book reviews twilight

Search This Blog

The running bibliophile.

A blog featuring book reviews, product reviews, places to see, running, history, listography, and more.

Book Review: The Doll's House, A Short Story by Lisa Unger

Book Review: Twilight (Twilight, #1) by Stephenie Meyer

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog, product review: mr. clean: clean freak deep cleaning mist - gain scent.

Book Review: Hidden Beneath (Maine Clambake Mystery, #11) by Barbara Ross

Book Review: The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Help Kids Build Character Strengths with Quality Media

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Twilight: the twilight saga, book 1.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 132 Reviews
• Kids Say 601 Reviews

Parents Say

Based on 132 parent reviews

Parent Reviews

It's fine for kids, report this review, bella's just like us ....human.

This title has:

• Great role models

Good, not revolutionary. Not explicit but definitely mature.

• Educational value
• Great messages
• Too much violence
• Too much sex

An addictive read (complete with series), however may not be the best message for young girls

No plot. tediously long series.

I liked it because I’m a big vampire fan

What to Read Next

Crave, Book 1

City of Bones: The Mortal Instruments, Book 1

Marked: House of Night, Book 1

Vampire, werewolf, and zombie books, twilight book series, related topics.

• Magic and Fantasy
• High School
• Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

Book Review

Twilight — “twilight” series.

• Stephenie Meyer
• Fantasy , Paranormal , Romance

Readability Age Range

• Little, Brown and Company, a division of the Hachette Book Group
• ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2006; ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2006; Amazon.com Best of the Decade…So Far (Teens), 2010

Year Published

This romantic vampire fantasy is the first book in the ” Twilight ” series by Stephenie Meyer and is published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of the Hachette Book Group.

Twilight is written for kids ages 9 and up. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.

Plot Summary

When 17-year-old Bella Swan moves to her dad’s home in perpetually-cloudy Forks, Wash., she has little hope of enjoying her new life. Her father, Charlie, is the small town’s police chief. He lives as a resigned bachelor in the same house he owned during his brief marriage to Bella’s mom. Bella enrolls in the high school and makes some new acquaintances. While sitting with them in the cafeteria, she spots a group of five strange and incredibly beautiful people and learns that they are the Cullens. Two sets of them (Alice and Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie) are couples, but they’re all in the same family, adopted by the town’s young doctor. They keep to themselves. Bella later shares a lab table with the fifth member of the group, named Edward. She’s taken aback by his hostile behavior toward her. He sits far away from her and casts searing glances in her direction. She later sees him in the office trying to change his schedule to avoid her. She wonders what could make him hate her so much.

When icy weather hits, Bella’s truck and another student’s car collide in the school parking lot. Edward, whom Bella had seen standing far away, is suddenly at her side and saves her life by holding back the other car. She’s perplexed by the deep hand indentions he’s left in the vehicle. He’s reticent when she asks how he got to her so fast and had the strength to save her. He does, however, begin to act more friendly toward her at school. Through their cryptic banter in class, Bella becomes more and more attracted to the pale, gorgeous boy whose eyes “smolder” and drive her wild.

On a day trip with other school friends, Bella runs into an old acquaintance who lives on the Indian reservation. Jacob Black, a few years younger than Bella, is eager to impress and reveals classified information about the Cullens when Bella prods him. Jacob explains that the ancestors of his tribe have a territorial agreement with the Cullens, as the Cullens and other “cold ones” are their mortal enemies. Back home on the Internet, Bella further investigates Jacob’s claims and discovers Edward’s chilling secret: He and his family are vampires.

Bella knows she should be more fearful, but Edward’s increasing attention, protective nature and passionate gazes have left her entranced. Bella travels to a larger city with two girls from school to help them shop for prom dresses. When she gets separated from her friends, a group of four men surround her in a dark alley. Just in time, Edward appears and saves her. She’s stunned by his intense anger and often witnesses it in the days thereafter. He takes her to dinner and calms down before driving her back to Forks.

Edward warns her that he’s dangerous and that she should stay away from him. Thoroughly smitten, Bella repeatedly tells him (and herself) she doesn’t care what happens to her. No fate could be worse than being separated from him. Edward takes Bella to a remote area in the forest, allowing her to see how his skin glows in the sunlight. The glow is just one of the reasons Edward and his “family” (the others in his vampire coven) must stay in places like Forks where there’s significant cloud cover. Edward explains that his family attempts to be civilized, eating only animals and not people (though it is like subsisting on a diet of tofu and soy milk). Bella’s scent is so tantalizing to Edward, he says she’s like a drug to him. The same urges that cause him to want to devour her (literally) also drive him to protect and love her. He’s tormented, knowing he should stay away from her for her own safety but feeling he can’t bear to be without her.

Edward takes Bella home to meet his family. Most of the clan welcomes her, though Rosalie feels Bella is a threat to their life in Forks. Alice foresees a thunderstorm, and the vampires make a plan to play baseball high in the forest. When Bella joins them, she understands why loud peals of thunder are necessary to cover up their powerful hits. In mid-game, the family catches the scent of other vampires. There isn’t time to get Bella out of the area, so they try their best to cover her scent as they talk to the new vampires Laurent, James and James’ mate, Victoria. But James, a tracker, quickly picks up Bella’s scent. When the two vampire clans part ways, Edward tells Bella he’s read James’ thoughts. James will stop at nothing to devour her.

Alice and Jasper go with Bella to her home, where she quickly packs and lies to her dad, telling him she can no longer live in Forks. They drive her to Phoenix while Edward and the others protect her father and track James. Alice, Jasper and Bella hole up in a Phoenix hotel and wait for directions from the others. One morning, Bella receives a call. James is on the other end of the line, telling her he has her mother. He orders her to pretend she’s talking to her mom so the vampires won’t catch on. James directs Bella to lose Alice and Jasper. She gets away from them in the airport where they’re supposed to pick up Edward. James directs her to the dance studio she attended as a child. When she arrives, she realized James has tricked her. Her mother’s voice on the phone was from an old videotape. James brutally attacks Bella. When she’s nearly lost consciousness, she hears Edward’s voice. He and the rest of his family have arrived to kill James. It’s up to Edward to suck the poison out of Bella’s blood without killing her or turning her into a vampire. Though it takes every ounce of self-control he has, Edward manages to save Bella’s life.

The Cullens help Bella make up a detailed story to calm her parents. She returns to Forks to recover. Edward tricks her into getting dressed up, leg cast and all, to go with him to the prom. She begs him to change her into a vampire so they can always be together, but he refuses.

Christian Beliefs

Carlisle, head of the Cullen clan, keeps a cross from the 1600s in their home. It was carved by his father and hung on the wall of the vicarage where he (the father) preached. Carlisle’s father was intolerant of Roman Catholics and other religions, and he led witch hunts in which many innocent people were burned based on accusations of practicing black magic or being werewolves and vampires. On one such raid, a real vampire attacked Carlisle and changed him.

Edward says it’s hard for him to believe that the world could have been created all on its own.

Other Belief Systems

Bella learns about vampire lore on the Internet, though Edward later dispels some misconceptions. In addition to their regular vampire qualities, which include incredible speed and strength, several of the Cullens have unique abilities. Edward can hear people’s thoughts, Alice can see the future, and Jasper has the ability to manipulate people’s emotional states.

Bella wonders if by saving her from the van, Edward was tampering with her fate. She says good luck avoids her and suggests at another time that luck or good odds were on her side. Edward gives in to his love for Bella because he says he’s decided if he’s going to hell, he might as well do it thoroughly. James says he has a sixth sense when he’s hunting.

Jacob tells Bella about Quileute Indian legends dating back to the time of Noah and the flood. The Indians supposedly survived by tying their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees. Another legend suggests the Quileutes descended from wolves.

When Bella hears Edward’s voice after James’ violent attack, she says she hears the sound of an angel calling her name, calling her to the only heaven she wants. Later, she says Edward is her life, and he’s the only thing it would hurt her to lose.

Authority Roles

Bella’s dad, Charlie, is a bachelor who spends most of his time fishing, watching sports or working. Unused to having parental responsibilities, he makes weak efforts to monitor Bella’s activities. Bella appears much smarter than her father since her frequent lies keep him thoroughly in the dark. At the outset, she “lets him know” where she’s going because she feels asking permission sets a bad precedent. Charlie imposes some rules and curfews after Bella’s attack, but he still has no idea what kind of boy his daughter is dating. Before Bella’s mom, Renee, remarried, Bella was in charge. She was the one making sure the bills were paid and that she and her “erratic, harebrained” mom had food on the table.

Profanity & Violence

The words d–n, h— and butt each appears a few times. Bella endures a violent attack by a vampire. He strikes her in the chest, throws her into mirrors and crushes her leg by stepping on it. Glass cuts into her scalp and she begins to bleed profusely before she blacks out.

Sexual Content

Edward and Bella engage in a good deal of kissing and sensual (not overtly sexual) caressing, primarily of the face and neck. “Smoldering” glances, passionate whispers and purposeful breathing of one another’s scents heighten their emotions. They are careful not to act too intensely on their passion for fear that Edward will lose control and bite Bella.

Though Edward is attracted to Bella physically to some degree, her scent is her most tantalizing attribute to him. His primary desire as a vampire is to devour her and taste her blood. Edward sometimes stays all night in Bella’s room to watch her sleep. Edward asks a suggestive question about Bella’s sexual history, and she indicates she is a virgin since she’s never felt about anyone like she does about him.

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

Anger: Edward longs to be with Bella, yet he knows his bloodlust puts her in mortal danger. He’s tormented and angered by the decisions he must make and by the intensity of effort required to maintain control when he’s with her. He never physically hurts Bella, but he often lashes out in ways that frighten her. He sometimes demonstrates “righteous indignation” toward evil people or other vampires. Still, his fierce temper and the magnitude of his fury produce fear and anxiety in Bella.

Lying: Bella frequently lies to her parents about her activities or relationships, even when she knows the lies put her in dangerous situations. She lies to her friends to get out of things. She often lies to Edward, telling him she’s not afraid or conflicted. After she is attacked by another vampire, the Cullen family helps her concoct an elaborate lie about why she left Forks and how she got hurt.

Substances: Bella admits to “gratuitously” taking cold medicine on one occasion to help her sleep. Edward compares the scent of blood to a drug or alcohol addiction. He says Bella’s scent is like his “exact brand of heroine.”

Theft: Edward steals a car in his effort to get to Bella before James devours her.

Suicide: Before her vampire days, Esme lost a baby. She jumped off a cliff in her grief.

PluggedIn.com , an entertainment and media ministry of Focus on the Family, has written an article that offers an overview of the whole “Twilight” series: Darkness Falls After Twilight .

Producers often use a book as a springboard for a movie idea or to earn a specific rating. Because of this, a movie may differ from the novel. To better understand how this book and movie differ, compare the book review with Plugged In’s movie review.

Book reviews cover the content, themes and world-views of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. A book’s inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

You can request a review of a title you can’t find at [email protected] .

Latest Book Reviews

Grief in the Fourth Dimension

The First State of Being

The Campaign

The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum (Book No. 1)

Tree. Table. Book.

Weekly reviews straight to your inbox.

Want to stay Plugged In?

Our weekly newsletter will keep you in the loop on the biggest things happening in entertainment and technology. Sign up today, and we’ll send you a chapter from the new Plugged In book, Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family , that focuses on how to implement a “screentime reset” in your family!

• ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

From the Twilight series , Vol. 1

by Stephenie Meyer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2005

Sun-loving Bella meets her demon lover in a vampire tale strongly reminiscent of Robin McKinley’s Sunshine . When Bella moves to rainy Forks, Wash., to live with her father, she just wants to fit in without drawing any attention. Unfortunately, she’s drawn the eye of aloof, gorgeous and wealthy classmate Edward. His behavior toward Bella wavers wildly between apparent distaste and seductive flirtation. Bella learns Edward’s appalling (and appealing) secret: He and his family are vampires. Though Edward nobly warns Bella away, she ignores the human boys who court her and chooses her vampiric suitor. An all-vampire baseball game in a late-night thunderstorm—an amusing gothic take on American family togetherness that balances some of the tale’s romantic excesses—draws Bella and her loved ones into terrible danger. This is far from perfect: Edward’s portrayal as monstrous tragic hero is overly Byronic, and Bella’s appeal is based on magic rather than character. Nonetheless, the portrayal of dangerous lovers hits the spot; fans of dark romance will find it hard to resist. (Fantasy. YA)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2005

ISBN: 0-316-16017-2

Page Count: 512

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2005

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCHOOL & FRIENDSHIP

Share your opinion of this book

More In The Series

BOOK REVIEW

by Stephenie Meyer

More by Stephenie Meyer

More About This Book

SEEN & HEARD

THE CHANGING MAN

by Tomi Oyemakinde ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 2023

A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.

After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.

Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.

Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023

ISBN: 9781250868138

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT MYSTERY & THRILLER | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL

THE ONLY GIRL IN TOWN

by Ally Condie ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 19, 2023

A high-concept premise that falls short in its execution.

A teenage girl finds herself alone after everyone else in her town mysteriously disappears, leaving her scrambling to figure out how to find them all.

One late summer day, everybody in July Fielding’s town disappears. She is left to piece together what happened, following a series of cryptic signs she finds around town urging her to “GET THEM BACK.” The narrative moves back and forth between July’s present and the events of the summer before, when her relationship with her best friend, cross-country team co-captain Sydney, starts to fracture due to a combination of jealousy over July’s new relationship with a cute boy called Sam and sweet up-and-coming freshman Ella’s threatening to overtake Syd’s status as star of the track team. The team members participate in a ritual in which they jump off a cliff into the rocky waters below at the end of their Friday practice runs. Though Ella is reluctant, Syd pressures her to jump. Short, frenetically paced sections move the story along quickly, and there is much foreshadowing pointing to something terrible that occurred at the end of that summer, which may be the key to July’s current predicament, but there is much misdirection too. Ultimately this is a story without enough setup to make the turn the book takes in the end feel fully developed or earned. All characters read white.

Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023

ISBN: 9780593327173

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCHOOL & FRIENDSHIP

More by Ally Condie

by Ally Condie

by Ally Condie ; illustrated by Jaime Kim

by Ally Condie & Brendan Reichs

• Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
• News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
• Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
• Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
• Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
• More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
• About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

• Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Contact us: 1-800-316-9361 or email [email protected].

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

• Member Login
• Library Patron Login
• Get a Free Issue of our Ezine! Claim

Book summary and reviews of Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) by Stephenie Meyer

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)

by Stephenie Meyer

• Critics' Consensus:
• Readers' Rating:
• Genre: Romance
• Publication Information
• Write a Review
• Buy This Book

About this book

Book summary.

"I'd never given much thought to how I would die - I'd had reason enough in the last few months – but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this... . Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of something else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something."

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret. What Bella doesn't realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back... . Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight will have readers riveted right until the very last page is turned.

• "Beyond the Book" articles
• Free books to read and review (US only)
• Find books by time period, setting & theme
• Read-alike suggestions by book and author
• Book club discussions
• and much more!
• Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
• More about membership!

Media Reviews

Reader reviews.

"Meyer's description of the lovers' emotions is palpable, and readers will be drawn into the couple's spiraling dance, feeling the intense longing that comes from being a hair's breadth away from the thing you want most in the world. Ages 12-18." - KLIATT. "Starred Review. Although Edward and Bella's romance and subsequent danger develops slowly, the pacing is appropriate for teens who want learn all the details in this suspenseful tale. An excellent purchase for both school and public libraries." - School Library Journal. "Starred Review. There are some flaws here--a plot that could have been tightened, an overreliance on adjectives and adverbs to bolster dialogue--but this dark romance seeps into the soul." - Booklist. "This is far from perfect: Edward's portrayal as monstrous tragic hero is overly Byronic, and Bella's appeal is based on magic rather than character. Nonetheless, the portrayal of dangerous lovers hits the spot; fans of dark romance will find it hard to resist." - Kirkus Reviews.

...8 more reader reviews

Author Information

• Books by this Author

Stephenie Meyer Author Biography

Stephenie Meyer was born in Connecticut in 1973, but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and considers herself a native. She went to high school in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was awarded a National Merit Scholarship, and she used it to pay her way to Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. she majored in English, but concentrated on literature rather than creative writing. Meyer is the author of the Twilight series, as well as the stand-alone novel The Host . She lives in Cave Creek, Arizona with her husband and two sons.

Link to Stephenie Meyer's Website

Other books by Stephenie Meyer at BookBrowse

More Recommendations

Readers also browsed . . ..

• Icarus by K. Ancrum
• Grendel's Guide to Love and War by A. E. Kaplan
• The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
• The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian
• The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, Maira Kalman
• Life by Mal Peet

more YA romance...

Become a Member

BookBrowse Book Club

Members Recommend

The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao

A love story set against India's political turmoil, where two young people defy social barriers.

Everything We Never Knew by Julianne Hough

A dazzling, heartwarming novel from Emmy winner Julianne Hough and Rule author Ellen Goodlett.

Solve this clue:

The A O M E

and be entered to win..

Win This Book

Follow the Stars Home by Diane C. McPhail

A reimagining of the intrepid woman who braved treacherous waters on the first steamboat voyage to conquer the Mississippi River.

Your guide to exceptional           books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info and giveaways by email.

Free Weekly Newsletters

Discover what's happening in the world of books: reviews, previews, interviews, giveaways, and more plus when you subscribe, we'll send you a free issue of our member's only ezine..

Spam Free : Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight Saga: Book 1)

After seeing and enjoying the movie Twilight , I had to get the book.  If I was less of a glutton for punishment I probably would have heeded the warning signs. Every teenage girl I knew of swooning over the book and the Romeo of the story, Edward Cullen. I even had a 24 year old friend update her status with something along the lines of “After Edward Cullen I can never again want a human male.”

Also, I know I can be obsessive and with the exception of a small few, once I read the first book in a series, I have to read the whole series whether I really want to or not. I don’t like unfinished stories. Did I really want to subject myself to at least 4 (which was the length of the saga when I bought Twilight and I hadn’t researched whether or not it would get longer) teen love books? I didn’t do much thinking when I spotted the book for £4, knowing how much I enjoyed the movie; I willingly handed over my money in order to be Bella and Edwards’s voyeur.

The book begins with Isabella “Bella” Swann moving from sunny Phoenix, Arizona to live with her dad, the local police Chief, Charlie Swann, in wet and dismal Forks, Washington. Almost immediately, it is obvious that Bella wishes she still had an option to live in Phoenix, which only increases when she meets Edward Cullen in class. Edward looks at and treats Bella as if she is something dark and sticky on the underside of his shoe, with a hostility Bella has never felt before.

“The class seemed to drag on longer than the others. Was it because the day was finally coming to a close, or because I was waiting for his tight fist to loosen? It never did; he continued to sit so still it looked like he wasn't breathing. What was wrong with him? Was this his normal behavior? I questioned my judgment on Jessica's bitterness at lunch today. Maybe she was not as resentful as I'd thought. It couldn't have anything to do with me. He didn't know me from Eve. I peeked up at him one more time, and regretted it. He was glaring down at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. As I flinched away from him, shrinking against my chair, the phrase if looks could kill suddenly ran through my mind.” An extract from Twilight

Edward continues to treat Bella this way until she is almost killed by a car in the school car park. One of her fellow students comes careening towards Bella after losing control of his car and is almost about to sandwich Bella between it and Bella’s 1950’s truck. In steps Edward Cullen from the other side of the school car park to stop the car from almost certainly killing the girl he has so openly disliked.

So begins Bella and Edwards forbidden romance, with revelations aplenty coming out about Edward until Jacob Black, the son of Chief Swann’s best friend, tells Bella about the ancient legends surrounding his tribe including those of “the cold ones.” Bella finds out about the true nature of the Cullen’s being vampires. A romance book which ends with a fantastic, high-octane finale, I’m sure most readers will find something they like about Stephenie Meyer’s first novel.

One of the influences that Meyer lists for her writing is Romeo and Juliet . This is clearly evident throughout the book as hardly anyone believes they should be together, Bella’s friends obviously don’t agree with it, and Rosie Cullen seems to hate Bella with the hate she believed Edward once had for her.

The book is full of romance, but is padded with enough action and vampirism to keep most fantasy readers from putting the book down. A kind of Harry Potter meets Shakespeare , the book is a fine read with plenty of talking points that I’d better leave out of the review for fear of ruining the twists and turns for would-be readers of the book.

Overall, I believe Twilight deserves a 7.5/10. A Shakespearean love story with monsters and myth.

• Buy on Amazon

Review by Stephen Messham

10 positive reader review(s) for Twilight

Stephenie Meyer biography

Twilight Saga

• Twilight (Twilight Saga: Book 1)
• New Moon (Twilight Saga: Book 2)
• Eclipse (Twilight Saga: Book 3)
• Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga: Book 4)

Clementine from Australia

The book Twilight is about a seventeen year old girl named Bella who moves to a small rainy town called Forks, to live with her dad. Bella’s life is pretty ordinary, gloomy, but still ordinary, until she meets a strange boy named Edward. Later in the book she creates a theory that Edward is a vampire, which turns out to be true. Soon she finds out that there’s a dangerous side of her discovery. I particularly like the plot line in the story, because the author, Stephenie Meyer uses several writing techniques to build up suspense and tension along the plot line, I also find the plot line unpredictable. The only fault I find with Twilight is that at the beginning and several parts during the book may be slightly disengaging for readers as there is no action for some time and many people would stop reading. Twilight is categoriesed as a romance fantasy book. Which is rated for 13+ by parents and 11+ by children and teens. I would rate the first book of Twilight for 11+ however, it also depends on how mature the reader is. I give the book 9 stars because the plot is very intriguing, even though it has faults.

Rachel from United states

The book Twilight was about Bella moving away from Phoenix to go live with her dad for a while because her mom wanted to travel with phil. As soon as she got to forks Washington she got a truck from her dad who got it from Billy Black. She got to meet Jacob Black and was a werewolf. When she got to school she made some friends and met the Cullen Family. She fell in love with Edward the first time she saw him. Over time she got closer and closer to Edward's big secret of being a vampire. The time when she found out she was not afraid of him she was afraid of losing him. I would love to have a love connection like they do but I think Bella made a big mistake for falling in love with Edward. I am a Jacob fan myself and I always wanted to see what they would do about the whole Vampire war problem. I absolutly loved this book but if she fell in love with Jacob it would be even better.

Anindita from India

This book is the best... I love it

Kaya from Morocco

I completely love the book how's it's full of love and romance something that we don't see these days some people saying that bella is an independent figure i completely disagree with them bella was depending on Edward because what she been through wasn't human it was supernatural what are you expecting to throw her life to a complete end that's such a rubbish i love the sweetness of the story it's kinda better sweet it might get slightly boring in the middle but it gets better and in my opinion i think that the book is better than the movie i think that Emma Stewart isn't good for bella's swan character while Robert Pattinson was perfect for the role in few words twilight is a delightful book can't wait to read the rest

Kelli from United States

THE BEST BOOK EVER

Lauren from United States

Reasons to read this book: 1) you are newcomer to vampires or 2) are between the ages of 12-17. Twilight is to vampire lore as fairytales are to Grimm's tales. Far from the real, abet mythological, truth. This is a land not far away from our reality, where vampire's roam about not dying in the sun, but sparkle like a diamond. They live among us hiding in plain sight, avoiding bright spots? The main protagonists of the books are smitten in awkward teenage love. One confused about the other's strange behavior. The other worried about prohibited interspecies co-mingling and associated other issues. This book devolves into an emotionally abusive rollercoaster. Unless you really like drama, the following books are better for newcomers to vampire lore: Robin McKinley's Sunshine, PC Cast's Marked, or Darren Shaw's Cirque de Freak. Overall, when I was a teenager, I read this and never thought about it again. I'll give it a 6 for some creativity about the lore, but only a 6 because of the plot line.

Blah balh from Heaven

This is a really good book u should read it I m waiting for another series.

Hayley from New Jersey

I love this book

Sarah from USA

I love this book.

Taniya from India

Stephenie Meyer, India wants to read beyond Breaking Dawn part 2... we are crazy about the story... it's the single story which we think should never stop... plzzzzzzzz, we the readers want more series of Twilight... just break all the barriers of Twilight and go on writing about the mesmerizing love story of Bella and Edward... waitng for another series of Twilight...

Holly from England

SERIOUSLY GOOD BOOK, it's got so much detail and is very romantic, but I love the way at every moment there relationship was hanging on an edge. I was always turning the page expecting to find out if their fragile relationship would survive but I never got an answer, all the haters have just got to stop being so rude, and I know everyone's entitled to there own opinion but at least try to say it nicely. People keep saying it gives young girls the wrong message, but as I young girl myself it honestly doesn't and I know that having a boyfriend isn't the most important thing, and so many adults think us young girls believe that the way Bella stays with Edward even though he could hurt her and is dangerous makes us believe that abuse is alright but it's nothing like that and we are not that stupid to think that it is ok. Plus Edward hardly abuses Bella and when he does hurt her he doesn't mean to and when he stops her going places it's only because he is so worried about losing her. Anyway,I loved the book and how it made me feel excited and anxious. So I recommend it to years 12 plus.

Kirti from India

I just love it .

Andy from Reading

The books are reasonably well written given that they are for teenagers, New Moon was extremely whiny though. These are overall enjoyable books and I would recommend them to any teenager. I particularly enjoyed Breaking Dawn after Bella was turned as there is more humour and fun involved.

Britt from Georgia

THE best book.

9.2 /10 from 15 reviews

All Stephenie Meyer Reviews

Top 100 Fantasy Books Of All Time

Looking for great fantasy books? Take a look at the 100 pages we rate highest

Fantasy Series We Recommend

There's nothing better than finding a fantasy series you can lose yourself in

Fantasy Books Of The Year

Our fantasy books of the year, from 2006 to 2021