OMG, this was so bad... the story is awful, the “rules” of the world that LSJ made are broken and bended whenever she had to make a plot twist, the endless things that happened without a reason or explanation (how the hell did Elena came alive in the last book? How did she became a ghost? How did she became a human again? And the angle thing? What?!)...

Basically- don’t read this. It’s awful. Go and watch the TV series - they are loosely based on the first novel and are SUPERIOR to this load of crap.

very annoying that the author did the same thing caroline b cooney did with face on the milk carton where she wrote a sequel years later and pretended it was taking place in the 2000s instead of the 90s all along, though at least in this case it wasn't so OBVIOUSLY 90s in the previous books, but like oh, they're suddenly making video calls on their phones now? okay. i just wish people wouldn't ignore what was previously written just bc they're WRITING the story again so many years later

also i could feel a difference in the writing, i kinda thought maybe this was the start of the ghostwriter but we get two more of smith's books after this

"you're just a child in your mind now. how can i take advantage of you?" technically she was always a child and you're like 500 years old stefan.

okay, damon, surely you have SO MUCH money, you could at least pay for things so that girl isn't screwed at her job

i didn't understand how damon was suddenly Super Powerful idk i think it was like midway through and was suddenly beating shinichi, like what caused that?

was there significance to matt taking a lapis lazuli ring out of the car, could HE be turned down the line, that would be interesting, i think he was one of the only shows in the character that was never turned, was he? was he? i don't remember.

did anyone know how to picture the malach i was imagining a cicada for some reason but yeah, i really wanted to know what it looked like

the malach was a cool concept, that would've been interesting to have incorporated into the show, but the twins?? christ. there had to be some racism in that choice, especially bc every character in this is white

i was mostly entertained by this as i've been with the other books, i will say like, i don't remember the tv show, maybe damon does do some just as terrible things on there, but i know i liked his character when i watched it, but reading the books, i haven't had much empathy for him, like even that scene where elena tried to redeem him, i was just like i don't care about him, he just chooses to be terrible for fun most of the time, so idk if i like where it might be headed with damon/elena. it really is hard to tell, because you thought they were gonna go there for a while when she was first turned into a vampire but then she got her memories back and was like "oh right, stefan", so who knows! and why even try to keep doing the love triangle thing at this point, she's made her choice clear, you have to at least make it believable that she could fall for damon and at this point he's not worthy

anyway, maybe things will be better for bonnie and meredith for a while while the others are searching for stefan. maybe? please? let them relax for a minute, please

but yeah, like i said, the storytelling just felt different and kind of hard to understand at times? elena's powers made zero sense to me after she was no longer in that spirit state, and even then, the spirit state was weird, why didn't she just stay like that OR return to normal human being immediately? and how is it remotely acceptable for her and stefan to have done anything romantic/sexual when they were saying she was basically like a child?? and he kept calling her "lovely little love" i did not like the vibes of that, it was weird and he had NEVER called her that before. their relationship just felt different than in the previous books, not that i'm highly invested in it either way, i imagine it was much more compelling in the show, idr, and it wasn't because they'd been through this life-altering experience with elena being brought back to life, but like the author just forgot what their dynamic was previously like

i guess that's all because it HAS been years since the previous books were published, and so i see why there are several different series within the vampire diaries books, but yeah. this just was weird and confusing and also LONG god i loved how quick i could get through the first four books

a sidebar: every book has reviews with people yelling about how selfish and annoying elena is and i never understand why. how is she more annoying than any other character, they also say and do stupid things. i don't see how she's selfish lmao she's literally trying to keep matt safe and willing to do whatever damon says to do so, she gets lost in shinichi's globe trying to find matt, she's willing to sacrifice herself to rescue bonnie and meredith. doesn't seem selfish to me but whatever!

Ey! Strange book. I've been reading the books since January, and this fifth book I like, but I admit it was really strange, not only are some of the characters ooc but also the "evil" is really creepy. All the things that happen to the little girls, the big transformation of Damon, I understand he was possessed but.. and I didn't like Caroline in the books but in this one she is more than hideous. I'm intrigued about how is going to continue the story in the next book.
It's more mature book but in some situations is surprisingly I mean doesn't seem the same kind of writing and these books are part of a series. I admit as well that the miraculous apparition of the smartphones in the saga. It was no necessary.
I give it 3'5 stars

This series is finally starting to feel like an actual paranormal romance. I get that the vampires and werewolves have been there from the beginning, but the book just wasn't giving the spooky vibes I wanted. However, the more and more you delve into the series the more it gives the right vibes. I was bored for the first bit of the book because I just hate Elena but it got better towards the end.