Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) by Stephenie Meyer
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Book Reviews of Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
Book Review: Great book series
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the entire Twilight Saga (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn). The book series was aimed at the yound adult audience, but as a "older" adult reader I can say that I was truely captivated. I purchased the entire saga series and read all four books in under 5 days even though I work full time. And I will definately read the series again.
I am going to skip specifics, as to not spoil the books for anyone.
What did I pull from reading this series? forbidden love, wanting something you can't have or that may not be good for you, facing fears, dealing with divorce, dealing with moving to a new place/school, making friends, sacrifice, selflessness, waiting to share yourself with someone else until you are married, Losing that one person that makes your life worth living, the feeling of Love from every possible angle (mother, father, family, friends, lover, yourself), self confidence, somethings are worth fighting for, somethings are better left alone and so many more topics.
Twilight - Book 1
It is the beginning of a wonderful forbidden love, the author successfully pulls you into the book allowing to easily feel the emotions of the characters. Not as well put together as next books in the series, but still, as I said before, captivating.
*After reading this book I would suggest downloading the authors partial manuscript of Edwards version from the authors website; It really brings you into the story further... I read it after book3, but wished that I had read it after book 1. Do not read it before book 1 though, It may ruin some of the suspense of book 1.
New Moon - Book 2
Again the author brings you into the book feeling the charaters strong emotions. You get a little upset with some of the characters from the first book. You can feel what they are going through and it sets the stage for the next three books.
Eclipse - Book 3
Books 1 & 2 are pulled back together with the same intensity and some of the things previously brought out are now in perspective.
Breaking Dawn - Book 4
Although there was some switching perspective in the previous book, this book has quite a bit more of that switching going on. With that said, I think that the switching was neccessary to get the full story out in the open. The author pulls evertything from all of the prior books into one nice package in the end, yet still leaves a little bit of an opening for future books or stories to shoot off from. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the "sci-fi" feeling in the middle of the book, but all in all I was pleased.
Note: You may not appreciate the time the author put into the character building and placement until after you have read all four books. Her unique style is wonderful to read and I feel it was this attention that made the books so good.
I do wish that this book was written to the adult audience so that the scenes didn't have to be so "PG" rated. It would have made it a little more interesting in some parts. However, she left enough details to let your imagination fill in the gaps.
Book Review: Young Vampires
Summary: 5 Stars
Twilight (2005) is the first fantasy novel in this series. It is set in Forks, a small town on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, a rainy and dismal area.
In this novel, Isobella Swan is the daughter of the Chief of Police in Forks. Bella has just moved back to Forks from Phoenix, where she lived with her mother.
Edward Cullen is the adopted son of Carlisle Cullen, the medical doctor in Forks. Dr. Cullen also has two other adopted teenagers and the Hale twins living with him.
In the novel, Bella hates Forks, but she moves back to give her mother more freedom to move around with Phil, her new husband. Charlie Swan is surprised to have her come live with him, but he is also pleased. He buys an old red 1954 Chevy truck for Bella. She loves it.
Bella drives the old monster to school and registers for classes. The high school consists mostly of old converted houses under the pines. Naturally, the gym is not an old house, but the classrooms are.
After getting her schedule and a map of the campus, Bella drives her truck to the student parking lot and walks to Building 3 for English class. There she meets Eric. When lunch time arrived, Eric waves her over to his table.
While she is eating lunch, she notices five students sitting in the corner of the cafeteria. They aren't talking and aren't eating either. They are all good looking, but they all seemed to have dark shadows under their eyes.
Jessica tells Bella the names of these five students -- the Cullens and the Hales -- and gives her some additional information about them. Apparently they had all moved to Forks from somewhere in Alaska. Bella talks with Jessica and her friends until she is almost late to Biology.
In biology class, Bella sits at the same table as Edward Cullen. He seems to be upset with Bella. When the bell rungs to end the class, Edward is out the door in a flash.
Later, Bella is told that the Cullen family are all vampires. Jacob -- an Indian boy younger than herself -- believes that this information is all superstitious nonsense. But Edward finally admits that this story is the truth.
This tale confronts Bella with a powerful and very fast vampire, but she is not very fearful when she is near Edward. Something about him attracts her. Edward keeps telling her that he is bad company, but she can't quite believe him.
The Cullens are strange vampires. They are not struck down by bright sunlight. But they do sparkle in the sun.
One wonders if Bella has some vampire heritage herself. She has a strong reaction to the sight of blood, other's as well as her own. She and her Mom are also very pale and only get a little red in the sun rather than tanning.
This is a very different type of vampire story. The sequel is New Moon. Read and enjoy!
Highly recommended for those who enjoy vampire tales with a difference.
-Arthur W. Jordin
Book Review: A Highly Imaginative Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
Bella Swan is returning home to Forks, Washington, where she spent the first few months of her life. After her parents divorced her mother whisked her away, leaving her father behind. Bella's father, Charlie, is now Chief of Police in Forks and Bella decides to move in with him for a much needed break. As Bella prepares for a new town and a new school, she has no idea that her life is about to change in ways she could never have imagined.
When Bella first lays eyes on Edward Cullen she knows she will never be the same. Edward is charming, good-looking, and ultimately mysterious and Bella can't get him out of her head. As Bella looks deeper into the mystery surrounding Edward and his family she uncovers an impossible secret. It seems that Bella Swan has fallen in love with a vampire.
I was first introduced to Stephenie Meyer when I devoured her sci-fi/love story, The Host. Immediately I was hooked and knew I had to try out her Twilight novels. Going in, I was expecting another teen angst driven young adult series full of broken hearts and wardrobe dilemmas. What I found was so much more than I could have hoped.
Make no mistake, there is plenty of teen angst to go around here, but Meyer is such an incredible storyteller that it really doesn't matter. I was effortlessly sucked into both the romantic tension between Bella and Edward and the original approach to the vampire mythology that Meyer brings us.
Stephenie Meyer has made it no secret that she is not a fan of the vampire genre, nor does she read vampire novels or watch vampire movies. Her ignorance of the vampire mythology is her strongest weapon since it allows her to approach a widely read genre with a much-needed dose of creativity. Indeed, Meyer's vampires are intriguing to say the least and it was refreshing to get a new take on something so familiar.
What amazed me the most about Twilight is that this is Meyer's first novel. Her writing is nothing short of spectacular throughout and she has an uncanny knack for unfolding the suspense and tension in just the right doses. By the time I hit the last act it was absolutely impossible to stop reading.
Twilight is marketed as a young adult novel, but this is truly a story teens and adults will enjoy. Parents will be pleased to know that this story is surprisingly clean, despite the intensity of the plot and the subject matter. We do get scenes of slight gore and violence, but Meyer handles them with class and dignity. Overall we are treated to a classic good vs. evil tale, although packaged in a slightly unorthodox manner. Meyer reminds us of the beauty of true love and how it can be uncovered in even the darkest of places.
Twilight is certainly worthy of the buzz surrounding it and I can't wait to finish the series. The film is hitting theaters this December and it will be interesting to see if director Catherine Hardwicke can capture the genius and beauty of the novel on screen. Forget everything you think know about the vampire genre and settle down to enjoy this highly imaginative masterpiece.
Book Review: Twilight - "A Reader's Read."
Summary: 5 Stars
As an ELA teacher at a middle school in Hawai`i, I am always searching for novels that will appeal to the students that enter my classroom each day. I had not found one, until I read "Twilight" for a University of Hawai`i literacy course. This book not only reaches each individual reader on an individual level, but it appeals to the masses. I compare the series very much to that of the "Harry Potter" novels, in that people who pick these books up cannot put them down.
The main character, Bella, escapes her previous life and falls desperately in love with a vampire named Edward. While this plot does not seem realistic at all, it is written in a way that, unless you knew that vampires were not real (or are they...), you would believe every single word. As the first book of the series of four progresses, you begin to see the bond and the infatuation that Bella and Edward have for each other, and you become very attached to the characters. Their emotions are vividly painted on every page, as Meyer does an amazing job at portraying their love affair.
For the students in my class, they cannot even put it down. Just this past Friday I caught two girls reading under their desk (which puts me in quite a conundrum, seeing that I am advocating for their reading; however class is important as well). One girl was reading "Twilight" and the other "New Moon." I had never seen them so wrapped up in a story, and this was certainly the first time one of my students was ever so focused! We finished our work, and for the last 10 minutes of class we were going to watch a movie to find certain speech elements in it (kind of a reward too). The two girls asked if they could sit outside the classroom and read, as they couldn't concentrate with the movie going. I could not believe it!
"Twilight" comes under some fire by critics (specifically my co-teacher) as being too sappy and a somewhat "weak fictional read." But, my response to that is that Meyer's target audience for this book is not 25 year old women, but rather 15 year olds. Even boys can't get enough of the book (me being one of them). If it is understood that this novel was written on the account that younger girls would be reading it more so than women in their twenties, I think we can all agree that it has been one of the biggest reading hits in the past year or two. Meyer's website offers up some interesting information about why she wrote it. She says that her ideas initially came from a dream she was having about the characters, and what evolved was "Twilight." At some points, she could not sleep, and she often had to jump out of bed with ideas for characters and their personalities. No wonder the book is such a good read; the author could not even sleep when she was writing it!
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read, but especially ELA teachers who have struggling readers. Put this book in their hands (if it is their level) and watch them get swallowed up by the hysteria that surrounds the series. You will end up having to get them the other three in the set!
Book Review: Twilit Wonders
Summary: 5 Stars
Is it possible for a book about vampires to avoid the monstrous nature of Stephen King's creatures, the self-absorbed boredom of Anne Rice's Lestat, the innate pessimism of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, and even the ancient menace of Bram Stoker's classic Dracula? Can such a story, in the end, even leave you with a good feeling about its characters and about the themes behind the story? Stephenie Meyer proves that it can be done, and she begins the story in 'Twilight', one of the most original vampire novels I have read in years.
The secret of 'Twilight' is that it does not focus on the mythology of its creatures (though you do get their history as the story progresses), and doesn't rely on an action-packed story (though there is lots of action to be had). Instead, the main focus of 'Twilight' is its characters. The story is told from the perspective of Bella (short for Isabella), as she moves from warm and sunny Phoenix, Arizona to cold and wet Forks, Washington. We get to know Bella as she adjusts to living with her father and tries to integrate herself into the local high school. It is a story that should be familiar territory for most of us, and Meyer tells it well and keeps it interesting. Of course, the fun really starts when Bella meets Edward Cullen. Edward is a vampire. In fact, Bella soon learns that his whole family are vampires.
This is where the good stuff comes in. Meyer's vampires are unlike any vampires I've ever read about, as soon becomes apparent. To give away why would be to give away some of the best surprises in the book, but suffice to say that these vampires incorporate popular mythology of what vampires are, and at the same time they manage to throw most of those myths right out the window. What we see in 'Twilight' could be the reality behind the myth.
Beyond the mythology, though, Meyer also creates real characters in the Cullens. Each member of the family is unique, and many of their personality traits are quite surprising in themselves. Very little brooding or angst here, instead we get real people and real depth of feeling, in characters who just happen to be pretty much immortal. Bella's reaction to meeting the Edward and the rest of the Cullens is the best part of all, as she gets to know them and, eventually, to fall in love with Edward. Complications, of course, arise from this.
I had heard of 'Twilight' before I read it. My daughter read it first, then re-read it, and some of my friends have read it too. All of them recommended it heartily. They knew I would love it, and they were right. I got swept up in the story, in the originality, in the romance, and in the characters. Since I finished the book, I have since recommended it to my own friends, and they also loved it.
This is a book that has gotten notice, and for good reason. It is a good story that can be appreciated by young and old alike. It is a dark wonder, like a perfect memory, bathed in a twilight glow and preserved in the minds and hearts of anyone who reads it. Enjoy this one again and again -- it is a true treasure.