BOOK REVIEW: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

“About three things I was absolutely positive: First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of
him–and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be–that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”

*** This is my very first review of Twilight. You can’t have no opinion about this book. You can’t be in the middle. You’d either love it or hate it. I love it. It’s not a great, literary masterpiece but it entertained me, which is why I say I love it.

I think people just hate it because they’re confused why such a simple story with a lot of flaws could appeal to a lot of people. Which is why let me remind you that not all people are created with the same tastes.

If I write another review of the book, a more in-depth review, I’d probably still say a lot of the things I said in this review but I’d probably be less gushy and more open-minded to Edward’s faults (HA) but still, it wouldn’t diminish the entertainment value of this book for me. ***

Okay, romance and vampires… I got sucked in right there Ü

Isabella Swan is a typical teenager that a lot of us can relate to. She’s average-looking (in her head) and clumsy, trying to fit in a new environment. How many of us went through the awkward teenager stage?

When Bella was transplanted from sunny Arizona to the little rainy town of Forks, WA, she was prepared to hate her life. Under the constant cover of rain, living with her dad, being in a new school, everything about Forks was an annoyance even when she didn’t have as rough a time with her first day in school as she expected. Then, there’s Edward Cullen, the breathtakingly gorgeous lab partner who hates her at first sniff.

Ah, Edward Cullen. If I were asked to give one reason why I love this book, it would be Edward Cullen. Which hot-blooded, 17-year old (or 30-year old for that matter) woman would say no to a dazzlingly beautiful boyfriend with superhuman strength and drives a Volvo to boot?

When things get easier and a tentative, strained friendship emerges between the two, she finds out that Edward, and the rest of his ethereally beautiful family, is a vampire and that he thinks her blood smells better than anything that could come out of Emeril’s kitchen. They slowly, but surely, fall intensely in love while Edward battles his hunger for her blood, and Bella tries to convince herself that this beautiful boy was truly hers.

In a world where social class could separate two people, it was a wonder how a fragile human and a dangerous predator could be allowed to stay together.

The language the author used is simple but sincere and lovingly written, the action fast-paced in a way that gives you everything you want without being overbearing and it never made me want to skip a few pages, or a few sentences for that matter. It reminded me of when I was a teenager, reading Sweet Dreams, except this is more of a kick-ass version because of the sexy vampire characters. I found it refreshing because, well, I haven’t read anything this interesting that was completely and sweetly innocent in a long time. It was sweet, not overly that I had to go to the dentist for an extraction, but sweet in a way that made me sigh happily.

My favorite scene would have to be the vampire baseball game. It reminded me a bit of Quidditch in Harry Potter, I don’t know why. Maybe because it was putting a new spin on an old ballgame. And I also loved how Edward stayed with Bella that first night they were together. I thought that was incredibly sweet.

The book captures the insecurities and the uncertainties of teenagers (even vampire teenagers) experiencing their first love, as well as the wonder and glory of it that appeals across generations. Its dark theme symbolized by the sexy vampires is balanced out by the sweetness of youth and young love. The intensity of emotions is well represented in Miss Meyer’s words.

Stephenie Meyer did an incredible job with this story, and with the series. But then again, projects that are loved tend to be incredible.

Twilight (Book 1 of the Twilight Saga) is available from Amazon.com in:

• Hardcover for $11.47
• Paperback format for $4.25
• Mass Market Paperback for $7.99, and
• Unabridged Audio Format (CD) for $19.79.