Review: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith

Pages: 240, paperback

ISBN: 9780340945018

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Release Date: July 5th, 2007 (first published September 28th, 1991)

Genre: YA / romance / paranormal / vamps

Source: library

Premise: 

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?
(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it From: Book Depository / Amazon

So, I'd been seeing all this fuss about the TV show, and when I finally got around to to watching it, I was blown away. It was really good--well, at least compared to my expectations of it. After a few episodes, I decided that I should check out the book that it was based on.

Now, this book is rather poor compared to the show. Maybe I think that because I was exposed to the show first. I don't know. But despite the poor quality of the book, I found it ridiculously entertaining.

Elena is a bit of a horrid bitch in the book. She sets her eyes on Stefan and decides that she must have him despite already having a boyfriend. And, despite showing absolutely no interest in her, Elena is still set on 'winning' him, so to speak.
I found her to be a really difficult character to relate to. I just kept hoping that something horrible and painful would happen to her, because her overall attitude towards people is just atrocious. She acts like the stereotypical cheerleader bitch cut-out.

The writing is nothing special, the only redeeming features being that it's really quick and easy to read. You could probably read the entire book in an hour or two.

I noticed a lot of similarities between this and Twilight, which was a bit jarring, though it was interesting, since this book was released, what, 15 years before Twilight?

I ended up reading the rest of the series, for continuation's sake, and man, they read like a cheesy vampire drama for teens... Oh wait, that's exactly what they are. Nevermind.
It's hardly quality literature, but there's something weirdly addictive about them.

10 Second Review: The original Twilight. Cheesy, with a bitchy main character. This is a quick read, that's a good filler for a bad day.

Cover Art: 3
Plot: 2
Characters: 2
Writing: 2
Level of Interest: 3

Total Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Review: A Taste of True Blood

A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger's Guide by Leah Wilson

Pages: 262, paperback

ISBN: 9781935251965

Publisher: SmartPop

Release Date: June 29th, 2010

Genre: non-fiction / essays/ anthology / paranormal / vampires

Source: library

Premise:

True Blood, Alan Ball’s critically acclaimed television adaptation of Charlaine Harris’ bestselling Southern Vampire mysteries, is HBO’s most-watched show since The Sopranos, averaging over 12 million viewers an episode in its second season. Thanks to its large, dedicated fanbase, it won the People’s Choice “Favorite TV Obsession” award in early 2010.

A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger’s Guide gives those fans something to savor between episodes—and whets their appetite for more. Covering the show’s first two seasons and released just in time for the third...

...A Taste of True Blood also includes a quick reference guide to the show’s first two seasons.

(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it from: Book Depository / Amazon

I wish I could write an essay-length review on each of the essays in this book, but that would just be going overboard, and would probably bore you all to death. Instead, I'll just keep this review short and sweet (which would seem to be a first for me...) and post a small summary on some of the essays that I found to be worth mentioning.

Now, before I start, I just have to add that I'm a massive fan of the show, True Blood. And I'm a fan of the book series (I've only read the first two, though. Whoops...). I love everything about it, how it's a good trashy show that I can watch when I'm in a bad mood; and how you can watch it with an analytical eye and see the social commentary in terms of treatment of minorities (in particular, gays) in today's society.

Some essays I loved most:

- Vampire Porn [Daniel M. Kimmel] discusses the grotesque opening title that we've all grown to know and love (or loathe), analysing different themes depicted in the 90 seconds, like racism, bigotry, sex, and the setting of the south. It's given me a whole new insight to the opening title, and I no longer shy away from the graphic parts, instead, looking at them with awe and a critical eye.

- SOOKEH! Bee-iil! [Maria Lima] is the second essay, and addresses how Bill Compton went from hot to not. Totally hilarious, will keep you wanting more. I mean, even that title is hilarious.

And while I can't remember the name of the essay, the last one is written by Ginjer Buchanan, the editor of the Southern Vampire Mysteries series, and talks about the differences between the show and the books, where each season spans for 12 hours, yet manages to perfectly reveal everything that happens in the books, all the while slowly taking on a new direction (for example, the inclusion of Tara as a main character in the show, whereas she was just a very minor character in book 2).

If you're a fan of the series, or just really like seeing social commentaries and analyses of TV shows, then this book is for you. Topics range from Freudian theories to Marxist theories to the Southern setting. And while I don't always agree with the essays, I find that it does give me a new perspective on the show.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: Blue Bloods

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Pages: 320, paperback

ISBN: 9781905654741

Publisher: Atom

Date Released: May 1st, 2010 (first published May 1st, 2006)

Genre: YA / romance / paranormal / vampires

Source: bought

Premise:

When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society.

The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a girl from her school is found dead... drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn't know what to think.

Could those vampire legends really be true? Steeped in vampire lore and set against the heady backdrop of the rich, young, and powerful in the heart of New York City, Blue Bloods will be devoured by Melissa de la Cruz's legion fans. (Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it from: The Book Depository / Amazon


I'll let you guys in on a secret. I love this cover. A few of my IRL friends have commented that it looks bad, and that it looks so typical of a YA book, but I don't care. There's something about it that just draws me to it. It was the main reason I bought this book (as opposed to the US version of this series) despite the frightening model on the cover of Keys to the Repoository. Go on, have a look. (For some reason, the model just looks creepy and sort of like a drug addict, thanks to bad photoshopping. A real shame, but enough about that. That's for another post.)

The story and the vampire mythology in this book is actually pretty great. Melissa de la Cruz has managed to tie in the mythology of her creatures with actual historical events (mainly the lost Colony of Roanoke, which is just fascinating). I thought that the story was full of surprises, and it kept me on my toes for the most part. Each big reveal (yes, this actually has a plot! Hurrah!) was a massive omg moment tgat I totally didn't see coming.

The characters were interesting. The way they interacted at some times felt genuine, but also, at the same time, the relationships and personalities seemed weak. Also, for the most part, they were walking cliches, which made me groan. The slutty, popular girl is evil; the hot jock is a potential love interest, as is the loyal best friend; and the odd girl out is the special girl who suddenly finds that all the guys like her.

The writing itself was interesting. Fast paced, mysterious and fun to read. But on the other hand, the amount of name dropping was ridiculous. Half the brands that were not-so-casually mentioned went right over my head. It was unnecessary and made the reading experience an uncomfortable one because I couldn't recognise most of the terms used. I mean, I don't care if a person shopped at Prada, carrying a Gucci bag and wearing Jimmy Choo shoes while smelling like Chanel #5. And I promise you, that out of the dozens of names dropped, those are the only ones that I recognised.
Also, it was written in 3rd person, so it skips between POVs of most of all the characters. Jumping from POV to POV is a massive pet peeve of mine, and feels a bit sloppy.

The last 50 pages or so were all over the place. Each character knew--or thought they knew--certain things, and it got to the point where things were getting annoying trying to separate truth from lies.
And what I hated most about this book: it ended completely unresolved. I was actually really disappointed. Though, I will definitely continue to read the rest of the series.

So, all in all, if you're a fan of vamps or Gossip Girl, you'll probably love this book. I really enjoyed this book, it was great for a light read.

Cover Art: 4
Plot: 4
Characters: 2
Writing: 2
Level of Interest: 4

Total Rating: 3/5

Review: Insatiable

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Pages: 451, hardcover

ISBN: 9780061735066

Publisher: William Morrow

Date Released: June 8th, 2010

Genre: Adult / paranormal / urban fantasy / romance / chick-lit / vampires / satire

Source: library

Premise:

Sick of vampires? So is Meena Harper.

But her boss is making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn’t believe in them.

Not that Meena isn’t familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you’re going to die (not that you’re going to believe her; no one ever does).

But not even Meena’s precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side . . . a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.

The problem is, he already is dead. Maybe that’s why he’s the first guy Meena’s ever met that she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena’s always been able to see everyone else’s future, she’s never been able look into her own.

And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.

Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future . . .

If she even has one. (Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it now from: The Book Depository / Amazon

I am such a major Meg Cabot fan. I grew up reading the Princess Diaries series, and almost annually, I return to them. So, I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of this book. And to be honest? It didn't disappoint.

Meena, the main character, is a dialogue writer for the hit soap opera, Insatiable. In a time where the vampire craze is spreading, the big bosses feel that Insatiable needs a change, and that vamps should be introduced in order to lure in the younger viewers. This bothers Meena. She hates vampires and what it's done to society's younger generation. Also, a small bit of info: she has this weird ability to tell how people are going to die.

I loved Meena for the most part, up until she met Lucien, the sexy vamp prince. Because of his powers, he makes her feel as if she's in love with him, which in the beginning is a bit funny (apart from the whole mind-rape and control thing; but as this is a sort of satirical work made to mock most of the books being brought out in the vamp craze, I'll let it slide), but it gets annoying and hard to tell if she really means it.

One major plot point that I detested was when Vampire-hunter Alaric breaks into Meena's home to interrogate her about the whereabouts of Lucian. He holds a sword up to her. He insults her. When her brother Jon walks in, Jon ends up siding with Alaric for some stupid reason. None of this part flows or makes sense and makes the characters act out of characters.

Otherwise, I found the characters were well-developed to an extent. There certainly were moments when they didn't act like they were supposed to, and in certain parts, Meena acts TSTL, but most of the time, they felt real enough.

I didn't think much of the love triangle. It felt a bit weak and underdeveloped, showing a weakness to the character's relationships with one another.

What I absolutely loved about this book were the cute one-liners and the dialogue. For example:

Meena: You seem REALLY interested in me at the moment.

Alaric: That? That's just my scabbard.

Man, it's stuff like that that gave the book this light feel to it.

I recommend this to everyone who a) likes Meg Cabot or b) dislikes the Twilight craze. It's full of sexy, funny moments, with a fairly cool heroine and awesome story.

Cover Art: 4
Plot: 4
Characters: 3
Writing: 3
Level of Interest: 4

Total: 4/5

Review: Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Pages: 332, paperback

ISBN: 9781595141743

Publisher: Razorbill

Date Released: August 16th, 2007

Genre: YA/ Paranormal / Romance

Source: bought

Premise:

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever. (Taken from Goodreads)

Okay, so last year, I'd been hearing all this hype about this book, and how awesome it was, and how Mead was churning out, like, two books a year for the series, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon.

This book starts off with action. No boring first chapter with boring background info. Just action. All the background info is gradually added as the story progresses, which is a plus in my books. Info dumps just slow the story down, and bore the reader.

The writing in general is mediocre. It's nothing spectacular, but the narrator, Rose, has a strong voice, and it's easy to warm up to her, even if she does act like a bitch at times. The use of first person is quite effective as a result.
Now, I have mixed feelings when it comes to Rose. At times, she's witty, sarcastic, tough and a smartass, but it's not always a good thing. At times, I just found myself rolling my eyes when Rose tried so hard to prove that she was so tough. It just got overused, I think.
Also, when Rose sometimes tries to make things go her way (like telling Christian that Lissa didn't like him), I wanted to punch her. She acts so bratty at those moments, with no respect for what other people--especially her best friend--want.

Christian is one of my favourite characters in the book. He's mysterious, broody, loyal and a total misfit. He's my kind of guy. I'm very supportive of Christian/Lissa shipping. ;)

Now, Dimitri and Rose, on the other hand... It doesn't really feel as if Rose is feeling it. It seems fake on her side: she's constantly telling the reader how much she likes him, but it's not really put in depth.
Dimitri is cute, albeit a copy of Christian. Moody, broody, antisocial etc. *yawn* If he were 7 years younger, he would be Christian's doppleganger.

I was impressed until I got to the end of chapter four, when the point of view randomly switched from Rose's point of view to Lissa's. I get that there's supposed to be this bond between them, but it felt like a really cheap and sloppy way to show the reader what's happening when Rose isn't present.

I loved the vampire lore. It was well thought out and made sense for the most part. That dhampirs are like mules (wherein, they can't breed with each other), and have to mate with vamps, it brought up an interesting viewpoint that is constantly being touched upon not just in this book, but in the entire series, as well. It raises the idea of blood-whores, which Rose sometimes feel the pressure of. It gives a great understanding of their culture, and of Rose's insight.

Overall, the book was a fun read. I finished it in a day, and instantly ordered the rest of the books in the series. This book is one of those that is a light read, perfect for lazy afternoons.

Cover Art: 4
Plot: 3
Characters: 3
Writing: 3
Level of Interest: 4

Total: 4/5