Nightfall

Disclaimer: I read this on my phone and will not be downloading another one to that particular application. I don't know if it was skipping sentences, paragraphs or entire pages, but I missed something. I tried not to let this impact my overall opinion of the book, but who knows? In addition, if you haven't read the first four books in the series, there may be spoilers. You have been warned.

The fact is, I was not impressed with the latest foray to Fell's Church. I was upset with bringing Elena back from the death in the first place. I thought her death was so unexpected and so brilliant that bringing her back negates that completely and utterly. And then to bring her back even more powerful and superior? Seriously? Why? What makes Elena show more Gilbert so fantastic that she has to have everything? And since I'm going down this road, why does the heroine have to be blonde-haired and blue-eyed? Haven't we gone far enough away from these cliches of true beauty?

I have two major issues that I've never been able to shake. First of all, Elena is just not very enjoyable a character, in my opinion. She's shallow and self-absorbed. I detest the descriptions that she was born to manipulate others, especially men, and takes great pride in that ability. It is not an endearing characteristic. Second, I do not quite buy the love story. The intensity of it feels wrong, or at least forced. As a result, it makes all of Elena's actions seem forced as well.

As for this book, the voices seemed wrong. If I did not know any better, I would swear that she was writing dialogue for completely different characters. Damon wasn't the Damon I've come to know and love. Stefan wasn't Stefan. It was almost as if Ms. Smith forgot her characters, who they were and how they spoke.

I did not enjoy the plot. Hell demons and malach? The story jumped around so much that it felt like continuity was seriously lacking. I had difficulties figuring out what was happening and to whom. I found the plot itself difficult to follow, or at least to understand. In the end, I was left wondering why Ms. Smith felt the need to revisit these characters after so many years. Given the timing of it, I can't help but feel that it was purely a commercial decision rather than one made as a writer. It felt at times as if she was going through the motions and threw the story line together at the last minute, which may indeed explain several of the weak links.

I know this is going to do well among fans, especially considering the fact that the TV show is doing so well. Unfortunately, I do not think this is a well-written, well-plotted, continuation to the series. In fact, as much as I raced through the first four books, I think I am done with the Vampire Diaries as a series. I no longer care what happens to any of the characters, which is a shame because I loved the freshness of the first four. However, I am curious what others think. Have you read it yet? Thoughts? Am I alone in my dislike? show less

This story is a lot darker than the previous book in the series, but still an enjoyable journey. All the characters are growing into themselves. It's like a discovery journey and then evil comes to join in on the fun.
Fell's Church is just the center of Power now and everyone seems to want a piece of the action. No body is safe anymore.

This story is a lot darker than the previous book in the series, but still an enjoyable journey. All the characters are growing into themselves. It's like a discovery journey and then evil comes to join in on the fun.
Fell's Church is just the center of Power now and everyone seems to want a piece of the action. No body is safe anymore.

This story is a lot darker than the previous book in the series, but still an enjoyable journey. All the characters are growing into themselves. It's like a discovery journey and then evil comes to join in on the fun.
Fell's Church is just the center of Power now and everyone seems to want a piece of the action. No body is safe anymore.

I was IN LOVE with the vampire diaries books...except this one. Everyone's reviews are true. It seems that author has forgotten the characters we love so much in the 90s. Elena has gotten annoying, not that she wasn't at the beginning because the golden girl who always gets her way is usually a character most people dislike but Elena in this spoiled rotten, she has someone how become not just the most important person of the town but she may be the most unique person in the world? Give me a break. Another thing that I didn't like was the splintering off of the Bonnie Damon story line because I believe the she could have changed him, more than Elena attempted to.

As far as style of the novel goes, I found this hard to read. I was not show more glued to it like I usually am with books and the thoughts were somehow jumbled to the point where it almost made more sense just to read ever few sentences.

Sorry but this book failed. Hopefully the part 2 will redeem the series. For not though I'm perfectly content with the TV series. show less

This was a fun one, though much of it is without Stephan. (Not sure what that says about either the character, or me for that matter. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for true love, but I wonder how it can be true if you love more than one - truly.)

If one were to dissect the relationships and possible relationships in this book- it would be Peyton Place all over again!

Bonnie/Damon thing is growing, along with the Bonnie/Matt thing.
The Matt/Elena thing is still there.
The Damon/Elena thing is being explored (YAY!)
The Stephan/Elena thing is a constant. (yawn...)

I know I should root for them, but naw. I like the bad boy... especially cause he's really not that bad, just covered in layers of black aura, that's all.

2.5 stars. The book is more than 2x as long as the first four, with not nearly enough content to support the extra length. It just seemed repetitive and confused, without adding additional insight. The other major flaw was the massive amount of retconning. This book was written many years after the original four, but it takes place the very next week. So the massive changes in personalities, abilities, and attitudes seem discordant when read back-to-back as I have. One particular glaring anachronistic example is suddenly the characters all have cellphones, which had never been mentioned previously and are out of place in the summer of 1992 setting.