Only Recommended If You Plan on Reading Vampire Diaries: The Return

Dark Reunion (The Vampire Diaries #4) by L.J. Smith (1992; HarperCollins, 2010, 312pp.)

Months after Elena sacrifices herself to defeat a powerful foe in The Fury, her psychic friend, Bonnie, has disturbing dreams that foretell of another oncoming menace: a vicious, terrifying killer who seems to be unstoppable. Trying to decipher Elena’s clues from the beyond, she summons Stefan and Damon from Italy for help. Like its predecessors, the action is unflagging, and the villain is really creepy. Unfortunately, that’s the only good thing I can say about it. The events that wrap up the novel are confusing and left unexplained, leaving some confusion in their wake for the reader. And the ending? It’s more than disappointing--it’s painfully abysmal. I can’t go into too much detail without revealing the ending, but trust me - awful. However, if readers plan on tackling the second series in the Vampire Diaries universe - Vampire Diaries: The Return - then this volume is essential to understanding later sequels.

Fans Will Not Be Disappointed

The Fury (The Vampire Diaries #3) by L.J. Smith (1991; HarperCollins, 2010, 304pp.)

After her car runs off the road into the river, Elena is none too happy to find herself resurrected as a vampire. However, she has little time to feel sorry for herself. Evil seems to be brewing in Fell’s Church, a ghastly, mysterious force that causes pets to attack their owners, and turns close friends into sinister strangers. Now stronger as a vampire than she ever was as a human, Elena is determined to protect her home town against this nameless menace. She begs Stefan and Damon to look past their differences and work together, but getting these two rivals to trust each other may be the hardest task of all. Fans won’t be disappointed by this one. The story is brisk and engaging, and ends with a surprise twist that brings the original trilogy to a satisfying close. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.

Sequel Proves to be Major Improvement Over Predecessor

The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries #2) by L.J. Smith (1991; HarperCollins, 2010, 304pp.)

Caught in a battle of wills between two vampire brothers, willful mortal Elena struggles to support Stefan after he’s accused of murder, while at the same time fighting off the affections of Damon, Stefan’s devious and devilishly attractive older sibling. As if she doesn’t have enough trouble on her hands, rival and former friend Caroline steals her diary and plans to use its contents against her. After the slow, plodding pace of The Awakening, The Struggle proves to be a major improvement. Now that Stefan and Elena’s relationship has been established, the story is free to move forward to more interesting things--such as fleshing out the supporting cast and building character development. Elena’s devotion to Stefan is touching and brings strength to her character, while Damon’s pursuit of Elena--alternately tormenting her and wooing her--makes him both villainous and sexy. The Caroline subplot entwines nicely with the Damon/Stefan subplot, creating enough momentum to keep the story speeding forward to its cliff-hanger conclusion. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.

Offers Nothing New to Genre, But Will Still Appeal to Vampire Romance Fans

The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries #1) by L.J. Smith (1991; HarperTeen, 2009, 272pp.)

Elena, the queen bee of her high school, is confused when the new boy, Stefan, shows no interest in her whatsoever. What she doesn’t know is that although Stefan secretly carries a torch for her, he can’t bear for her to learn his terrible secret: he’s a centuries-old vampire! When Elena eventually finds out the truth herself, the two admit their feelings for each other and try to build up a relationship. Things get dicey when Stefan’s evil brother, Damon, shows up in town, and decides to steal our heroine away for himself. Sound familiar? Despite its Twilight undertones, The Vampire Diaries actually precedes Meyer’s sparkly vampires by at least a decade. Pushed into reprint by the rising interest in vampire literature, this book unfortunately offers nothing new to the genre. To make matters worse, it’s littered with characters that are both flat and uninteresting, and contains plot twists that the reader can see coming a mile away. However, teen readers looking to sink their teeth into more vampire romance will definitely find what they’re looking for here. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.