The Vampire Diaries (Vol. 1) – The Awakening February 11, 2010

Author: L. J. Smith

Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fiction

Publisher: HarperTeen

Year: 1991

Pages: 253

“A deadly love triangle.  Elena: beautiful and popular, the girl who can have any boy she wants.  Stefan: brooding and mysterious, desperately trying to resist his desire for Elena…for her own good.  Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him.  Elena finds herself drawn to both brothers…who will she choose?”

The first book in the Vampire Diaries series is certainly a good one, however it may have been better if I hadn’t first seen the TV show of the same name.  As the famous Twilight saga continues to wow audiences world wide, those who read it before the release of the first film of the same name are together bound in the knowledge that nothing will ever come close to matching the intensity felt in every word on every page.  The Vampire Diaries are woven in the same fashion.

With so many coincidences between the Vampire Diaries and the Twilight saga however, it would be interesting to find out whether Stephanie Meyer had done any reading of the young adult, vampire kind before Bella and Edward came to her mysteriously in a dream.  With few similarities between the TV show and the book, it is easy enough to be absorbed by the story line without knowing what twist is coming next.  Just the right mix of mystery and the vast history of Fell’s Church – your regular small town with a few spooks of its own, help to set a frightful scene for the story that takes place, which itself is a story full of love, teenage trials and a quest for maturity, as seen in any good book written for young adults.

The relationships written between each and every character have been carefully analysed, to the point that you feel as if you’ve known them your whole life.  It is easy to pick your favourites, and just when you think you’ve pinpointed a villain, you could be just as quickly proven wrong.

The Awakening is a good, quick read, however once reading, you will be left wanting more!  Luckily the story continues in Vol. 2 – The Struggle.

-nome5tar

The Vampire Diaries – “Pilot” September 21, 2009

Season 1 Episode 1
Original US Air Date: 10th September, 2009
Directed By: Marcos Siega
Written By: Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec
Starring: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Steven R. McQueen, Sara Canning & Katerina Graham

Based on the L. J. Smith novels of the same name, the TV adaptation of The Vampire Diaries has been on the top of my “to watch” list since I saw the add on Go! last month.  This is due mostly to the fact that for the past 6 years, I have been completely obsessed and in awe of the entire Vampire culture and am taking advantage of the recent surge in Vampire media availability due to a little thing called Twilight.  Unfortunately I haven’t read any of the Vampire Diary books as they aren’t available for sale in Australia and I haven’t gotten around to ordering a copy online, so this review is solely based on the first episode and nothing else.

 Let’s see, where can I begin?  The pilot episode did little to entice me into coming back for more.  The story line was a bit too familiar and the actors a bit too fake in their portrayal of the all American teen.  I found it extremely hard to believe that these “kids” were actually kids of school age, when the majority of them were sporting wrinkles and receeding hairlines.  A clear plot seems distant but hopefully it will become apparent over the next couple of episodes.  Although I wasn’t overly impressed I will of course keep watching as i’m sure all the other “twi-hards” out there will, and just pray that it gets even remotely better and fast!

-nome5tar