Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
By Stephenie Meyer



Product Description
"Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands. ''Be very still,'' he whispered, as if I wasn''t already frozen. Slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, he leaned toward me. Then abruptly, but very gently, he rested his cold cheek against the hollow at the base of my throat." As Shakespeare knew, love burns high when thwarted by obstacles. In Twilight, an exquisite fantasy by Stephenie Meyer, readers discover a pair of lovers who are supremely star-crossed. Bella adores beautiful Edward, and he returns her love. But Edward is having a hard time controlling the blood lust she arouses in him, because--he''s a vampire. At any moment, the intensity of their passion could drive him to kill her, and he agonizes over the danger. But, Bella would rather be dead than part from Edward, so she risks her life to stay near him, and the novel burns with the erotic tension of their dangerous and necessarily chaste relationship.Meyer has achieved quite a feat by making this scenario completely human and believable. She begins with a familiar YA premise (the new kid in school), and lulls us into thinking this will be just another realistic young adult novel. Bella has come to the small town of Forks on the gloomy Olympic Peninsula to be with her father. At school, she wonders about a group of five remarkably beautiful teens, who sit together in the cafeteria but never eat. As she grows to know, and then love, Edward, she learns their secret. They are all rescued vampires, part of a family headed by saintly Carlisle, who has inspired them to renounce human prey. For Edward''s sake they welcome Bella, but when a roving group of tracker vampires fixates on her, the family is drawn into a desperate pursuit to protect the fragile human in their midst.The precision and delicacy of Meyer''s writing lifts this wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre to a place among the best of YA fiction.(Ages 12 and up)


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Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #10 in Books
Published on: 2006-09-06
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
544 pages

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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
"Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands. 'Be very still,' he whispered, as if I wasn't already frozen. Slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, he leaned toward me. Then abruptly, but very gently, he rested his cold cheek against the hollow at the base of my throat."

As Shakespeare knew, love burns high when thwarted by obstacles. In Twilight, an exquisite fantasy by Stephenie Meyer, readers discover a pair of lovers who are supremely star-crossed. Bella adores beautiful Edward, and he returns her love. But Edward is having a hard time controlling the blood lust she arouses in him, because--he's a vampire. At any moment, the intensity of their passion could drive him to kill her, and he agonizes over the danger. But, Bella would rather be dead than part from Edward, so she risks her life to stay near him, and the novel burns with the erotic tension of their dangerous and necessarily chaste relationship.

Meyer has achieved quite a feat by making this scenario completely human and believable. She begins with a familiar YA premise (the new kid in school), and lulls us into thinking this will be just another realistic young adult novel. Bella has come to the small town of Forks on the gloomy Olympic Peninsula to be with her father. At school, she wonders about a group of five remarkably beautiful teens, who sit together in the cafeteria but never eat. As she grows to know, and then love, Edward, she learns their secret. They are all rescued vampires, part of a family headed by saintly Carlisle, who has inspired them to renounce human prey. For Edward's sake they welcome Bella, but when a roving group of tracker vampires fixates on her, the family is drawn into a desperate pursuit to protect the fragile human in their midst. The precision and delicacy of Meyer's writing lifts this wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre to a place among the best of YA fiction. (Ages 12 and up) --Patty Campbell


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10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Stephenie Meyer

Q: Were you a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Angel? What are you watching now that those shows are off the air?
A: I have never seen an entire episode of Buffy or Angel. While I was writing Twilight, I let my older sister read along chapter by chapter. She's a huge Buffy fan and she kept trying to get me to watch, but I was afraid it would mess up my vision of the vampire world so I never did.
I don't have a ton of time for TV, and my kids get rowdy when I have on "mommy shows," but I do have a secret fondness for reality shows (the good ones, at least in my opinion). I always TiVo Survivor, The Amazing Race, and America's Next Top Model.

Q: What inspired you to write Twilight? Is this the beginning of a series? Why write for teens?
A: Twilight was inspired by a very vivid dream, which is fairly faithfully transcribed as chapter thirteen of the book. There are sequels on the way--I'm hard at work editing book two (tentatively titled New Moon) right now, and book three is waiting in line for its turn.
I didn't mean to write for teens--I didn't mean to write for anyone but myself, so I had an audience of one twenty-nine year old (and later one thirty-one year old when my sister started reading). I think the reason that I ended up with a book for teens is because high school is such a compelling time period--it gives you some of your worst scars and some of your most exhilarating memories. It's a fascinating place: old enough to feel truly adult, old enough to make decisions that affect the rest of your life, old enough to fall in love, yet, at the same time too young (in most cases) to be free to make a lot of those decisions without someone else's approval. There's a lot of scope for a novel in that.

Q: What is your favorite vampire story? Fave vampire movie?
A: I guess my favorite vampire story would be The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice, simply because it's one of the only ones I've ever read. I keep meaning to pick up Bram Stoker's Dracula, because I get asked this question so often and I should probably start with the classics, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Again, I'm afraid to read other vampire books now, for fear of finding things either too similar, or too different from my own vampire world.

Ack! I can't even answer the movie question. I can't remember ever seeing a single vampire movie, outside of clips from Bela Lugosi movies on TV. I don't like true horror movies--my favorite scary movies are all Hitchcock's.

Q: What other young adult authors do you read?
A: My favorite young adult author is L.M. Montgomery I also enjoy J.K. Rowling (but who doesn't?), and Ann Brashares. As a teen, I skipped straight to adult books (lots of sci-fi and Jane Austen), so I'm rediscovering the world of teen literature now.




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Stephenie Meyer's List of Books You Should Read

Anne of Green Gables
Romeo and Juliet

Dragonflight
To Kill a Mockingbird

The Princess Bride




See more recommendations from Stephenie Meyer



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Amazon.com's Significant Seven
Stephenie Meyer graciously agreed to answer the questions we like to ask every author: the Amazon.com Significant Seven.


Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: The book with the most significant impact on my life is The Book of Mormon. The book with the most significant impact on my life as a writer is probably Speaker for the Dead, by Orson Scott Card, with Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier coming in as a close second.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: The CD is easy: Absolution by Muse, hands down. It's harder to give myself just one movie, but the one I watch most frequently is Sense and Sensibility--the one with the screenplay by Emma Thompson. One book is impossible. I'd have to have Pride and Prejudice, but I couldn't live without something by Orson Scott Card and a nice, thick Maeve Binchy, too.

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: My lies are all very, very boring: "No, you really look great in hot pink!" "My children only watch one hour of TV a day." "I didn't eat the last Swiss Cake Roll--it must have been one of the kids." That's the best I've got.

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: It's late at night and the house is silent, but I'm still (miraculously) full of energy. I have my headphones in and I'm listened to a mix of Muse, Coldplay, Travis, My Chemical Romance, and The All-American Rejects. Beside me is a fabulous, and yet mysteriously low in calorie, cheesecake....

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: I'd like it to say that I really tried at the important things. I was never perfect at any of them, but I honestly tried to be a great mom, a loving wife, a good daughter, and a true friend. Under that, I'd want a list of my favorite Simpsons quotes.

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: I'd love to have a chance to talk to Orson Scott Card--I have a million questions for him. Mostly things like, "How do you come up with this stuff?!" But, if he wasn't available, I'd settle for Matthew Bellamy (lead singer of Muse).

Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: I'd want something offensive, rather than defensive. Like shooting fireballs from my hands. That way, you're really open to going either way--hero or villain. I like to have choices.



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From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 9 Up–Headstrong, sun-loving, 17-year-old Bella declines her mom's invitation to move to Florida, and instead reluctantly opts to move to her dad's cabin in the dreary, rainy town of Forks, WA. She becomes intrigued with Edward Cullen, a distant, stylish, and disarmingly handsome senior, who is also a vampire. When he reveals that his specific clan hunts wildlife instead of humans, Bella deduces that she is safe from his blood-sucking instincts and therefore free to fall hopelessly in love with him. The feeling is mutual, and the resulting volatile romance smolders as they attempt to hide Edward's identity from her family and the rest of the school. Meyer adds an eerie new twist to the mismatched, star-crossed lovers theme: predator falls for prey, human falls for vampire. This tension strips away any pretense readers may have about the everyday teen romance novel, and kissing, touching, and talking take on an entirely new meaning when one small mistake could be life-threatening. Bella and Edward's struggle to make their relationship work becomes a struggle for survival, especially when vampires from an outside clan infiltrate the Cullen territory and head straight for her. As a result, the novel's danger-factor skyrockets as the excitement of secret love and hushed affection morphs into a terrifying race to stay alive. Realistic, subtle, succinct, and easy to follow, Twilight will have readers dying to sink their teeth into it.–Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
Stephanie Meyer's teen-vampire romance offers an appealing heroine in Bella, transplanted from sunny Phoenix to the wet, dreary town of Forks, Washington, and the seductive, secretive object of her obsession, Edward, who may or may not be a vampire. Predictability doesn't keep this spine-tingling tale from being fun, but alas, Ilyana Kadushin's reading, does. Her speaking voice is thin and underdeveloped, and any sense of nuance is nonexistent. Kadushin doesn't try to give the characters personalities, so distinguishing between speakers is difficult. This is one of those rare times in audiobook listening when the writing exceeds the reader's capabilities. Still, the story is engrossing and the characters well drawn, ensuring that older teens will find much to enjoy. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


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Customer Reviews
Bad message for young girls; dull story.
I gave this 2 stars, because I did start out liking it... That quickly changed, however, once Bella was revealed to grimace, glare, sigh, rudely (at her supposed 'friends'!), etc... There will be spoilers, so, for those who don't want some of it ruined, skip my review!

She and Edward glare at each other, and make not-so-nice comments to each other, one day, then they're pretty much obsessed with each other, overnight... Edward is controlling, and, apparently, that's an endearing, sexy quality, in an old vamp! Let's see, she finds him 'beautiful,' and mentions his topaz eyes, and his crooked smile, several times, per chapter. (It grates.) Edward is boring, and a very one-dimensional character, so, her fascination with him, seems to only be skin-deep: he's hot, so she'll put up with whatever he wants her to do. (But, then, she's boring, too.) She feels anxious when he's not around? Well, DO something, besides dwell!

Why does Edward like Bella, out of ALL the other girls he's ever seen, in his long life? (And, it's pretty gross that he's almost 100, and she's 17... Ewww.) Why does *she* stand out, and why does every other guy like her, as well, when she's supposed to be plain, have no interests, no real personality (that's likeable, that is), and treats her 'friends' like dirt? Beats me! I guess it's because the author tell us it is so, and we're supposed to buy it; hook, line, sinker... Their all-too-quick 'love,' is way too unbelievable, and nothing was done to show us *why* they fell in love; they simply did... I must've blinked, and missed something.

From what I read, she spirals out of control, as the series progresses; using another boy, who does care for her, and might make a better match, running away, becoming extremely depressed, and, all this because her boyfriend dumps her, for her own good. *sigh* Not the message I'd want my daughters to get... Maybe Bella needs to do something, worthwhile, instead of living for her boyfriend... When she found out he was a vamp, she didn't even flinch; he may as well have confirmed that he was a vacuum cleaner salesman. I saw no REAL reaction from her, whatsoever, regarding her great discovery.

I've read lots of vampire books, and seen pretty much all vampire films, and, thought I may enjoy this one... It had potential, but, that potential wasn't realized, and turned out sloppy. (And, the first-person narrative, was really annoying. 'I' this, and 'I' that.) This being geared towards younger readers, disturbs me, because I see that there is quite a fan-following... Girls love to imagine they *are* Bella, and that the plain girl can get the beautiful, perfect guy, which, is pretty unrealistic... When it doesn't happen, what will these girls think? Will they get all depressed, like Bella? Responsible writing, appropriate use of commas, more character development (they were all one-dimensional, and had no personalities, whatsoever), and MUCH less chitter about mundane things, such as what she made her dad for dinner. (Who cares? Say it once; we don't need to know what she makes, every night, nor do we need every detail about her days at school.) All-in-all, I expect (some) teens to like it, and am surprised when adults do... I think I'll like the movie, better, since they tend to take the nonsense out, and stick to the good stuff. Hopefully, they'll change some things, and it will be better.

Could have been better
I do not like Stephenie Meyer's writing. She elaborates on far too many unimportant details and strings you along the whole book waiting for something good to happen. I love romance novels and movies. I HATE the fact that she made EDWARD SO COLD!!! I understand he is a vampire but when I think passion, love, and excitement I think HEAT! I never ever got the true feeling of their love for one another as everytime they kiss or get close it is passionless, and icy cold!! No spark! No heat! I don't care if he is a vampire, sometimes something cold can also be hot. The idea is not put across well as everytime they embrace, I don't feel the love or the spark. The book was ok for me, the movie looks much better. The next book is horrible torture (read the reviews). I am unsure about the series. If it wasn't for the fact I had it on my ipod and didn't have to physicall sit and read it, I'd say skip it.

This book is an aditction!
When my sister first recommended this series I prograstinated. We have a lot of differant tastes. Yet she was right on this one! Meyer's true gift is to bring her characters to live and have them connect with so many different people. I have reread the series multiple times and will continue to do so. I love these books! It is an easy read, but a consuming one. Once I start the book I become too engrossed to stop. This book is amazing dispite the at times choppy writing and wordy pages. If you have yet to read Stephanie Meyer I would recommend that you pick up Twilight.