Twilight
by Stephenie Meyer

Little Brown and Co., 2006, 498 pp, $19.99
ISBN 978-0-316-1617-9

Twilight is a phenomenal story seen through the eyes of a high school student, Isabella Swan. Bella meets the mysterious Edward Cullen who acts very strange towards her. He turns away from her as she walks towards him, and ignores her when she sits down. The next day, he doesn’t show up for school. Bella’s anxiety is gnawing at her stomach, until Edward suddenly comes back and is very nice to her. She doesn’t understand why, but she feels attached to him somehow, always wanting to talk and be with him. What she doesn’t know is that Edward has a secret, a secret that could put Bella and himself in grave danger. Later, mysterious newcomers journey into the Cullen’s territory. Bella is surrounded by danger, and doesn’t know what to do. Should she risk her life for her loved one, or should she escape death, not knowing if she will ever see Edward again?

Twilight is a new way to look at vampires: fast, strong, possessing supernatural powers and last but not least… handsome! This story drew me in from the first sentence! I couldn’t put it down; the drama would suck me back in. Stephenie Meyer does an amazing job of using cliffhangers and her writing style is mind-boggling! You feel like you’re standing right next to Bella throughout the whole book because Meyers puts so much detail into the characters, background, and surroundings. She doesn’t put in too much detail that bores you to death; she only puts the important information. Also, this book does a great job of keeping the story so real, vampires mixing with humans, doesn't seem so odd anymore. I now find myself inspecting some people, looking for the pale skin,and hard, black eyes (these are some characteristics that a vampire has).
Love and loyalty are the main themes in this book. Bella and Edward's love grow rapidly within every chapter of the book. When Bella is being hunted down by some shady characters, or chased after by some gangly men, Edward was always there to save her from despair.

Twilight is only the first book in a four book series. All four of them are very large books, but they’re still amazing! Meyer is currently working on the fifth book, Midnight Sun, which is supposedly Twilight told through Edward’s eyes

I would recommend this book to teenagers, because they can relate better to the story and it would make more sense to them than younger kids. Fairy-tale, vampire and romance lovers will also love this book, as well as any other type of readers.

~ reviewed by Rachelle I.