Fairly good books, especially for a young adult novel. Could be appealing to adults. While they aren't as expansive as the Twilight saga, it should be noted that they were written a decade before and that the stories are more dark in nature (death of teenage girls, ghosts, stormy nights, etc..)
If you expect this series to be anything like the TV series it is not. However for those of you who need a little Vampire Diaries "fix" in between Thursday's then this series does the trick.
There is more of a love triangle between Elena, Stephen & Damon which I really like. Damon is really bad in the book. And Stephen is way too weak. But now that Stephen has given into his true nature, well we will see how things play out.
I am a fan of the CW show, so I decided to check out the Vampire Diaries books. The books are quite different from the show. I believe the TV show took the basic concept and characters from the books and ran with the idea allowing for many creative changes. It makes sense, because there is not enough material in the books to fill up a weekly TV show and keep it interesting. So if you are hoping the two are going to be the same or similar, youll be disappointed. However, if you can clear the TV show from your mind -- the Vampire Diaries are a great read!
The Struggle" is the 2nd book in the Vampire Diaries series. It further develops the characters we meet in "The Awakening" and more trouble is brewing. Elena is in love with Stephan, who is a vampire - more of a "good" vampire. But she is also strongly attracted to his brother, Damon - the dark one. We are left at the end of this book wondering who she will ultimately choose.
Usually when I read a book involving a love triangle, I always favor one character over the other. The author does an outstanding job making both Stefan and Damon irresistable. I find myself wanting her with both!!
It is best if you can read the 1st three books, The Awakening, The Struggle and The Fury one right after the other. It is actually one big story split into the 3 books. They do not sit well alone.