Sample
  • The Vampire Diaries, Book 1

  • The Awakening
  • By: L. J. Smith
  • Narrated by: Rebecca Mozo
  • Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (1,884 ratings)

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The Vampire Diaries, Book 1

By: L. J. Smith
Narrated by: Rebecca Mozo
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Publisher's summary

The New York Times best-selling series!

The first book in L.J. Smith's New York Times best-selling Vampire Diaries series, the basis of the hit CW TV show starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder.

Elena Gilbert is a high school golden girl, used to getting what she wants. And who she wants. But when the boy she's set her sights on - the handsome and haunted Stefan - isn't interested, she's confused. She could never know the real reason Stefan is struggling to resist her:

Stefan is a vampire, and Elena's in danger just by being around him. What's more, Stefan's dark, dangerous vampire brother Damon has just arrived in town. And wherever Damon goes, trouble always follows.

Fans of The Vampire Diaries TV show will find this book packed with the same kind of heart-stopping suspense, fierce romances, and jaw-dropping surprises that they know and love, all brought to life by New York Times best-selling author L.J. Smith.

Listen to more Vampire Diaries.
©1991 Daniel Weiss Associate, Inc., and Lisa Smith (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

Featured Article: The Vampire Diaries, Explained


The Vampire Diaries is one of the most popular vampire YA fiction series of all time, predating even the Twilight Saga fandom! If you're new to The Vampire Diaries or have recently started streaming the TV show, this is an essential guide to the central plot points, characters, and overarching story. Because so many years separate the novels, and there are trilogies within the overarching Vampire Diaries series, it can be confusing to know where to start. We'll demystify it all. If you're drawn to the Salvatore brothers, and hungry to learn more about the characters who love, fear, and loathe them, read on!

What listeners say about The Vampire Diaries, Book 1

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Did anyone else...

Did anyone else jump at the end? Because I certainly did. I was not expecting that. It’s so different from the tv show.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Blast from my past

I read these books dozens of times as a teen and I am really enjoying sharing this series with my daughter. However...I'm not a fan of the narrator. Her pacing is off, her accents are terrible, and she interprets emotions wrong a lot.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

So different from the show!

I enjoyed the book a lot, but it's so different from the show! It was nice hearing a similar story with it having many differences, but I found myself missing the world of Mystic Falls and the storyline from the show a little. The narration was great though!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

It was… Okay.

If you’re a big fan of the TV show the book is way different. Was it a disappointment? No. But was it super great? Also no. Glad I listened. Enjoyed the reader!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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So glad I decided to read this!

Only one book in and it's already leaps and bounds better than the TV show. Not that that is very surprising.. lol. But my gosh, I DEMAND a proper show/movie series for this story. It's SO good. It's beautifully written, and the narrator does a phenomenal job. Highly recommend.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

IT’S OKAY!

I absolutely love the vampire diaries TV show so I decided to read the books! Unfortunately I don’t care for the books that much! I was hoping I would seeming I loved the twilight books as much as I loved the movies. I’m glad the TV show didn’t do the same story as the books.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not impressed

As a writer myself I wanted to explore this series to find out what was so inspiring as to become the TV Craze we know and love. Unfortunately, in this case it appears, the writers and director of the Vampire Dairies were the cause of it's popularity. Not sure I can finish the series, but am considering it for further research.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

total teenager story

This story seems to follow the same type story as the twilight. Teenage angst and all.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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This is not the TV series!

I watched the entire TVD series recently. I was hungry for more so I got this book. Even though the TV series was based on the characters in these books it most definitely did NOT follow the books. If you watched the TV series before getting this book, forget EVERYTHING you saw since it will only confuse you. I had listened to the first six chapters and was totally confused. Then I kept telling myself that it was not the same series; just a series with characters with similar names. After that, I started listening to the book from the beginning and was able to enjoy it much more. FYI, this book ends on a major cliffhanger so make sure you have book 2 ready to go.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Book better than series

Watched series but book much better. So, much left out in series ❤ ❤ ❤

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