No comments about The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls.

5 comments about The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion.

1. My sister is extremely satisfied with her books, bought the first two for her as a present. She can't wait to read them.



2. I really do love this series! It's a definite must for vampire fans. I didn't like this novel as much as the first one but Smith makes up for it in the ending. I hated how the first book ends in a cliffhanger! Thankfully, this book answers many questions and resolves many issues. A lot of things happen in this novel that keep you on the edge! This is a definite must read if you loved the first novel!



3. WARNING.....SPOILERS FOR VAMPIRE DIARIES BOOK ONE AND TWO
   
   The Fury
   The Fury might be my favorite out of the Vampire Diaries series so far. To me, it is the only one that had a solid ending. There was more action going on in this novel than the others, and also a bigger mystery. I have to admit, I was thrown for a loop.
   
   Elena was killed in the last book, The Struggle. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, because she had both been bitten and fed from Damon and Stefan she becomes a vampire. In the beginning she is lost and confused and tries to kill Stefan. Damon is actually very kind to her and could take advantage of the situation, but does not. He brings her diary to her as she requests and wah-la....her memory is cured and she knows she loves Stefan again. Something quite cheesy in that, but oh well.
   
   Elena realizes there is an Other Power at work. There is something more in Fell's Church than just Damon, Stefan, and Elena. Something much bigger and more dangerous. Elena must convince Stefan and Damon to work together with her to figure out who, or what it is.
   
   I thought the ending was great. The discovery of the Other Power, as I said before, totally threw me. The way the characters work together and the sacrifice that is made is perfect. I did have a few things I questioned in the book. On page 69 (okay...no jokes) it repeats the sentence, "something strange in Fell's Church" twice on the same page, in the last two paragraphs. Is it a big deal, no. Did it bug me, yes. Do things bother me too easily, very possible. Next, in chapters 10 and 11, the townspeople are after Stefan. Damon begins to rescue him, but Elena gets there in the nick of time and grabs the gun away from Mr. Smallwood. Now, I was under the impression that Elena didn't want to be seen my the town because she was supposed to be dead. nothing is said about these people seeing her and nothing seems to come from it. Everyone just forgets the saw her I guess. Seeing a dead person might stick in my memory. So, despite those little things, I enjoyed it.
   
   I'm afraid of what book 4 will bring. Book 3 ended so nicely, I just don't want it all to get cheesy!
   
   Dark Reunion
   I kind of wish the series would have left this book out. It didn't have the same intrigue as the other three books. Yes, there was mystery and suspense, I just didn't care as much. In my opinion, it wasn't even written as well. I caught myself skimming a few times and had to go back and actually read.
   
   ~~~~~WARNING SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-3~~~~~
   
   There is nothing I hate more than reading a spoiler that isn't disclosed. While I'm not giving anything away for this book, Dark Reunion, I can't explain without revealing major things that happen in the other books.
   
   It actually took me the first few chapters to remember and figure out what was happening from the last book. Somehow I forgot Elena was dead. I thought they were talking about her being dead but becoming a vampire. But then I was confused because I thought they all knew she was a vampire. I had to go back and read before I remembered that she died in the tomb. Once I figured that part out, reading was a little easier.
   
   Elena may be dead, but she is in no way silent. She is visiting Bonnie in her dreams, warning her of a dark presence. Bonnie is able to contact Stefan and Damon and bring them back to help defeat whatever is haunting the town.
   
   I have to be honest, I was bored with much of this story. The book finally got exciting towards the end. About the last 5 or 6 chapters. I wanted the story to be more exciting throughout, not just towards the end. That being said, I liked the story as a whole. I know that seems to make very little sense. Let me try to explain a little better; the storyline was good, what happens is a good twist to the series, but I thought it wasn't as well-executed as in the other books. I was actually kind of disappointed at the way the series ended. I thought there were many unanswered questions.
   
   L.J. Smith has now come out with The Vampire Diaries: The Return series. Maybe my questions will be answered?! In 2009 she came out with, Nightfall and Shadow Souls is available for pre-order before it's release on March 16th 2010. One thing I did notice is that the new books are a whopping 608 pages for Shadow Souls and 592 pages for Nightfall in the hardcover editions. YIKES! The other books were roughly half of that.
   
   ~Jenn



4. I first thought about buying this series because of the tv show. After buying it I can seriously say that it has nothoing whatsoever to do with the series. Furthermore, the tv show is far better. Elena, teh main character is completely oblivious about everything around her.
   Story wise it's just a lot of suoernatural ideas colliding with one another without making any sense.
   So if you are looking to buy this series based on what you watch on tv, DON'T. They don't have anything in common...



5. This book was amazing just like the first two and next two after this are just as great. It would have been nice to do the series like the book too, but I understand why they didn't. I can't wait for the next two to come out in march. I'll get that one too and have no doubt that will be just as great.

5 comments about The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle.

1. My sister is extremely satisfied with her books, bought the first two for her as a present. She can't wait to read them.



2. Though I definitely enjoyed reading this, I think it lacks a little in comparison to other Vampire book series. I've read all the Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse books, and with the way those were written, I could really sense the feeling of the characters in the books and get so consumed with the story while reading. This book doesn't completely lack that, but just not the same level as the other books in comparison.
   
   I'd still recommend this as a good read, but I wouldn't place it higher than Twilight or Sookie books. Just my personal opinion though.



3. I admit that I was a little apprehensive before reading this series because it is marketed as a teen novel and I like more mature reads. However, I ended up really liking it! Like others have said, it is very similar to Twilight (although mentioned before, this was published more than ten years before Twilight) but it has differences than Twilight that I like. A definite cliffhanger at the end so be prepared that you'll want to purchase the next book fast! If you love vampire series than this is a definite must read!



4. This book started slow, Elena, the main character, is totally ditzy. After the first few pages the books got even slower. You can add to that the total lack of anything interesting happen. If you happen to watch the series on tv, keep watching it and don't buy the books. They have no relation between each other aside from the names, and the tv series is 10 times more excitong and fun to watch.
   P.S.
   Is it me or did Stephanie Meyer get some of her ideas for Twilight from this series?



5. I do love the Twilight Series, but this series is so much darker. IT IS AWESOME!!! I too am a fan of the television show and got antsy during the break in the season. I had heard that the TV show was different than the books and was very nervous to read the series. I started reading... Now, I love the show and I love the books too. They are very very different but both entertaining with the same core story. For me, it's just additional adventures for Damon, Stefan, and Elena. I must admit that right now it seems like Fells Church has much much more going on then Mystic Falls. But I'm sure that in time the TV show will catch up. Mainly, I just want to convey that this series is very dark and fascinating and pulls you in. But what is wonderful is that its separate from the show and the story stands on its own without being butchered by television (unlike my beloved Sookie).

No comments about Lord Sunday (The Keys To The Kingdom).

5 comments about The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall.

1. I have only read the complete vampire diaries series so far, and given that the author had these years of hiatus, seems that she didnt have time to proof read or edit it correctly.
   The series was never a literary masterpiece but it had that addictive nature that is in other books as well. That characteristic is gone in Nightfall, i couldnt care less about what happened to the characters.
   I have to say that there is potential in this book but badly exploited and developed, plus Elena`s sudden new powers seem taken from a magical girl anime (btw i totally agree with the reviewer commenting that lj smith devoured all of the sailor moon seasons during her writing break). The final showdown is not ammusing, and Damon`s (spoiler alert) sudden humannes has killed his character forever. I did like the idea of the author letting us into Damon`s mind, but now i would have preferred not crossing those boundaries cause his thoughts are stupid and too clitche; better to leave us with the mystery of Damon`s true personality. Caroline was not THAT killed in this book, it could be interpreted that she is a nice (very deep inside) and immature girl who made a terrible mistake by letting in the kitsune and be seduced by them (she was never a smart one). The dialogue between Elena and Stephan is so bad, the "lovely love" thing is irritating at its best. And the suddenly "White Powers" term is too forcefully inserted as if we already know the characters know about it, and Mrs Flowers having these powers was a also badly inserted in the plot. LJ Smith could have given more depth and time to the story in the 5 hundred and more words of the novel so as to build real suspense and mystery and horror, instead of giving horror with gory scenes that only a bad writer would give so as to transmit fear to the readers. Night World fans, i hope your strange fate novel wont be that dissapointing, though i believe so, sorry.
   The only thing good i have to say about this book is 1) bringing kitsune into scene wasnt a bad idea 2) the chasing of Elena by Damon was pretty good until they get into that heavenly place and Elena`s Wings of whatnot appear.. (i dont wanna remember that scene cause it was horrible) 3) the powers of the kitsune of the globe thingie and making the girls act in that pain selfinflicting way wasnt a bad idea as well. AS you may notice, i point that the author has good ideas (ie. theres potential), but all badly developed.
   If you are a reader who knows about quality reading but still enjoys light reading every now and then like these kind of books, AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS. a waste of money and time. This is light AND bad reading.
   ps any typos in here is because my keyboard isnt working well, sorry.



2. I was a little uncertain upon picking up Nightfall, the first book in L.J. Smith's continuation of her wildly popular Vampire Diaries series aptly called The Vampire Diaries: The Return. I had enjoyed the first three volumes of the original series, but book four left me completely cold and, in my opinion, jumped the shark in tremendous fashion.
   
   However, I'm a sucker for a bad boy in black, and had heard that this new series cast its focus on Damon Salvatore rather than his too-good-to-be-interesting brother Stefan. So, I gave it a try.
   
   In the interest of full disclosure, I thought the first quarter of the book was just horrible. I almost put it down. But then the book took a pleasantly surprising turn. The result is a book that is probably better than all of the previous Vampire Diaries novels that came before it, and much scarier than anything else I've read by Smith.
   
   Nightfall picks up about one week after the conclusion of Vampire Diaries book 4. Elena is a spirit newly returned to Earth after sacrificing herself to save Damon and Stefan. She's not a vampire, and not a human, either. What she is is a being charged with white magic, childlike, innocent and full of blood irresistably intoxicating and powerful to any vampire. Stefan and Elena have been reunited, and plan to make a new life together away from Fell's Church.
   
   However, the rest of the Scooby gang is back, too, and the book quickly reverts back to the structure established in the fourth novel. Like that book, the action and plot drama in Nightfall reminded me quite a bit of an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- the "gang" all working together to solve a mystery threatening the town, with the help of a witch, a couple of vampires and a heroine recently back from the dead.
   
   I will say, though, I thought Smith's "big bad" in this novel was unique and interesting, and Nightfall is full of some genuinely scary imagery and ideas. I loved the evolution of Damon throughout the novel, too. As a character, his journey of falling in love with Elena is so much more believable and genuine than the relationship between Stefan and Elena. Elena is a more interesting character, too -- she's come a long way from the self-centered and stuck-up girl we met in the first book. Smith also tries to further develop Bonnie, Elena's Celtic witch friend, but she continues to annoy me. She's one of those scream-and-faint girls that continue to pop up in horror novels. I keep waiting for her to have a defining moment that makes me like her -- maybe in the next book, Shadow Souls.
   
   Overall, if you enjoyed Vampire Diaries, you should take a chance on this new series. It's a meaty 600+ pages, but is NOT an omnibus edition of several shorter books, just one long text. The book does leave readers with something of a cliffhanger ending, however, which I'm looking forward to sorting out when Shadow Souls comes out next month.



3. After reading the first four books I was greatly disappointed in the fifth book. The first two in the series were definitely my favorite and I felt the third and fourth books started to get a little strange. This book goes above and beyond strange! It jumps around so much and introduces so many different things, it's hard to keep anything straight. I found myself almost falling asleep in some parts and having to re-read over certain paragrahs. Ms.Smith should have just stopped at the fourth book. I'm still debating if I want to read the sixth book when it comes out. If it's anything like this one it will be a waste of money.



4. Great book if you want something different from Twilight. Kept me totally engaged and completely obsessed!!



5. What I felt while reading the book was pure agony. I wish LJ Smith did not start writing another book for the series after 20 years. She tried too hard to be original and it was disturbing. Her use of "intelligent" words did not make the desired effect at all. I wish she put more emphasis on punctuations and descriptions rather than using original words or French Japanese phrases (did not bother to put the translations at the bottom of the page).
   
   I was actually happy to finish the book since it was full of nonsense. Stephen calling Elena "my lovely love" and no sex but just drinking blood was so cheesy. And I found all this crap about wings of purification, redemption etc. or self destructive young girls, absurd and ridiculous.

5 comments about Night World No. 2: Dark Angel; The Chosen; Soulmate.

1. every bit as good as the twilight series.
   dont miss out on a real page turner.
   a series you really dont want to miss.



2. How should I start this off? I'm glad to say that it's great to see L.J. Smith back to writing again after a long hiatus. Dark Angel, the first story in the second Night World omnibus, centers around a girl name Gillian who experiences near death. After coming back to life, little does she know that she now has a "guardian angel" name Angel, who may be more than what he appears to be. This is not the best story, as L.J.has stated that Dark Angel was written in her high school years, but it's pretty decent nonetheless, and takes time to thoroughly enjoy it.
   
   The Chosen, and Soulmate, initially have better story and plot lines than Dark Angel. Other than that, I highly recommend this to any L.J. Smith reader or for those who want to start out reading Night World.



3. Liked it better than the first set; characters are lovable and it's a fantastic read



4. not as good as some of the other books I have read but not bad either. Make your own opinions.



5. This is a combination of my individual reviews for Night World 4: Dark Angel, Night World 5: The Chosen, and Night World 6: Soulmate.
   
   I would give this collection a 3-3.5 out of 5. Smith continues her Night World series with Gillian and a guardian angel, Rashel the vampire-hunter with a vampire soulmate, and Hannah and Thierry, the original soulmates.
   
   ===
   
   Night World #4: Dark Angel, by L. J. Smith
   
   At first "Dark Angel" doesn't seem like a typical Night World book. Gillian Lennox is a normal teenager; someone that many teen girls could probably relate too. She's not one of the popular crowd but instead is a shy outcast. Her two goals in life are somewhat superficial: she wants to be popular, and she wants David Blackburn to love her. But then who wasn't superficial when they were a teen?
   
   Gillian's introduction to the Night World comes when she has a near death experience. On her way home from school, she goes into the snowy woods after she thinks she hears a child crying. Instead she falls into a creek and hypothermia sets in. But she's rescued by Angel, a celestial being who guides Gillian back to the road. But Angel turns out to be more than just a lifesaver, as he starts to help Gillian fulfill her goals. He whispers the secrets of popularity in her ear, helping a shy girl transform into a vivacious butterfly. But as Gillian's status increases at school, she starts to become suspicious of her guardian angel...who is he really? And what does he want with David?
   
   The Night World connection in this book is tenuous, but it does make sense. After all, in a world populated with werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural creatures, it's natural that spirits would exist as well. So far Gillian is probably the most identifiable of all the protagonists in the Night World books, as she's your everyday teenage girl who finds out that there's a secret world...and she's part of it. How many of us have wished for that? I know I have.
   
   For me, "Dark Angel" is a solid chapter in the Night World series, but it doesn't really stand out, but then it isn't bad either. It's a good story of growth.
   
   3/5.
   
   ===
   
   Night World #5: The Chosen, by L. J. Smith
   
   When she's 5 years old, Rashel sees her mother and her friend killed by a vampire. The vampire tries to get her as well, but even at 5 she's strong enough to resist his mind control. Fast forward twelve years and Rashel is a vampire hunter, existing on the fringes of the Day and the Night worlds, keeping humans safe.
   
   Rashel is a very strong character, comfortable in her body and determined because of her past. She's a great fighter and has a sense of honor. When she and a group of vampire hunters capture a vampire, the others want to torture him, but Rashel can't stomach torturing a defenseless being, even if he is a vampire. So she decides to let him go...and then discovers he's her soulmate. To add to the mix, the vampire is Quinn, known throughout the Night World as one of the most soulless, human-hating vampires around.
   
   While Rashel is one of my favorite Night World characters, I find the plot of this book a little weak. Rashel stumbles into a Night World slave trade of humans when she rescues a blonde bunny, but then Daphne, the girl she helps, is willing to risk her life to help Rashel take down the operation. The ending is very abrupt as well, without taking care of some loose ends that I would've liked to see resolved. But overall "The Chosen" fits very nicely into the Night World series, and uses the soulmate principle that ties all the books together very nicely. Rashel and Quinn are iconic of the opposites attract cliche, but it works for them and they grow over the short time period of the book. I really want to see more of them.
   
   3/5.
   
   ===
   
   Night World 6: Soulmate, by L. J. Smith
   
   Hannah Snow has the perfect life - she's about to graduate from high school, she already has a college scholarship, and she even knows that she wants to be a paleontologist. But her perfect life starts to collapse when she finds notes that she doesn't remember writing, warning her of a dire event - "Dead Before Seventeen."
   
   Increasingly disturbed by the notes and bad dreams, Hannah visits a psychiatrist. On her very first appointment, a werewolf crashes into the building and tries to attack her, but a mysterious voice in her head helps her dodge each claw swipe. She's saved by the arrival of a second werewolf, who chases off the first.
   
   Knowing that she has to get to the root of what's going on, Hannah and the psychiatrist try hypnosis, and she's plunged into a vision of a past life, where she was Hana, and a strange boy with blood around his mouth appears in her village...
   
   Thierry is one of the oldest vampires in the world, created at the dawn of humanity. He's spent his lifetime searching for his soulmate, trying to find her before her 17th birthday so he can break a cycle of death. But when he finds her this time, she doesn't want his help...
   
   "Soulmate" is my favorite Night World book. Coming 6th in the series, it exemplifies the soulmate principle Smith has used in each previous book, because Hannah and Thierry are the original soulmates. Hannah's past lives are a great plot device, because it allows Smith to give her lots of growth and abilities; and I really enjoy the stories of her past lives. I wish Smith had done more with that, she alludes to some interesting incarnations of Hannah but only fills in a few. Like other Night World heroines, Hannah's no wilting flower and she does take matters into her own hands when she needs to. Also in "Soulmate" Smith starts to introduce a bigger theme if classic theme, saving the world, and it'll be interesting to see where she takes it.
   
   If you read any of the other in the Night World series, this book will also give a good update on what your favorite couples are up to, and what they are trying to do.
   
   4/5.

5 comments about Night World No. 3: Huntress, Black Dawn, Witchlight.

1. This book is great. I absolutely think that the Night World series is wonderfully written and it's also one of my all-time faves.



2. Book was for my daughter and she's already finished it, great christmas gift, excellent seller too!



3. every bit as good as the twilight series.
   a real page turner and a series you
   really dont want to miss.



4. I love the whole series .... can't wait for the next one to be published.



5. Loved this series and can't wait for the next one, easty to read and characters are lovable; love the author

5 comments about Night World No. 1: Secret Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Spellbinder.

1. I loved the entire series and cant wait until the release of the newest book. Highly recommend them as they are an easy read and offer new stories in each book.



2. The whole series (Night World No. 1, 2, 3) are AMAZING!!!!! I haven't read the 4th one yet, but I'm sure it's stunning too. These books are much better than Twilight saga. Out of the three books in this volume, I probably like Secret Vampire the most. It's a hard choice . . . You'll fall in love with the characters and the books.



3. I've been a fan of the Nightworld series since I was 14 in 1998, long before twilight's popularity made vampire books trendy and allowed the reprinting of all these books! I used to scour used bookstores hoping to find some of L.J. Smith's work. I read the entire series over and over again--No other vampire series has stirred my imagination quite like this one, teen and adult books alike.
   
   This trilogy contains the first three books of the series, Secret Vampire, Daughters of Darkness, and Spellbinder (sidenote: I had bought a copy of the British version of Spellbinder, which was renamed named Enchantress. I actually special ordered the British versions in 1999, purely on the reason that in the late 90s, the covers of the American versions of these books were rather embarrassing to be seen reading. They looked like bizarre fantasy books, and the British printings were a bit more reasonably done. Although I actually like the old covers now for their silliness, they were embarrassing for a teenager to be seen reading in a tiny school in the south. If you want to see what they look like, do a search online. Be very thankful that they reprinted them with these great dark, pretty covers now!)
   
   Back to the review: These books were some of my favorites of the series, with amazing characters. Poppy & James' story in the first book, Secret Vampire, is a great story with quite a bit of action. We're also introduced to one of the favorite characters in this series, the rather legendary Ash. The second book is all about Ash...the events in the second book are really quite incredible, and have a rather unusual ending for a love story. The ending of the book led to countless fan fictions online, and much discussion. Ash continues to make appearances in other Nightworld books, and is such a great character, I'm incredibly excited to find out what happens to him in the last installment of this series (due to be printed in march 2010....12 years after I read the first book!).
   
   The last book is one of my absolute favorites. It introduces the reader to the witchcraft aspect of this series with the story of two beautiful sisters, Thea and Blaise. In Nightworld, witches have is a matriarchal society based loosely on actual witchcraft. While the spells and items they use will seem familiar to anyone who has studied Wicca, L.J. Smith has woven a complex history and society to set these witches in. In fact, she's created an entirely new society in general, the Nightworld, with it's own laws, histories, and rulers. Vampires are done differently than in any other book (Vampires can be born or made by other vampires). Werewolves, shape-shifters, and ghosts exist as well.
   
   I would strongly recommend this book to anyone (teen or adult) who likes a good paranormal romance tale, or even just a good dark fantasy/horror book. Over the years, I've gotten several friends to read the series, and everyone's loved it. It's a great series and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have.



4. If you like the twilight series for the complex relationship issues youll love this series. I'm not much into the romance side of these stlye books but the story line is gripping. recommend buying all three collections at once cause you wont want to stop. Eagerly awaiting the next book



5. the book is 5 stars anyday. the caracters are very very well developed the plot is so well thought out and plannd to the point where u think there just no way out also there is the perfect balance of love anguish and evil. this book easily out done twilight even though twilight gets a hell of a lot of their ideas from this author and uses it as its own but doesnt do a good job.

5 comments about The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle.

1. I'm really getting into The Vampire Diaries, despite my initial misgivings with The Awakening. I really like how this story is turning out. I like how all of the characters' motivation is so clear, at least it seems to be. I can't wait to find out what happens with Stephen, Damon and Elena. I'm also really enjoying Bonnie's ability. The evilness of Caroline and Tyler brings a normal problem to a supernatural situation and I felt that worked very well.
   
   The Struggle had a better sense of finality than The Awakening. It feels like a full story, left slightly open-ended to allow for another book to follow. Instead of being separate books in a series, these books seem like all parts of the same book. I read this book immediately after The Awakening and it seems as though these books are best read one right after the other.



2. My 11 year old daughter is hooked on vampires but some of the books out there are just too mature for her so I heard about this series and thought I would read it first to be sure it wasn't too dirty for a young girl. I really enjoyed it and so did she. We are hooked to this series.



3. This book was as good as the first one, if not better. I really liked Stefan and Elena's relationship in the book.
   The book starts off with Elena yelling for Damon, Stefan's evil brother. Shocking, I know! She is yelling for him because he has taken Stefan somewhere and Elena can't find him. She only knows that he is in trouble.
   Elena goes through quit a bit of trouble in this book. She get her diary stolen, only to find out that it was someone she thought was her friend took it to get back at her. Also, Damon, Stefan's brother keeps getting into her head and talks her into doing things that she doesn't want to do. He wants to steal Elena away from Stefan. And at the end of the book she gets into a car accident which makes the ending totally awesome! Sounds weird saying it, but you have to read the book!
   I actually found myself rooting for Damon at the end of the book. I think his "powers" came out of the book and worked on me. :) But before I finished I was rooting for Stefan again.



4. I purchased this book along with The Awakening for my daughter as part of her Christmas gifts. She had asked for both. When I received the book, I should have checked it over carefully. Having always been pleased with Amazon purchases, I quickly wrapped the books for her to open Christmas morning. Much to our dismay, this book has several torn pages and is missing pages 47 through 50 something. Of course I purchased it in Nov. so the 30 day return time is past. I realize it is my fault for not double checking my order, but I do hope everyone else will always check theirs and not do like me assuming things will always be good. My daughter was terribly disappointed and so was I. I now have a book no one will want.



5. I finished the second story in the series, "The Struggle" yesterday but didn't have a chance to record any thoughts. I'm not quite sure how to go about doing so without giving spoilers to readers who plan to read the books but haven't read them yet. That said, if you dislike spoilers this is a review to skip.
   
   I can see why these stories would appeal to young adult readers, and high school girls in particular, who are able to consider meeting the man they will spend their life with in high school. Not the most realistic, but a common fantasy. (At this point I feel like I need to mention that I actually did marry my high school boyfriend, but not until after we had broken up and had a bunch of life experiences on our own. We got back together towards the end of college.) Elena seems so dead set on being with Stefan forever even knowing that he is a vampire and his forever is different than hers. She does not seem to entertain thoughts of becoming like him, just marrying him and living happily ever after. I feel pretty confident in my prediction of who is the third power in Fell's Church, but that may be because it was made too obvious. I do have some questions about Stefan's landlady and her behavior.
   
   As I was reading a continued distraction for me is the difference in how the characters are described in the book versus the TV series. It shouldn't matter, but it is distracting. I was caught off guard by the ending without revealing how the story ended.

5 comments about The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening.

1. I loved this book, it is better than the TV series although I love that as well. There is alot more happening in the book, you almost wish you were there in it. I love the way Stephan is a stronger vampire in this book and he is using humans for blood, in the TV series he never does that.
   
   I would love to see the books over here in Australia......



2. The Awakening is your average vampire novel. Everything was heating up nicely and it looked like the book was going to be some thing to get excited about. Elena is self-centered. Stephen is a tortured soul. Damon is sadistic. Put the three of them together and watch the fireworks. Just when you got to what should have been the climax of the story, the book abruptly stopped. There was nothing more, the book just ended.
   
   I get that The Awakening is the first book in the series and that the ending is supposed to entice the reader to pick up the next book. Unfortunately, that's not what happened here. The book is incomplete. It's as thought the last couple of pages were torn out. It ended with the promise of action instead of any form of resolution or conclusion. I don't expect a series to tie up all the lose ends in every book, but I do expect a complete story.
   
   What there was of the story was good. It felt as though things were really going to get exciting. They still may, later in the series. The Awakening is only worthwhile to read if you are willing to commit to the next book, if not the entire series. I was already planning on reading the series, start to finish, but I'm afraid all of the books are going to have the same problem. The book was good, not great. A book can't be great without an ending.



3. I have read this book first couple of chapters. It is alot different than the series on tv. It is interesting.



4. I loved this book. It starts off with Elena's first diary entry. She thinks that something bad is going to happen. The book starts off good and strong on the first page.
   When Stefan comes to Robert E Lee High School, Elena must have him. But there is one problem, Stefan is doing everything in his power to ignore her. This just makes Elena more determined to get him. She even uses her ex, Matt to help her.
   The book get's even better when Stefan tells Elena his secret. I wanted to share a paragraph that I liked in the book. It is on page 57 and it is the last paragraph. It is describing the cemetary. I love the description of it and this paragraph shows how detailed and wonderful L.J. Smith's writing is.
   
   "The moon had not risen, and she could just make out the graveyard and Wickery Bridge beyond it. The old graveyard dated from Civil War days, and many of the headstones bore the names of soldiers. It had a wild look to it; brambles and tall weeds grew on the graves, and ivy vines swarmed over crumbling granite. Elena had never liked it."
   
   This paragraph makes me smile and gives me chills. I love the detail of the cemetary, I felt like I was there.
   Can't wait to read the rest of the series.



5. I find the series entretaining and the caracters well discribed. There are things constantly happening which the caracters have to solve. A lot of accion wich makes you want to continue reading until the weeeeeee hours.
   The plot is fine and vampires seam to be far away from Boris Karlof. You must enjoy fiction and the paranormal to want to read this series. I personally do so I recomend it for those who belive that everything is possible. Carina