The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L. J. Smith.
Title: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening.
Author: L. J. Smith.
Genre: Fiction, fantasy, YA, teen, romance, vampire fiction.
Country: U.S.
Language: English.
Publication Date: February 3, 1991.
Summary: Elena is the popular golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants. Until she meets the new boy in school, Stefan. Brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, but Elena knows what she wants and is intent on getting it at any cost. But Stefan has a dark and dangerous secret in his past and, now, in his shadows. Haunted by the memory of a dead love and a vengeful brother, he may not be strong enough, either to resist Elena, or to protect her from the horrors that he brings in his stead to her town of Fell's Church.
My rating: 8/10.
My Review: You can't help but compare this book to Twilight (as unfortunate as that is, having come out 16 years prior), but with that comparison it shines even brighter. Not to mention it also becomes quite evident that Stephanie Meyer heavily plagiarized this book (there is a scene where Stefan tells Elena he is a vampire and demonstrates how dangerous and strong he is that Meyer lifted with almost no changes at all). But here is where this book stands apart - it has a strong, willful, confident female lead that will not be intimidated or controlled. Stefan never patronizes her and treats her with a lot of respect, and the author makes it very evident that Elena is definitely the stronger half of the relationship - in every way except physically. Yes, it is a very simple narrative, a little cheesy, a little over-dramatic, a little cliché, but all these things are done with moderation and seem to be just perfectly so to appeal to its target audience - teenage girls. Being about a decade older than the target audience does mean I have a harder time relating to the subject matter, and some things seem quite silly and a little too dramatic for my taste, but, again, I know it would be just perfect were I 16, because from what I remember that is exactly how things felt (everything as dramatic as it gets, everything the end of the world, but not in an illogical, excessive, completely self-destructive way). I enjoyed the quick progression of the narrative, I like the supporting cast of characters and the clear intention of the author to actually develop them, and I enjoy the town's role in this book, almost being a character itself, as ancient and full of manifesting secrets as it is. And I do enjoy the author's take on vampires - the rings that allow them to walk in sunlight particularly, because having absolutely no protection or ability to go out in the daylight has never quite sat right with me in vampire myths.
♥ Evil will never find peace. It may triumph, but it will never find peace.
♥ She held up her small hand, the one with the ring on it, and Stefan looked at the stone, realizing it was the same deep blue as the evening sky. It was as if Katherine carried a piece of the night with her, always.
♥ "I pounded on the door to wake..." He faltered, and then gave another humorless laugh. "I was going to say 'to wake the dead.' But the dead aren't so hard to wake after all, are they?"
♥ He tried to oppose her. But her gentleness was stronger than all his inhuman strength.