The "Twilight" Zone

Young Readers Sink their Teeth into the Popular Literary Sensation

It's your basic teen romance novel, fueled by healthy doses of suspense and, well, vampires. Okay, I've changed my mind: this is not your basic teen romance novel.

No, it's Twilight, the 500-page first installment in a riveting vampire love saga, written by stay-at-home-mom Stephenie Meyer after the idea for the book came to her in a dream. Find it hard to believe? Just browse the countless fansites devoted to the book's addictive plot and stunningly believable (and fantastic) characters.

Plot of the Book

The story begins as our protagonist, Bella Swan, exiles herself to the dreary, waterlogged town of Forks, Washington, to live with her father after her mother remarries. While her new home, school and life seem incredibly dull, she becomes intrigued by her elusive yet blindingly beautiful classmate, Edward Cullen. Try as she might, she is unable to gain any information about him, his family of equally radiant and intimidating siblings, or the reason he is obviously avoiding her. After a series of questionable events occur, Bella begins to uncover Edward's secret: he is a vampire.

But by this point, they're already in love.

Luckily for Bella, Edward is a reformed vampire: he abstains from using humans to "satiate his thirst". However, for some reason unknown to Edward (and the reader), Bella seems to be much more enticing to him than the average human being. Throughout the book, Edward must struggle to repress the constant desire he feels to end her life for his basic vampire "needs". But will Edward's love be enough to overcome his true nature and save Bella's life when a more deadly vampire coven arrives in Forks?

While the very idea of a vampire love story has raised some eyebrows, parents, teachers and future readers can rest assured that the author's take on vampirism is almost innocent. Traditional characteristics-such as sleeping in coffins inside spooky, cobweb-filled mansions-have been replaced by more young-adult-friendly attributes (not being able to sleep at all inside warm, spacious and well-kept houses). However, this novel DOES include some fantastic and horrific properties; those with strong beliefs against such paranormal and potentially frightening ideas are discouraged from reading the book in question.

My Take

Twilight is, without a doubt, my favourite book of all time. It has romance without the sappiness, horror without the fright, and fantasy without the obvious implausibility. The novel is well-written, with a broad vocabulary, and is entirely enthralling. It has realistic characters and a realistic setting, mixed in with one of the most unrealistic plots. The dialogue is believable and thought-provoking. Bella's narrative voice is so descriptive and fluid that you practically melt into the supernatural world of Forks and forget that you are actually reading a fiction novel. And while many people characterize Edward as a bit of a martyr, one must sympathize him while he wages his inner battle to control the monster within. I do find Bella's character to be a bit lacking when it comes to personality, but I suppose that's the point: to illustrate how someone so ordinary could end up with someone as extraordinary as a teenage vampire. The sheer intensity of the book itself has created a page turner that has begun to carve its niche in the hearts of teen readers (and adult readers, too!). In reading Twilight,you'll smile, frown, gasp, cry and giggle uncontrollably. Overall: love it, love it, love it! And Edward…love him, too.

But wait! There's more: a whole Twilight series just DYING to be read! New Moon and Eclipse, the second and third novels in this captivating series, are available at a bookstore near you. The fourth book, Breaking Dawn, is currently in production, as reported on the author's official website. The release date for this fourth installment is August 2nd, 2008. Not only that, but there's a movie in the works as well: the public premier is set for December 12th. More information can be found on Stephenie Meyer's website.

It's romance, suspense, fantasy, horror, comedy and drama all rolled into one. It's Twilight, and it's got readers thirsty for more!