Saturday, July 9, 2011

Twilight



Meyer, S. (2005). Twilight . New York: Little, Brown and Co.
 
Summary:
Bella Swann moves to Forks, Washington and quickly becomes intrigued with a boy named Edward.  After Edward saves her life by moving lightning fast and stopping an out of control truck, Bella realizes that Edward is different.  She soon finds out just how different he is when she learns that he is a vampire who doesn't feed on humans.  They are drawn to each other, eventhough Edward knows that being near Bella is dangerous for her.  Bella is put in greater danger when another vampire decides he wants to hunt her. 
 
Personal Reaction:
Twilight  has become immensely popular.  I read the books about a year before the movie came out, and I'm very glad I did.  While the movie has caused Twilight to become a part of our culture, I also feel like it has diminished the book itself.  To some extent, we have been so inundated with everything Twilight, that it's almost too much!  When I read Twilight, I really enjoyed the story.  While it is not of the highest literary quality, it is a good story with likeable characters.  Teenage girls relate easily to Bella.  However, my biggest criticism of the book was that Bella was a little annoying at times to me.  I teach kids her age, so I feel she was a realistic character, but I got annoyed with the drama from her at certain points.  I can see the appeal Edward has to young readers.  He is a gentleman, romantic, and chivalrous, but he also has a dark, dangerous side since he's a vampire.  He has all the qualities that girls wish boys still had today.  While I have talked to some boys who really enjoyed this book, I think it appeals more to a female audience.  is
Overall, Twilight is an entertaining story that is worth reading.  The biggest strength of this book is that it makes kids want to read.  I have talked to students who told me that they don't read, and when this series became popular, I saw them carrying the books around to their classes.  In my opinion, that alone makes this a great book!

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