Book Review: Twilight By Stephenie Meyer

Twilight is the debut novel by author Stephenie Meyer, and the first in the Twilight series. The story is about the protagonist seventeen year old Isabella Swan, who also goes by the name Bella, who falls in love with Edward Cullen, a vampire.

The plot traces Bella’s move from to Forks, Washington from Phoenix, Arizona to live with her father as her mother goes travelling with her new husband. Bella is a shy girl who soon finds herself the centre of attention at her new school, with a number of boys showing interest in her. On her first day at school, she sits next to Edward who does not seem to like her. But a few days later, his demeanor seems to change and he even comes to her rescue when she is almost run over by a van in the school parking lot. Intrigued by how Edward miraculously saved her life, Bella begins snooping around about Edward and his family history. She then comes to the conclusion that Edward is from a family of vampires who have a taste for animal blood, and not human blood. After confronting Edward, he confesses that he tried to stay away from her initially because he was really drawn to the scent of her blood.

Edward and Bella soon fall in love but their relationship is rocked by the entry of a new vampire coven which includes James, a tracker vampire. James decides to hunt Bella just for the fun of it, so the Cullens send Bella to hide in a hotel in Phoenix, hoping to keep James from trying to split up the couple. However, James manages to track Bella in Phoenix and calls her to tell her that he has her mother captive. Bella then surrenders herself to James who attacks and tries to kill her. But Edward manages to defeat James and rescues Bella, but not before James manages to bite her hand. Edward then sucks out the venom from Bella’s blood and prevents her from becoming a vampire. Bella is then taken to hospital where she is able to recover. Later, the couple returns to Forks, they go to their school prom at which Bella tells Edward that she wants to become a vampire, but he refuses her request.

The novel Twilight was adapted into a fantasy film of the same name in 2008, which was directed by Catherine Hardwicke. In the movie Twilight, the character of Bella is played by Kristen Stewart, while Robert Pattinson plays Edward Cullen. Having been turned into a vampire in 1918, Edward is one hundred and eight years old, has superhuman strength and speed and the ability to read the minds of everyone except Bella’s. The film managed to remain largely faithful to the novel, with a few minor alterations such as omissions of sections of the novel, and additions of some new scenes previously not in the novel. The movie ends with Victoria, James’ lover plotting how she would revenge James murder at the hands of the Cullens, as she watches Bella and Edward dancing at their school prom.