Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Helsingissä : Otava, 2010
Description
Fantasy. Horror. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: The New York Times bestselling series! The first book in L.J. Smith's New York Times bestselling Vampire Diaries series, the basis of the hit CW TV show starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder. Elena Gilbert is a high school golden girl, used to getting what she wants. And who she wants. But when the boy she's set her sights on�the handsome and haunted Stefan�isn't interested, she's confused. She could never know the real reason Stefan is struggling to resist her: Stefan is a vampire, and Elena's in danger just by being around him. What's more, Stefan's dark, dangerous vampire brother Damon has just arrived in town. And wherever Damon goes, trouble always follows. Fans of The Vampire Diaries TV show will find this book packed with the same kind of heart-stopping suspense, fierce romances, and jaw-dropping surprises that they know and love, all brought to life by New York Times bestselling author L.J. Smith..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Lman
I am not sure why I acquired this book – I think I got it confused with another series - and while it was a fast, easy read (requiring one short sitting only) and mildly entertaining, it was just too facile for my tastes; thus overall rather unsatisfying.
Pointedly aimed at a youth market, this is
Full of too, too gorgeous creatures, with tragic pasts and circumstances, the story offered an initial promising supposition but devolved into a pedestrian, superficial dissertation of all tales vampiric; topped by a truly bewildering ending. Possibly it will appeal to its target audience; potentially it will reinforce the unrealistic dreams and depths of adolescent hearts, but to this old and wizened reader it fell far short of true enjoyment.
The rest of this tale, this is the first of a long series, I will leave to its archetypical, ardent and committed teenage fandom – glad, at least that these books may encourage this age group to read lots. And that, of itself, is no bad thing.
(Mar 13, 2010)
Pointedly aimed at a youth market, this is
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the story of young, unrequited love and brotherly jealousy, all within the boundaries of a dark, tantalising and seductive world. At the beginning of school term beautiful Elena, the unrivalled ‘queen of her school’ is nonplussed when the new overly-handsome boy, Stefan, practically ignores her, which ensures she becomes excessively intrigued with his unusual ways. And as it inevitably unfolds, Stefan hides a dark personal history which Elena eventually uncovers, along with their burgeoning mutual love; oh, and along with Stefan’s older brother, Damon, and his wicked ways.Full of too, too gorgeous creatures, with tragic pasts and circumstances, the story offered an initial promising supposition but devolved into a pedestrian, superficial dissertation of all tales vampiric; topped by a truly bewildering ending. Possibly it will appeal to its target audience; potentially it will reinforce the unrealistic dreams and depths of adolescent hearts, but to this old and wizened reader it fell far short of true enjoyment.
The rest of this tale, this is the first of a long series, I will leave to its archetypical, ardent and committed teenage fandom – glad, at least that these books may encourage this age group to read lots. And that, of itself, is no bad thing.
(Mar 13, 2010)
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LibraryThing member LauraT81
I was surprised to find the copyright date of The Vampire Series is 1991 and I wondered why I had never came across them before. I'm sure I would have loved them, but not now. The plot was promising and probably the basis to many popular vampire series (*cough* Twilight *cough*), but the characters
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lacked likeability. I don't think I'll read anymore of this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member nicoally
Elena, the most beautiful and popular girl in high school, becomes fascinated by the new and mysterious Italian boy in school, Stefan; however, she can’t believe that Stefan isn’t interested in her. What Elena doesn’t know is that Stefan is trying to protect her from what he is—a vampire.
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The two fall in love anyway, but problems arise when Stefan’s dangerously attractive brother, Damon, arrives in town and decides he wants Elena for himself. The book has numerous similarities to the Twilight series, which readers might enjoy. The author does not seem to develop the characters well and most of them seem shallow, selfish, and weak, even the heroine. That makes it difficult for the readers to sympathize with the characters and engage with the plot. The Awakening is only book one in the Vampire Diaries, therefore, the storyline and characters might develop more as the series progress. Young adult readers might be drawn the darkness, mystery, and suspense if they like vampires-themed literature; however, there are better vampires books out there. Additional Selection. Show Less
LibraryThing member AgneJakubauskaite
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,
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
I will admit that I only read this book because of the TV show. I am one of those that will always try out the originating story no matter what. I actually read this on my phone, as part of a new application I downloaded that allowed me to download the book for free. It was my first experience
As with a lot of what I've been reading lately, this isn't going to win any awards. The audience is definitely a teenage one, filled with the misunderstood homecoming queen, the brooding new high school hunk, the mysterious bad boy. It's a quintessential teenage story, but again, I'm not going to hold that against it.
I found that I couldn't scroll down fast enough. There really was something compelling about the animosity between Damon and Stefan. Ms. Smith kept me wanting to read more, only because I was impatient to find out who triumphs in this battle. She takes the word "cliffhanger" to an entire new level and could definitely give Suzanne Collins a run for her money on abrupt endings. It is a very effective plot device that had me downloading the next book immediately upon finishing the previous one.
The first two books in the Vampire Diaries series were light reads but extremely enjoyable. It's already taken so many different twists and turns that it is not your typical teenage vampire drama. I find myself waffling between the good vampire and the bad vampire, which only keeps me engaged. I would recommend this to any vampire lovers out there and can't wait to finish the series.
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reading a book in an e-format, and it did take me some time to get used to having to scroll down constantly. However, I found myself completely sucked into the story and breezed through the book in what I feel is a record amount of time - complete losses of time while reading.As with a lot of what I've been reading lately, this isn't going to win any awards. The audience is definitely a teenage one, filled with the misunderstood homecoming queen, the brooding new high school hunk, the mysterious bad boy. It's a quintessential teenage story, but again, I'm not going to hold that against it.
I found that I couldn't scroll down fast enough. There really was something compelling about the animosity between Damon and Stefan. Ms. Smith kept me wanting to read more, only because I was impatient to find out who triumphs in this battle. She takes the word "cliffhanger" to an entire new level and could definitely give Suzanne Collins a run for her money on abrupt endings. It is a very effective plot device that had me downloading the next book immediately upon finishing the previous one.
The first two books in the Vampire Diaries series were light reads but extremely enjoyable. It's already taken so many different twists and turns that it is not your typical teenage vampire drama. I find myself waffling between the good vampire and the bad vampire, which only keeps me engaged. I would recommend this to any vampire lovers out there and can't wait to finish the series.
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LibraryThing member CynDaVaz
Decided that I can't *stand* the character of Elena in the book and therefore this series is not worth finishing.
LibraryThing member 8F_SAM
This book was so weird, and a bit boring. In the beginning it kept going on and on about how Elena's trying to find out what Stefan is, but never actually finding it. It's really frustrating for the reader, since there's not really any suspense cause we already know he's a vampire because of the
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title: VAMPIRE Diaries. But it's also one of those books that you just want it to end while you're reading it, but you want to keep reading it when you're done. The last page was really interesting, but I guess that's how they get people to read the next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kiwiria
16 years before Twilight, there were the Vampire Diaries! Seriously, they are SO much alike. I still prefer Twilight though, and it wasn't really my own choice to reread this so shortly after my first read of it, but it's being translated to Danish, so I was asked to review it for my publisher.
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Thankfully it's a quick read! It's not bad - just nothing special either. Show Less
LibraryThing member thehistorychic
Review: This might be one of those times it hurt me to see the show before reading the books.
What I loved: I didn't really love anything about this book. I did think it was a quick read and really well written though.
What I liked: I liked the amount of detail put into the scenery, something I think
What I didn't like (still not warmed up too): Elena. I am sorry but at no point do I think she deserves to get the guy. She is shallow, self-serving, manipulative, and a little to much like Katherine from the show. All I kept thinking is Stefan and Matt have the worst taste in women. I might start to like her as the series progresses but right now I just don't like her character at all. Which could be a problem since she is the center of the series.
Overall I gave it a 3, there was enough good parts to outrank my dislike of Elena.
What I loved: I didn't really love anything about this book. I did think it was a quick read and really well written though.
What I liked: I liked the amount of detail put into the scenery, something I think
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is missing from alot of book. I liked Stefan, Matt, Bonnie, and Meredith. I thought Caroline was sufficiently *itchy.What I didn't like (still not warmed up too): Elena. I am sorry but at no point do I think she deserves to get the guy. She is shallow, self-serving, manipulative, and a little to much like Katherine from the show. All I kept thinking is Stefan and Matt have the worst taste in women. I might start to like her as the series progresses but right now I just don't like her character at all. Which could be a problem since she is the center of the series.
Overall I gave it a 3, there was enough good parts to outrank my dislike of Elena.
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LibraryThing member Kaydence
Elena is used to getting what she wants. She has just arrived back to school, where she is the most popular and the most beautiful student, to find that there is a new boy who is catching everyone's attention. Stefan is just trying to fit in and not use his vampire abilities. He is pretending to be
After the television has shown (and I have not watched) and my students have raved about the book series, I finally sat down to read this book. I'm afraid that I didn't really like it. I think the only reason that I did not care for the book is because it is a book that needs a sequel in order to be any good. There is no way that you can read this book as a stand-alone young adult novel. It's disappointing to read through something only to find out that it depends on the next book to have some sort of resolution to the conflicts that are building. I enjoy series that have an overall big conflict, but also little ones in each novel that give me some sort of closure and not just a building sense. If a student had turned something like this into me then I would not have graded it highly because there is no falling action. I think the best part of this novel is Stefan. He is a fabulously written character with a lot of back story that makes him entertaining. I don't feel like I should care about Elena. She seems like a stereotypical teenage book heroine. She is prettier than possible, has no overwhelming personality, and is hurt but very good at hiding her feelings about everything. Honestly, I want something new.
2/5 stars
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a normal boy in high school. He is drawn to Elena because she reminds him of the vampire that had turned him so many years ago. Eventually Elena and Stefan become a couple, but bad things seem to be following the two of them around. People are being found hurt or dead in the cemetery. A strange man keeps popping up near Elena and she is very afraid. What will happen when a teacher ends up dead at a school event? Who is to blame?After the television has shown (and I have not watched) and my students have raved about the book series, I finally sat down to read this book. I'm afraid that I didn't really like it. I think the only reason that I did not care for the book is because it is a book that needs a sequel in order to be any good. There is no way that you can read this book as a stand-alone young adult novel. It's disappointing to read through something only to find out that it depends on the next book to have some sort of resolution to the conflicts that are building. I enjoy series that have an overall big conflict, but also little ones in each novel that give me some sort of closure and not just a building sense. If a student had turned something like this into me then I would not have graded it highly because there is no falling action. I think the best part of this novel is Stefan. He is a fabulously written character with a lot of back story that makes him entertaining. I don't feel like I should care about Elena. She seems like a stereotypical teenage book heroine. She is prettier than possible, has no overwhelming personality, and is hurt but very good at hiding her feelings about everything. Honestly, I want something new.
2/5 stars
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LibraryThing member emvuu
This was definitely not my cup of tea. I admit I didn't completely finish the book, I just couldn't. My eyes were falling out of its sockets.
Elena is one of the most disliked characters (imo) and she's obsessive and annoying. So instead of having to finish off the rest of the series I wikipedia-d
Elena is one of the most disliked characters (imo) and she's obsessive and annoying. So instead of having to finish off the rest of the series I wikipedia-d
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the next books and am I thrilled to find out I didn't waste my time curled up to this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member raizel
Not great literature, but the story moves along nicely. I kept waiting for the plotlines of the TV series to show up. And Elena has blond hair in the book. Same self-sacrificing love of a vampire for a human as in the Eclipse series leading to the same doubting by the woman that she is worthy of
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him. Show Less
LibraryThing member emhromp2
Actually, the Vampire Diaries is kind of a nice series. Elena is definitely nicer than Bella for one thing. The story is more or less the same and that's because there is only a limited amount of things that can be told about vampires at high school. The comparison with Twilight is therefore
Twilight is defnitely the better, more romantic series. LJ Smith does not hook me as much. That being said, LJ Smith dares to go a bit further and makes the story more gruesome, and is not as goodygoody as Stephenie Meyer.
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inevitable.Twilight is defnitely the better, more romantic series. LJ Smith does not hook me as much. That being said, LJ Smith dares to go a bit further and makes the story more gruesome, and is not as goodygoody as Stephenie Meyer.
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LibraryThing member pocketmermaid
I appreciate that L.J. Smith was writing young adult vampire novels twenty years before it became over-popular and overdone. This book started out like addictive candy that I couldn't get enough of, but quickly became less and less interesting. Stock characters, flat plot, and the whole thing felt
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inevitably dated. I had to force myself to finish, and now I'm done . . . I'll still finish out the trilogy, though. I'm that dedicated. Show Less
LibraryThing member CaMe0914
this book was slow in the beginning, but in the end i loved it. i thought it was wayy better than twilight. i like it better because i think this book has more action. this is definetly one of my favorite books.
LibraryThing member marsha.carmichael
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.
LibraryThing member WindyyT
The Vampire Diaries is a thrilling and romantic book! This is the first book of the series of Vampire Diaries. The book talks about a girl who had just lost her parents and is very down. Until she meets Stephen who she can relate to and talk to. A little chemistry happens between Elena and Stephen,
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but there is more than her her personality that apeals to Stephen. Apparently Stephen is a vampire and in the past he used to know this girl names Katherine who looks exactley the same as Elena ans so the story begins... I would recommend this book for people who like reading Twilight and Shiver, they all share the same romance and horro Show Less
LibraryThing member Tropic_of_Cancer
I hated this, didn't even finish it. I really like the TV show, though.
LibraryThing member Darrol
Fairly typical beginning of a vampire saga although with the love triangle element. The downside of this volume is the high school atmosphere (although admittedly the youthfulness of the characters is necessary to carry the passion). I am the wrong gender and age to enjoy accounts that include the
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pettiness of girls' rivalry and the fluttery expressions of feeling. Show Less
LibraryThing member wendywen
vampire falls in love with human. love can come over everything such as dead and enemy. it's a romantic and adventurous story..
LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
I loved this book when I was about 13 and it actually holds up surprisingly well. It's not as dated as I thought it would be, more sensual than I remembered, and I think the TV show's doing a nice job of adapting the plot and characters for today's teens.
LibraryThing member wendytrim
OK--so it's no Twilight, but enough of my friends have read the series that I thought I'd give it a try. I'll keep going so I can see what happens...
Have any of my FB friends read this??
Have any of my FB friends read this??
LibraryThing member lyricaltwin
Usually I say that the book is better than the movie/TV show but not in this case: the TV show is actually one of my favorites, but this was disappointing. Good, but Elena was really shallow, and I couldn't believe that for someone who had just lost her parents.......still good though.
LibraryThing member CommunityBookstop
I enjoyed this book reading about the relationship between Elena and Stefan and Damon. Unlike the tv show which I am a fan of Tyler, in the book not so much he really plays the bratty card well. I liked how Damon kept the mysteriousness of himself. Definitely a great teenage read!
LibraryThing member LaPhenix
While I'm not entirely certain I've forgiven the author for making such utterly shallow and somewhat materialistic characters, I have to admit, I really loved the story and it kept me glued to the book.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1991
Physical description
218 p.; 22 cm
ISBN
9789511250494