Review by Diane Matson

TWILIGHT - 2005 by Stephenie Meyer Barclay Books, LLC ISBN 1-931402-30-2

What do you do when the one you love, the person you can't stop thinking about, fights the urge to consume the most delectable blood he's ever smelled? Every second, heart fights thirst. Isabella considers him a god, while Edward understands he's a monster.

Rather than running away, Isabella wants to get to know Edward, and his kind, better. The odds are horrific - Isabella's gifted in attracting disaster. She's sharp, mature, strong willed, and, as the world’s biggest klutz, tends to stumble, fall, break bones... bleed.

Because the story is told in first-person, from Isabella's point of view, we know only as much as she does. Around Edward, her heart pounds harder. When he looks at her, she completely loses her train of thought. She spends every moment trying to figure him out and learn more about all he must hide from the human world.

And she always understands the odds - that the one she's unaccountably attracted to, will be ripped out of her life at any minute. Why should he care about her? She's hardly the epitome of the female gender.

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

She's also an Evil Magnet. As her curiosity draws her into the world of vampires, entwining her and Edward together, she attracts the attention of the monsters she’s so fascinated by. They look much like us, but with all their physical and mental abilities off-the-charts, if they want Isabella to die, what can Edward do?

Of course, being a vampire novel, there's blood, and where the red stuff spills, there’s bound to be pain. While there’s plenty of physical danger, pain, and suffering, a lot of the anguish is internal, and much harder to fix. Their relationship creates torment - for each other, those they care about, and... their enemies.

Stephenie Meyers first published novel became a best seller. Not bad. Now it's a movie. (Read the book first.)

Reading Twilight was like a taking a glorious (and thoroughly addictive) drug. I found myself rooting for their love and was desperate for them to triumph over the forces that worked to separate them. I raced through the pages to learn the vampire secrets and the surprising way Isabella gets out of each impossible situation.

I read this is a "popular teenage book." Like with the "Harry Potter" books, I couldn't tell it wasn't written for adults. Sure, the story is told from a 17 year old's POV, but Isabella is smart, funny, and more mature than either of her parents.

The adults I've talked to agree.

I've read thousands of good books. I only have time to read page-turners. My list is too long. When I finished whipping through TWILIGHT (aside from pausing to reread the most fantastic and wonderful scenes), FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I WANTED TO IMMEDIATELY REREAD THE BOOK! (Confession: I did reread my favorite bits.)

Five Bookwyrms.

This review copyright 2008 E.C.McMullen Jr.

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