Meyer, Stephenie - Twilight

[oyceter]

It was really odd reading this, because I had heard rilina rant about it a lot, but my sister was reccing it to me (and nearby while I was reading it).

I think I would have really loved it, had I read it a few years earlier, before I got sick of the entire vampire sub-genre, particularly the entire YA vampire sub-sub-genre.

Bella has moved from sunny Arizona to rainy Forks to stay with her dad instead of her mom, who's off being married. She starts noticing the strange Cullen family at school, particularly Edward Cullen, who is gorgeous and sends conflicting signals. They fall in love! It's too bad, since I think the book would have been about ten times more interesting if they fought crime instead.

Several elements of the book made me think that it would work much better as shoujo manga: a) Bella is clumsy and klutzy beyond belief, yet spunky, b) every other guy in the school miraculously has a crush on her and she doesn't realize, c) Edward is supernaturally gorgeous, and d) Bella's smell is irresistible to Edward.

As a benchmark to see if you will like this or not, if you haven't already fled at the shoujo manga description: Bella describes Forks as literally being hell on earth for her, despite the absence of pitchforks, flame, or anything else; Edward is introduced as having bronze hair.

The thing is, I can totally see why the book is a best-seller and loved by girls everywhere. It's got the same formula that's in Sailor Moon, every series by Watase Yuu, and most romance novels: clumsy, normal girl is pursued by a preternaturally handsome, dangerous guy who dramatically rescues her from situations despite her brief attempts to show her independence. Granted, Watase Yuu's guys are generally less dangerous than most, and most shoujo manga doesn't even have the brief attempts at independence. And the romances tend to lovingly describe every gorgeous detail of the guys, whereas manga lingers over them in two-page spreads. But in the end, it's largely the same wish-fulfillment fantasy.

And, in general, I am a fan of female wish-fulfillment fantasies. I just think I have read too many of this sort, and so, my buttons have shifted enough that this didn't grab them. I would also snark mercilessly at it, except my sister likes the book and recced it, and because this is so the thing I would have loved way back when I was reading LJ Smith.

Also, (minor spoiler!) in this world, vampires sparkle like diamonds in sunshine.

sorry, totally could not resist. but really! they sparkle! LITERALLY!

ETA: And why is it that hundred-year-old vampires are always attracted to teenagers? I don't understand! And why is it that hundred-year-old vampires still act like mooning teenagers as well?

Links:
- buymeaclue's review
- habiliments' review
- sophia_helix's review

Comments

[penmage.livejournal.com]

This book annoyed the hell out of me. All the "no I love YOU more, shmoopy" "No, sweetums, I love YOU more" and Bella's insistence that she is plain and boring when no less than three guys (not counting the Hot Vampire) are falling all over themselves to ask her out - it was all just ridiculous.

And how about the "we're vampires keeping our secret under lock and key, but Edward has a crush, so let's not just tell her that we're vampires, but also our whole history."

Or the fact that she wants to be a vampire, but can't stand the sight of blood? Or the fact that she wants to be a vampire so she can live with him forever, but shies away when he brings up marriage?

There is just so much.

Have you read Vivian Vande Velde's Companions of the Night?

[oyceter]

OMG! Bella not noticing she was hot drove me crazy. Particularly after Meyer's loving descriptions of her gorgeous pale skin.

Ditto with the wanting to be converted to a vampire thing for a guy she has only known for a few months.

I think I've heard some people mention the Velde before, but I've never read it.

[penmage.livejournal.com]

Companions of the Night, in my mind, is everything a teen vampire book should be. It's smart and scary and concise and wonderful, and every time I read it, I find myself wanting there to be more of it, but knowing that it's perfect as it is.

I highly recommend it. It's a very quick read.

[oyceter]

Oooo, ok. I will definitely look for that.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I liked that one. But my favorite teen vampire romance is Annette Curtis Klause's The Silver Kiss, in which part of the reason the teenage heroine is attracted to the vampire is that her mother is dying and she wants to understand death.

[tatterpunk.livejournal.com]

Klause's book really is a gem -- and real one, not a trashy, guilty pleasure-type gem -- of the genre. Her Blood and Chocolate does the same for the "teen werewolf" trope, if you haven't read it.

[oyceter]

I still need to read that! I read Silver Kiss a while back and meant to pick up Blood and Chocolate but just somehow never did.

[tatterpunk.livejournal.com]

I actually prefer BaC to SK -- I feel like so many authors (*coughLKHcough*) have borrowed heavily from her portrayal of humans-in-pack-mentality, it's a shame her book isn't just as widely known.

[oyceter]

Yeah, I've heard a lot of people prefer BaC to SK -- I can sort of see why, given that SK is good, but really freaking depressing.

[oyceter]

I liked that one a lot because it was sort of a non-romance and a neat take on the usual human-vampire romances. Though I'm not sure how often I'll reread, because wow, was that not a happy book.