Scan barcode
Reviews
Twilight Saga White Editions 4 Books Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse & Breaki by Stephenie Meyer
jaynamac's review against another edition
2.0
So many friends kept telling me that I had to read this series, that I finally gave in. Oh, how I wish that I hadn't. Upon finishing, I told my husband, "The best thing about finishing these books is that I never, EVER, have to read a word of them again." Then I promptly donated them to Goodwill. (Pity the poor soul who picks them up next!)
I honestly don't understand why these books are so popular! In a nutshell, you're buying 1300 pages of adolescent angst and whining. The characters are one-dimensional, the dialogue is either stilted or overly dramatic, and parts of the plot are, honestly, laughable.
For those who complain about Kristin Stewart's acting chops (or lack of them) in the films, I say to you: That's how Bella is written. Sullen, narcissistic, full of love-lorn drama, and constantly whining about her eternal love for her sparkly Edward. I can see how this drivel would appeal to teens -- I mean, everything DOES feel hugely consequential when you're 16 and don't have the perspective that comes with age and experience -- but adults? Come on, ladies. If this is your idea of romance (or, for that matter, good writing), you need to get out more.
I'm giving the series two stars simply because I was able to finish them. The final book, with Bella's bizarre pregnancy, deserves less than one. It takes a certain amount of imagination and suspension of disbelief to read books about vampires and werewolves -- something I'm quite good at, as a huge fan of Anne Rice and Glen Duncan's outstanding "The Last Werewolf" -- but this particular plot twist jumped the proverbial shark.
Do yourself a favor and pick up Anne Rice's wonderful "The Vampire Lestat" or the aforementioned "The Last Werewolf" instead. You can thank me later.
I honestly don't understand why these books are so popular! In a nutshell, you're buying 1300 pages of adolescent angst and whining. The characters are one-dimensional, the dialogue is either stilted or overly dramatic, and parts of the plot are, honestly, laughable.
For those who complain about Kristin Stewart's acting chops (or lack of them) in the films, I say to you: That's how Bella is written. Sullen, narcissistic, full of love-lorn drama, and constantly whining about her eternal love for her sparkly Edward. I can see how this drivel would appeal to teens -- I mean, everything DOES feel hugely consequential when you're 16 and don't have the perspective that comes with age and experience -- but adults? Come on, ladies. If this is your idea of romance (or, for that matter, good writing), you need to get out more.
I'm giving the series two stars simply because I was able to finish them. The final book, with Bella's bizarre pregnancy, deserves less than one. It takes a certain amount of imagination and suspension of disbelief to read books about vampires and werewolves -- something I'm quite good at, as a huge fan of Anne Rice and Glen Duncan's outstanding "The Last Werewolf" -- but this particular plot twist jumped the proverbial shark.
Do yourself a favor and pick up Anne Rice's wonderful "The Vampire Lestat" or the aforementioned "The Last Werewolf" instead. You can thank me later.
dnandrews797's review against another edition
2.0
This series managed two stars instead of one solely based off the descriptive strength of the first book. The first novel, for me, started off strong with Bella relocating to Washington because of the rainy, mysterious, ancient mood it lends to the book. My favourite parts were her walking the forest and taking in her environment. I could practically smell the leaves and it was almost like I was there with her. The plot wasn’t my favourite but decent enough I didn’t have any qualms and with a good twist at the end. The rest of the books, as you can imagine, went downhill for me from there. Bella’s almost suicidal angst at Edwards departure annoyed me to end and was only broken up by the local La Push werewolf community coming on the scene and the volutori. The third book felt like it dragged on FOREVER and I was completely uninterested in the cliche and vaguely misogynistic love triangle between Edward Bella and Jacob. The last book was possibly the worst yet with an agonizingly long section of Bella just being pregnant and, for some reason, insanely insistent on keeping a baby that is actively killing her. This all culminates with the baby literally RIPPING ITS WAY OUT OF HER like a chest burster from Alien. Not to mention Jacob’s weird and somewhat pedophilic obsession with Bella’s child who he’s decided through “werewolf magic” is his soulmate. The entirety of this awful series is underscored with Edward’s controlling and aggressive possessiveness of Bella. Not exactly the picture of a healthy relationship. Overall, feel like the last two and half a books were a huge waste of time, though the first one luckily hasn’t been tainted for me by the rest of the series.
emsowe2208's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mcready_face's review against another edition
3.0
My secret shame.
I read the first book in order to decide whether the pupils in my class could bring it into school (the answer was NO). However, within two days I was back in the book shop purchasing the other two books, feeling compelled to tell the merchant that they were for my niece. She was not to be conned and simply nodded :)
I read the first book in order to decide whether the pupils in my class could bring it into school (the answer was NO). However, within two days I was back in the book shop purchasing the other two books, feeling compelled to tell the merchant that they were for my niece. She was not to be conned and simply nodded :)
zarara's review against another edition
2.0
I was so disappointed in myself that I read Twilight even after promising myself I would never subject myself to the torture.
“Life sucks, and then you die...”
This book sucks and you will want to kill yourself.
Why I hate Twilight can be summed up in one quote:
"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."
Why, Stephenie Meyer, WHY?
First off, NO ONE TALKS LIKE THAT. The purple prose used in these books tries to make it sound sophisticated, but when it is used to describe Edward's amazingly attractive and swoon-worthy body for the millionth time, it gets more than annoying.
Second (and this is my main problem with this series) the morals promoted in this book are beyond wrong. It teaches young girls that love and desire are more important than family, friends and your life. Bella knowingly damns herself to a soulless, likely damned and cursed existence for a guy, but it's fine because she is in "love".
It infuriates me to no end that so many young girls are in love with this book and with Edward. Bella and Edward do not have a healthy relationship, it is basically abusive. Bella does not have a single, meaningful conversation with Edward, but somehow she's "unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."Their "love" makes absolutely no sense. Bella believes that love is the most important thing even if it kills you and that you should abandon everything and everyone to be with the object of your desire. It doesn't worry her at all that she wakes up with bruises, broken bones and a ruined headboard on her honeymoon. That headboard could have been her, but NO, it only encourages her. Also, if I found out that a guy that I had barely talked to was watching me sleep, I would get a restraining order, not fall in love with him.
“He's like a drug for you, Bella.”
Yes. A drug that you overdose on and die.
Moving onto the protagonist, Bella is basically a cardboard cut-out whose only purpose is to whine after Edward and be the damsel in distress. The fact that characters like Bella are held up as role models is disturbing- Bella teaches us nothing but rather embodies misogynistic ideas and negative stereotypes against females. The fact that she does absolutely nothing on her own throughout the whole series and constantly needs help from Edward or Jacob is insulting. She is in severe depression for FOUR whole months when Edward leaves and while it is meant to be heart-breaking, it's just...boring and annoying. Seriously, who thinks "Oh, my vampire boyfriend left me because his adopted brother almost killed me. I'm going to jump off this cliff into the sea I can see a hallucination of said vampire boyfriend for three seconds before I drown in the merciless sea. This is going to be so much fun! I love you, Edward!" And then she is saved by the other insanely gorgeous guy in her life who is also in love with her. Ugh.
Also, what is it with YA and love triangles? I don't mind romance as long as it is done well and, oh my goodness, is Twilight way off the radar. The messy love triangle that isn't really a love triangle because Jacob didn't really love Bella, he loved her unborn daughter, (yes, her unborn daughter, talk about cradle-robbing) is grossly alarming. I can't ignore how stupid it is- Did Jacob ever like Bella? Why was he her best friend? And the whole part, when she used him and flirted with him to get answers to her suspicions about Edward makes me sick. I think I prefer Edward over Jacob because at least he accepts that he is a douchebag and he tries to do what is right, but he comes back in the end because apparently, he's Bella's life-support; unplug him and she dies.
Also, the whole ending fight scene conclusion in Breaking Dawn that didn't really happened shows that Stephenie Meyer is an author who never takes risks and is not going to part with any of her characters.
I could write an entire essay on Twilight, but for now, this has to suffice.
P.S. Even Robert Pattison hates Twilight. He will always be Cedric Diggory.
“Life sucks, and then you die...”
This book sucks and you will want to kill yourself.
Why I hate Twilight can be summed up in one quote:
"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."
Why, Stephenie Meyer, WHY?
First off, NO ONE TALKS LIKE THAT. The purple prose used in these books tries to make it sound sophisticated, but when it is used to describe Edward's amazingly attractive and swoon-worthy body for the millionth time, it gets more than annoying.
Second (and this is my main problem with this series) the morals promoted in this book are beyond wrong. It teaches young girls that love and desire are more important than family, friends and your life. Bella knowingly damns herself to a soulless, likely damned and cursed existence for a guy, but it's fine because she is in "love".
It infuriates me to no end that so many young girls are in love with this book and with Edward. Bella and Edward do not have a healthy relationship, it is basically abusive. Bella does not have a single, meaningful conversation with Edward, but somehow she's "unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."Their "love" makes absolutely no sense. Bella believes that love is the most important thing even if it kills you and that you should abandon everything and everyone to be with the object of your desire. It doesn't worry her at all that she wakes up with bruises, broken bones and a ruined headboard on her honeymoon. That headboard could have been her, but NO, it only encourages her. Also, if I found out that a guy that I had barely talked to was watching me sleep, I would get a restraining order, not fall in love with him.
“He's like a drug for you, Bella.”
Yes. A drug that you overdose on and die.
Moving onto the protagonist, Bella is basically a cardboard cut-out whose only purpose is to whine after Edward and be the damsel in distress. The fact that characters like Bella are held up as role models is disturbing- Bella teaches us nothing but rather embodies misogynistic ideas and negative stereotypes against females. The fact that she does absolutely nothing on her own throughout the whole series and constantly needs help from Edward or Jacob is insulting. She is in severe depression for FOUR whole months when Edward leaves and while it is meant to be heart-breaking, it's just...boring and annoying. Seriously, who thinks "Oh, my vampire boyfriend left me because his adopted brother almost killed me. I'm going to jump off this cliff into the sea I can see a hallucination of said vampire boyfriend for three seconds before I drown in the merciless sea. This is going to be so much fun! I love you, Edward!" And then she is saved by the other insanely gorgeous guy in her life who is also in love with her. Ugh.
Also, what is it with YA and love triangles? I don't mind romance as long as it is done well and, oh my goodness, is Twilight way off the radar. The messy love triangle that isn't really a love triangle because Jacob didn't really love Bella, he loved her unborn daughter, (yes, her unborn daughter, talk about cradle-robbing) is grossly alarming. I can't ignore how stupid it is- Did Jacob ever like Bella? Why was he her best friend? And the whole part, when she used him and flirted with him to get answers to her suspicions about Edward makes me sick. I think I prefer Edward over Jacob because at least he accepts that he is a douchebag and he tries to do what is right, but he comes back in the end because apparently, he's Bella's life-support; unplug him and she dies.
Also, the whole ending fight scene conclusion in Breaking Dawn that didn't really happened shows that Stephenie Meyer is an author who never takes risks and is not going to part with any of her characters.
I could write an entire essay on Twilight, but for now, this has to suffice.
P.S. Even Robert Pattison hates Twilight. He will always be Cedric Diggory.
kaitlyn_dobby's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, I know there are errors all throughout the books, but this series is a great girly read to take you into a fantasy land. These books are my happy place and escape from the world we live in.
pocketbookdragon's review against another edition
2.0
I don't think I'm the only one, but I found I enjoyed these books for every other character that wasn't Bella, Edward, or Jacob. The characters in the background seemed much more interesting to me.
Like I'd like to know more about Carlisle's life before he met Edward. Or Jasper's life during the civil war. How about telling the story of how the Volturi over threw the Romanians. Or some short stories on the Nomads like Alistair, Garrett, and Peter and Charlotte. Or heck even some short stories on how each member of the Volturi Guard came to be a part of the Guard.
No, instead we get stuck with four books of the most dysfunctional relationship ever. I mean he STALKED her, made her fall in love with him, and when he finally remembered "Hey, my family are all vampires" he broke her heart and LEFT her in the FOREST!!! And then she proceeded to shut down for four months (this is obviously a "healthy" relationship).
Like I'd like to know more about Carlisle's life before he met Edward. Or Jasper's life during the civil war. How about telling the story of how the Volturi over threw the Romanians. Or some short stories on the Nomads like Alistair, Garrett, and Peter and Charlotte. Or heck even some short stories on how each member of the Volturi Guard came to be a part of the Guard.
No, instead we get stuck with four books of the most dysfunctional relationship ever. I mean he STALKED her, made her fall in love with him, and when he finally remembered "Hey, my family are all vampires" he broke her heart and LEFT her in the FOREST!!! And then she proceeded to shut down for four months (this is obviously a "healthy" relationship).
jessicanholzer's review against another edition
4.0
“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…" he murmured. I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
"What a stupid lamb," I sighed.
"What a sick, masochistic lion.” ]
#sorryimnotsorry
"What a stupid lamb," I sighed.
"What a sick, masochistic lion.” ]
#sorryimnotsorry