The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle: Book 2 (The Vampire Diaries: The Return)

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Although the Vampire Diaries precedes Meyer’s Twilight Saga, it’s impossible not to compare the two series, and I have to say that I much prefer Twilight. There was supposed to be action/suspense, but I didn't think it ever got that exciting. The author isn't that great of a writer (I've heard from those who have read her stuff that in the later books her writing improves) but I found Elena's diary entries too angsty "I can't bear the thought of losing him","we didn't touch each other much-we didn't-but we talked and looked at each other a lot. I want to touch him. More than any boy I've ever known." There's also a point where the bad brother vampire Damon refers to Elena as a "beauteous damsel"-beauteous?? Ooh-you really seem scary now!!

Elena is the most popular girl in school, her boyfriend Matt a classic all-American sporty, nice boy. Then she sees the new boy, Stefan, dark, sensual, and totally oblivious to her. She determines to have him, and promptly gets rid of Matt. There are a few complications, though: one, Stefan is a vampire from the Italian renaissance period; two, she looks a lot like Katherine, the girl he was in love with who made him a vampire before killing herself, thinking he and his brother Damon, whom she also converted, would then stop fighting over her; and three, Damon is also in the city, and he has his sights set on Elena. Okay, but, see, I might still watch the TV series. Just one episode to see whether it's as bad. Um. Right. Well. Onward. What it boiled down to for me: A teen vampire novel populated with obnoxious, under-developed characters and a plot that just screams "OH LOOK AT ME AND MY DRAMA QUEEN SELF!"It all happens as the result of a fight which in turn means Elena drives off angry... This is our big glimpse at the 'other power' and it is a good 'glimpse'. Elena's there thinking "The power fills the whole sky" and there I am picturing a massive thing covering all of the sky, just wow. I recently noticed the Vampire Diaries books sitting on my shelf, forgotten, and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to read it in October, because of the whole spooky vibe. So there it is now - even thought the wheel didn't choose it, I did, because it deserved the attention! I recommend it to all of you that love young-adult, teen romance and vampire stories. It will keep you on your toes for sure! Stefan, I had to come--' she began, and broke off short, because a flash of lightning lit the sky just as the figure in the corner whirled around. And then it was as if every foreboding and fear and nightmare she'd ever had were coming true all at once. It was beyond screaming at; it was beyond anything." I loved reading this - it was an amazing experience and it reminded me of my high-school days, of those innocent happy memories. My teenage life didn't include vampires, but hey - it was still awesome!

For those of you who haven't read the book: Elena has now found out about Stefan and Damon's secret./ More strange thins are beginning to happen and after the death of Mr. Tanner many people see Stefan as the reason behind everything, but was it him that caused it all? Elena was obviously the main character in this book, alongside Stefan and Damon. I am not sure how I felt about Elena in this book. She seemed to ignore everyone for a while and just be her selfish self - which resulted in getting people in trouble. This will not be a book for everyone. People who enjoy Twilight-esque books will probably be into this. There had been too much fear, too many blows tonight. She could react no longer. She could only stare up at him with a kind of wonder." / "He laughed shortly, without humor, and saw her flinch. It made him hate himself more." Damon, on the other hand, is actually interesting. He's unpredictable. He may do some good things, but he's still definitely evil. There's a lot of potential there for a sexy doomed attraction between him and Elena, but so far I don't think it has been well executed, unfortunately. Once again, Elena's feelings are just explicitly stated rather than shown through scene. It's weird because I thought that the mutual attraction in Smith's The Forbidden Game series was actually shown well, so I don't know what's going on here...The Fury ( ISBN 978-0-06-199077-9) reveals that the Salvatore's former lover Katherine von Swartzchild was the evil force in Fell's Church and that she ran Elena off the bridge where Elena turned into a vampire. The Fury introduces Katherine as a villain with the plot revolving around a newly turned Elena trying to cope with the stresses of becoming a vampire. Stefan and Damon work together to try to stop Katherine, who has been possessing animals and killing people all around Fell's Church. Discovering Katherine's secret lair beneath the graveyard, Stefan, Damon and Elena fight her resulting in both Elena and Katherine's deaths. Some people have read it and compared it to Twilight, but I have to say that these books are NOTHING like Twilight except for the part where she's human and the brothers aren't. But that's about it. Elena and Stefan have nothing more then a ghost of a memory and some heated attraction for one another?

I actually read The Fury and Dark Reunion as some all-for-one-price box set thing from Barnes & Noble, but I’m too stupid to find the set I actually read, so I’m only posting a “review” (if you can even call it that) for the first two. Third, idk I just think watching the show first ruined the books because characters I liked from the show didn’t exist in the books and characters I liked in the books didn’t exist in the shows. This felt a little bit too much like a vamped out version of “Mean Girls”, and I didn’t really get into the story or care about any of the characters at all. They’re all so selfish, juvenile, and petty, and okay, I get that it’s a young adult series, but it felt really immature and teen angsty to me, waaay more so than Twilight. Bella at least is an identifiable, lovable heroine with insecurities, awkwardness, and compassion, but Elena in Vampire Diaries is the rich, spoiled, perfect, popular, blonde, reigning queen of the school, who only seems to want aloof, brooding, mysterious, new guy in school Stefan just to prove that she can have whoever and whatever she wants. And there wasn’t enough (any) relationship building between Elena and Stefan to make me really give a hoot about them; so when dark, dangerous Damon comes to wreak total havoc, I was just glad that it finally spiced things up a bit, ‘cause I was honestly rather bored with the story. The thing I really hated about this one, and the few vampire novels I've read, is that the guy is tortured by his past, he's a victim, and claims he only wants to protect the girl and pushes her away. The girl in turn believes she can save him with her love, tries to change him/help him, and believes she's not whole without him, her world would end if she left, blah blah blah. This is not romantic-it's a pattern for a bad relationship. Maybe I'm just too cynical. Usually I can't resist these YA supernatural fiction series but Vampire Diaries is actually too wretched for me to enjoy and, oh man, that's saying something. Laughable prose, characters who are inconsistent at best and numbingly dull at worst, and a nonsensical plot cobbled together from various bits of mediocre films like some wrong Frankenstein. No, no, no!This book is the 2nd in the vampire diaries series, and starts immediately where ‘The Awakening’ left off. It is essential to have read the first book to be able to read this one. Do not read this thinking that being familiar with the television series will be enough information. Many of the characters are different, and some of them don’t even exist in the show. Elena Gilbert is a popular girl in high-school and she always gets what she wants. Boys want to be with her, girls hate her, or want to be her best friends. And when this new boy Stefan comes into town, all mysterious, Elena wants him. But Stefan is hiding a deadly secret that Elena might now be ready for just yet. And her life, as well as the life of everyone living in Fell's Church is in grave danger... Elena finds herself between two brothers - one who came for a new life, and the other, who came for revenge... Maybe if I had read these as a young teen, I would have enjoyed them. I just don't think Vampire Diaries has adult appeal. One good thing about reading this series is that I have even more appreciation for today's young adult literature. These books are the perfect example of why I didn't read YA when I was a teen!