Okay, I admit it, it was a mistake to not read Twilight by Stephenie Meyer before this. Sadly, this novel was recommended to me last fall, and I had bought it, but I ended up returning it for some other reason. I know, stupid move on my part.

Classified as a teen novel (youth fiction), it doesn’t really read that way. The story revolves aroudn Bella, an awkward teen who has recently moved to Forks, Washington to live with her father. On her first day of school, she meets Edward and becomes inexplicable drawn to him. What she doesn’t know is that Edward is fiercely drawn to her, but not necessarily in a good way. You see, he’s a vampire and Bella smells too good to him. But how to you say no to young love. Especially when it’s your first crush?

When I first heard of this book, I was put off by reading anything labeled “teen fiction” so I really didn’t give it a chance. Since then, I’ve readjusted my thoughts, and with all the hype over the upcoming movie and everyone’s love of it, I finally picked Twilight back up. I have to say, I’m impressed. There is some great character development, but it’s done in a way that doesn’t make it obvious. We’re taken along with them as they discover and explore each other’s interest, their histories, and figuring out if they can survive with Edward being a vampire. There is a plot, but it’s very subtle. It doesn’t overtake the story being told, yet we’re still given events and reactions.

Overall, I really liked Twilight. So much so that instead of waiting for the library to get it for me (I’m #13 of 16 requests), I think I’m going to buy the entire series tomorrow. There’s not many books that drive me to go out and buy them, but I really want to know what happens next with Edward and Bella. If you’re not used to reading teen fiction, then the story might throw you a bit. Afterall, Bella is only 17 and Edward may be 90+ years old, but he was 17 when he was turned. So there is a lot of the high school scene going on in the background, but if you can get past that, then you should enjoy this story. I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re looking for something with a lot of action and a lot of gratuitous sex; however, if you’re looking for a good story about teenage love, with a few vampires, then you should pick this book up.

Read Order:
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Also reviewed by:
Tricia’s review on LE
Cracked.com – Spoilerish but hilarious
Bitten By Books
American Bibliophile
Kiss My Books
Rikki Donovan
Belle of the Books