TWILIGHT (TWILIGHT #1) – STEPHANIE 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.
The first book introduces Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, a pair of star-crossed lovers whose forbidden relationship ripens against the backdrop of small-town suspicion and a mysterious coven of vampires.

I really wasn’t sure whether I should start reading this book.  I mean Twilight.  How many conversations have you overheard where people can’t stop insulting the entire series.  The general negative reactions to the series turned me off reading it for a long time; it is a book I have always been warned against by friends – even though I am pretty sure none of them have ever read it...  While I could never really see myself liking the series, my mother persuaded me to give it a go.  How can I form an opinion on a book if I’ve never read it?  
I just have one thing to say, always listen to your mother...

Bella Swan, a terminally pale and clumsy girl, moves from sunny Phoenix to her dad’s place in Forks when her mother remarries.  The thrree words that can be used to describe Forks are wet, cold and isolated.  It is here that she meets the mysterious Edward Cullen and his equally intriguing family of vampires.  Like the blurb suggests, Bella falls in love and the alluring and dangerous romance ensues.

I have to say, in all honesty, that I really enjoyed reading this book.  While the plot was a little cheesy and there were a few grammar oddities and words that just did not seem fit, I didn’t hate it; in fact, I found that I truly did like the read.  And I know that now some of you will probably roll your eyes and call me some lovesick, soppy teenager, but seriously, I was surprised by how much I appreciated Twilight.
  
What I am trying to say is; don’t chose to avoid this book because everyone says you should.  I feel like anyone who truly appreciates the Twilight series has kinda been shamed into never mentioning it.  It wasn’t until I brought up the fact that I liked this book with a couple of my friends that I found out that some of them also really liked the series.  Don’t worry people, there are actually some sane human beings out there that like Twilight, they are just much less vocal about it.  

There is something so real about the emotions portrayed in this book; it just seems honest... Bella’s clumsiness is sometimes more relatable than it probably should be and, though I’m not a fan of his brooding and the constant 20 questions thing he has going on, Edward seems thoughtful and compassionate.  I love all the other characters and I found that reading the book is like seeing a completely new dimension in their personalities.  I wouldn't hold it up as the ideal feminist piece but I wasn't totally against Bella as a character and there were some powerful women in this book who really didn't need protection.

A bit mawkish and mushy but also sweet and funny, I may not love the book, but I certainly do not hate it either.  This novel has a mix of cute and cringe moments and I can’t wait to get onto the next one.

Rating: 3/5


Get your hands on Twilight from Amazon here, from Book Depository here or, very likely, at your nearest second hand book store.