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.
“I’D NEVER GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO HOW I WOULD DIE– I’d had reason enough in the last few months –but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. . . . Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of something else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something.”
When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret.
What Bella doesn’t realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back. . . .
Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight will have readers riveted right until the very last page is turned.
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.
“I’D NEVER GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO HOW I WOULD DIE– I’d had reason enough in the last few months –but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. . . . Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of something else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something.”
When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret.
What Bella doesn’t realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back. . . .
Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight will have readers riveted right until the very last page is turned.
Critiques-
-
Stephanie Meyer's teen-vampire romance offers an appealing heroine in Bella, transplanted from sunny Phoenix to the wet, dreary town of Forks, Washington, and the seductive, secretive object of her obsession, Edward, who may or may not be a vampire. Predictability doesn't keep this spine-tingling tale from being fun, but alas, Ilyana Kadushin's reading, does. Her speaking voice is thin and underdeveloped, and any sense of nuance is nonexistent. Kadushin doesn't try to give the characters personalities, so distinguishing between speakers is difficult. This is one of those rare times in audiobook listening when the writing exceeds the reader's capabilities. Still, the story is engrossing and the characters well drawn, ensuring that older teens will find much to enjoy. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
-
Starred review from July 18, 2005
Isabella Swan, 17, narrates this riveting first novel, propelled by suspense and romance in equal parts. The story opens with a cryptic scene of the heroine "facing death," then flashes back to Bella's departure from Phoenix, where her mother lives with her new husband, as the teen heads off to live with her father, the police chief in Forks, Wash. From the first day at her new high school, she finds herself magnetically drawn to Edward Cullen, whose behavior towards her is erratic ("I'd just explained my dreary life to this bizarre, beautiful boy who may or may not despise me"). Then she finds out why his interest in her runs hot and cold: he is a vampire—but of an unusual variety. Edward, his siblings and their adoptive parents have disciplined themselves to feed on animals rather than humans; and Edward is obsessed with Bella. Other elements factor into the plot, including a rival group of vampires who are not as disciplined as the Cullens. This plot twist (which includes a subplot about one of the Cullens' past life) contributes to a rushed denouement (much of it takes place offstage) that is perhaps the novel's only weakness. The main draw here is Bella's infatuation with outsider Edward, the sense of danger inherent in their love, and Edward's inner struggle—a perfect metaphor for the sexual tension that accompanies adolescence. These will be familiar to nearly every teen, and will keep readers madly flipping the pages of Meyer's tantalizing debut. Ages 12-up. -
November 14, 2005
Kadushin takes a bite out of Meyer's debut novel, reading the suspenseful vampire romance with gusto and conveying a range of adolescent emotions. When 17-year-old Isabella Swan moves to perpetually rainy, small-town Forks, Wash., to live with her father, she accepts that it will be much duller than life in Phoenix with Mom. But Bella gets more excitement than she bargained for when she falls hard for Edward Cullen, a beautiful, pale boy with a disturbingly deep gaze and eyes that change color. It turns out that Edward and his adoptive family are all vampires, and Bella has entered mysterious, dangerous territory just by associating with them. The drama of everyday high school entertainingly blends with the supernatural as the plot thickens. And Kadushin makes listeners believe Bella's intense feelings of love, confusion and fear as Meyer's tale takes a gripping, unexpected turn toward a somewhat-rushed ending. This enticing production will definitely leave listeners wanting to hear more in this planned trilogy. Ages 12-up. -
March 29, 2010
The Twilight Saga continues as the world's most beloved teen vampire story arrives in yet another package: the graphic novel. The story has remained the same: girl meets vampire, girl falls in love with vampire, vampire loves her back and almost gets her killed. Meyers's trilogy has captured by storm the anguished hearts of teens and romance readers—not to mention the jealous attention of the rest of the publishing industry. With each book in the saga, Meyers has built a devoted audience with an insatiable appetite for her series. Yen Press is clearly capitalizing on that audience with this graphic novel adaptation. The hardcover presentation and price-point signal that the book is intended as a collector's item and, at its best, another way to relive the Twilight experience. Unfortunately, this first half of the two-volume adaptation of Meyers's first book brings nothing new to the table. While Young Kim's paneling isn't terrible, her pacing is off, and the book reads unevenly. The dialogue is stilted and the characters come across as annoying rather than expressing longing. Twilight: The Graphic Novel
reads like a first draft where all the pieces are there, but have yet to meld to one another and actually fit. There are certain angles and physical poses that Kim has not yet mastered, and they stand out starkly in this book. Nevertheless, retailers will be hard-pressed to keep copies of this book on their shelves.
