Meet New Books
Meet New Books
Book Cover

Twilight

Book 1 in the series:The Twilight Saga

Save:
Find on Amazon

Twilight is a fantasy novel about a teenage girl named Bella Swan who moves to the small town of Forks and falls in love with a young and beautiful vampire, Edward Cullen. The book explores their intense and dramatic romance, filled with action and suspense as they navigate the challenges of being in a relationship between a human and a vampire. The writing style is described as captivating, with a balance of fantasy elements and a strong love story that keeps readers hooked until the end.

Characters:

The characters are simplistic and rely on stereotypes; Bella lacks depth as a heroine while Edward embodies the ideal flawed romantic lead.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is accessible but lacks depth, characterized by simple prose and repetitive dialogue which sometimes detracts from the overall experience.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot centers around Bella Swan falling in love with Edward Cullen, a vampire, as she navigates her new life in Forks, facing dangers and complexities that arise from their forbidden romance.

Setting:

The setting of Forks, Washington, is integral in creating the dark and moody atmosphere required for a vampire story.

Pacing:

The pacing is uneven; it starts slowly with relationship development but accelerates unnecessarily towards the end, leading to a lack of tension in the climax.
MY MOTHER DROVE ME TO THE AIRPORT WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED down. It was seventy-five degrees in Phoenix, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue. I was wearing my favorite shirt—sleeveless, white eyelet lace...

Notes:

Many readers find Bella Swan's character relatable, often seeing her insecurities and struggles reflected in their own teenage experiences.
Twilight's unique take on vampires includes elements like their sparkling skin in sunlight, which differs significantly from traditional vampire lore.
The book has sparked a divided reaction among readers, leading to both intense fandom and vitriolic criticism.
Bella's relationship with Edward is often criticized for being unhealthy, highlighting issues of obsessive love and emotional dependency.
Despite its flaws, the writing style is noted for being accessible, making it popular among reluctant young readers.
The setting of Forks, Washington has become iconic, with many fans visiting the real location after reading the series.
Twilight is often compared to classic literature, with some noting similarities to works like Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights.
The series has significantly influenced the young adult genre, leading to a rise in paranormal romance books that followed its success.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings would include themes of obsession, some stalking behavior, and an underlying tension regarding violence.

Has Romance?

The romance between Bella and Edward is one of the central focuses of the book, marked by intense feelings and dynamics.

From The Publisher:

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.

"I'D NEVER GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO HOW I WOULD DIE- I'd had reason enough in the last few months -but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. . . . Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of something else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something."

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret.

What Bella doesn't realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back. . . .

Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight will have readers riveted right until the very last page is turned.

Ratings (616)

Incredible (72)
Loved It (178)
Liked It (136)
It Was OK (126)
Did Not Like (47)
Hated It (57)

Reader Stats (812):

Read It (658)
Currently Reading (2)
Want To Read (21)
Did Not Finish (14)
Not Interested (117)

21 comment(s)

It Was OK
1 week

Rough wish fulfillment fantasy but it's readable.

 
Did Not Like
2 months

Written more for females and has some underlying Mormon themes like abstinence, which aren't bad at all, but also has a sort of misogynistic subservience to men which strongly turned me off. Plus, plot twists and answers can be seen miles away, making the main character seem dumb at times.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

the basic premise reads like a young girl's fantasy: Unpopular girl moves to small town where every male inexplicably worships her and she becomes instantly popular. Then the most beautiful/mysterious/rich boy in the school falls in love with her (or wants to eat her... disturbing). I can see how its so popular with teen girls.

 
It Was OK
3 months

This review is about the whole "Twilight" series, as the books weren't interesting enough to separate.

I read the Twilight series over one weekend out of sheer curiosity. A lot of my "Harry Potter" friends were talking about it and my 13 year old cousin was raving about it. I find the series mildly entertaining, but that's all. Not great writing. My biggest problem with these books are the fact that the two main characters, Bella and Edward, are so annoying. Their love is so melodramatic and co-dependent. Bella is a weak female lead, and her near-suicide when her boyfriend leaves, is a terrible message for pre-teens. Edward is just as obnoxious - violent, jealous, and controlling at times - but teen girls tell me he's "perfect." It makes my skin crawl to think these are the gender and relationship messages being spoonfed to the tweens and they are eating it up. The secondary character of Jacob is slightly better developed, but he is also another male figure that constantly has to rescue Bella from her many idiotic scrapes. Overall, these books play greatly into stereotypical gender roles and glorify relationships that associate sex with violence.

 
Hated It
6 months

It's terrible writing with a seriously unhealthy relationship.

 
Hated It
6 months

Everything is wrong with this book and series. Racist Mormon ideology with a obvious self insert.

 
Incredible
6 months

Incredibly fun to read. Read the series 6 times. These books are my friends and I’m team Edward all the way!

 
It Was OK
6 months

It was a good book especially if you love vampires. My personal thought was that is was a slow beginning!

 
Loved It
6 months

I debated over adding this review. But I feel it's necessary to warn others about the series as a whole.

I LOVED Twilight. The first book was brilliant - I fell in love. And then she wrote the next one. And that was good. Decent. Not quite what I wanted but it was okay. The third one was pretty average. I struggled to get through it. The last one? What the hell was she thinking? It was like she jumped off a cliff. She threw every crazy idea you could possibly have and honestly left it looking like little more than a parody fanfiction.

Read at your own risk.

 
Incredible
6 months

Beautiful, engaging and has a vibe. Stephanie Meyer captures teenage emotions very well be it longing, angst or loss. One of my favorite series ever and a gateway drug to reading for many.

 
Hated It
7 months

he sparkles

 
More Comments...

About the Author:

Stephenie Meyer graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English literature, and she lives in Arizona with her husband and three young sons. After the publication of her debut novel, Twilight, booksellers chose Stephenie Meyer as one of the…

 
Meet New Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products and services on amazon.com and its subsidiaries.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.