Nightfall (Vampire Diaries: The Return Series #1) »

L. J. Smith has written more than two dozen books for children and young adults. She lives in the Bay Area of California, but is happiest in a little cabin near Point Reyes National Park, which has lots of trees, lots of animals, lots of beaches to walk on, and lots of places to hike.

The first book in a new trilogy from L. J. Smith!

Elena Gilbert is alive—again.

When Elena sacrificed herself to save the two vampire brothers who love her—the handsome, brooding Stefan and the sleek and dangerous Damon—she was consigned to a fate beyond death. Until a powerful supernatural force pulled her back.

Now Elena is not just human. She has powers and gifts that were bestowed on her in the afterlife. What's more, her blood pulses with an overwhelming and unique force that makes her irresistible to any vampire.

Stefan wants to find a way to keep Elena safe so that they can make a life together. Damon, however, is driven by an insatiable desire for power, and wants Elena to rule as his princess. When Stefan is lured away from Fell's Church, Damon seizes his chance to convince her that he is the brother she is meant to be with...

But a darkness is infiltrating the town, and Damon, always the hunter, is now the hunted; he becomes the prey of...

Children's Literature

This book is the fifth installment of the "The Vampire Diaries" series, picking up where the original four-book series, currently reissued in two omnibus editions, left off. Elena's return to a physical body has left her a bit confused. Her body is the same as when she was a normal human girl, but she is now able to levitate and communicates with mental pictures. As she returns to her old self, if a bit more powerful, she and her vampire boyfriend Stefan become closer than ever. But strange things are happening in their little town of Fell's Church, Virginia, and one night Stefan disappears. As Elena and her friends search for what happened to Stefan, they discover various girls of the town acting provocatively out of character and piercing themselves as if they have been bewitched. To make things worse, Stefan's brother, Damon, is acting strangely, even for him. Something evil is trying to destroy Elena's town—can she find a way to save everything she cares about and still find Stefan? A majority of the book is spent with the characters either discussing things that had just happened or what to do next, or even pausing in the midst of action to contemplate what is happening. The plot is sometimes hard to follow, introducing metaphysical concepts with little to no explanation as to what they are, if they come from previous books, or if they are new to the characters and therefore the series. While some fans will enjoy returning to Fell's Church and the romance of Stefan and Elena, this particular title fell flat. Reviewer: Kathleen Foucart