The Vampire diaries: The Awakening and the struggle by L. J. Smith

492 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Wizard

 Regular or decaf, chocolate or vanilla? – Dark, moody, and mysterious or Dark, secretive and dangerous? Choices, choices, choices – what’s a girl to do? Elena is queen of Robert E. Lee High School and has it all including a doting boyfriend, Matt. The arrival of Stefan, the yummy new Italian student, has her mesmerized so much so that she’s willing to dump Matt in a heartbeat. But much to her annoyance Stefan seems completely indifferent to her presence. That is until she makes him notice. At the same time a dark shadowy force appears to dog her every step. Soon Stefan’s brother, Damon, joins the ranks of students. Elena gets caught up in a triangle with the Salvatore brothers unaware that their battle for her love stems from a long ago betrayal. How far will Damon go to steal her away from Stefan? This is an extremely fast moving, thrilling, can’t stop reading book. It is more about the characters and motivations and how they interact then a blood and gore vampire story. Recommend over the Twilight Saga for vampire fiction.