The Vampire Diaries novels were re-released this year alongside the first two books in a follow on series, The Return. It’s fair to say that the television show has greatly increased interest in the books, despite the plotline of the show having been drastically changed – so here’s a quick review of the original four novels: The Awakening, The Struggle, The Fury andThe Reunion,to tell you a little more.
As far as nineties vampire novels go, The Vampire Diaries stood out only because of the enigmatic characters of the Salvatore brothers, Stefan and Damon. Nowadays, it’s all about Edward Cullen, but back when I first read these, there was nothing more intriguing than the good vs. evil brotherhood of the Salvatore’s, and their sexy Renaissance Italy upbringing.
The story tells of Elena Gilbert, a popular young girl haunted by the death of her parents. When Stefan Salvatore arrives in the parking lot of her very own high school, she decides that the perfect distraction would be to make him her own – the kind of challenge she’s never had any trouble with before. However, what Elena doesn’t bank on is Stefan himself, and her alarming resemblance to a woman from his past that constantly keeps him at a distance.