THE AWAKENING
by L.J. Smith
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Pub Date: Sep 1, 1991
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: Audiobook
Spoilers: MARKED
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Elena is the school beauty, but she’s bored, until a new boy turns up in her class. Stefan is dark and mysterious—and she’s determined to get to know him better. But Stefan is just as determined to resist her… until a series of attacks in the area terrify the town and Stefan is held responsible. Elena is the only one who offers to help and, falling in love with her, Stefan tells her his terrible story. He is a vampire, on the run from his evil brother, Damon, who doesn’t share Stefan’s qualms about drinking human blood. And Damon is the one Stefan suspects of really being behind the recent attacks… Can Elena help prove his innocence—without revealing his secret?
Not the TV Show
If you, like me, saw the TV show before you knew there was a book, let me inform you that this is not the same story as the show. The characters are different. Their relationships are different. Even the city is different. That made it more interesting to me, but it took me a while to stop imaging the TV show characters in the book.
The Romance
Oh, come on. You all know it’s in here. It’s basically the entire plot and… it’s why I had issues with this book. I mean, I get that the characters are supernatural. I get that love is a weird thing, but it did not develop appropriately in this book to be realistic. At least, not coming from Elena. As such, the rest of the plot felt illogical and unbelievable. Shame.
The Pacing
I have some serious issues with the pacing of this book because it wasn’t smooth, and it didn’t make sense. It took forever for anything to actually happen and when it finally did, it was like a jolt. There’d be one quick scene and then nothing again for a few chapters. It was frustrating because I kept hoping it would pick up at some point and it didn’t.
Narrator
Holy woah! There were points when the narrator sounded just like Nina Dobrev and my mind would just pause and be like: “What?!” Because it’s not her and the characters aren’t even the same between the TV show and the book. Still, it was a bit eerie. :p
Stefan
You know how I said the characters are different from the tv show. Well, Stefan is really different and I do not like it! He is such a pansy in this version. He is supposedly cuddly and comforting and what not, but he is literally pathetic! The worst part is the bad boy facade he apparently gives off with his style because it doesn’t match and it really bothers me. Elena is more dominant than him in this and that just didn’t seem right for their relationship.
I just don’t think I could get in to the book or the tv show for some reason.
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I enjoyed the TV show for the first few seasons, but after that it just became a little redundant on plot.
I haven’t watched the last few seasons yet.
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I know lots of people that love the show but it never piqued my interest.
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Nah. I can understand that. It wasn’t something I was like… drooling over for the next episode or anything.
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Haha I’ve read the books way before the series was out so for me the series was weird LOL
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Hahaha! I can imagine. 😜 I had heard a bunch of readers having issues when the first season came out.
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Well I was among them even if my daughter loves the series but she has not read the books so far.
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I just want to comment that those are the most early 90’s book covers I have ever seen in my life. Text over concerned looking faces was such a weird trend, and yet it kept happening.
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Hahahaha! I know! They’re awful, aren’t they? But I didn’t want to use the TV show cover. 😜
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I’ve never read any of these books but I had a feeling the TV show was going to be better or at least really different…oh well. (And that’s such a shame about Stefan! ugh) Great review and thanks for the heads up! lol
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Hee hee! You’re welcome. 😛 Some times TV shows are just… better than the book.
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