The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle: Book 2 (The Vampire Diaries: The Return)

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I don't know why this took me a month to read, it didn't feel that long, I guess it was because of classes...but I really enjoyed these 2 books! I'm familiar with the characters and the general storyline (Atleast from book 1) from watching a little of the show, but it's so different in the book omg.

In the second book, Elena is a touch more palatable, but that might have been because the story as a whole got marginally better, leaving less time (but still ample, believe me) for Elena to wax poetic about the unexplainable love for Stefan that seemingly flourished after one kiss. On the other hand, I really loved the history of Stefan and Damon. The memories from hundreds of years ago. The author manager to portray the time very well, and I was easily transported into another world, another time... I think these scenes were definitely the favourite part of this book. The Hunters: Phantom is the starting novel of a new arc, this time written by a ghostwriter. It begins with Meredith Sulez's fiancé-to-be Alaric Saltzman returning from Japan with a fellow researcher Celia Conner. Since the Guardians changed the realities of Fells Church (so that all the evil that Klaus, Katherine, and the kitsune twins committed never happened), Elena is no longer dead and she is able to see her Aunt Judith and her sister Margaret again. Alaric and Celia arrive by train just after her name is mysteriously spelled out in blood. Other names begin to appear first Meredith, then Damon, Bonnie, Elena and Matt. Damon manages to escape from the Dark Dimension after it is revealed that the embers of the star-ball Elena destroyed revived him after his death in The Return: Midnight. Stefan begins to suspect Caleb Smallwood (Tyler Smallwood's cousin) of committing the crimes after he finds out that he still remembers the original timeline with Klaus and Katherine. Stefan tries to kill Caleb but is unsuccessful because Elena intervenes. Stefan and Meredith interrogate Caleb only to realize that he was not causing the accidents around Fell's Church. Simultaneously the bodies of Matt, Bonnie, and Elena have all been taken into the Dark Dimension where Damon is trying to hunt the villain. Damon reveals that the monster is an Original Phantom and that it feeds on your emotions the same way a vampire feeds on blood. After the Phantom is summoned to Fells Church, Alaric tries to use old magic to cast the phantom out, but the Phantom is able to play on peoples minds and forces Stefan and Damon to battle. They eventually cast the Phantom out after revealing all of their jealousies and burning down the garage in the process. They prepare to attend Dalcrest college in the coming fall.

I felt like there was more action in this book, compared to the first one. It made me more engrossed with the story and I was very excited for all the twists. It all happens as the result of a fight which in turn means Elena drives off angry... This is our big glimpse at the 'other power' and it is a good 'glimpse'. Elena's there thinking "The power fills the whole sky" and there I am picturing a massive thing covering all of the sky, just wow. and if you know who Paul Denton is I’ll freaking marry you (apologies in advance for providing my current spouse with any unwanted brother-husbands). There were some things that really annoyed me in these books: Elena was perfection incarnated, the prototype of a Mary-Sue, she had everybody wrapped around her little finger, she always got what she wanted (be it the title of the Homecoming Queen or every boy in school) and when she didn't, she let the waterworks flow, adopting the "you hurt me so" expression. And of course, when two half a century old vampires arrived in town, she was the love of their life at first sight, they wanted to spend their eternity with her and only with her, no other woman had ever mattered *snorts* This was so much better than I expected it to be! I read it in one sitting! I love the TV show but, Stefan is so much cooler in this than in the show. I wasn't a huge Stefan fan, but in the book he is just as awesomely romantic and smoldering as so many other YA vampires.

I actually saved the book for three weeks after finishing it just so I could include some hilariously bad quotes in review. Now, I can finally talk about the last couple of chapters. Yes, the scene where Elena drives her car of the bridge (accidently of course). The Stefan's Diaries are six novels based on the TV series, attributed to Lisa Jane Smith but actually ghostwritten. They tell Stefan and Damon's past since Katherine's arrival. As they were written during the series broadcast, some things differ, such as the story of the original Vampires.

The scenes, the plot, the twists - they were all very carefully put together. Elena's love choices are opening up, letting us wonder which brother she might choose. Making us choose sides (team Damon here!). This battle between the love and hate of the two brothers definitely seems interesting. From the first chapter, this book is intense and captures your attention. It is written in third person, but it also contains diary entries that belong to Elena and capture her deepest thoughts that she doesn't dare share with anyone else. This will not be a book for everyone. People who enjoy Twilight-esque books will probably be into this. Vampire Diaries book series nominated for 2010 Kids' Choice Award". Archived from the original on 2014-04-13.