Twilight (Twilight #1)

I know I have referenced my experience with Twilight in some of my other reviews, so I decided I would write it out for you all. Twilight and I have a complicated relationship. I first read the series in 2008 the summer after that I graduated high school. I was coaching at a soccer camp for two weeks and all the kids were talking about this book. FYI They were talking about Breaking Dawn so I was an entire series behind. Still, it caught my interest. So I asked what books they were talking about and alas, Twilight came into my life.

I didn't even know at this time, that the film was about to be released in November of the same year. So, when we had our coaches weekend off. I bought Twilight in town (Since I'd already finished the other 4 books I'd brought with me) and began my journey.

Let me break it down for you on my first experience.

Things I Liked:

Edward Cullen: If we take away the creepy stalker portion. Which, I was admittedly oblivious to when I first read the book. He is first and foremost the modern gentleman. Except, that he's only a gentleman because he was raised in an era where it was expected of him to be. In contrast to the Erics and Mike Newton's of their world, it was refreshing. It was the true fantasy. For me, it wasn't that he was this sparkly vampire, it was that he was a gentleman, with standards and morals and respect. He obviously had his flaws (overprotective much?) but at the time, he was what the Jane Austen fan in me was dying for. (Still is admittedly. Where is Mr. Darcy?)

Jacob Black: Not Jacob necessarily, but his whole story, his family, his life. The whole reservation. It's really interesting the way it was all brought together with the legends, why the 'cold people' aren't allowed on their land. This was a well thought out portion of the book that continued for me.

Things I Didn't' Like:

Bella Swan: I know she is supposed to be there every girl. Average, not too pretty, but I just can't stand her. This makes the book particularly difficult because if you can't stand your narrator there's a problem. She just makes a lot of dumb decisions and doesn't really redeem herself. (Unfortunate to say this continues through the series). She bleeds too easily, and I understand being clumsy but if I returned back from a trip with my boyfriend all beat to hell after having 'accidentally fallen down the stairs and through a window' I'm pretty sure my parents would have had him arrested. Particularly if one of my parents was a law enforcement official.

Jacob Black: I know he's also under my likes but come on. People complain about Edward being possessive, but my God, Jacob never even dates Bella, ever, and he behaves like he has some sort of monopoly over her time and attention. Even in this book when he's a year young than her, barely ever sees her because they go to different schools. He somehow still manages to behave with some sort of right to her.


NO ONE HAS A RIGHT TO ANYBODY. This is what particularly bothered me about the series. Both Jacob and Edward are emotionally abusive in their own right. Luckily Bella can make her own decisions (Even if those decisions are always terrible, ridiculously awful decisions)


I binge read this series. Once I returned home I bought the next three and finished them all in one week at the beach. After I was done, I felt obsessed. I was a Twihard. It wasn't until the film came out, and I saw some of my favorite moments played out visual I started to second guess myself. So I went back. When I re-read it, I found that the content I had so eagerly sucked up, was now bothering me. Don't know if it's because I'm older now, or because I wasn't a fan of the casting. I don't know but I can definitely now scratch Twihard off my list of Fandom Titles. I still give it three stars because I cannot deny the fact that I was swept up in this series.

Reader reviewed by Shardaye

This "thrilling" tale of vampire romance captured the hearts of readers (or rather screaming girls) the world over. When Bella Swan moves to the town of perpetual rain, also known as Forks, Washington her life is suddenly changed. She falls unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Edward Cullen; a pale skinned, topaz eyed, 108 year old virgin vampire. After several strange encounters- one of which includes Edward stopping a van from crushing Bella (damn!) with his bare-albeit supernaturally strong- hands, our protagonist finally concludes that Edward Cullen may not be what he appears.

The events that follow are sure to shock and awe you, or at least intrigue you enough to read on, as Meyer takes you on a journey of sparkling vegetarian vampires, supernatural baseball and abnormally pale faces.

 While Stephenie Meyer may have been transformed from housewife to household name in a proverbial heartbeat, this reader remains unconvinced that her calibre of writing should or even can be compared to that of JK Rowling. Meyer lacks the intricate details and the masterfully woven plot lines that would place her in the upper echelon among authors.

 I found Twilight to be an entertaining read, but upon closer reading quickly tired of hearing Bella rambling on about Edward's grace and beauty in between tripping over her own feet.

 This book is mostly character driven which is what has inspired such an enthusiastic fandom. The novel is written in a simple prose-which may explain why so many people can read it and relate and the plot is predictable. Boy meets girl. Boy thirsts for girl's blood. Boy defends girls from murderous vampire.  Just the usual...

 So in the words of Edward's own personal brand of heroin (aka Bella- it's an inside joke, read the book) 'This is not the end but the beginning...' of the Twilight Saga and there are many more hysterical screams of fan girls to come.  

Reader reviewed by silenceiseverything

Okay,
I'll admit it. I first read this book because of the hype. Also,
because the trailer of the movie looked interesting. Lastly, I've been
going through Harry Potter withdrawal and I'm trying to find a fantasy
series to put all of my pent-up energy in. So, now, what I have to say
is this: WHAT IN THE WORLD?!!



This book's premise sounded interesting. Bella moves in with her
dad to a remote town in Arizona and falls in love with a vampire. But I
foolishly thought that the book had more plot than that. It didn't. No,
seriously, where was the plot in this story? Okay, Bella falls in love
with a vampire, then what? I don't know. Do you know why? It never got
past that. I've read both Twilight and New Moon
and all I learned is that Bella is in love with Edward (the vampire).
Bella is being mopey, obsessively in love with Edward for the first
like 400 pages, the last like 50 or so, Bella is being chased by a
vampire. But I am of the firm opinion that the whole being chased by a
vampire thing was there just so Meyer could say that she had a plot.
But she didn't. Or at least not much.



Now, what was up with the relationship between Edward and Bella?
Was it supposed to immensely creepy? Because that's what I got. I'm
supposed to believe that people fall that quickly in love within a
week, without knowing each other, just because they can't figure each
other out? Ooookay. I'm not that thick. And I guess I'm supposed to
believe that Bella loves Edward for more reasons than because he's hot?
I'm not supposed to believe she's shallow? Oookay. Another thing, does
tru wuv actually excuse stalking? Because Bella seemed so ecstatic and
flattered that Edward was following her, yet she did not scream
"FELONY!" like any other sane person would have done.

Okay,
I'll admit it. I first read this book because of the hype. Also,
because the trailer of the movie looked interesting. Lastly, I've been
going through Harry Potter withdrawal and I'm trying to find a fantasy
series to put all of my pent-up energy in. So, now, what I have to say
is this: WHAT THE HELL?!!



This book's premise sounded interesting. Bella moves in with her
dad to a remote town in Arizona and falls in love with a vampire. But I
foolishly thought that the book had more plot than that. It didn't. No,
seriously, where was the plot in this story? Okay, Bella falls in love
with a vampire, then what? I don't know. Do you know why? It never got
past that. I've read both Twilight and New Moon
and all I learned is that Bella is in love with Edward (the vampire).
Bella is being mopey, obsessively in love with Edward for the first
like 400 pages, the last like 50 or so, Bella is being chased by a
vampire. But I am of the firm opinion that the whole being chased by a
vampire thing was there just so Meyer could say that she had a plot.
But she didn't. Or at least not much.



Now, what was up with the relationship between Edward and Bella?
Was it supposed to immensely creepy? Because that's what I got. I'm
supposed to believe that people fall that quickly in love within a
week, without knowing each other, just because they can't figure each
other out? Ooookay. I'm not that thick. And I guess I'm supposed to
believe that Bella loves Edward for more reasons than because he's hot?
I'm not supposed to believe she's shallow? Oookay. Another thing, does
tru wuv actually excuse stalking? Because Bella seemed so ecstatic and
flattered that Edward was following her, yet she did not scream
"FELONY!" like any other sane person would have done.



If I read a story with a teenage heroine, I want her to be strong,
independent, but most importantly, interesting. Bella was none of these
things. She was mopey, pathetic, shallow, and selfish. Edward was all
of these things, but prettier. Do yourself a favor and skip this book.
I'll summarize the story for you:



Girl finds boy. Girl likes boy. Boy ignores Girl. Girl likes Boy
even more. Girl and Boy end up going out. Girl loves Boy. Girl loves
Boy. Girl loves Boy. Girl loves Boy. Girl loves Boy. Girl loves Boy.
Girl gets chased by vampires. Boy saves her. Girl loves Boy. There you
go. I just saved you from reading 400+ pages

I also thought that their relationship was extremely unhealthy.  Let's forget about Bella's obsessive behavior towards Edward for one second and concentrate on him. He seemed like the typical abusive male (granted he didn't really abuse her, but if you squint hard enough and put your head to the side, you can maybe sort of see it).  He was separating her from her family, he watched her sleep without her knowledge (which was uber-creepy in itself), he was STALKING her (um, jealous much?).  Yeah, an ideal relationship, it's not.


The one good thing that I can say about this book is that it's a quick read.  It also keeps you turning the pages.  Sure, I disliked the book through epic proportions, but I could not for the life of me put it down.  So, of course, to me, it was nothing short of torture.  So, I opted to not read Eclipse and go nowhere near Breaking Dawn.  I HAD to break the cycle.

Anyway, do yourself a favor and skip this book.
I'll summarize the story for you:



Girl finds boy. Girl likes boy. Boy ignores Girl. Girl likes Boy
even more. Girl and Boy end up going out. Girl loves Boy. Girl loves
Boy. Girl loves Boy. Girl loves Boy. Girl loves Boy. Girl loves Boy.
Girl gets chased by vampires. Boy saves her. Girl loves Boy. There you
go. I just saved you from reading 400+ pages.