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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
so, it’s better than twilight because Bella is really annoying and has zero personality. However. Edward is 100% creepy and still a stalker.
Checked out the audiobook on a whim after reading this book 4 years ago. I remembered liking it more the first time I read it. Upon a second visit, the absurdity of the love story timeline and our main characters’ age gap, hit much stronger. Also, in audiobook format, the novel felt too long, like the internal monologues dragged on too much.
3.5/5
Towards the end of 2008, right before the movie came out, my mom took me to Barnes and Noble to buy Twilight. It’s still a special memory, going together over Thanksgiving break to buy it even though it was available at the library. Ma told me, “When there are so many holds, it’s okay to buy the book sometimes.” I remember devouring it, not overnight, but before the break was over. That Christmas I was given a poster of Edward for my room and the rest of the saga (which I read out of order, staying up well past midnight on Christmas Eve to finish Breaking Dawn, despite not reading New Moon or Eclipse). By 2010 I’d outgrown Twilight completely. Edward was a stalker, Bella lacked personality, and Renesmee was a stupid name. Also, the poster creeped me out. I relished in bashing the series. One of my favorite Tumblr blogs was devoted to pointing out the various errors in the books. I noticed when Midnight Sun was officially announced but didn’t seriously consider reading it until we were five months deep in an unending pandemic. I was a mild Twilight fangirl in 2008, and I’m back for blood because what else is there to do?
Edward Cullen is a moody, broody, eternally tormented vampire living with his coven in the Pacific Northwest. With beauty, wealth, and intelligence at their fingertips, the Cullens spend the vast span of eternity repeating high school. Edward describes it as purgatory (#accurate). It’s at school where Edward meets Bella Swan, translucently pale and chocolate eyed, with blood so irresistible that he can’t sit by her in class without fantasies of committing mass murder. He resolves to run away, horrified that he could be so tempted after decades of caution. But something about Bella, besides her blood, draws him in. He can’t read her mind, making her completely different from any human he’s ever met. And reader, you probably know the rest. Or at least I hope you do. The original saga ended in 2008, and if I’m going to run out of room if I try to recap it.
There is no noticeable change in Stephanie Meyer’s writing. It’s still clunky, repetitive, and dramatic. You could make a drinking game out of it. The pacing is awkward; most of the action takes place in the last 250 pages, leaving the reader to wade through 400 pages of his lengthy and anxious stream of consciousness. There is no reason for the book to be so long. Edward counting the number of bugs surrounding the meadow? Unnecessary. Edward musing about the vampiric digestive system before drinking Bella’s tears, hoping it’ll stay with him “forever”? UNNECESSARY. If you couldn’t tell from the cover, Meyer draws inspiration from the myth of Hades and Persephone. Throughout the book, you’re practically beaten over the head with a pomegranate. This book lacks subtlety. In an interview, Stephanie Meyer says we’d have an opportunity to see Edward’s anxious side. It’s pretty much all we see. Edward flips between anxiety, self-loathing, and tormented affection for Bella. The word choices and phrasing often felt awkward, and there were times where I physically recoiled because the words on the page were so cringe-worthy. However, I appreciate that characters sidelined in the original saga, especially Emmett, are highlighted here. They made the book fun.
In her dedication, Stephanie Meyer states that this book is for all the readers who’ve stuck by her over the years. Midnight Sun is a love letter to those diehard fans- the ones who waited with bated breath since the chapters were first leaked in 2008. I was not one of them. Midnight Sun is also a rebuttal. The Twilight Saga received so much criticism over the years; I eagerly participated in it. This book retroactively addresses those critiques. Bella is given a clearer personality through Edward’s biased perspective. Edward is still creepy (remember the tear drinking? The nighttime stalking? The daydreams of mass murder?) but he’s also thoughtful, anxious, and conscious of consent. Meyer has made it very clear that she will not be writing more books from Edward’s perspective (and I’m honestly grateful, my bookshelves couldn’t handle three more books at 700 pages each), but she successfully lays a foundation for what transpires in New Moon. Midnight Sun is an imperfect attempt that doesn’t undo the poor writing in the original saga, but the effort is appreciated.
There’s so much I want to say. My notes for this review are six pages long. I’m going to have to seriously condense this for Instagram. That being said, I knew when I bought this that it wouldn’t be good literature. It’s a messy dose of nostalgia at best. And I think that ultimately saved the book. I don’t believe in guilty pleasures; like what you like without fear of judgment. And if Twilight is one of those small joys, then savor it. I didn’t expect to have a good time reading it, but I did. It is a credit to Stephanie Meyer that she could write a 700-page book so addictive that I finished it in a single weekend. Escaping to a pre-pandemic world filled with vampires and dramatic romance was fun. If it’ll make you happy, then go for it. I plan to reread the original saga in the coming months because it’s fun, the mental equivalent of eating an entire bar of chocolate on Christmas morning. So if you were wondering if this book is worth it, it depends on what you value. If the original saga is beyond redemption, this probably isn’t for you. But if you want to get lost, be it in nostalgia or romance, go for it and have fun. Just be prepared for the tear drinking scene on page 444.
Towards the end of 2008, right before the movie came out, my mom took me to Barnes and Noble to buy Twilight. It’s still a special memory, going together over Thanksgiving break to buy it even though it was available at the library. Ma told me, “When there are so many holds, it’s okay to buy the book sometimes.” I remember devouring it, not overnight, but before the break was over. That Christmas I was given a poster of Edward for my room and the rest of the saga (which I read out of order, staying up well past midnight on Christmas Eve to finish Breaking Dawn, despite not reading New Moon or Eclipse). By 2010 I’d outgrown Twilight completely. Edward was a stalker, Bella lacked personality, and Renesmee was a stupid name. Also, the poster creeped me out. I relished in bashing the series. One of my favorite Tumblr blogs was devoted to pointing out the various errors in the books. I noticed when Midnight Sun was officially announced but didn’t seriously consider reading it until we were five months deep in an unending pandemic. I was a mild Twilight fangirl in 2008, and I’m back for blood because what else is there to do?
Edward Cullen is a moody, broody, eternally tormented vampire living with his coven in the Pacific Northwest. With beauty, wealth, and intelligence at their fingertips, the Cullens spend the vast span of eternity repeating high school. Edward describes it as purgatory (#accurate). It’s at school where Edward meets Bella Swan, translucently pale and chocolate eyed, with blood so irresistible that he can’t sit by her in class without fantasies of committing mass murder. He resolves to run away, horrified that he could be so tempted after decades of caution. But something about Bella, besides her blood, draws him in. He can’t read her mind, making her completely different from any human he’s ever met. And reader, you probably know the rest. Or at least I hope you do. The original saga ended in 2008, and if I’m going to run out of room if I try to recap it.
There is no noticeable change in Stephanie Meyer’s writing. It’s still clunky, repetitive, and dramatic. You could make a drinking game out of it. The pacing is awkward; most of the action takes place in the last 250 pages, leaving the reader to wade through 400 pages of his lengthy and anxious stream of consciousness. There is no reason for the book to be so long. Edward counting the number of bugs surrounding the meadow? Unnecessary. Edward musing about the vampiric digestive system before drinking Bella’s tears, hoping it’ll stay with him “forever”? UNNECESSARY. If you couldn’t tell from the cover, Meyer draws inspiration from the myth of Hades and Persephone. Throughout the book, you’re practically beaten over the head with a pomegranate. This book lacks subtlety. In an interview, Stephanie Meyer says we’d have an opportunity to see Edward’s anxious side. It’s pretty much all we see. Edward flips between anxiety, self-loathing, and tormented affection for Bella. The word choices and phrasing often felt awkward, and there were times where I physically recoiled because the words on the page were so cringe-worthy. However, I appreciate that characters sidelined in the original saga, especially Emmett, are highlighted here. They made the book fun.
In her dedication, Stephanie Meyer states that this book is for all the readers who’ve stuck by her over the years. Midnight Sun is a love letter to those diehard fans- the ones who waited with bated breath since the chapters were first leaked in 2008. I was not one of them. Midnight Sun is also a rebuttal. The Twilight Saga received so much criticism over the years; I eagerly participated in it. This book retroactively addresses those critiques. Bella is given a clearer personality through Edward’s biased perspective. Edward is still creepy (remember the tear drinking? The nighttime stalking? The daydreams of mass murder?) but he’s also thoughtful, anxious, and conscious of consent. Meyer has made it very clear that she will not be writing more books from Edward’s perspective (and I’m honestly grateful, my bookshelves couldn’t handle three more books at 700 pages each), but she successfully lays a foundation for what transpires in New Moon. Midnight Sun is an imperfect attempt that doesn’t undo the poor writing in the original saga, but the effort is appreciated.
There’s so much I want to say. My notes for this review are six pages long. I’m going to have to seriously condense this for Instagram. That being said, I knew when I bought this that it wouldn’t be good literature. It’s a messy dose of nostalgia at best. And I think that ultimately saved the book. I don’t believe in guilty pleasures; like what you like without fear of judgment. And if Twilight is one of those small joys, then savor it. I didn’t expect to have a good time reading it, but I did. It is a credit to Stephanie Meyer that she could write a 700-page book so addictive that I finished it in a single weekend. Escaping to a pre-pandemic world filled with vampires and dramatic romance was fun. If it’ll make you happy, then go for it. I plan to reread the original saga in the coming months because it’s fun, the mental equivalent of eating an entire bar of chocolate on Christmas morning. So if you were wondering if this book is worth it, it depends on what you value. If the original saga is beyond redemption, this probably isn’t for you. But if you want to get lost, be it in nostalgia or romance, go for it and have fun. Just be prepared for the tear drinking scene on page 444.
This book was, how you say, extremely bad. Tedious, brooding, and pretentious, this book is basically a 700 page slog through Edward's extremely creepy inner-monologue. Though Bella seems to have literally no sense of self-preservation, even she would have gotten into her shitty truck and gunned it the hell out of Forks if she could have read what I just read.
Most of the story is just Edward being sad and emotionally constipated because "uwu, Bella's not like other girls. She smells good and doesn't wear makeup." Literally, there's a line where he remarks how American women shell out thousands of dollars every year just to have skin like Bella's, which he continually describes as "almost translucent" when it's not "flushed with blood." Like okay, freak. At one point he's contemplating (in a brooding, Byronic way) how Bella is like Persephone, "pomegranate in hand. Dooming herself to the Underworld." Like BOI! She is literally just sitting there eating mushroom ravioli. Let her be. This book could have been fun if it didn't take itself so seriously. At least in the first Twilight you could pretend Edward was somewhat charming and not a total creep, but in this retelling, the illusion is completely lost. Instead, Edward basically outs himself as a total sociopath. Anytime Bella so much as SPEAKS to another boy, Edward has vivid fantasies about ripping his body to shreds and scattering it across the country. This is coming from the guy who watches her sleep at night and continually surveils her interactions with other people via his mind reading. And then, he has the audacity to complain about how THESE boys are too possessive over Bella. The hypocrisy just WHOOSHES right over his head. It's a little bit funny, but also quite disturbing when you think about how this is being portrayed as the "ideal" romance.
I was honestly obsessed with these books when I was like, 9, but I'm really glad I was able to outgrow them and learn what an actually healthy relationship looks like, instead of this gross and often abusive catastrophe they call a "star-crossed lovers romance." As a "wizened" 22-year-old, I can read this now with the understanding it is pure drivel. Basically, I'm glad the Twilight phenomenon is mostly dead, because these books are good for pretty much nothing except a laugh, some nostalgia, and then after that, firewood.
Most of the story is just Edward being sad and emotionally constipated because "uwu, Bella's not like other girls. She smells good and doesn't wear makeup." Literally, there's a line where he remarks how American women shell out thousands of dollars every year just to have skin like Bella's, which he continually describes as "almost translucent" when it's not "flushed with blood." Like okay, freak. At one point he's contemplating (in a brooding, Byronic way) how Bella is like Persephone, "pomegranate in hand. Dooming herself to the Underworld." Like BOI! She is literally just sitting there eating mushroom ravioli. Let her be. This book could have been fun if it didn't take itself so seriously. At least in the first Twilight you could pretend Edward was somewhat charming and not a total creep, but in this retelling, the illusion is completely lost. Instead, Edward basically outs himself as a total sociopath. Anytime Bella so much as SPEAKS to another boy, Edward has vivid fantasies about ripping his body to shreds and scattering it across the country. This is coming from the guy who watches her sleep at night and continually surveils her interactions with other people via his mind reading. And then, he has the audacity to complain about how THESE boys are too possessive over Bella. The hypocrisy just WHOOSHES right over his head. It's a little bit funny, but also quite disturbing when you think about how this is being portrayed as the "ideal" romance.
I was honestly obsessed with these books when I was like, 9, but I'm really glad I was able to outgrow them and learn what an actually healthy relationship looks like, instead of this gross and often abusive catastrophe they call a "star-crossed lovers romance." As a "wizened" 22-year-old, I can read this now with the understanding it is pure drivel. Basically, I'm glad the Twilight phenomenon is mostly dead, because these books are good for pretty much nothing except a laugh, some nostalgia, and then after that, firewood.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I will admit I am biased towards this series I could give it nothing less than 5🌟
It was actually hard to get through this one especially that it is mainly about Edwards thoughts not much action packed Wich made it slow pasted but still I liked it so fucking much despyte me knowing what will happen
this was a very good reminder for me for why I liked the series🥹🩷
It was actually hard to get through this one especially that it is mainly about Edwards thoughts not much action packed Wich made it slow pasted but still I liked it so fucking much despyte me knowing what will happen
this was a very good reminder for me for why I liked the series🥹🩷
this book series shaped my personality tbh 4 year old me would be proud for still being obsessed with twilight
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lost momentum. Will have to pick up again thought
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated