]

I love the spinoff so much!! My guilty pleasure :3

[@erin.benincasa9356]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for making this! I remember quitting the series as a teenager at fourth book as well. Re-reading ahead of the show release as an adult was shocking. The Dimitri-Rose relationship was just awful. The show did such an amazing job updating these characters and keeping the beautiful world. I can't wait for the second season. One request: Could you do a bloodlines recap?

[@derlis_whatever7033]

The way I was about to reread all the books to watch the show and you saved me. I was literally 100 pages into VA and was like this isn't as fun as I remember it. The writing is not the best and there are some corny dialogues I'm shook.

[@brightvcupid5301]

i remember being so grossed out by the whole rose-dimitri thing when i read it at 14 that every time they did something sexual i skipped it, for me the high of their relationship was when he was strigoi and ignored her lmao.