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| Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) | 
 enlarge | Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Category: Book
List Price: $10.99
Buy New: $4.43
You Save: $6.56 (60%)
New (68) Used (87) Collectible (2) from $4.43
Avg. Customer Rating:  2787 reviews
Sales Rank: 6
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 544
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.6
ISBN: 0316015849
EAN: 9780316015844
ASIN: 0316015849
Publication Date: September 6, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Special Purchase Limited Time Brand New (we do not ship to ak, hi, ks, ky, ny, wa, nd)
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| Customer Reviews:
 Intoxicating and addictive September 24, 2006
67 out of 92 found this review helpful
"Real" Rating: 5+
For any potential readers concerned that this might be a retread of twelve combined seasons of Buffy and Angel, set your fears aside. It's not. That said, now go and buy the book.
Buffy and Angel were never set in "our" world - the real world. It was the "Buffy" universe, and/or the "Angel" universe. At first glance, it seems inconceivable that Bella not realize what Edward is. Most of the requisite indicators are evident. You find yourself reading and wondering how Bella could possibly guess "Peter Parker" instead of "vampire", but then it sinks in. Bella can't conceive of such a thing because this book is firmly, irrevocably set in our world, and that, indeed, is the magic of this story.
It is a remarkable accomplishment, often attempted, but rarely achieved, and far more rarely executed with such (apparent) ease.
I did not expect to like this book, and started to read it only as a courtesy to the person who gave it to me for my birthday. But twenty pages in, I was hooked. If we want to follow that metaphor to its inevitable conclusion, I was so hooked that by the time I finished it I was in the fisherman's pail, flopping around as if gasping for air. Instead, I was begging for a sequel. Thankfully, I already knew that the sequel was out.
To quote a character from the book, "W - o - w". I haven't sped through something like this since I picked up the first Harry Potter book.
Ms. Meyer handled the developing relationship between Edward and Bella with the mark of a seasoned professional, not a first-time novelist. We need to remember that this is coming-of-age book, or a romance - more a combination of "Catcher in the Rye" and "Pride and Prejudice" than a vampire story. It certainly has far more in common with those two books than "The Vampire Lestat". (And, of course, Buffy and Angel.)
It is very difficult to write a coming-of-age story. Why? It's been done a million times, and finding new material to mine becomes more difficult every month. It's also difficult to write a vampire story. Why? Same reason. Yet those reasons didn't give Ms. Meyers, it seems, any pause. It would have given me considerable pause. Kudos to her bravery.
Edward Cullen, the vampire, is perfect - and we are reminded of exactly how perfect nearly too often. While reading the book, I found myself frustrated with the never-ending descriptions of his perfect body, perfect hair, model-like looks (maybe I was jealous?) but then I realized that the book wasn't being written in the third person. It's a first-person narrative, so we're getting the story as *Bella* tells it, and how Bella sees it. His burning black eyes, or warm topaz/butterscotch eyes, are magnets to her, as are every single movement he makes. It's not difficult to step back into high school and remember your first love (or crush) and recall similar feelings. Their eyes never ceased to captivate you; their smile melted you; when they kissed you, you felt faint. And you felt these things every single time you saw that person.
One of the more interesting aspects of the book is that we never get a sense for how unique and beautiful Bella is until we start to see her through Edward's eyes. This being a first-person narrative, it takes a while for the reader to understand how Bella - so awkward that she can trip while walking on a flat surface - could have fascinated such a magnificent...creature. I even questioned it myself while making my way through the book. But again, Ms. Meyer's deft hand brings the realization of how special Bella is very slowly and deliberately - much the way in which we didn't find out why Bella moved to Forks until page 50 or so, and why we never knew exactly why Edward had such a powerful, apparently repulsed reaction to Bella when they first came close to each other.
That's just one thing that makes a writer truly exceptional - the ability to hold back, and tell the story as the story needs to be told. Or to put it another way, to know exactly how the story needs to be told. That might just be the most difficult task a writer has. There are a million ways to tell the story in the writer's head, but to find the right way is often elusive.
This was such a remarkable and refreshing story. Even when Buffy and Angel similarities started to pop up, they quickly fell away as Ms. Meyer staked an irrevocable claim to this story as absolutely her own. Nothing borrowed, nothing...
The representation of the vampires, their unique talents, and the unique way in which they blend into society is marvelous, and provides a firm backbone to the story. While this is a story that is decidedly told in our world, and while I have said that this is more of a coming-of-age story than a vampire story, there are still vampires in it, and the vampires - the fantastical elements of the story - need to be believable. If not, the entire story, no matter how well told, falls apart, and the reader is left wondering why the vampires are even in the story. Her vampires, and their lore, are distinctly drawn.
I wanted to title this review, "My brand of heroin", from a line in the book, but thought twice seeing as it's a young adult book and I didn't want parents or anyone else thinking that I was advocating heroin use, or claiming to be a heroin addict, etc. But this book is absolutely intoxicating and perhaps addictive. Thankfully, the worst side effect of the intoxication is you might suffer a lack of sleep on *one* night (if you have the time, it shouldn't take much longer), and the addiction - to a book - is harmless. Unless, of course, that book actually contained heroin, and then we'd be talking a bit differently about this one.
 Wow. And I don't mean that in the good way July 13, 2008
67 out of 76 found this review helpful
When I dislike a book, I often don't dwell on it, because what's the point, right? But my reaction to this book went BEYOND dislike, and I felt I had to vent about it a little bit to get it out of my system.
This book was horrible. Absolutely horrible. I bought it because it was featured in a magazine I read, and I'd heard good things about it, so I decided to give it a try...as a die-hard fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and fantasy literature in general, I thought it was right up my alley. I was wrong.
First of all, I was *disgusted* by the main characters. I actually think one can dislike a character and still like the book/writing, but in this case, the main characters were pathetic and boring. The female lead (Bella Swan. Really. Bella Swan. Why not just call her Pretty McPerfect and have done with it?) is completely vapid. She has no goals, no dreams, no ambition, no personality aside from being miserable and obsessed with her boyfriend. Now, ok, it's romance. Fine. But romance can be accomplished...and often in a better way...if the participants have strong, defining character traits. It heightens the tension and makes the results much more satisfying. Bella had no defining character traits. I don't even remember what she was supposed to look like. She was selfish and misanthropic for absolutely no reason, and she acted like a spoiled martyr for far too many pages. It's really quite depressing that this book is being touted for teenage girls, because the main character is a HORRIBLE role model in every sense of the word. Why not portray her as having goals? Dreams? Ambitions? It would serve to heighten the conflict and make the book better in the long run.
But anyway. The love interest, superhot vampire Edward, is downright scary. And not in like...the good way. He stalks her. He makes decisions for her. He doesn't listen to her views or opinions (not that she has any, really). He encourages her to lie. He puts her in danger...no matter how many times he whines about the emotional toll it puts on him, he still doesn't stop putting her in danger. He is cruel and arrogant. AND SHE ACCEPTS THIS! He keeps telling her how she needs him to look after her, how she would die or something if it wasn't for him. AND SHE IS NOT OFFENDED/ANNOYED BY THIS. Seriously! Even the most ambivalent feminist should find this insulting and derogatory!
There's absolutely no chemistry between the leads. She loves him because he is beautiful. He loves her because he wants to eat her and she smells good. Really. He tells her she is like his heroin. How is that in anyway healthy? She is willing to die for someone she barely knows, someone who plays mind games with her, who dominates her completely. She admits to being completely obsessed with him. And there are no consequences for this! She has no doubts about her emotions toward him!
Ugh. I could go on, but I won't. I just want to say that this is probably the worst book I have ever read, and I'm not too far removed from the teen audience this book is geared to. I see no redeeming features at ALL, except perhaps the character Jacob, who seems like the only person in this entire book that has any interesting and healthy character traits. But now that I've gotten this out of my system, I do feel better.
In short...please don't read this book. Please.
Possibley the only teenage girl who doesn't love this book June 16, 2007
57 out of 67 found this review helpful
This book was reduntant and shallow. Meyer kept repeating words (how to describe Edward or facail expresions) and I never got attatched to any of the characters. When you read a book, you usually fall in love with the heroine, but in this book, I just thought that Bella was annoying and shallow. There was pretty much NO reason for her to fall in love. Oh wait... he was "perfect" apparently. Perfect eyes, perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect perfect perfect, blah blah blah!
It almost seemed like the author was trying to make the main characters seem mature and adult, while every other person at the school is just a shallow teenager. But then when Bella and Edward were together, it was all fluff and "I love you" "I love you too" and page after page about how they would do anything for each other. Alright, we get it. Move on.
And Bella was told more than once that living forever isn't all it's cracked up to be, yet she didn't listen. She wouldn't even think about it. Apparently she had never read (or watched) "Tuck Everlasting".
And what was with the vampires??? I respected the whole Glitter thing at first, but after thinking about it, it was just annoying. And what about the powers that they had? Edward could read minds, Sally (or whatever the hell her name was) could see the future. Vampires are not super heroes. They're the living dead!!! Changing things by using your imagination is great to some extent. But c'mon.
I love fantasy books, but this is the worst thing I have every read. A good story idea... wasted.
The only person I ever liked was Jacob.
You might gag! July 16, 2007
52 out of 67 found this review helpful
This poorly-written piece of juvenile fiction is tailored to 12 and 13-year-old girls. It's all about "his gleaming eyes," "his crooked smile," and on and on. Don't expect any logic, either. The main character is a girl who has moved from her old school,where she never had a boyfriend, to a new school, where the guys can't leave her alone. And the logic goes downhill from there. But hey, since when did pre-adolescents need their fiction to make sense? If you're an adult, don't waste your time or money on this.
Worst. Book. Ever. April 26, 2008
51 out of 56 found this review helpful
There are times when I feel like I'm at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, shamefully staring down at my feet as I stand and admit truthfully, "Hi, I'm Riley, and I hated Twilight." There are times that I fear for my life as I am forced to admit this fact to another raving fangirl and fellow classmate as they turn from their desk to ask, "Don't you just love Edward Cullen?" I cringe as a look of horrified disgust crosses their face as I state blatantly, "No, actually, I don't." For a fleeting moment, I almost feel as if I should grab my bag and run from the classroom as fast as possible or risk potential martyrdom. I can picture an endless sea of Twilight fans dragging me kicking and screaming to sacrifice me before a shrine they have built in Edward's likeness out of devotion to Stephenie Meyer, the book's author. Let's face it, openly admitting my strong dislike for the novel is practically asking for a death sentence. However, as my journalism grade depends on it, it's a risk I'm willing to take.
The 489-page novel centers on Isabella "Bella" Swan, a seventeen-year-old girl who has recently moved to the rural Forks, Washington with her father, Charlie. At Forks High School, where Bella is usually prized for being the "new girl", she meets the dark and mysterious Edward Cullen, who seems to despise Bella for little to no reason at all. As time passes, the two gradually become attracted to one another, despite Edward's reluctance, and it is later revealed that he is, you guessed it, a vampire. Edward has been trying to avoid Bella because the scent of her blood is strangely and powerfully alluring, and fears he will endanger her. However, like any high school relationship, their love is seemingly too strong to be quenched. The novel continues in a similar vein, filled to bursting with cheesy romance and likewise dramatic plot turns.
Granted, Stephenie Meyer's beloved first book is great for a quick, simple read. The plot is entertaining and easy to become absorbed in, and it rapidly kills time that is begging to be wasted. But the novel is simply that--a time waster, something that should be read once, then never picked up again. Meyer's writing style, while eloquent at times, is somewhat reminiscent of a cheap, drugstore romance novel written by an inexperienced, romance-starved teenage girl. The character of Edward is widely hailed as "gorgeous" and "beautiful" by the fanbase, but this is not, in fact, due to the imagination of the reader. Edward's attractiveness is accepted because Meyer tells us so--about 9,870 times throughout the course of the book (a slight exaggeration, maybe, but a small one at that). It seems to me that an author of such alleged caliber should harbor the ability to fuel readers' imaginations and make us believe that Edward is as gorgeous and perfect as Bella claims without constantly having to remind us up front.
To me, the characters seemed superficial, lacking any development whatsoever. Edward is a classic example of a stoic character, remaining exactly the same in word and deed throughout the book's entirety. Bella's character is unrealistic, and quite frankly, idiotic at times. Every single conversation in the book can be summed up like this:
Edward: Bella, I love you!
Bella: [blushes] Despite the fact that you're creepy and watch me while I sleep, which normally would upset any girl who possesses a functioning brain, I love you too!
Edward: [said broodingly, with an air of mystery] ...However, our love can never be! I'm far too dangerous!
PLENTY OF FILLER LATER
Edward: Bella, I love you even though all logic and reasoning tells me to act otherwise!
Bella: [says something witty] You are so gorgeous! Let cruel fate never tear us apart!
Edward: Well, it's been real and all, but you should probably blow this popsicle stand. I'm dangerous!
The fact that Twilight has inspired many teenage girls and boys alike to begin reading and enjoy doing so is respectable, but beyond that, I don't see the appeal. One can only hope that after devouring Meyer's novels, readers will feel inclined to pick up other books, idealistically ones that were written with the intention to leave the reader with more than they started out with, a feat that Twilight simply could not accomplish.
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