Book Title: Twilight
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Genre: Romance Fiction
Summary/Review
Twilight is about a 17-year old girl named Bella Swan who was
madly in love with Edward Cullen, who came from a Vampire family. This feeling
came after her life was saved by Edward who exhibited super human qualities.
She later learned from a friend, Jacob Black, that Edward was a vampire. Yet,
despite this truth, she went against the advice of her friends, family and even
of Edward not to be with him lest she would be attacked by blood-thirsty
vampires.
This story became a blockbuster not only to teenagers but
also to adults. Both age groups could relate to the story, since the genre is a
mixture of fantasy and romance. It’s a universal behavior among female
teenagers and even across ages to be swept-off their feet upon seeing their
Knights on a shining armor, as was the case of Bella whose life was saved by
Edward. It is equally a universal feeling for adults to love romantic stories
as they could easily relate to this kind of feeling adults have presumably
experienced such emotion. It is a common behavior among teenagers to do what
they are prohibited from doing. In fact Bella was cautioned to keep her
distance from Edward for fear that she would be attacked by the vampires. But she
didn’t. In short, what is a “no-no” to teenagers, is a “do-or die” to them. And
this is Bella’s character in this story – an impulsive, adventurous and
passionately in love and defiant girl.
As for Edward, who is an adult, he exhibits a behavior of a thinking adult who is able to put his
intellect (reason) over his heart (emotion). His love for Bella made her very
cautious and protective of her. He didn’t transform Bella into a vampire which
he could easily do if he wished, in so doing, they could have eternal love and
live happily forever after. But, he didn’t do this despite his being a vampire,
his human attributes prevailed over his
animalistic or cannibalistic attitude. The moral or ethical implications as a consequence,
if Bella is turned into a vampire that she would be able to fight her new
instincts to hunt human as a vampire made Edward decide not to transform her
into one. And this decision will result to a constant and conflict of
suppressing emotions between a human girlfriend and a vampire boyfriend.
Awards
A New
York Times Editor’s Choice Award
A Publisher’s Weekly “Best Book of the Decade"
A Teen People “Hat List” Pick
An
American Library Association “Top Ten Best Book For Young Adults”
And
“Top Ten Books for Reluctant Readers.”
