The first volume of Stefan’s Diaries shot to #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List for Children’s Books. Last week marked the release date of the second volume, which picks up shortly where the last one left off.
To recap, in “Origins”, we learned how both Stefan and Damon came to be vampires. Of course, we had seen parts of how they were turned on The Vampire Diaries, but “Origins” filled in more of Stefan’s backstory in particular, especially his engagement before Katherine came to town and how he and Damon both fell in love with her.
After the residents of Mystic Falls discovered that they were vampires, both Stefan and Damon fled town. This is where “Bloodlust” begins. Stefan is the stronger of the two brothers for most of the book, dragging Damon – who at first wants to die after becoming a vampire – to New Orleans to start a new life. There the two get separated and Stefan meets the woman who would become his best friend for many years: Lexi.
What’s different about “Bloodlust”, as opposed to “Origins”, is how quickly the story moves along. I felt that “Origins” spent a lot of time setting up Stefan’s backstory. But “Bloodlust” is much more quickly paced, and has a great deal more action. The only drawback of the quicker pace is that sometimes it almost seems too quick. Circumstances change drastically from one moment to the next and, because the book is relatively thin, it doesn’t leave a lot of space for fleshing out certain scenes or characters.
But that’s okay. Because fans of The Vampire Diaries will still enjoy “Bloodlust” for the holes it fills in. It’s interesting to see how a newly-turned Stefan was so different from the brooding vampire that we know in the show. In fact, he’s so impulsive and different it’s hard to imagine that it’s the same character. I think it’s very interesting how the brothers essentially reversed roles from how they both acted right after they turned – and to discover the primary trigger for that role reversal (which I won’t spoil for you!).
These Diaries are a great way to provide additional backstory that the television show simply doesn’t have the time to do. And I have no doubt “Bloodlust” will be just as popular as “Origins”. Read more about it at the Harper Teen website and make sure to pick up your copy! You can read the first chapter here.
clarissa @ tvovermind.com
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