Everything Twilight

There is a lot of hype about the Twilight movie however, for those of us who still love a good read - the novel by Stephenie Myer is excellent. I love how it is written, how easy it is to read and the plot.

In Twilight, Stephenie Meyers, introduces seventeen-year-old Isabella "Bella" Swan. For various reasons, Bella moves from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington, where she falls in love with Edward Cullen.

Little does she know it, Edward Cullen is a vampire.... and the plot thickens.

The thing that really appears to appeal to Parents about this series is that it is a 'clean' romance... Many Vampire romances are fairly 'full on' and I certainly wouldn't let my children read them... (see my Romance Books for an idea of the other type of paranormal romance books available). As my friend said today - it's a book I have encouraged my kids to read!

Now, my 14 year old son was fairly keen to read this one... many of his school friends had already read it and were raving about it. My 12 year old daughter was not so keen but, after seeing the other three of us read it quickly, decided it was probably a good thing to read. In just 2 days, she is over half way through it and doesn't just like it, she LOVES IT!!!!

Enjoy.....

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I was taken in by the way that Stephenie Meyer develops the character of Bella. I'm certain many young ladies (and not so young) could relate to the feelings of displacement that Bella experiences as she 'settles' into the quiet town of Forks, Washington.

On Bella's first night in Forks, she catalogs herself and decides that she is far from the 'beauty' that most boys appreciate and not likeable enough for the girls. I was touched at the description of Bella's pain that night - it was something that I remembered experiencing as a young girl.... and I didn't have to change schools!

The twist on the 'unlikeable' theme was extremely interesting. Bella attracted a lot of attention at her new school and how quickly befriended by several students. Quite humorously, I thought, several boys in the school compete for Bella's attention.

Bella meets Edward Cullen on her first day of school, when she sits next to him at School. Regardless of the reaction of the other boys at school, Edward seems repulsed by her.

Bella appears to be your standard, unsure, young woman - I like her.

Twilight "Lion and Lamb" Keyring/ Bagclip

Twilight "Cullen Crest" Keyring/ Bagclip

Twilight Soundtrack

I know that Edward Cullen is the new heart throb of our younger female generation however, I'm really not sure I like him - which is probably a great sign that Stephanie Meyer has developed the character well.

Edward is a vampire who appears to be 17 years old - when in fact he was born in 1901, actually making him 107 years old.

Edward was transformed him into a vampire in 1918 by his adoptive father, Carlisle Cullen, as he was dying from the Spanish influenza epidemic in Chicago, Illinois.

Unlike the general vampire genre, Carlisle Cullen's clan of vampires have a high sense of morality and they refuse to consider humans as food.

Twilight - Edward Stand Up
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With all that said, Edward is highly attracted to Bella Swan. Her blood literally sings to him and he is confronted with the worst of his demons.... As much as he tries to deny it, he and Bella are thrown together quite often and eventually he gives in and starts to date her.

Edward, as a human and as a vampire, can hear the thoughts of mortals. Amusingly, the only human he can't hear the thoughts of is Bella - which frustrates and annoys him. He is reduced to 'eavesdropping' on Bellas school friends thoughts to find out about her and her actions!

Edward strikes me as quite pompous and righteous in his approach to Bella. Even though he is trying to do the 'right thing', there's a degree of fatality about the attraction to Bella. Poor Bella is certainly attracted to Edward and has to deal with his rejection of a fairly regular basis.

However, Edwards beliefs and behaviors have been shaped through the decades he has been alive. His desire to protect Bella from himself is certainly indicative of someone who has been around and seen a lot.

I was heartened however, that once Edward decided not to fight the attraction between Bella and himself, that he opened up and shared his life with her. I was mesmerized by the scene in meadow - you'll need to read the book!

Stephenie Meyers has done a fantastic job of the character development and even if I can't fully like Edward, I can admire the character.

Twilight "Rosalie's Necklace" Replica Jewelry

Twilight Limited Edition Official Complete Jewelry Set of the Cullen Family

Twilight "Edward's Wristcuff" Replica Jewelry

Stephenie Meyer has stated that the apple on the cover represents the forbidden fruit from the book of Genesis.

It symbolizes Bella and Edward's love, which is forbidden, similar to the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, as is implied by the quote from Genesis 2:17 that is quoted at the beginning of the book.

According to Stephenie Meyers: "The nice thing about the apple is it has so many symbolic roots. You've got the apple in Snow White, one bite and you're frozen forever in a state of not-quite-death... Then you have Paris and the golden apple in Greek mythology-look how much trouble that started. Apples are quite the versatile fruit. In the end, I love the beautiful simplicity of the picture. To me it says: choice."

Stephenie Meyer Twilight FAQ

In order to bring the story of Twilight to life, Stephenie Meyers introduces us to a number of supporting characters. Each character is compelling in their own way and I would love to see some side stories spin from the main theme.

Let me introduce:

Charlie Swan: Chief of Police, Forks Arizona and Bella's Dad. You have to love Charlie. Long term bachelor, having separated from Bella's Mum many years ago, Charlie is married to his job. He can't cook (thankfully Bella can and takes on the tasks of meal preparation for them when she arrives) but is obviously thrilled, but nervous about his daughters arrival in Forks.

Carlisle Cullen: Local doctor and foster father to Edward Cullen and his other siblings. Carlisle is vampire with a conscience who has overridden the bloodlust that drives most vampires.

Esme Cullen: Wife to Carlisle and foster mother to Edward. Although we don't hear much from Esme, she is a driving force in Edwards life.

Alice: Edwards 'older' adopted sister. Another vampire who has the ability to see the future. Unfortunately Alices gift can be misinterpreted which causes consternation for the Cullen family and Bella. Alice appears to quite like Bella and is her supporter within the Cullen family when things get tense.

Rosalie: Another of the Cullens adoptive children, Rosalie found the Cullen clan with her partner Jasper a number of decades ago. Rosalie does not remember her history, or how she came to be a vampire. Rosalie is quite aloof to any outsiders.

Jasper Hales: All we really learn about Jasper in Twilight is that he is Roalies partner having been 'rescued' by Rosalie and taken to the Cullen family. Jasper appears to have a strong dislike for Bella, but sound reasoning for this dislike is discussed throughout the book.

Emmet Cullen: Is seen as the 'oldest' Cullen sibling. Described as a 'bear' of boy (or man), Emmet would appear to be the scariest of all the Cullens... whether that is true of not is another matter.

Jacob Black: Comes from the La Push Reservation and his Great Grandfather was the last Village chief. Jacob features briefly in Twilight and provides the key to Bella unlocking the 'mystery' of Edward Cullen. Jacobs role becomes more prominent in the following book, New Moon.

Twilight - James Stand Up
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James: Is a wandering Vampire, without the same conscience of the Cullen family. James certainly has no worries with using humans and is attracted to Bella in a similar way to Edward. James becomes a pivotal character towards the last half of Twilight. A vicious character, who leaves me having nightmares!

Victoria: Victoria is James' mate. We don't learn much about Victoria, except that she is vicious and hunts as a team with James.

Twilight - Victoria Stand Up
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There are several other characters that we learn of throughout the book, but I would consider these ones to be the most prominent.

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