Twilight

As an author, I have a newfound respect for other authors. I seem to now dissect and evaluate novels on two very different levels. On one level, I view it as a form of entertainment, determining if the story is amusing and interesting. I try to understand the characters and truly see which character I relate to the most. As an author, I am analyzing the plot, the setting, and the characters to improve on my own writing.

As an intermediate teacher, some of my students are obsessed with this series. Actually, obsessed is putting it mildly. They read the book any time they have free time. One of the boys, as a joke of course, hid one of the books and I am surprised there were no major injuries as a result. The girls in my class revolted and he sheepishly returned the novel, apologizing profusely for his error.

The novels are drawing in readers both young and old which is impressive considering the last time such a phenomena occurred was when a single mother from England wrote a story about a boy who finds out he is a wizard. Each time a new phenomenon hits the young adult novel stage, comments are made regarding the quality of the novels and whether rereading those novels repeatedly is useful and educational. It doesn't matter really. What's important is that young adults are reading and they are doing so for amusement, not because they have to read.

Twilight is the first book in a series of four novels by Stephanie Meyer. She wrote this book when she had a dream about two teenagers talking in the forest. One of the teenagers was a beautiful girl and the boy was a handsome, stunning vampire.

The story itself is entertaining and introduces us to all the main characters that are present in the three other books. We meet Bella, her dad Charlie, and her mother Renee who lives in Florida with her new husband. At school, there is a weird group of kids, which would be identified as outsiders, geeks, losers, or any other derogatory term. In this situation, they are actually vampires.

The story moves us along and outlines how Bella has fallen head over heels in love with Edward and Edward has done the same. Of course, it is dangerous for a vampire to love a human and thus the majority of the book is spent trying to have the two of them apart. It is a novel that is marketed for teenagers so there are no big character changes or in-depth plots. It is a simple story that many can related to. How many of us have wanted to be loved by someone who would truly do anything for us? It's sappy, it's romantic, but that's what's selling these days.

At times, the story moves slowly for the reader. An intelligent reader is aware of what is happening, but it takes a while for us to be officially told. It can be frustrating when the author finally states that Edward, along with his brothers, sisters, and parents are vampires. The scene is drawn out and really over emphasizes the idea that vampires exist, even in a small town in Washington called Forks.

Little items like this take away from the novel, but that could be the fact that as an adult, I have not read a young adult novel in many years. It is possible that the simplicity of the story line is a requirement for any novel classified as "young adult".

It is important to note that I did enjoy the novel and many other adults truly love it as much as their daughters. The generation gap does not really exist in this novel. One difference could be pointed out that when teenage girls are reading the novel they are hoping that some day their "Edward" will arrive and sweep them off their feet. For adults who are attached, we see the characteristics of those two people in our significant others. For single adults, we are still looking for the man of our dreams, who had better have some of the romantic qualities that Edward possesses.

From a teenager perspective, this is the best book in the entire world. Girls counted down the days until the movie opened and are now counting the number of times they see the movie. Copies of the book are dragged along everywhere, the pages worn, the cover scratched. It is visible that it is a much-loved book.

At no point will this novel become required reading for any English course. It will eventually fade away, as all teen phenomena do. As an adult, it is an interesting read as it is truly a romance, but with an exciting twist. Vampires are the new obsession although don't try to tell teenagers how long ago Dracula was written. This novel has vampires, cute ones actually that are seventeen and will do anything for the person they love.