mgallmeyer03's review against another edition
3.0
2.75 stars probably. This is the one and only case where the show is better than the book. hahaha this is straight trash, but somehow still fun. Elena sucks. The writing sucks, but the best bits are Stefan and Damon. Bingeable fluff where you don't have to think or focus much. lol.
henri1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
silquesoleil's review against another edition
1.0
read for the 2015 reading challenge: a book based on or turned into a tv show
Oh my god, this is so bad. So incredibly bad I couldn't bring myself to quite finish it, however this is a reread, so I am indeed qualified to judge. This novel has about the quality of a beginner's fan fiction in terms of writing style, in terms of everything. The foreshadowing is so embarrassingly in your face, the metaphors have high school emo quality and the characters are so incredibly flat, any emotional appeal is cheap and clumsily done.
It's just so cringeworthy. I don't know Lisa J. Smith personally but judging by this book she wasn't remotely one of the pretty and popular girls in high school, because she actually thinks that conventionally attractive girls ENJOY the leering stares of the boys.
Also, the whole unnecessary drama. 'I need to have him or I'll DIE.' 'He was not interested in talking to me and the whole class saw, I have to move to another country, I cannot deal with this shame' While this might reflect the actual moods of teenagers and can therefore be regarded a realistic portrayal, (as weird as it sounds), the way it is written makes it impossible to relate or take it seriously.
It's just plain bad. I'm not even sure if it is suited for some good snark, but if you ever feel like punising yourself, you know what to read.
Oh my god, this is so bad. So incredibly bad I couldn't bring myself to quite finish it, however this is a reread, so I am indeed qualified to judge. This novel has about the quality of a beginner's fan fiction in terms of writing style, in terms of everything. The foreshadowing is so embarrassingly in your face, the metaphors have high school emo quality and the characters are so incredibly flat, any emotional appeal is cheap and clumsily done.
It's just so cringeworthy. I don't know Lisa J. Smith personally but judging by this book she wasn't remotely one of the pretty and popular girls in high school, because she actually thinks that conventionally attractive girls ENJOY the leering stares of the boys.
Also, the whole unnecessary drama. 'I need to have him or I'll DIE.' 'He was not interested in talking to me and the whole class saw, I have to move to another country, I cannot deal with this shame' While this might reflect the actual moods of teenagers and can therefore be regarded a realistic portrayal, (as weird as it sounds), the way it is written makes it impossible to relate or take it seriously.
It's just plain bad. I'm not even sure if it is suited for some good snark, but if you ever feel like punising yourself, you know what to read.
kikiisreading's review against another edition
2.0
I watched the show and I already can say the books are nothing like the show.
I am very biased but I think I would dislike this even if I hadn’t watched the show (yet).
I will definitely get the other books, that are said to follow the storyline of the show because that's what I wanted in the end.
I knew there would be differences - it's rare that an TV adaptation isn't different.
Well I disliked most of the names, they very much seemed silly and I also dislike the writing style but I guess that could be preferences.
While having the show in mind, Elena's and Katherine's personalities seem swaped just that Elena is just plain up self-centered and mean. Also the fact that other students just function as minions?? (Again I want the books that are like the show because that's what I wanted to read, could be a huge part of the reasons why I dislike this book?)
I mean I will continue to read and I am not completely against this plot and characters even tho it seems like some of them depend their existence on someone else (Elena saying she has to have Stefan, Stefan being convinced having and not having her might kill him...) and usually I dislike this. Well whoever dislikes Elena in the show would read this and then probably worship TV Elena so that's a plus...
Also their behaviour and often their way of talking reminds me of 14 year olds, seeing that they are 16(?) that's just not okay.
I am very biased but I think I would dislike this even if I hadn’t watched the show (yet).
I will definitely get the other books, that are said to follow the storyline of the show because that's what I wanted in the end.
I knew there would be differences - it's rare that an TV adaptation isn't different.
Well I disliked most of the names, they very much seemed silly and I also dislike the writing style but I guess that could be preferences.
While having the show in mind, Elena's and Katherine's personalities seem swaped just that Elena is just plain up self-centered and mean. Also the fact that other students just function as minions?? (Again I want the books that are like the show because that's what I wanted to read, could be a huge part of the reasons why I dislike this book?)
I mean I will continue to read and I am not completely against this plot and characters even tho it seems like some of them depend their existence on someone else (Elena saying she has to have Stefan, Stefan being convinced having and not having her might kill him...) and usually I dislike this. Well whoever dislikes Elena in the show would read this and then probably worship TV Elena so that's a plus...
Also their behaviour and often their way of talking reminds me of 14 year olds, seeing that they are 16(?) that's just not okay.
lisa00's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
bella_and_the_bookstack's review against another edition
2.0
2.0 out of 5
Wut is this? Everything I thought I knew about the Vampire Diaries has been flipped on its head. It's like I'm hanging upside down from a tree like a bat. (HA! See what I did there? Too much? Okay...moving on.)
Ok, so obviously I picked up this series because of the show. Like everyone else that's seen it, I'm low-key obsessed. Going into this, I knew that the series was wildly different from the show, but let's just say that this is not the Vampire Diaries we know and love. Far, far away from it. I only faintly recognize the characters, as they were spun completely different in the show.
*thank you VD directors*
Nope, THIS Vampire Diaries is Twilight but with an even more obsessive teen girl and an even more self-loathing vampire. I'm talking next level crazy-pants obsession.
Elena is self-absorbed and oblivious to those around her. She's the Queen Bee of the school, only contested by her ex-bestie Caroline. From the moment she lays eyes on rich Italian Stefan, she can only think of one thing: I want him! He's mine. *cringe*
I'd barely gotten through half of this book before she declared her undeniably love for the mystery boy she'd only just met. This version of Elena reminds me more of the Katherine in the show. And vice versa. The only difference is, I don't even like this Elena. (I loved Katherine in the show.) Elena just comes off as highly annoying and unlikeable.
And Stefan, oh Stefan, you are too whiny and stalkerish for me to like your character in this book either. Think Edward Cullen on hyperdrive. For goodness sake, he even keeps a ribbon that Elena dropped tucked away in his precious item stash. He struggles way too much internally between his desires for Elena and his repulsion in hurting her.
Highlight of the book is, of course, Damon Salvatore. Isn't it always Damon? (The answer is yes if you didn't know.) I'm reading the next one because I can get behind this form of a mysterious Italian bad boy.
If you are interested in reading this series, be forewarned. You are in for a very bumpy ride.
Wut is this? Everything I thought I knew about the Vampire Diaries has been flipped on its head. It's like I'm hanging upside down from a tree like a bat. (HA! See what I did there? Too much? Okay...moving on.)
Ok, so obviously I picked up this series because of the show. Like everyone else that's seen it, I'm low-key obsessed. Going into this, I knew that the series was wildly different from the show, but let's just say that this is not the Vampire Diaries we know and love. Far, far away from it. I only faintly recognize the characters, as they were spun completely different in the show.
*thank you VD directors*
Nope, THIS Vampire Diaries is Twilight but with an even more obsessive teen girl and an even more self-loathing vampire. I'm talking next level crazy-pants obsession.
Elena is self-absorbed and oblivious to those around her. She's the Queen Bee of the school, only contested by her ex-bestie Caroline. From the moment she lays eyes on rich Italian Stefan, she can only think of one thing: I want him! He's mine. *cringe*
I'd barely gotten through half of this book before she declared her undeniably love for the mystery boy she'd only just met. This version of Elena reminds me more of the Katherine in the show. And vice versa. The only difference is, I don't even like this Elena. (I loved Katherine in the show.) Elena just comes off as highly annoying and unlikeable.
And Stefan, oh Stefan, you are too whiny and stalkerish for me to like your character in this book either. Think Edward Cullen on hyperdrive. For goodness sake, he even keeps a ribbon that Elena dropped tucked away in his precious item stash. He struggles way too much internally between his desires for Elena and his repulsion in hurting her.
Highlight of the book is, of course, Damon Salvatore. Isn't it always Damon? (The answer is yes if you didn't know.) I'm reading the next one because I can get behind this form of a mysterious Italian bad boy.
If you are interested in reading this series, be forewarned. You are in for a very bumpy ride.
jdye6529's review against another edition
4.0
Okay so I’ve been on a vamp/supernatural kick lately, i chose this book after finishing the Sookie Stackhouse (trueblood) series. While it focuses on a different demographic, teenagers, it is still a great book.
Other reviews have mention how the main character, human character, declares her love so quickly and how that is obnoxious. Here’s the thing, it is not at all obnoxious given that she’s a teenager, teenagers love hard, fast and deep, that was completely believable to me. It is easy to forget how the mind of a teenager works once you are past that age and to feel that their behaviors are cringy, which they absolutely are, but that’s exactly what it’s like being a teenager. So I complete believe the attributes and actions of Elena’s character, she’s selfish, demanding, and sort of mean girl-esque, and that’s okay because that’s a realistic identity for a teenager. I believe her character is well written and dimensional. The vampire who’s new to school is also well written and his back story is quite fascinating.
The beginning of this book was slow going but it picked up and became a well paced read that was easy to get through. The story takes an interesting few turns throughout. The friends of Elena are incorporated nicely and help to advance the plot line in subtle but important ways. Throughout the story there is several hints and foreshadowing that peaked my interested but didn’t outright give away what was to come or what was currently happening. This is a quality many writers struggle to perfect.
Initially I didn’t think I would continue the series as it started out slow but as I was finishing this book I knew I was not going to be turning away until I finished the four books. Technically there are more than four books to this series, or universe but I will probably only read the initial four as the later ones came as a result of the tv show and have multiple authors, therefor they are unlikely to feel authentic to me.
Other reviews have mention how the main character, human character, declares her love so quickly and how that is obnoxious. Here’s the thing, it is not at all obnoxious given that she’s a teenager, teenagers love hard, fast and deep, that was completely believable to me. It is easy to forget how the mind of a teenager works once you are past that age and to feel that their behaviors are cringy, which they absolutely are, but that’s exactly what it’s like being a teenager. So I complete believe the attributes and actions of Elena’s character, she’s selfish, demanding, and sort of mean girl-esque, and that’s okay because that’s a realistic identity for a teenager. I believe her character is well written and dimensional. The vampire who’s new to school is also well written and his back story is quite fascinating.
The beginning of this book was slow going but it picked up and became a well paced read that was easy to get through. The story takes an interesting few turns throughout. The friends of Elena are incorporated nicely and help to advance the plot line in subtle but important ways. Throughout the story there is several hints and foreshadowing that peaked my interested but didn’t outright give away what was to come or what was currently happening. This is a quality many writers struggle to perfect.
Initially I didn’t think I would continue the series as it started out slow but as I was finishing this book I knew I was not going to be turning away until I finished the four books. Technically there are more than four books to this series, or universe but I will probably only read the initial four as the later ones came as a result of the tv show and have multiple authors, therefor they are unlikely to feel authentic to me.
polly423's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25