The Awakening

The Awakening is the first book of the Vampire Diaries series. It tells the story of Elena, a high school student who is incredibly popular. She is used to getting any boy she wants. A new student, Stefan, starts at the school and Elena’s sights are set on him. Stefan is from Italy, 14th century Renaissance Italy, and is a vampire. He tries to only eat animals. There is an instant attraction between them and then things start going wrong.

The novel is told in the form of Elena’s diary entries, in 3rd person. The diary entries are realistic, because Elena spends most of them thinking about Stefan. At first it feels like a typical teenage love story novel. Stefan’s flashbacks to the 14th century change this and the reader gets a sense of what life was like then. It also adds a lot to Stefan’s character – without it, he could have become a stereotype.

There are some slightly scary moments when people get attacked, and when Elena confronts the evil vampire. There is an attempted rape scene at the beginning of the novel, but most of the content is harmless.

This is a fast paced novel that puts story before teenage angst. A must read for any watchers of the television series.