Novel review; TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer II/III

Title                 : Twilight

Author             : Stephenie Meyer

Genre              : Romance, fantasy, young-adult fiction

Published         : 2005

Pages               : 498 pages

Characters       :           Isabella Swan

                                    Edward Cullen

                                    Jacob Black

                                    Charlie Swan

                                    Alice Cullen

                                    Renee Dwyer

                                    Billy Black

                                    Emmet Cullen

                                    Rosalie Hale

                                    Jasper Hale

                                    Carlisle Cullen

                                    Esme Cullen

                                    James

                                    Victoria

                                    Laurent

Summary

Bella takes a trip to Port Angeles with a few friends, where she gets lost looking for a bookstore. Some thugs almost attack her in a dark alley, but Edward appears in his shiny Volvo and saves her. They have dinner together, and he drives her home. He reveals that yes, he is a vampire. Edward doesn’t want to be a monster, though, and actually only drinks the blood of animals. Bella knows now that he does thirst for her blood, yet she still is in love with him. Edward repeatedly warns Bella that she should be afraid of him and stay away, if she’s smart.

Edward and Bella take a mini-field trip together and spend the afternoon in a nearby secluded meadow, where Edward shows Bella that his skin sparkles in the sun (which is why vampires only come out at night or on cloudy days, which are common in Forks). They are completely in love. They kiss for the first time. Bella learns more about Edward’s family and their past. Edward struggles with abiding his morals (not tempting himself by getting close to a human) versus what he desires – to be near Bella.

Edward spends the night in Bella's bedroom, watching over her as she sleeps (without her dad knowing, of course). Bella visits Edward’s house, meets his family, and learns more about their “kind” – vampires who don’t feast on humans. They go back to her house where Jacob and his father Billy Black show up to see her dad (Billy and Charlie are friends). Being a Quileute elder from the La Push reservation, Billy knows about the Cullens' secret and is worried for Bella's safety. He warns her to stay away from the Cullens. After the Blacks leave, Edward returns in his brother's jeep to pick up Bella. They’re going to play baseball. It's a Cullen family bonding ritual, evidently.