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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
I think it's a good TV series but it's a terrible book series. Really. I readed this Hungarian so maybe the reason is the translation, but there were a lot of "and" word, in this happened nothing, so... I don't know, I don't like it in Hungarian. I was bored when I readed.
In a strange twist, I actually like the tv show better than the book. Book Elena is annoying, whereas tv show Elena is sad and vulnerable.
I completed the novels some years ago, but in doing a comparison to the television series for my blog I gave them a second read…
I did like the darkness in the novels, especially in the debut, and the premise of the story has great potential. There are a great many elements I find intriguing in L.J. Smith’s books, but ultimately it was their execution, and possibly the writing style that fell short of making Stefan and company compelling for me.
Maybe I’ve grown out of any fascination for Smith’s world?
I will say I like the characters of Stefan and Damon who are wicked and mysterious; and even though they are aged vampires, they still manage to connect and project a lot of teen angst. As for Elena, she’s innocent, wounded and ballsy.
The style of the novels is more for a tween market as evident in the narrative, resulting in an easy and fast read. Though there are a great many unpredictable plot twists that kept me entertained.
An okay read, but nothing I would recommend to anyone over the age of fourteen.
I did like the darkness in the novels, especially in the debut, and the premise of the story has great potential. There are a great many elements I find intriguing in L.J. Smith’s books, but ultimately it was their execution, and possibly the writing style that fell short of making Stefan and company compelling for me.
Maybe I’ve grown out of any fascination for Smith’s world?
I will say I like the characters of Stefan and Damon who are wicked and mysterious; and even though they are aged vampires, they still manage to connect and project a lot of teen angst. As for Elena, she’s innocent, wounded and ballsy.
The style of the novels is more for a tween market as evident in the narrative, resulting in an easy and fast read. Though there are a great many unpredictable plot twists that kept me entertained.
An okay read, but nothing I would recommend to anyone over the age of fourteen.
I listened to it via audiobook and it was very different to the series but I liked it. I feel like I need to read the next three.
3.5 stars.
It was an OK book in the beginning, then in the middle it became very slow. Very boring. Dragged on, I felt. Then in the end, things are speeding up and BAM! The book is over! What the hell!? Like everything just starts getting juicy and interesting and Elena just stops being such a pain in the ass. And Voila! Book is over!
It was an OK book in the beginning, then in the middle it became very slow. Very boring. Dragged on, I felt. Then in the end, things are speeding up and BAM! The book is over! What the hell!? Like everything just starts getting juicy and interesting and Elena just stops being such a pain in the ass. And Voila! Book is over!
Read this in high school and really enjoyed it! That's about all I can remember.
Book: The Awakening
Rating: 4/5 stars
I had high hopes for this book because I LOVED the TV series, and well the books are /usually/ better. This book is so cheesy, you could use it to make yourself a grilled cheese sandwich.
Being a fan of the TV SERIES I found myself able to completely disconnect the characters and story from the book from the series for various reasons. The first reason being the characters are so different.
Elena is a spoiled, and entitled little brat. It's incredibly hard to relate to her, but it's comical how much attention she thinks she deserves. She is the queen bee of her school, and gets seriously angry when the new guy, Stefan, doesn't pay any attention to her. And I'm Stefan's own words she is "quite underdeveloped". Whomp. Whomp.
Without really knowing anything about one another they are magically drawn to each other, in a super obsessive way, and I can't help but laugh at how "in love" they are with each other after a matter of spending all of like 6 hours with each other. Twilight fans will surely see a strong parallel between the Elena/Stefan relationship and the Bella/Edward relationship.
The edition I read promised a love triangle in its description, yet we hardly get to experience Damons character, let alone see any relationship developments between him and Elena. The dialogue is written in such a way that it presents itself like an after school special written clearly written by adults but meant to cater to teens, yet it doesn't quite work.
Book: The Struggle
Rating: 4/5
No SERIOUS spoilers
Continuing directly from "Awakening" Elena finds herself screaming for Damon to appear so she can confront him about Stefan's whereabouts. He appears and Elena gets what's seems to be her first real look at him. He looks like Stefan, with the same dark hair, pale skin and good looks. Taking it in she sees unlike Stefan his hair is straight, his eyes are "black as midnight" and he has a "cruel smile".
While she is trying to confront him about the murders and trying to get Damon to share Stefan's location- Damon uses his Power to try and make Elena forget Stefan and draw her in to him. Elena is strong and manages to resist him which just seems to make him more interested in her and her strength. He offers her the Power, eternal life and fulfilled desires trying to convince her that it will satisfy her. When she refuses Damon tells her that she will change her mind, and to not bother looking for Stefan, as he has killed him.
Bonnie is starting to develop her own psychic powers, and so far is one of the most likable characters in the series other than Matt. That being said, Matt seems easily manipulated and like he is definitely under Elena's thumb, and would probably jump off of Wickery Bridge if she asked him to.
Meredith seems like and unnecessary character as of right now, and was probably only added to help expand the ever popular Elena's friend group- either that or Smith just didn't feel like developing the character in any way shape or form.
Introducing Alaric. The new history teacher who takes over when the previous one is killed by Damon. He starts off his class by making the students talk about what happened, as if he is some type of grief counselor. I can't help but feel he is already crossing a line, and he's only taken over for all of 2 minutes . Then he takes it one step further by inviting them to come talk after school at the place he is staying at.
Elena still feels strongly connected to Stefan, even more so after he feeds from her. She thinks that knowing his secret has brought them even closer together. I have yet to find much of anything for them to build a relationship on, but my inner teen fan girl keeps jumping up and down happy that they are so "in love". I still find it concerning how quickly and easily she trusts him and honestly believes he will never hurt her.
Caroline and Tyler are out for revenge against Elena and Stefan. Damon is out to weasel his way into Elena's life. Aunt Judith is charmed by Damon. Chaos ensues!
Book: The Fury
Rating: 4/5
Continuing directly from "The Struggle" Elena finds herself being drawn to the brothers during their fight. She starts to notice changes in her bodies perceptions such as not feeling the cold from the storm, and a nocturnal sense of vision being able to focus in the dark. She could sense their anger and hostility. She felt drawn in, drawn by him to help and protect him.
The first chapter is intense. You feel the pull from the story and know "this is where it's going to get GOOD".
There is further character development of Bonnie, as well as Meredith. We also get a look into this strange Alaric person who has come to take over teaching history. We learn a little more about Damon, but he still isn't what I would consider a main character.
Elena is starting to become more likable and caring, so she is more relatable than in previous books.
This is book is where the story really starts to get some meat on its bones and delivers a delicious climax, and you most certainly won't be disappointed. I was very surprised when finding out the identity of the Other Power. Overall I give it 3.5/5 stars and I can't wait to read the next one in the series.
Book: Dark Reunion
Rating: 5/5
It's been 6 months or so since the last events in "The Fury". We are met with Bonnie being pressured into keeping a secret that Caroline is throwing Meredith a surprise party. They seem to be friends again, and Bonnie seems to think it's possible Caroline has grown up, and matured since the last 3 books. Bonnie is being plagued by nightmares of Elena, in which it seems that Elena is trying to tell Bonnie something- but she can't make it out and wakes up in fear.
With the events at the end of the previous book, the story is mainly being told from Bonnie's point of view which is quite refreshing. I found Elena to be rather snotty and immature, where as Bonnie is far more likable. The story remains fast paced from the beginning to the end making it even easier to complete than the first three.
This book is very fast paced and full of action through every turn. It would have made sense to combine all 4 books into one giant book, and this would have been the epic climax. I was very surprised with the villains, even though hints were dropped not only in this book, but in previous books as well.
I wish we had some more of Alaric as I was really enjoying his character and would have liked to see his relationship with Meredith develop further.
Meredith's character as a whole is still lacking development in my opinion. It's almost likely they could have cut her out of the story completely and it still would have been just fine, except for a few major points to help progress the plot.
The one small statement I would like to make that does compare against the TV SERIES is that I swear Matt always gets the short end of the stick. I can't help but feel sorry for him.
The ending was suspenseful, and I nearly had tears in my eyes. The story (within these 4 books) was great. I would definitely read them again.
Random Thoughts While Reading:
- I would like to see Damon and Bonnie together. It makes more sense than Damon and Elena as Bonnie has had more interaction with him.
- Matt seems a little possessive of Bonnie, maybe he's into her too. They would also make a good match.
- I still don't understand where a love triangle is a big plot. I went into this thinking there was going to be love drama, and was handed action a supernatural entities.
Can I just say that I HATE the original covers? I usually never buy tie in editions, but I couldn't bear to put the old homely editions on my self. I also hated how they did 2 new editions that included 2 books each. I like to read my books one at a time, and why have to carry around more pages than I have to.
This rating and review is based solely on my immediate feelings upon completion of the book, and is in no way meant to be in comparison with the TV series or other books I have read. Anyone expecting these to be like the TV series will be upset as the story and characters are very different.
Rating: 4/5 stars
I had high hopes for this book because I LOVED the TV series, and well the books are /usually/ better. This book is so cheesy, you could use it to make yourself a grilled cheese sandwich.
Being a fan of the TV SERIES I found myself able to completely disconnect the characters and story from the book from the series for various reasons. The first reason being the characters are so different.
Elena is a spoiled, and entitled little brat. It's incredibly hard to relate to her, but it's comical how much attention she thinks she deserves. She is the queen bee of her school, and gets seriously angry when the new guy, Stefan, doesn't pay any attention to her. And I'm Stefan's own words she is "quite underdeveloped". Whomp. Whomp.
Without really knowing anything about one another they are magically drawn to each other, in a super obsessive way, and I can't help but laugh at how "in love" they are with each other after a matter of spending all of like 6 hours with each other. Twilight fans will surely see a strong parallel between the Elena/Stefan relationship and the Bella/Edward relationship.
The edition I read promised a love triangle in its description, yet we hardly get to experience Damons character, let alone see any relationship developments between him and Elena. The dialogue is written in such a way that it presents itself like an after school special written clearly written by adults but meant to cater to teens, yet it doesn't quite work.
Book: The Struggle
Rating: 4/5
No SERIOUS spoilers
Continuing directly from "Awakening" Elena finds herself screaming for Damon to appear so she can confront him about Stefan's whereabouts. He appears and Elena gets what's seems to be her first real look at him. He looks like Stefan, with the same dark hair, pale skin and good looks. Taking it in she sees unlike Stefan his hair is straight, his eyes are "black as midnight" and he has a "cruel smile".
While she is trying to confront him about the murders and trying to get Damon to share Stefan's location- Damon uses his Power to try and make Elena forget Stefan and draw her in to him. Elena is strong and manages to resist him which just seems to make him more interested in her and her strength. He offers her the Power, eternal life and fulfilled desires trying to convince her that it will satisfy her. When she refuses Damon tells her that she will change her mind, and to not bother looking for Stefan, as he has killed him.
Bonnie is starting to develop her own psychic powers, and so far is one of the most likable characters in the series other than Matt. That being said, Matt seems easily manipulated and like he is definitely under Elena's thumb, and would probably jump off of Wickery Bridge if she asked him to.
Meredith seems like and unnecessary character as of right now, and was probably only added to help expand the ever popular Elena's friend group- either that or Smith just didn't feel like developing the character in any way shape or form.
Introducing Alaric. The new history teacher who takes over when the previous one is killed by Damon. He starts off his class by making the students talk about what happened, as if he is some type of grief counselor. I can't help but feel he is already crossing a line, and he's only taken over for all of 2 minutes . Then he takes it one step further by inviting them to come talk after school at the place he is staying at.
Elena still feels strongly connected to Stefan, even more so after he feeds from her. She thinks that knowing his secret has brought them even closer together. I have yet to find much of anything for them to build a relationship on, but my inner teen fan girl keeps jumping up and down happy that they are so "in love". I still find it concerning how quickly and easily she trusts him and honestly believes he will never hurt her.
Caroline and Tyler are out for revenge against Elena and Stefan. Damon is out to weasel his way into Elena's life. Aunt Judith is charmed by Damon. Chaos ensues!
Book: The Fury
Rating: 4/5
Continuing directly from "The Struggle" Elena finds herself being drawn to the brothers during their fight. She starts to notice changes in her bodies perceptions such as not feeling the cold from the storm, and a nocturnal sense of vision being able to focus in the dark. She could sense their anger and hostility. She felt drawn in, drawn by him to help and protect him.
The first chapter is intense. You feel the pull from the story and know "this is where it's going to get GOOD".
There is further character development of Bonnie, as well as Meredith. We also get a look into this strange Alaric person who has come to take over teaching history. We learn a little more about Damon, but he still isn't what I would consider a main character.
Elena is starting to become more likable and caring, so she is more relatable than in previous books.
This is book is where the story really starts to get some meat on its bones and delivers a delicious climax, and you most certainly won't be disappointed. I was very surprised when finding out the identity of the Other Power. Overall I give it 3.5/5 stars and I can't wait to read the next one in the series.
Book: Dark Reunion
Rating: 5/5
It's been 6 months or so since the last events in "The Fury". We are met with Bonnie being pressured into keeping a secret that Caroline is throwing Meredith a surprise party. They seem to be friends again, and Bonnie seems to think it's possible Caroline has grown up, and matured since the last 3 books. Bonnie is being plagued by nightmares of Elena, in which it seems that Elena is trying to tell Bonnie something- but she can't make it out and wakes up in fear.
With the events at the end of the previous book, the story is mainly being told from Bonnie's point of view which is quite refreshing. I found Elena to be rather snotty and immature, where as Bonnie is far more likable. The story remains fast paced from the beginning to the end making it even easier to complete than the first three.
This book is very fast paced and full of action through every turn. It would have made sense to combine all 4 books into one giant book, and this would have been the epic climax. I was very surprised with the villains, even though hints were dropped not only in this book, but in previous books as well.
I wish we had some more of Alaric as I was really enjoying his character and would have liked to see his relationship with Meredith develop further.
Meredith's character as a whole is still lacking development in my opinion. It's almost likely they could have cut her out of the story completely and it still would have been just fine, except for a few major points to help progress the plot.
The one small statement I would like to make that does compare against the TV SERIES is that I swear Matt always gets the short end of the stick. I can't help but feel sorry for him.
The ending was suspenseful, and I nearly had tears in my eyes. The story (within these 4 books) was great. I would definitely read them again.
Random Thoughts While Reading:
- I would like to see Damon and Bonnie together. It makes more sense than Damon and Elena as Bonnie has had more interaction with him.
- Matt seems a little possessive of Bonnie, maybe he's into her too. They would also make a good match.
- I still don't understand where a love triangle is a big plot. I went into this thinking there was going to be love drama, and was handed action a supernatural entities.
Can I just say that I HATE the original covers? I usually never buy tie in editions, but I couldn't bear to put the old homely editions on my self. I also hated how they did 2 new editions that included 2 books each. I like to read my books one at a time, and why have to carry around more pages than I have to.
This rating and review is based solely on my immediate feelings upon completion of the book, and is in no way meant to be in comparison with the TV series or other books I have read. Anyone expecting these to be like the TV series will be upset as the story and characters are very different.
They were great, very different to the TV series though.