As all of you loyal blog readers already know (yes, I’m addressing the two of you out there), I decided to read Twilight in a effort to get me out of my book slump. It’s been almost ten years since I read Twilight. TEN YEARS. That’s a lot of growing up I’ve done, and a lot more reading I’ve got under my belt. Needless to say, the experience wasn’t quite the same. Keep reading to see my thoughts during my Twilight re-read.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer on September 6, 2006
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 498
Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
Format: Hardback
Goodreads
About three things I was absolutely positive.
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him—and I didn't know how dominant that part might be—that thirsted for my blood.
And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
In the first book of the Twilight Saga, internationally bestselling author Stephenie Meyer introduces Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, a pair of star-crossed lovers whose forbidden relationship ripens against the backdrop of small-town suspicion and a mysterious coven of vampires. This is a love story with bite.
So here were my Twilight thoughts in more or less chronological order (aka what I thought as I made my way through the book):
1. I don’t like the way this narrator says Bella. (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I listened to the audiobook).
2. Wow! So many of these lines are so familiar!! Bring on the dopamine release in my happy brain!
3. WHOA THERE EDWARD BUDDY, creepy much?
4. Bella’s dad is so useless. Why the heck is he making his child cook for him?!
5. Holy crap how did I tolerate this before? LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I PRESENT TO YOU THE BIRTH OF INSTA-LOVE.
6. Can someone please explain to me why Bella carries a bag of toiletries from her bedroom to her bathroom IN THE HOUSE THAT SHE LIVES IN? Girl, keep that sh*t under the sink.
7. Okay, Edward is definitely stalker-ish.
8. Wait why are we devoting our lives to each other after mere weeks (months? eff, I don’t know the timeline, it just feels too fast).
9. Wait so Bella basically just met Edward’s family and now she’s like ALICE WE’RE SISTERS and ESME I’M GOING TO CRY BECAUSE YOU’RE LIKE THE BEST MOM EVER.
10. Back to why Charlie Swan will not be winning the Father of the Year award: he lets his emotionally distraught daughter LEAVE TO RETURN TO PHOENIX. dafuq? You’re a cop AND a father – PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN AND SAY NO.
11. This girl ain’t healthy.
11. Dawwww, he’s taking her to prom. *swoons* *smiles* *melts* *hums Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron and Wine*
12. I need to watch this damn movie. Robert, I’m coming for you.
13. SKJDFAL;SKDFJ DANGIT. I need New Moon in my life right now.
So this book started off really bad. I was cringing and wondering why the hell I loved it so much. But by the end of it I was back on the Twilight Train. Dang you Stephanie Meyer!
PSA: Twilight gets a load of flack, because it’s easy and fun to hate on popular things. But no matter much I cringed during parts of this, I equally stopped and appreciated how much Twilight paved the road for soooo much of the YA fiction we read now. BRAVO Stephanie! You did a pretty cool thing!
Were you a “twihard” back in the day? Are you still? Team Edward or Jacob (…um, was there ever a competition? NO.)
A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.
Milana
Lmao! Ali this is so funny.
Ali
Thanks girl 😀 😀
Chelsea
This makes me want to re-read and watch the movies again!
Ali
I’m definitely going to be re-reading and re-watching them all now. I can’t resist!!
Amber @ The LIterary Phoenix
“As all of you loyal blog readers already know (yes, I’m addressing the two of you out there)”
Three! <3
You still have not convinced me to read this book. 😀 😀 😀 😀 #stubborn Still, I'm glad it made you happy – did it break your slump?
Amber @ The LIterary Phoenix just posted Not the Girls You’re Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi
Ali
bahahahah yes it did break my slump! To be honest, I’m not sure that I would recommend any of my blogger friends read it – we’re too picky, and A LOT of things that are in this book are disliked by the general blogging population! I think if I read it now for the first time, I would have loathed it!
Amber @ The LIterary Phoenix
Honestly, I should have read it in high school when my friends were, but I was stubborn then, too! I was reading Anne Rice at the time and I remember having a very heated discussion with my best friends about how vampires sparkling was the stupidest thing in the world and her just sort of throwing her hands in the air and telling me that wasn’t the point.
I do think you’re right about the doors it opened in YA, though. While Harry Potter was popular, I can’t think of a quarter as many books that sprouted up after it… not like Twilight or The Hunger Games. So good on Stephanie Meyer. 🙂
Amber @ The LIterary Phoenix just posted Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Kel
I loved reading your reread thoughts! There are some great reactions in there, lol. I read the first two books back in high school, but was never a Twilight fan. However, I found this parody comic of Twilight called “Crepusculon” in Spain; it has Smurfs and Buffy and Star Wars and Powerpuff Girls and it is still one of my favorite comics.
Kel just posted I’ll be back . . . in August
Ali
That sounds absolutely hilarious!! I’ll have to investigate that XD
momknu
I still have fond memories of the Twilight series. Vampires are just plain hot!
Plus reading this series helped me get through G-Ma’s illness and death.
4 stars!
Kim
I was definitely a “Twi-hard” back in the day and went to a bunch of unofficial conventions called Eternal Twilight. I was obsessed! It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything of the books but your post has got me feeling nostalgic for them. Oh and visiting Forms is still on my travel bucket list. 😉
Ali
yes! i want to visit Forks, too! it would be so strangely nostalgic – even though i’ve never been there!
Danielle
Don’t sleep on Charlie Swan!! He may not be the bestest dad, but he did the best he could with what he was given, as a human dad. He came from barely knowing his daughter, to loving and protecting her from (what he’d thought of at the time) was someone who broke her heart and left her. Yeah, he sucks at cooking, but you would too if you were a cop in a teeny town lol. I’m still Team Edward, all-day, every-day. I haven’t read the books in SOOLONG, even though theyre practically mantled in my room.
Danielle just posted #IHeartCharactersMeme: I Want to Adopt Toothless from ‘HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON’… If Hiccup Allows It!
Ali
Haha, I love how fiercely protective we are of our favorites! (: I adore his character, don’t worry – just question his methods a bit XD you should re-read them. it might surprise you!
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Ella
I am re-reading it ten years later, too.
I remember being in highschool then, it didn’t matter if their relationship began in between a those weird “you are repulsive” and “you are my life now”. My teenager self had been in love as such, unexpected, easy, and heck faster.
It is promising isn’t it? The idea of a first love and deep vows being made.
Now I wouldn’t dare to agree anyone could fall in love so quickly, hell no one would even dare to make such promises of eternal love after a couple of months.
I even stopped dating a guy I really liked because he said he loved me after a couple of dates… And he was so very handsome, but still it was OFF.
Still it makes me smile to remember those times when love seemed -or was- easier to grasp, so easily flammable… Ah those times.
I do like twilight, even after all these years, not because it is spectacularly written, because it is no, or because the characters are so properly developed, because they are not, but because of what it made, makes me feel.
Now it is harder to understand what Edward saw on Bella to fall in love with her. Her responses to? Her reactions? She was just a teenager, mostly dull, and as much as people criticize her lack of development, give her a break!! She is just a teenager, not Malala, as much as most of teens are just dumb. We were dumb, and underdeveloped… Not to say plain stupid. Maybe that’s what caught the attention of many girls, the relatable dullness of her character…
A simple teenager who wouldn’t know better than to send off a stalker boyfriend.
Because back then I didn’t know better, too.
Se yeah I can relate.
I am not what I was before, but I understand it now.
Eddie
Back in the day, I’d make fun of my wife for reading the Twilight series. I made fun of the whole team Edward vs team Jacob. Fast forward a few years, and I found myself with a lot of time on my hands, and the books. I read them all over the course of a couple of days. Then re-read them over and over again.
They are some of my favourite books now. I’ve recently moved, and had to get ride of all but a few books. Sadly the Twilight books weren’t mine. Being without any spare cash, I’ve only been able to find Twilight at my local second hand store, I’ve read it twice already. Even though I know what’s going to happen, the book still feels fresh in my hands, like it’s a first time read every time I pick it up. I have a hold at my local library for Midnight Sun. I can’t wait to read that.
As a 43 year old dude, I love the books so much. I’m not afraid to admit that!
A.S. Thornton
I love this!! I am so glad that you love Twilight and are proud to admit it!