THE STRUGGLE (L.J. Smith) - December 12/09

Well, this series is no Twilight, that's for sure. It's basically entertaining and all, but I think the main problem here is that the connection between Elena and Stefan is simply not as compelling and palpable as the connection between Bella and Edward. Smith, a far weaker writer than Stephenie Meyer, is simply unable to really get inside any of the characters' heads, with the lack of real momentum exacerbating the book's problems. I'll keep reading in the hopes it gets better, though. **1/2 out of ****