The Twilight Series
The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
My wife began reading Twilight at the beginning of the summer. She raved and raved about it. Two of the girls in my classes that I teach talk about the books nonstop. I went to go see Indiana Jones and the lady behind the ticket booth was reading the book. "Oh my gosh... It's incredible. I can't put it down," she said.
I was curious. What was it about these books that had everyone in such an uproar of praise? So... I started reading the first one, and finally I understood.
Stephanie Meyer is an awesome writer. She doesn't excel at prose or imagery or symbolism or anything like that. What she does well is write the thought processes of her characters as they work things out. She also does a great job at creating incongruity and leaving the readers hanging at the end of a chapter (the same way Dan Brown does in the Da Vinci Code) making her readers want to read more.
Regardless, it is the emotional thought process that Meyer does the best. If you have forgotten what it is like to be a teenager, then you have to read Twilight. She hits the NAIL on the head when it comes to the way teens think and work through things.
So what are the books about? I'm not even going to try and explain the plot. I was visiting my folks this summer and my Dad asked me about Eclipse. "Uh... It's about a girl who's in love with a..." And then I stopped before I embarrased myself. "It's the book that all the teens are reading nowadays, Dad. Gotta keep up with the popular culture, you know?"
Here's my rundown on each book:
Twilight: Probably my least favorite of the bunch. Too much of the lovey-dovey-gooey stuff going on. I could only read it in doses. I equate it to eating Halloween candy. You can only read so much before you get sick and have to stop.
New Moon: Reading this book was very satisfying in an unconventional way. I'm guessing that Stephanie Meyer experienced a relationship in her life that left her heartbroken. The emotions and the way that she presents what happens in this book is just perfect. I say that the book is satisfying because it's nice knowing that I am not the only one that felt that way once in my life.
Eclipse: The books just keep on getting better. This one is more plot driven than the first two.
Breaking Dawn: I think it's a modern day classic. Not only does Meyer tell one heck of a story, but this book also deals with themes like power, sacrifice, and loyalty. The end of this book was awesome. You can take the events and actions of the characters and apply them to international policy today (look at how countries maintain power by brute force and then spin their horrific motives and actions with diplomacy - For example, Aro is the consumate politician). The book is EPIC. And she does a great job of setting you up for plot twists that hit you out of the blue.
I had plans to read other books this summer. I had no idea that a series for teenage girls would occupy my summer reading list. Regardless, I have no regrets. Awesome books. I can't wait for the movie.
