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Dark Reunion (Vampire Diaries, Vol. 4)
by L. J. Smith
Product Group: Book
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (1992-05)
ISBN: 006106775X
EAN: 9780061067754
Paperback: 320 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult
SKU: MM2305
Condition: Good
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Elena rises from the dead and awakens the vampire brothers, Stefan and Damon, to help her save her beloved town from an inexplicable evil.
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Customer Reviews
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Final flop?
Rating  (3)
Date: 2007-08-03
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
One thing about this book that bothered me was the description on the back. To me, it just seemed totally wrong. Maybe they just wanted it to sound all dramatic? I'm not really sure.
Well, the book revolves mainly around Bonnie. The three main characters that fans came to love throughout the first three books have shrunken roles, except for perhaps Stefan who is present frequently.
Dark power is at hand as Bonnie starts having dreams about Elena. After a frenzied warning from her lost friend, Bonnie summons Stefan for help. When she merely mentions Elena, he is compelled to go to her, joined by his brother Damon.
I was actually pretty disappointed with this book. After reading the third installment to the series (and reading the back cover), I got excited and expected some magical, amazing conclusion. Instead, I found that I was clomping through it without much enthusiasm. First of all, the transition to focusing on Bonnie rather than the three vampire heroes was a bit disconcerting for me, and though the vampires played main roles, they were not focused on quite as much.
The entire plot of the book didn't captivate me, either. I had the sense that it had been thrown together for the sake of a happier ending. And while I'm on the subject, I really wished that the endings of the third and fourth books had been tied to a happier, less corny conclusion.
What disappointed me the most was the disconnection from Elena. Though her appearances were brief, she still managed to get her picture on the book cover. I missed her journal entries, which would have been impossible to conjure based on the storyline, but since she had been set as one of the main characters from the beginning of the series, it seemed critical to know more of her thoughts and what she was going through.
If you're not too sensitive about those sort of things, don't worry about this book - you'll probably love it, especially since the ending is considerably happier than the last.
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I Think Kathy Bates May Have Ordered This MISERY
Rating  (2)
Date: 2005-09-24
1 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
I was so eager to read the Dark Reunion because the entire series up until this point had been nothing short of amazing. As I waited for the last book to arrive, I couldn't help but skim over a few reviews, most of which were not that positive. Oh, how I should've listened to the warnings. This book was AWFUL! I enjoyed it up until the point Damon decided to disappear for a few chapters (he and Bonnie are my favorite characters).
I was never a big Elena fan and I still don't quite understand why all the other characters in the story seemed to love her so much. She was only interesting based on her association with those around her who actually HAD personalities. That's the one thing I can say I appreciated about book 4- her 'sort of' absence. I also really enjoyed the triangle that was sort of developing btwn Bonnie, Matt and Damon (hopefully if I'm lucky, L.J. will introduce a spin-off that delves more into that delicious storyline). Anyway, Damon leaves and the book suddenly takes a sorry turn. I wish the author would've referenced her previous material, because based on what was revealed at the end of book 3, the villian that appears in the following book doesn't really make much sense. At least offer an argument against Katherine's claim. As if that weren't enough, just when I thought things couldn't be more silly or move any faster, tah-dah-Elena appears once again, but fereal this time and all is well with the world, I guess? I love how the author neglected to enlighten the reader on how (though more importantly WHY) this sudden manifestation occurs. Yet, for some reason I got the feeling that L.J. herself didn't care while writing this one. There was no passion involved. In fact, the last couple of chapters were almost like a big SCREW YOU to all those who were not satisfied with the conclusion of The Fury. And you know what the saddest part is? I was not only prepared for it, I WANTED someone to die, and I couldn't decide btwn Meredith or Stefan.
I will not recommend that devoted readers NOT read this book, because that wouldn't be fair of me. However, if you should decide to read my review before doing so, you cannot hold me accountable for any displeasure you are likely to experience after reading this Dark Disappointment.
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No comparison to the first three.
Rating (2)
Date: 2005-05-11
1 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
Unless you're the kind of person who cannot stand to read a book without a happy ending...don't bother. The resurection of Elena is contrived...and it seems like it's just an effort to capitalize on the (well deserved) success of the first three novels. and um, it's a trilogy. why are there four books? It doesn't always make sense, and is pretty pointless. Don't beat a dead horse...this book proves it, even if they don't stay dead, it's just not a good idea.
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a book that is out of this world!!!
Rating  (4)
Date: 2005-05-06
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
this book was g8 but i thought it was to short. elena comes bak rite at the end i want to no wot hapens next. so L.J.Smith is there gonna a next book and if so whens does it come out? im dieing to no!!!!!!
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Absolutely wonderful
Rating (4)
Date: 2004-07-31
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Even with distractions, I read this book in about 4 hours. It was totally awesome. I was thinking that the ending would be another one that I'd be totally dissatisfied with(*cough cough* "Pearl of the Soul of the World" from the 'Dark Angel Trilogy' *cough cough*), but it's refreshing to see that love can WIN! Here's a spoiler though. I just wonder, is Elena a vampire still or is she human at the end. And did everybody end up seeing her goodies? That's what it seemed like when they kept talking about her being naked. Either way, if you like vampires and want an interesting read, then you absolutely need to pick up this saga.
The imagery L.J Smith uses is totally amazing. I was turned onto her first from reading the Nightworld series, but I find the Vampire Diaries to be more well written. Maybe it's because she has about 1200 pages to dedicate to one story rather than a couple hundred for 10 different scenarios and dozens of characters. I give it 4 stars because there were a few points where I felt that it was dragging and I was upset that we didn't even hear of the vampire brothers again until page 60. Damon was also a great character and I felt that he sort of went by the waist side. I didn't like at all how he just walked away. Not to mention, I think he and Bonnie would have been better together than Bonnie and Matt (thank goodness nothing was technically official with that though). I wanted to see a female personality counter his, one that wasn't Elena. He just didn't get enough attention to me. When you read the cover of the book, you read about Stefan, Damon, and Elena and you don't see as much as you should, I think.
Also, I thought the ending was a little rushed. It was like "Ok, Klaus is gone. Now we get to bring Elena back to life woo hoo." It just wasn't working for me and seems sort of out of the blue. Still, I was so happy for Stefan that I'll let it slide.
This is a depressing saga though. So much sadness and anger and hatred. I mean, the love in it was wonderful, but still, you can't ignore all the dreariness.
Also, I found myself predicting it was Klaus before I even opened the book. Just like by the second book, I was expecting Katherine to be the real bad guy. It was just a feeling I had. I think the first book was my favorite, but I totally loved Damon in the second one. He rocked in the third too. See, the problem is, it's hard to rank them. Also, since I have read them all together, it's hard to split up what happened in what. I just know that this volume was my least favorite, but for me to still give it 4 stars says a LOT because I still couldn't put it down.
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