When I was in 9th grade, I went through a huge adjustment. High school was incredibly demanding and extremely difficult at first. I had buckets of homework and loads of stress to accompany it. I turned to reading as a comfort, something to help me escape from school's pressures and workload. In September 2012 I discovered the highly popular
Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. I binged the series in under a month. I was so drawn to the hilarious and badass Rose Hathaway. I loved following her narrative. She fought off deadly vampires, fiercely protected her best friend, and held her own against the petty drama at school. The secondary characters are just as lovable, and the romances are so swoony!