The Twilight Saga Twilight New Moon Eclipse Breaking Dawn By Stephanie Meyer(writer of The Host)
Stop picking on twilight. Since the books rise to fame due to the cinema there have been many "haters" out there. My reaction to this is; if you hate twilight the movie, that's excusable, but if you hate the books and the whole premise, you are probably not the intended audience so back off. I read the Twilight series the summer before the craze began when I was about twelve. I will say that I absolutely loved the books. I devoured them one after the other. Most of what the anti-fan people say is true. (1)Bella, the protagonist, has a very passive, plain, personality. (2) The vampires seem a little tame at first because they sparkle for crying out loud. (3)Also the characters are all in high school which brings up the question;
when do they do their homework? These are a few of the major criticism of this work, but these "issues" with the series actually has a purpose (intentional or otherwise). I would like the chance to give Twilight a defense against the bullies because it was popular for a reason whether you liked it or not.
Twilight
In this book Bella is introduced as a regular girl. The female "Everyman" if you will. She isn't given a strong personality, so any tween girl that reads this can better relate. Bella is predictable, so it is easier for the reader to put themselves in her shoes and experience the story. For example some characters in other books are deep, complex, and unique like a pair of glass slippers. The glass slippers are beautiful, but they don't fit everyone. So the reader won't always be able to relate to that certain character. Maybe the character is too head strong and rash or too sweet and gentle. The character of Bella is like a pair of worn sneakers, no neon stripes, no Spider-Man theme, no pop out wheels, and no light up features. This doesn't make her boring, this makes her relatable. Every girl can relate with Stephanie Meyer's "Everyman". Plus, Bella can't be to exciting because the fantasy premise is already exciting enough. This book is an introduction. Therefore there is less focus on the vampires and more on Bella and Edward's relationship. Since the intended audience is young girls Edward is the stereotype of "tall, dark, and handsome" PLUS the vampire/dangerous twist makes him all the more alluring. He also lacks a strong and complex personality because he is not the "Everyman" he is "Prince Charming". In the eyes of a girl this book has everything; danger, Mr. Perfect, and of course sparkles. This first book of the series is pretty predictable in the development of a dramatic relationship. Twilight is "boy meets girl", and the next book has to be "boy loses girl".
New Moon
Obviously the perfect guy has to be self-sacrificing. How many times does it work when the guy dumps the girl for her own good? He knows he is dangerous. He knows he can hurt her. Instead of a clean break Bella convinces him to come back. She can handle his vampire issues because she loves him and she trusts him. It's a good idea to take note that Bella nearly dies a horrible gory death in the first, second, third, and fourth book. However, she makes it through. In this book the poor reader suffers with Bella's heartbreak almost paying no attention to the introduction of Jacob, a chiseled hunk of a wolf dude. No one cares about the "other man" they just want McDreamy to return. Edward does return at the end, but it wasn't enough gooey romance. The whole book was a breakup to set up the third.
Eclipse
Just in case you haven't noticed the titles follow a pattern. The first book is Twilight while the fourth is Breaking Dawn. The second is New Moon while the third is Eclipse. Personally I would have liked to see New Moon, Quarter Moon, Gibson, and Full Moon, or Twilight, Midnight, 2:00am, and Breaking Dawn. I think that would've been a cool thing. Now since Edward is back with Bella we need some conflict, so vengeful vampire stalks Bella and Bella suffers from guy problems. Indecision can be painful to watch, but as Bella debates between choosing Jacob or Edward a beautiful conflict is created. This third book is exciting and has more vampire components than any of its predecessors.
Breaking Dawn
When I read the first three books the fourth was not yet released. Weeks later when it came out on the shelves I spent the night reading it. This book had moments that would make me give an audible shriek. The shockers in this book are fantastic if no one spoils it for you. I won't say more because if you haven't read this book then I don't want to be the bully that spoils it for you. Your welcome.
All in all, if you are a female you will like this book. It is simply written with a simple plot, but it is popular for a reason. So, stop picking on Twilight.
