Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (1 star)

There's few books on the Dymocks top 100 I haven't read, and this was one of them. I put it on my list with some trepidation, knowing I was likely to hate it, but also knowing that writing a scathing review is kinda fun too. There's a movie coming out so I decided it was time. Worst case it's another Twilight, best case it's a Sunshine.

It's been so long since I read Twilight I can't say for sure that this is worse, but it's definitely just as bad. Being inside the decidedly empty head of a shallow image-obsessed teenager during the height of teenage he-said-she-said-you-stole-my-boyfriend-lets-spread-rumours is nauseating. This is basically an insipid high-school drama about looking hot, getting boyfriends and backstabbing, with a very light dusting of what could have been an interesting vampire world.

Rose at least has more backbone than Twilight's Bella, but she's a boring follower. Despite her supposedly rebellious outlook she never questions the obvious oppression and servant class status of Dhampirs, and whether the Moroi she loves so much are actually the good guys.

I know I'm not the target audience, but there is far better YA fiction to be had.

1 star