Dear Elena from the Vampire Diaries (the books)

[almightyspaz]

I can't even begin to explain my hatred towards you and how much you suck. Everything about you just screams: "I'm a vapid bitch who will end up with at least one STD before finishing high school

Comments

[idemandjustice]

I agree that the character is self-centered and annoying, but she actually didn't sleep around at all.

[almightyspaz]

Heh, it was me making a joke. Honestly, I hated her character so much, I just stopped reading.

[idemandjustice]

I realize that, which was why I was pointing that out, because I wasn't sure it was apparent by whatever point you made it to in there.

As other people said, the books do get better, but then again, I was in high school when I read them, and I'm in my thirties now, so I don't know if they would hold up very well to a reread. The author recently began publishing additional books in that series, and they're absolutely horrible. They sort of spit in the face of the first four books, in my opinion.

[cyranothe2nd]

Agreed. Could not even get through the first book. She's a completely unlikable character.

[almightyspaz]

I will give the T.V. show creators for doing a complete overhaul on her character. She's actually likable on the show. Or maybe its because she's played by a likable actress.

[luna_ashes]

Yeah, um, how far into the series did you make it? Elena actually gets called out on this as the series goes and she matures into a much more likable character by the end of the 4th book. :/ She starts out as unlikable and vapid, but the writing is pretty self-aware about it.

[almightyspaz]

I fully admit to only making it halfway through the first book before bringing it back to the library. If she truly gets better, then yippie, but I still don't have the energy to keep reading.

[luna_ashes]

Fair enough. I didn't like Elena at all in the first two books, but she still got dramatically better.

[idemandjustice]

She did get better in those books. But then the author decided to continue the series (like 20 years after she wrote those first four), and sort of butchered all of the characterization. It's terrible. If you haven't read beyond book four, I highly recommend that you not do it.

[jellybeanbug24]

I started reading the first book "The Awakening" a few months ago, and I am barely trudging through the 10th chapter. I mean, she's literally crying at every turn and starving herself because a guy would barely look/acknowledge her?
With people making a big deal about this series, maybe I expected too much *shrugs*

[almightyspaz]

According to someone else who commented, the series does get better.

[vaegue]

The books do get better, but it is catering for a very specific audience, IMO. Not to say that the book doesn't jump the shark in the sequels - it does, boy, it does - but if you go into reading it for any reasons other than light, fluffy teenage reading, you will be disappointed.

Putting it in context, it was published in a time when all those other soft teenage 'thrillers' were published. For what it is, compared to the rest of its flock in that time, it was decent.