I started reading LJS earlier this year. She's absurdly tropey and they're like most of the gothic/horror YA I remember reading as a teen, but very fun, and I like her characters.
Wildwood: These two books are written for a younger audience than the rest of her books and doesn't have her normal love triangle, and is about a group of siblings instead. I actually read them as a kid and imprinted strongly on them (mostly the second) particularly in the approach to women and mythic destinies. I reread them recently and while they held up well, the flaws also stood out more. Nostalgia may have influenced how well they held up.
Secret Circle: Basically about a coven of witches who rule the local high school. There are several thinks that kicked off my current gothic/horror kick, but this was a major one. (The other major influences were a Korean horror movie, the handling of the supernatural in TVD [barring Damon's woobification in the second half of the season], and a couple Asian anthology series about older supernatural tales.) For 90% of the first book, you're convinced LJS is writing about the epic and true love of two of the female leads, and then the editor said "no, this shall be het!" and then there was a het love interest. But LJS kept forgetting about that.
The Forbidden Game: Technically kind of bad, but actually my favorite so far because the approach to the horror elements is more original than a lot of stuff, there's a lot of focus on the heroine declaring her autonomy, and overall plot is based on one of my favorite mythic metanarratives. I recommend doing your best to ignore the heroine's boyfriend.
Dark Visions: Technically probably the best of the ones I've read. At least, I think it's the most plotted from beginning to end (except, maybe, for the very end). It's a psychic teens vs evil institute series, and probably has the most direct light/dark hero approach of her books, with the heroine cast in a bit more of a traditional Hero role overall (all of her heroines are pretty much cast in a more mythic Hero[ine] light, but it felt a bit more conscious to me here). The very ending didn't really work for me, but not enough to sour me to the series.
I haven't read Vampire Diaries or Night World yet.
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timeasmymeasure
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Wildwood: These two books are written for a younger audience than the rest of her books and doesn't have her normal love triangle, and is about a group of siblings instead. I actually read them as a kid and imprinted strongly on them (mostly the second) particularly in the approach to women and mythic destinies. I reread them recently and while they held up well, the flaws also stood out more. Nostalgia may have influenced how well they held up.
Secret Circle: Basically about a coven of witches who rule the local high school. There are several thinks that kicked off my current gothic/horror kick, but this was a major one. (The other major influences were a Korean horror movie, the handling of the supernatural in TVD [barring Damon's woobification in the second half of the season], and a couple Asian anthology series about older supernatural tales.) For 90% of the first book, you're convinced LJS is writing about the epic and true love of two of the female leads, and then the editor said "no, this shall be het!" and then there was a het love interest. But LJS kept forgetting about that.
The Forbidden Game: Technically kind of bad, but actually my favorite so far because the approach to the horror elements is more original than a lot of stuff, there's a lot of focus on the heroine declaring her autonomy, and overall plot is based on one of my favorite mythic metanarratives. I recommend doing your best to ignore the heroine's boyfriend.
Dark Visions: Technically probably the best of the ones I've read. At least, I think it's the most plotted from beginning to end (except, maybe, for the very end). It's a psychic teens vs evil institute series, and probably has the most direct light/dark hero approach of her books, with the heroine cast in a bit more of a traditional Hero role overall (all of her heroines are pretty much cast in a more mythic Hero[ine] light, but it felt a bit more conscious to me here). The very ending didn't really work for me, but not enough to sour me to the series.
I haven't read Vampire Diaries or Night World yet.