Title: Twilight
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 452
Rating: 3.5/5
I’d always avoided reading Twilight, because I’d bought into the narrative of it being trashy and not worth reading, especially as a guy. But just like what happened with The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, I found that the reports were greatly exaggerated.
Sure, Twilight isn’t the kind of book that I’d seek out, but I’ve read my fair share of paranormal romance throughout the years and it was interesting to see the story that had inspired the vast majority of them.
And while it’s easy to get annoyed by teenage protagonists, Bella swung between being tolerable to being mega irritating while occasionally even managing to be endearing. And Edward was a surprisingly complex character, and I liked the fact that even though he was essentially a teenager, he also had a hundred years of life experiences. That came across in the way that he talked and acted.
For me, the thing that put me off the most was actually the setting, because reading about American high schools just doesn’t work for me as a product of the British education system. It’s like walking into a room that you know and finding that everything has been moved around. It’s recognisable, but it’s also very different.
Outside of the high school, the town of Forks was pretty interesting and I enjoyed experiencing it through Bella’s eyes as she goes from feeling trapped there to never wanting to leave. The supporting cast of characters worked well too, although there were a few points at which I got confused and forgot who was who.
Plot-wise, there’s actually not a huge amount that happens, and that sees us through to the final 15% or so when all hell breaks loose. I mean, we’re not quite getting into horror territory, even with all of these vampires on hand, but it’s not far off becoming an urban fantasy story with elements of action and adventure.
One of the most surprising things for me was the fact that Edward and Bella get together so easily. I was expecting there to be some complications along the way, but I’ve since moved on to the later books and it seems as though they’re finally kicking in.
I’m a total newbie to the world of Twilight, and the only things that I knew about it come via popular culture. It’s been interesting to finally discover what all of the fuss is about, and now I’m looking forward to seeing the movies and seeing how the books translate into the big screen. And besides, I already visualise the characters as looking like the actors do.