Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2)

First Lines: Things die.  But they don’t always stay dead.  Believe me, I know.

I wasn’t kidding yesterday when I said I’m rereading the whole VA series.  Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve actually read these books?  SINCE BEFORE I STARTED THIS BLOG!  It’s partly like rediscovering the magic and it’s partly reconnecting with old friends.  God, I love this.

*Potential Series Spoilers Ahead*

For Rose, her current biggest issue is dealing with the guys in her life.  Her total hottie of a tutor, Dimitri, who Rose is crushing on hard, has his eye on someone else.  And Mason, Rose’s friend, is letting his crush for her be known.  But the worst is when Rose finds herself in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian.  But life gets a lot more complicated at St. Vladimir’s when a nearby Strigoi attack puts the Academy on high alert and forces everyone into a mandatory ski trip over winter break.  Safety is only an illusion here.  When three students run away to get their revenge on the Strigoi, Rose must team up with Christian to bring them back.  This time, though, there’s more at stake than any of them can imagine…

There’s so much that’s good about this one.  I mean, the first book is good, but this one I always tend to like a little more for a few reasons.

Reason 1: Enter Adrian Ivashkov.  After reading the whole Bloodlines series, it’s so funny to go back to this and see how different (and how very very similar) he is to the way he is later.  I love his attitude and personality, even though he constantly annoys Rose.  I can’t believe how much I hated him reading this the first time through!

Reason 2: Increased tension.  In every sense of the word.  With Strigoi upping their attacks, everyone’s nervous.  It makes for an interesting backdrop to the story, one that always seems to flirt with danger without actually doing anything dangerous most of the time.  And then there’s the tension between Dimitri and Rose, which, let’s face it, is why most of us read this book.  So little actually happens in their relationship in the way you really want it to, but they still go through so much.  LOVE

Reason 3: DAT ENDING.  The last like, quarter of this book is just amazeballs.  (You know something is good when I start slipping into slang like this.)  It’s one of those endings where you just totally have no idea how things are going to go.  It’s heartbreaking and emotionally trying, but also manages to be kind of cute?  God, I’m swooning again.

Reason 4: Rose.  This girl goes through such a transformation in this book, both intentionally and unintentionally.  Some of it, like trying to act more mature for Dimitri, is actually kind of comical while still showing her growth as a person.  Other times, like seeing tragedy or having to make snap decisions, show how much she is actually growing.  She’s not as impulsive, but she retains her trademark sass.  And that, my friends, is why Rose Hathaway is my spirit animal.

It’s surprising how magical this whole reread has been.  I totally remembered what happened in the story, but just reconnecting with them is something special.  Oh, and like yesterday, I wanted to share another of my favorite quotes from this book:

“What’s your name?”
“What?” I asked, squinting at the light.
“Your name.” I recognized Dr. Olendzki peering over me.
“You know my name.”
“I want you to tell me.”
“Rose. Rose Hathaway.”
“Do you know your birthday?”
“Of course I do. Why are you asking me such stupid things? Did you lose my records?”
Dr. Olendzki gave an exasperated sigh and walked off, taking the annoying light with her. “I think she’s fine.”

Rose Hathaway, ladies and gentleman.  She’ll be here all week.