Twilight
by Stephenie Meyer
Fiction
September, 2005

“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 he thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”

         Bella, living in Phoenix, wants her mother to be happy in her new life. That is why, when her mother decides to marry Phil, Bella chooses to move in with her father in Forks, Washington. Phil, being a baseball player, moves around a lot, and Bella believes it will be easier for her to live with her father. Forks, a small town normally visited by Bella only a couple weeks a year, is, as she put it,  “too green.” She does not enjoy her stay at Forks until at school she meets Edward, a handsome, almost unrealistically perfect boy. Over time, Bella falls deeply in love with Edward, and Edward returns the emotion. However, in love there are always risks. Bella finds that Edward and his family have a dark secret. Only with much prodding and questioning does Bella find out that the secret endangers her very life.

“We try,” he explained slowly. “We’re usually very good at what we do. Sometimes we make mistakes. Me, for example, allowing myself to be alone with you.”
“This is a mistake?” I heard the sadness in my voice, but I didn’t know if he could as well.
“A very dangerous one,” he murmured. (p.187)

         As Bella and Edward try to find a common ground, they realize that they cannot be together, but at the same time, cannot be separated. By this point, Edward has saved Bella’s life twice, and he says she is a “magnet for trouble.” Since he loves her, he does not want her to be injured in any way, and therefore decides to stay with her. However, when a “tracker,” or a human-hunter, comes seeking Bella’s blood, Edward must leave her. Ironically, this is to save her life once again. Unintentionally, this almost kills her, but Bella now tries to be the hero. When Bella moves back to Phoenix, the “tracker” says that he has her mother captive. She offers her life for her mother’s freedom. However, she is tricked and almost dies in her quest to protect her mother.

         A theme found throughout the book is that love overcomes all. Bella understands that Edward is not what people see as “normal,” and although this might have scared others away, Bella still loves him. Both Edward and Bella realize that love is not always perfect, and many times love involves risks. One of those risks is not knowing what will happen once a choice is made, but in the end, love is still overpowering enough to keep the two together.

“It didn’t matter?”
“No,” I said softly. “It doesn’t matter to me what you are.”
“You don’t care if I’m a monster? If I’m not human?”
“No.” (p.184)

         Another theme that is present during the course of the book is that people are not always what they appear to be. Edward has another side, compared to what Bella notices during the day at school. Although Bella believes she has seen that side before, every time she meets with Edward she is surprised to find she does not know everything about him. Between the first time she sees him and the end of the story, she has realized not to judge a book by its cover.

         Because of my young age, my experience with romantic love is limited (if not non-existent). However, my family and I have taken risks concerning a different type of love. My grandmother and great aunt are both in the hospital, and since they have been ill, we have taken risks for them physically, as well as for ourselves emotionally. We make what we believe to be choices that are in their best interests; sometimes this works in our favor and sometimes it does not. Although these are many risks and some are more serious than others are, the most serious risks for my immediate family are the emotional ones.  We visit the hospital every weekend, and sometimes during the week. When the choices we make do not turn out well, our emotions of sadness and worry, but also frustration, become conflicted, and our sense of order and purpose is turned upside down. Since my grandmother has been ill for a very long while, we have had to deal with these emotions often and risk being hurt or risk being left with the feeling that we may inadvertently hurt someone we love dearly.

I give Twilight three out of three stars. Although the book deals with unrealistic ideas, the characters are well developed. I loved Bella’s character. She is a bit clumsy at times, but it is also easy to relate to her and to admire her determination. The fact that the novel is a love story about vampires makes it much more unusual and interesting, and this very idea draws readers into the story. Although this book is listed as a “Teen Read,” I think the novel is for adults as well. With some sophisticated vocabulary, adults will enjoy this book as much as an eighth grader would. Meyer entwines some traditional vampire superstitions with some thoughts of her own, which makes the story very interesting. The story is original and at times fast- paced and exciting. I loved this book and would label it a must read!

Kate      December 2005