The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening

I read this in anticipation of the TV show and was surprised by how very Twilght-y it was. I gather that this was first published in 1991 so Smith was there first. There were a couple of lines in this that I swear I read in Twilight but I digress.

Elena, who could double as Cordelia from Buffy, was a self absorbed evil teen queen then Stefan comes into her life and he becomes her obssession because no one turns down the high school princess. Perhaps she suffers from small-town syndrome where she wants to experience something different, exciting and exotic but rather than a boy I would recommend more holidays to France and other places rather than chasing down strangers. Anyway she chases him down and finally gets him. Nothing else matters to her once she has him, she doesn't care about anything but him even when she sees the monstrous vampire side of him, she accepts it. Even when he's suspected of murder and being associated with him threatens to ruin her reputation she's adamant and sticks by her man, that's growth I suppose.

This is a super light fast read not to be taken too seriously.

I approached this book primarily from two perspectives: a more generic point of view that judges this book stacked up alongside every other book I have ever read and one that judges it primarily within the genre that it was written in and the audience its meant to serve. I think the second perspective is probably the one that is the most fair to criticize it through, and from that perspective it is at least an average-to-fair quality book, but it's very hard to look past the glaring faults and nonsense that litters the pages. Then again, I'm not coming, perhaps, from the audience that the author intended to market to.If you're looking for an easy teen paranormal romance I can see how this would be incredibly satisfying. The characters, while not immediately likeable, do grow and change significantly considering the short word count, and yet not so much that it is hard to get a grip on. Elena, the main character, begins the book somewhat selfish and spoiled, and while she has begun to develop a sense of empathy and concern for others by the end of the story, she is STILL a very self-centered and egotistical person. Stefan, the obligatory reluctant vampire, seems to move through waves rather than undergo actual changes as he fluctuates between being cold and emotional responsive to Elena despite feelings for her that apparently drive him to uncharacteristic behaviors. He was perhaps the least likeable character in the story.The side characters are more charming than the protagonists. Elena's friends are kind and have distinct interests and personalities that I would like to see developed further. Damon, though his appearances are brief and he only receives any real attention in the last 10% of the book, hints at a depth of character that Stefan, so far, touches only superficially. The romance scenes are forced and quick to the point of embarrassment, quaint enough to carry a reader that doesn't expect much more than a suggestion of emotional weight but not capable of eliciting much more excitement than that. Smith is good, however, at creating a sense of mood and atmosphere. This slim book abounds with fantastic, melodramatic descriptions of scenery and Fell's Church begins to acquire a characterhood that is not often attained by the settings of most YA romance novels. This book is worth a read for those that are interested in getting a grip on this past decade's fascination with vampire romance or YA supernatural romance in general. If you're able to put aside your harshest expectations it may even provide some occasional moments of legitimate enjoyment.

I have a great deal of nostalgic fondness for L.J. Smith's Night World series, which was my introduction to vampire fiction, and which remains - to this day - my favorite expression of the genre. With strong female leads, appealing romantic heroes, and well-developed supporting characters, the Night World books often featured stories of overcoming obstacles and bridging differences on the road to true love, and I gobbled them down like candy. But despite that enthusiasm, which extended to Smith's Forbidden Game trilogy as well, I never got around to reading The Vampire Diaries, written a few years earlier. Recently, prompted by the recommendation of a friend, as well as curiosity about the forthcoming television adaptation of the series, I decided to correct that omission.The first of four volumes, The Awakening follows the story of Elena Gilbert, the proverbial "Queen Bee" of her high school in Fells Church, Virginia, who becomes entangled in a supernatural love triangle involving vampire brothers. Bitter rivals since their boyhood in Renaissance Florence, Stefan and Damon Salvatore are as different as two vampires can be. Tortured by guilt, and determined to do as little harm as possible, Stefan comes to Fells Church looking for a new life. There he meets Elena, who reminds him of his lost love. But Damon - reveling in his powers, and ruthlessly intent on getting what he wants - is not far behind...An entertaining supernatural love story for teens, this first entry in The Vampire Diaries is the kind of riveting melodrama sure to appeal to romantic girl readers. Elena is a somewhat unusual heroine, in that she first appears to be something of a snobby brat - the typical popular girl. Fortunately, Smith's penchant for writing strong girls wins out, and the character grows and deepens as the novel progresses. More episodic than the Night World series, where every book is a stand-alone story, The Awakening ends with a cliffhanger, so it's difficult to make any conclusive statement about characters or plot at this point. Suffice it to say, I enjoyed this installment, and look forward to the next!

What can I say? I was looking for some afternoon brain candy, and I definitely found it in L.J. Smith's The Awakening. I have been a fan of the t.v. show The Vampire Diaries since it first aired last year. The t.v. series seems to be loosely based on the books, but in this instance I have to say that I like what is on my television much better than what I read in The Awakening.

The writing is a little dated, and use of some words and phrases really bugged me - that is until I realized that this book was originally published when I was a Freshman in High School! So, I tried to appreciate it from the perspective of a 15 year-old girl, which made it a little easier to enjoy. Unfortunately, the writing was just not that great, and no amount of me pretending to be a teenager again could make it any better.

Because I love the characters of the t.v. series, I will trudge on and read a couple of more books in this series. I would like to see what is going to happen with Elena, Stefan and Damon - despite the fact that the characters in the book are incredibly unsympathetic and very different from the ones I've come to know and love on t.v. I really can't recommend The Awakening too highly - especially for fans of the television series. In this case, I'd say sick to the story on your t.v. and you'll be much happier.

The only reason I picked up this book was because I LOVE The Vampire Diaries TV show. I cannot believe that the book like this could give an inspiration to create such a great show... But I am glad that the show is based on this book very loosely. I am not sure if the book is worth even two stars, it's cheesy and annoying, and I finished it just because I didn't have to read it, I got it as an audiobook. Since I don't have anything better to listen right now and I really enjoy listening to the audiobooks (even as lame as this one), I am planning to continue with the book series. Hopefully it will get better.

A very enjoyable read. The plot had enough of a difference to keep me enthralled and the multilayer characters were exciting to get to know. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.