In my reviews thus far for The Vampire Diaries, I've neglected to mention how undeniably spooky they can get. Especially if read at night, in the dark. And Dark Reunion only upped the fright factor. I didn’t know what to expect without Elena around full-time, but Bonnie took up the reins expertly, even if she was a little scream-y. As did Matt, who I'm happy to see moving on, and steely Meredith. The Salvatores also filled in nicely (though you can never have enough Damon, in my humble opinion, or his Ferrari).

There were plenty of zigzags to fill the pages, and this novel, more than the first three books, felt complete in plot and mystery on its own. It certainly had the most epic final battle that literally went on for chapters. The end was modestly far-fetched, but it worked well enough within the series’ mythology to just go with; why the heck not? Since Smith is so fearless and willing to mame or kill off characters, it only seems fair to allow her one concession: bringing one very special girl back from the (un)dead.

Overall, another fun read. I’m totally addicted to these characters and their story.