A pretty enjoyable, though fairly standard, short and easy, teen-vampire-romance novel. 
 I was kind of disappointed with this book actually, and I honestly don't really know why I expected it to be more than what it was. I'd been excited for quite a while to start reading this series, and I'd hyped it up in my mind so much that I was sure it was going to be the best vampire book I'd read in ages, deep and dark and smart and full of twists & turns and non-stop action, adventure, excitement and plot. Not so much. 
 But it was still an easy, enjoyable read and if I hadn't been convinced that I was in for an entirely different type of ride, then I'd probably have enjoyed it even more. 
 I've heard it gets better after the first book so I shall persevere. Maybe my vampiric wishes will be granted :) I've also heard it's way better than the TV show but I can't comment on that as I've never actually seen it - I just can't bring myself to look past the fact that the male leads are clearly about 35, and everybody's acting as if they reasonably pass for 16 year old high school students. 
 One more thing - every description I've seen of this book bizarrely describes the plot as 'a love triangle between a high school girl and two vampire brothers'. I can't comment on the rest of the series, but that is not remotely what this book is about at all. It's better than that. 
 Here's how I'd describe the plot: 
 Beautiful Elena Gilbert returns from spending her summer in Paris to start her senior year of high school. Upon arriving at school, she sees a new student has started - the gorgeous, mysterious Stefan who Elena is immediately drawn to... and who is the first guy ever to brush her off. Now she is more determined than ever to make him hers. 
 Stefan is a centuries old vampire trying to make a new life for himself in Mystic Falls. When he sees Elena, he is instantly reminded of Katherine, his first love, and Damon, his brother he has not spoken to in centuries... because of what happened to Katherine. 
 When people in Mystic Falls start being attacked around the same time that Stefan arrives, even Stefan begins to question his own innocence.