The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - UPDATED REVIEW

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde  Genre : Classics Blurb (on back of book) : Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind. UPDATED REVIEW MY OPINION : ****** I would like to start out this review by stating that this is undoubtedly m

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening - LJ Smith

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by LJ Smith
Genre: YA Paranormal

Blurb (on back of book): A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror...
Image result for the awakening vampire diariesElena
Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan.
Stefan
Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion.
Damon
Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him.
The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

MY OPINION: ****

This is going to be a short review!

I liked the book but in my opinion, the TV adaptation is more interesting. Maybe it's because I watched it before I read the book, but I like it better. The writing style in this book seemed older, seeing as this book was written quite a while ago, and simpler than now. I thought it almost seemed Middle Grade, had it not been for the elements of this book.

I liked the characters but I just couldn't help but compare them to the TV show. Elena was never blonde in my head, and I never quite got used to that. Stefan and Damon just looked like the characters in the show to me.

I liked the whole plotline of this book but it disappointed me because, again, of the TV show. I'm tempted to continue this series without watching the rest of the seasons, but no, I can't. I'm just going to go on as I have.

Stefan was a dreamboat, as usual. I loved his character and his determination to protect Elena and his fiery spirit and his kindness. He knows that what he did was a mistake and he knows that it's wrong to feed on humans. He tries his best to do the right thing.

Elena was kind of annoying in this book. She literally went after Stefan just because he was a "challenge" and when she got rejected, she cried when she had a perfectly good boyfriend (Matt) who was willing to be with her. She was also shallow and superficial though I think she did change as the story progressed.

Damon wasn't really talked about in this book as much as in the TV show so I can't exactly elaborate on him as much. I know that he had that same snarky and sarcastic attitude that many have come to love, and he knows that he's more powerful than his brother. However, his mission is completely different from the show, as he just wants Elena.

I would recommend this book to vampire lovers!

*Did anyone else notice any similarities to Twilight? I know this was written before.*

Main Character: Elena
Sidekick(s): Stefan, Bonnie, Meredith, etc
Villain(s): Damon, vampires, the past, etc
Paranormal Elements: This book was about vampires. Let's go with that.

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