Twilight

Ladies,

I decided to post my review before I read the others, so I apologize in advance if I am repeating. When I first realized that this was a "vampire story," I called KT because I am not a vampire-story-fan like my husband (and I found out last week, my son, Eric). She told me I would love it and she was right. Rod & I actually competed with each other to see who would get to read it. (I guess I should have bought a copy for each of us!) I bought New Moon as soon as I was done and finished it on the way to and from Chicago last weekend and Rod is just about done with New Moon as I write :) I will be passing both books on to Eric & Carolyn.

Now for my thoughts (I have so many) and some of Rod's as well. First, when I bought this at Barnes & Noble, it was in the teen section, so I wanted to look at it as a work of adolescent literature. It is so relevant to that audience: the insecurities, the struggle to fit in, the who-am-I-really stuff, the what-people-see-on-the-outside-isn't-really-who-I-am, etc. My middle school students are all of the characters. In addition, Rod made the connection with Edward's struggle to control his vampire instincts to an adolescent boy learning to control his sex drive. I thought Bella's lack of understanding of what she did to Edward when she kissed him "like that," is like my teen-age girl students who drive my teen-age boy students crazy! They think they know what they are doing, but they really haven't got a clue!!

It isn't just "kid lit," however. The struggles of all of the Cullens are so instructive. Carlisle faced it first when he decided that just because he WAS a vampire, he didn't have to BEHAVE like one. Isn't that what an alcoholic has to decide? How about someone who is challenged by same sex attraction? How about someone who has been abused, but wants to break the cycle? To a lesser degree, all of us have "thorns in the flesh," things that we are born with or ways that we are "wired" that we can either give in to or learn to overcome. I thought Meyer did a great job of developing her characters so that you feel their struggles and you see their victories.

Her characters are complex. When I told Eric I was reading a vampire story that I thought he might like, his reaction was reserved. The first question he asked was, "Is the vampire the bad guy?" When I told him, "Not really," (I didn't want to give away too much), he told me he hated vampire stories that made them out to be totally evil because he found them to be interesting characters. I guess that is part of what draws me to Meyer's characters. They aren't perfect, neither are they totally evil (with the exception of James who chilled me to the core).

And then there's Bella . . . it will be hard for me to separate Twilight from New Moon. I can't tell you how frustrated I was with the dumb, dangerous things she did. However, that penchant for danger is what allows her to fall in love with a vampire, so I really can't complain. It's just hard to watch, when I really believe the instruction that we should stay as far away from the edge of the cliff as we can in life, instead of seeing how close we can get to it. But she is heroic in so many ways, that I have to admire her independence and her willingness to take risks.

And finally, I am an incurable romantic . . . I want this to have a happy ending. But, how? I'd like to gloss over the issues and hope that they just make her a vampire so she can be with Edward. But, Rod and I were just talking about this tonight. She won't just become like the Cullens instantly. She would have to learn how not to give in to what every instinct is driving her to be . . . someone who kills people and drinks their blood. She abhors that reality. And then there is the issue of her mother and father. That really isn't one to take lightly. I'll tell you what Rod thinks has to happen: He thinks the only really happy ending would be for Carlisle, with his hundreds of years of medical training, to find a cure so that Bella and Edward could be together as mortals. Otherwise, the Cullens have to violate their own ethics and Bella has to place her soul in jeopardy.

I can't wait for August. :) Twilight was a great choice!!!

--Karen Smith