The Awakening Published by HarperCollins Publishers by L.J. Smith
Series: The Vampire Diaries #1
on March 1, 1999
Genres: Fiction, YA, Paranormal, Vampires, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 253
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads
Find the Book: Amazon | Goodreads
ISBN: 0061020001
Rating:
A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror...
ElenaSearching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan.
StefanHaunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion.
DamonDriven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him.
The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.
Contrary to what some people believe L.J. Smith did NOT copy a certain sparkly-vampire creator. No, L.J. Smith created her own world of vampires years ago. I believe I first read this book about sixteen years ago, to be exact. And, no joke, I can thank Ms. Smith for my love of all things vampire. She definitely got me hooked. This, was my TWILIGHT when I was a teenager. The book that no one thought about making into a movie or TV show, until I was well into my twenties, of course.
THE AWAKENING was my first experience with the ever-present love triangle. Back when I first read this, there was no part of me that wasn’t “TEAM STEFAN” all the way! That just goes to show you how much I’ve changed (or been jaded, you pick), however, because now… I couldn’t tell you which vampire I’d choose for Elena.
But, even with that, the first, original, book in this series has intrigue, romance, and bad guys who may or may not REALLY be bad guys. And I don’t think anyone can deny this story, though not so original now, was definitely original in it’s premiere.
THE AWAKENING is not as gratuitous in its love scenes as an Anne Rice novel, but it sure is more steamy than Meyer’s take on the undead.
About L.J. Smith
She loves to visit a friend's little cabin in the Point Reyes National Seashore area, which has lots of trees, lots of animals, lots of beaches to walk on, and lots of places to hike. Once, while hiking, she saw a snow-white buck which allowed her to follow it nearly half a mile. She also likes to collect things: angels (they remind her of her late mother), tiny boxes from different countries or of fanciful shape, nineteenth century children's literature, and books about quantum physics--especially about the mystery of the dark energy in the universe. A militant optimist, she is also part of the Velociraptor Sisterhood (a fancy way of saying that she likes to read, write and discuss books with strong female characters), and she has traveled extensively in Europe and the Far East. The two countries she loves to visit most are Great Britain, with its historic monuments and amazing country landscapes, and Japan, with its bustling urban life and exquisite mountain scenery.
Her favorite current writer is Terry Pratchett, the author of the Discworld series, for its wild and witty satires on life, death, war, love, assassins, coppers, and Australia. Her favorite classical writer is Jane Austen. Her favorite poets are Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. Her favorite movies are The Seven Samurai and Avatar (analyze that!). She doesn't have a favorite TV show, because she doesn't have time to watch TV (and only owns one for playing movies).
Her favorite people are her readers, each of whom she cherishes with deep and lasting affection.
Note: L. J. Smith wrote books 1-7 of The Vampire Diaries series. After that, a ghostwriter took over the rest of the series. L. J. wrote books 1-3 of The Secret Circle series. After that, a ghostwriter took over the rest of the series. L. J. did not write any of the Originals or Stefan's Diaries. These were written by Kevin Williamson and/or various ghostwritters.
