Book Review: Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead, Emma Viceli and Leigh Dragoon

Title: Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel

Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novels #1
Pages: 144
Publisher: Penguin
Date of Publication: 23rd August 2011
Source: Publisher
Synopsis from Goodreads: After two years on the run, best friends Rose and Lissa are caught and returned to St. Vladimir's Academy, a private high school for vampires and half-bloods. It's filled with intrigue, danger - and even romance. Enter their dark, fascinating world through a new series of 144-page full-color graphic novels. The entire first Vampire Academy novel has been adapted for book one by Leigh Dragoon and overseen by Richelle Mead, while the beautiful art of acclaimed British illustrator Emma Vieceli brings the story to life.

My Thoughts:
I'd never read a graphic novel before, so this was my first. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great to read a familiar story told in a completely new way. It was great to be reminded of the story from the first VA book and I really hope the rest of the VA series will be released as graphic novels too.

First up, I'll talk about the drawings. Obviously the first thing most people will notice about a graphic novel are the drawings. I thought that the drawings by Emma Vieceli were fabulous, although they didn't look like how I'd imagined the characters to look in my head (because everyone imagines them differently ;) ). My only complaint was that the vampires were meant to be stunningly beautiful, but they were just pretty... But apart from that, all the other characters were drawn really well. Especially Dimitri... *swoon*

Leigh Dragoon did a great job of adapting the story to fit a graphic novel, and there was just enough of the details from VA that a new reader of the series would understand the complex world of Moroi, dhampirs and Strigoi without it slowing down the super fast pace of the book. Some of the emotions and bonding between characters (Lissa and Christian, and Rose and Dimitri) were lost, and it was a shame because at times their relationships felt rushed, but I think I only think that because I've read the actual book which of course is a lot more detailed...

Overall though, Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel is a perfect addition to any VA fans' collections. Whether you've read the books or not, the graphic novel would make perfect sense, and I'm sure it will bing many new readers to the series. It's not one to miss, and I can't wait to read the graphic novel of Frostbite, the second book in the series, and in the future it'd be great if there was a Bloodlines graphic novel too.


*Thank you to the publishers for sending me this in exchange for an honest review. In no way has this affected my opinion of the book.


My Rating:

I give it 4 Feet!

Challenges:
2011 Paranormal YA Reading Challenge #43
2011 100+ Reading Challenge #76