these are the best vampire books i have ever read! better than twilight! i think the series being so long is a good thing! because it really takes you through the time elena see's stefan and its like love at first sight, and devlops into this big love triangle and shows you how elena matures slightly throughout the series and becomes more mature when she falls in love with someone so dangerous and being with him means life threatening situations, not to mention i absolutely love the fact that theres a whole gang of friends and only they understand each other. therefore, they can't run away from helping each other because they have been through so much together...can't bear to wait for the last book in the last trilogy!