Book Review: Twilight

Three weeks in a row! Actually, the new WP site makes this ridiculously easy to queue up reviews.

This week I take on the ubër-popular Twilight and realize I may need a sex-change to find a book interesting.

Twilight CoverTwilight by Stephenie Meyer

Get it from Amazon

Summary

When Bella Swan moves from sunny Phoenix to Forks, Washington, a damp and dreary town known for the most rainfall in the United States, to live with her dad, she isnt expecting to like it. But the level of hostility displayed by her standoffish high school biology lab partner, Edward Cullen, surprises her. After several strange interactions, his preternatural beauty, strength, and speed have her intrigued. Edward is just as fascinated with Bella, and their attraction to one another grows. As Bella discovers more about Edwards nature and his family, she is thrown headlong into a dangerous adventure that has her making a desperate sacrifice to save her one true love.

High Point

Vivid descriptions of feelings, emotions, and surroundings.

Low Point

OK, we get it! Edward’s good-looking! Move the hell on!

The Scores

Originality: Vampire love story? I think it’s been done. A few times. 1/6

Story: It’s just not that interesting. Far too much time is wasted “getting to know” the main characters with little or nothing going on. The excitement and adventure kicks in at the end of the book, almost like the editor went, “Listen, Stephenie, the book needs a little excitement in it. Can you add 4 chapters where something interesting happens?” Once something exciting does happen, the narrator goes unconscious. 2/6

Imagery: I’ll give the author points here, because she is a good writer. She’s quite good at setting the scene, describing characters and the environment and laying out Bella’s feelings. 4/6

Characterization: Since it’s first person, we only really get to know Bella. Edward,  we hardly know (other than he’s physically a god amongst mortals). 3/6

Emotional Response: Nothing. I just could not get into this book. I think this book appeals to desperate teenage girls (and adult woman who have refused to grow up emotionally). 1/6

Editing: It’s clean and well put together, it just has no substance. 3/6

Overall: I’d be interested in what other readers think, but frankly it’s just not my cup of tea. 2/6

Total Score: 16 out of 42

14 replies on “Book Review: Twilight”

  1. I guess I should be ashamed of myself, but I could not put the book down. Now, admittedly, I was listening to the audiobook (which was also done well).

    I will admit that she was fascinated with Edward’s looks, but since this was written in first person, I think how she (a teenage girl) kept going back to it was quite believable and never seemed to detract from the story for me.

    As for the story, you need to keep in mind it was the first of many books and it was setting up the background for them. I have not read the rest yet though.

    • I fully realize the books is the first in a series and I too listened to the audiobook (excellent narration, BTW), but it behooves the author of a series to make the first book a hook to get you interested in the rest of the series.

      This book did not. I have virtually no interest in finishing the series since it’s a very high probability that the other books are just more of the same.

  2. I’ll give the author points here, because she is a good writer.

    That’s interesting, since everything I’ve read is that she isn’t a good writer.

    I have no interest in this series, so I don’t even know why I’m posting here.

  3. And, just to put the score into context, I believe the lowest score ever is still 16 out of 42 (for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace).

    • Hey! I liked Superman IV! Sure, I was 8, but Dolph Lundgren + Christopher Reeve = awesome to an 8 year old me.

      Hey, I was a kid, I wasn’t supposed to have taste yet.

      Back on topic, I had no interest in reading this before this review, and now I have even less if that’s possible. Besides, I wasted all my Vampire book chances on Anne Rice.

  4. I read the series after I got them for my wife. I enjoyed them quite a bit. The 2nd book is, I think, the weakest of the four. (My wife likes that one the best. Go figure.) The last two are much better. A lot more action for those who like that. A good chunk of the fourth book is told from Jacob’s view which can be pretty funny at times.

    You could skip the second book (though some import stuff happens there, maybe just read the last 6-8 chapters) and then read the rest. (Edward is barely in the second book.) The third involves some fun Warewolf vs. Vampire action and the fourth is Vamp (+ warewolf) vs. Vamp. Fun stuff.

Comments are closed.