Twilight is ubiquitous. In bookshops, on the internet - even corners of the net one expects to be Twilight-free, in casual conversation. (One of my lecturers last semester suggested it should become a drinking game - you drink whenever someone mentions Twilight.) Even though I don't go looking for them, reviews of Twilight are there. Writing my own review in response to my irritation with the unavoidable presence of everyone else's might not seem logical, but I also get irritated when the reviews are so polarised, either adoring or despising the novel. This is an attempt at some sort of unimpassioned considered middle-ground.

A work of literature Twilight is not - it is undeniably genre fiction. YA fantasy. Its writing is both its strength and its weakness. Being lightweight and conversational makes it easily readable, but these very qualities which create its accessibility also mean it is unappealing to those who prefer more original prose and literary depth. Nevertheless, for those who are unaware of, or prepared to overlook, its literary shortcomings, the story can be appealing.

Bella Swan is a character with whom many can identify, especially if you have ever been (or felt like) an outsider; an introverted, bookish person; someone who doesn't make friends easily; an insecure teenage girl; and/or uncoordinated. (Bonus points if you feel sick at the sight of blood, thought high school sport classes were a form of torture, and/or had to leave class because you were going to faint. Because these aren't exactly desirable traits to have and it is comforting to feel that you are not alone in possessing them.)
Twilight takes this girl who is ordinary and overlooked, and gives her the seemingly-unattainable.
I imagine Edward is desirable to different people for different reasons - because he is a "forbidden love", celebrity/superstar-level attractive, a superhuman hero, intellectually and emotionally mature, because he makes Bella his priority (and makes considerable sacrifices to do so) or because, sexual intimacy being out of the question, it is obvious his relationship with her is because of who she is and not just because he's hoping she'll sleep with him.
(There are equally many reasons for not finding Edward appealing and contrary to popular belief, falling in love with Edward is not a prerequisite for enjoying this book.)
Ultimately, as a vampire prepared to ignore his base desires to drink her blood and kill her because he values her as a person and he wants a relationship with her, Edward is paying Bella a pretty big compliment. I suspect most people desire to be someone's first priority, to be loved for who they are, to be affirmed and told they are special. I suspect a lot of girls dream of a hero.

Whether this all makes for healthy relationship in real life is a different matter. (There are certainly good arguments against Twilight for idolising a relationship lacking - at this point in the story – a certain equality.) But I don't believe wistfully dreaming of a hero automatically means this is what one wants in reality. I can see the flaws in Twilight (which many people have done a good job of highlighting, so we’ll skip that part of the review), just as I can see the flaws in the stories I sometimes make up for my own amusement, when I'm feeling tired, or simply bored, and the critical parts of my brain are switched off.
It is perhaps worth reading Twilight critically to recognise the reasons why Bella isn't necessarily role-model material and understand why personal characteristics, behaviours and choices which seem to be desirable and reasonable in the novel are not necessarily desirable, reasonable and healthy in the real world, in real people.* However, Twilight is merely a story to read and enjoy (or to not read, if you aren't inclined). It's a fantasy concerning wish fulfillment. Clearly not the fulfillment of everybody's wish, but it is a wish which has some near-universal elements.

There is more I could say but I’m sure the world can do without any more verbosity from me on the subject.
Rated four stars when I read it two years ago, because I found it addictive, suspenseful and entertaining, not to mention appealing. I would rate it differently now, but the point of this exercise was to stop feeling that my opinion was unrepresented in the world of Twilight-reviews, rather than reassign stars.

* On a slightly related note: Twilight isn't as a how-to book for human relationships, it's a how-to book for human-supernatural relationships. There is a very specific context to the behaviour of many of the characters which pertains directly to their proximity to the supernatural. And while it still may be debatable as to whether this excuses the behaviour, it certainly offers an explanation which wouldn't apply to a situation in real life. ( )

I like the basic story of Twilight. It kept me interested. I had a hard time ever putting the book down because I had to know what happened next. I do wish, though, that the characters had a little more depth to them. ( )

Twilight is bad. I mean, really bad. A true teen read to say the least. I mean, there are teen books I enjoy because they manage to blur the line well enough that I don't feel like I'm too old to be reading it. This is not the case with Twilight. It is so high school at times that it made me crazy. Those kids, Edward and Bella, literally hung out for 2 days and were professing their undying love for one another! Bella could not go a full night without spazzing about the separation. I mean, yes, in high school some kids do take their infatuations a bit far... but really??? It was disgusting! I would have been able to tolerate the book, had it not been for how overdone the emotions of the characters were. And only the main ones too... everyone else in the book seems normal. And don't try the, "It's an unexplained attraction, they're unique" bit on me. They're wack, end of discussion.

I had seen the movie. I knew what I was in for. Thankfully, the movie didn't overdo the emotional ish like the book did. I was going into this willing to overlook the violations to the norm (Seriously- vampires sparkle in the sun, not burst into flames?!) And I'm all for the vamp/non-vamp thing. I have seen every episode of Buffy and Angel. I love Buffy with Angel and Spike. Hated the other normal guys! But this book was so bad that even overlooking those details didn't save it! Hell, even Sookie has relationships with Bill and Eric in the Southern Vampire Mysteries. Those books were AMAZING. I thought they were good before, but after reading Twilight, I hold a new appreciation for them!

I will admit, I'm determined to see it through to the end now. If not for the love of the series, at least because I'm determined it has to get better. Steven King was right, this woman cannot write. At all. At least they're a fast read. I made it halfway through book 2, New Moon, in all of a few hours. ( )

I first read this book in high school and instantly fell in love with all the characters as well as the story line! Stephenie Meyer does a fantastic job of combing the human world with the vampire world without ruining the story with mythical deathly tones. It follows the life of Bella Swan as she moves to live with her dad in the small town of Forks, Washington. She meets a few friends: Jessica, Angela, Mike, and a few more odd ball hgih school characters. She learns about the family the Cullens who were all suppsosedly adopted and live with their very young beautiful looking parents. Overtime she develops a relationship with Edward Cullen who she finds otu is a vampire. Even tho he is a bloodsucking monster, as Edward refers to himself, Bella only sees him as the most precious thing she has ever come to know. They declare their love for eachother. When things were going just fine, almost too fine, she finds herself in a heap of trouble when a few vampires decide to try and chase her down. The Cullens try to preotect her adn keep her in hiding, but Bella gets tricked into thinking the bad vampire caught her mother. So she sneaks out of the Cullens protection and to the ballet studio in Forks where the bad vampire attacks her and just about kills her. Edward and his family come out of nowhere and save Bella and kill the bad vampire. At the end of the book Edward is crushed and feels he is the reason for Bella's pain. The rest of the book in the twilight saga eloquently show Stephenie's talent as a writer and I am in love with these books!!!

this book is a very interesting first in the series of 4 that is about a human-vampire romance. There are 3 other books 2nd New moon 3rd Eclipse and the 4th breaking dawn. This series is more appealing to girls. Because it is a romance with many suspensful turns. ( )

I loved the book "twilight" it is a excellent series for young teens to read. Although none of us can relate to having a vampire boyfriend, we all know what it is like to love something that is so different from youself. In my opinion this book was well written and a great romanctic story for people of all ages.

Baylee ( )

The book is very int i loved intence it and I think everyone should read it if they haven't. I really enjoyed reading this book. ( )

Clearly teen novel but fun and many messages to be gleaned from the story. ( )

I liked this popular book more than I thought. It was very easy to get into and hard to put down. I don't know if I'll continue with the series, but I was curious to what the fuss was. ( )

Forgive me if I offend any Shakespeare lovers when I say that Bill was the king of churning out banal, romantic pulp. Sure, he can turn a mean rhyme, and he has become wildly popular over the decades, with professors and critics endlessly dissecting his work for moral subtext. But, at heart, the Bard was a pulp writer with an eye for what turned people on.

Bill Shakespeare would be proud of Stephanie Meyer. Twilight is her bid for the Queen of Romantic Pulp. The story, unfulfilled and impossible love with a strong undercurrent of ugly duckling, is the stuff of bodice rippers. Meyer’s twist, girl loves vampire, is little more than a wink and nod at Romeo and Juliet.

The weaknesses of the first book in the series are twofold: First, Meyer seems to just be learning to write, as there isn’t much strong, descriptive writing, even though the premise and setting would lend itself to such. Second, the story is told in the first person by Bella, a teen age girl, riddled with all the same doubts and fears and wild anxieties of that species. But the perspective grows old quickly, especially after about the tenth time Bella comments on how dreamy Edward is and how lame she feels.

The strength of the first book is that Meyer was able to repackage an old story in a way that has captured a lot of imaginations, something Shakespeare was a pro at. Let’s call it a keen eye for marketing. I also enjoyed Meyer’s foray into the vampire mythology, giving it her own personal touch. Constant reworking of vampire and monster lore is the way it maintains longevity.

Bottom Line: Romantic pulp, but not awful in the way of storytelling. ( )

Awful. Honestly, I could hardly finish it, I was so angry with the character of Bella by the end of this book--if there's a more vapid, spineless, weak, pansy-butted female character in anything I've ever read, I can't remember it. What a disappointing role model, especially as popular as this series is! ( )

This isn't very good writing or plotting. Its merit is instead in the ability to make girls and women feel special because we're missing that feeling in our own lives.

A book that makes people feel as strongly as this one has is a special thing and S. Meyer certainly has a gift for that, but I found it hard work to ignore what I consider bad writing.

The plot is cliched and uninteresting (I kept reading because I wanted to get to the happy ending already, not because I thought I would be pleasantly surprised by an ending I hadn't expected), and the characters lack depth.

Meyer has concocted some interesting and unique ideas, but they're not given the special treatment they deserve in this novel. This might have been a better book if the plot didn't read like she'd written the first cliched thing that came into her head every time. ( )

This awesome book is 'can't put it down good' which is saying alot considering I don't usually care one bit about vampires. Twilight is full of suspense, action, drama and romance, making it an excellent teen read (good for adults too). Twilight lays the foundation for Stephanie Meyer's other books in the series - all of which are good. Though this is not a short novel, it is easily read due to its engaging content. Can't wait to read New Moon! ( )

If it wasn't required reading for my English class, I never would have finished 'Twilight'. The writing is awful and Bella is a terrible (and boring) protagonist. The beginning is slow and there's almost no plot until the end of the book. After finishing the whole thing and putting it away, I decided it wasn't that bad after all - but it's certainly not that good either. ( )

What can I say...I'm addicted! I read it again 06/15/2009 - I caught a lot of details I hadn't found the first time around ( )

This is a very popular book and most of the girls in the class and some boys too have read it. It is suitable for the seniors at school. We were lucky enough to get the book as part of the prize of the 50 most popular books for the year through the Whitcouls book competition.

Twilight is a book about a young teenage girl that lives with her mother until her mother decides to get married to a baseball player who has to move a lot. So the young teenage girl Bella, is moving with her father in a small town in Washington called Forks. At first she hates it there it always rains and there is hardly any sunshine. She starts to attend school and getting to know her peers well enough until she came to a class and sat next to a boy named Edward and he pushed himself as far away from her as possible. It was like he could not sit by her at all. Later on, Bella almost got hit by an car when Edward ran in front of her and stopped the car with his hand. After that day Bella had questioned him about that incident for days. Eventually she came to find out that he is a vampire, but he only eats animals. Throughout the book the two tend to fall in love and become closer and closer. So close that the bad vampires come after Bella. The bad vampires tricked Bella into thinking they had her mother when they didn't and with that being, Edward and his family tried to help her so Bella, Edward, and his family helped as much as possible by fighting off the bad vampires. In the end, Bella was in the hospital and told her parent's she had a horrible fall.

This book is an amazing book. It clearly describes step by step in the book and has a wonderful meaning. I think the meaning is that love can come from any where no matter who or what it is. This book is in fact a sequel there are three other books. I have referred this book to all my friends and family.

In a classroom, we could divide up into groups and just discuss this book amongst each other. Also, we could makeup our own questions and give them to other groups.

I borrowed this book from my sister and I have no direct need to own it, and yet... I know this is sort of pathetic, but I couldn't dislike this book. I've spend at least a year ignoring the hype and being sarcastic about it, but when I finally read it I enjoyed it. It is a bit fluffy and I surely don't think it deserves all the attention it has got, but it's a story that makes you want to read on nonetheless. And at least for a day it made me feel like I was a bit part of this whole world of Edward and Bella. I'm not sure if I'm going to read the sequels yet, but I might. ( )

this book was amazing everyone told me the end was the best but i disagree th beginning was interesting. i has saw the movie first and i still didnt get teh story but once i read the book the movie came to life. my friend dared me to read the book so i turned it into homework and chose it for english. i never liked reading butit only took me 4 days to read it. my favorite part is when bella finds out that edward was watching him sleep and how they took turn asking each other questions each day. the was d=good and even though it looks big its a fast read.

The book Twilight by Stephenie Myers was one of the best books I have read. During the beginning it was a little boring boring but i couldn't put the book down towards the end. The story is about an awkward teen, Bella, falling in love with a vampire, Edward. The couple faces many obstacles that try to end their relationship. The conflict of the story is when another group of vampires come into to town and their leader James attempts to kill Bella. I would recommend this book anybody who likes a romance novel and who doesn't mind reading a 498 page book. ( )

Stephanie Meyer has created a winning formula by injecting the popular mythology of the vampire into the coming age tale of stubborn protagonist Bella Swan. The characters may sometimes seem exaggerated and the style plain, but these characters are enrapturing enough to ensnare the reader into their tale of forbidden love and lurking danger. A light and entertaining read that keeps you hooked until the last page and leaves you hungry for more, of which there is plenty in the subsequent books of the series. ( )

Falling in love with Edward is a fun ride. ( )

Well, I thought it was good..I read it in 2 nights, but not so sure I'll read the rest of the series. Glad to see what all the hype was about, though! ( )

Lisez Anne Rice.

From Follett Titlewave:

Bergin, Melissa. "Twilight (Book Review)." Library Media Connection (2006) 20 Nov 2009

Martin, Hillias J. "Twilight (Book Review)." School Library Journal (2005) 20 Nov 2009

"Twilight (Book Review)." Booklist. Vol. 102, No. 6 (2005) 20 Nov 2009

"Twilight (Book Review)." Kirkus (2005) 20 Nov 2009

"Twilight (Book Review)." Horn Book (2006) 20 Nov 2009

"Twilight (Book Review)." Publishers Weekly (2005) 20 Nov 2009

(http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID...) ( )