I have been meaning to speak about the Twilight Series for quite some time, but for some inexplicable reason (cough - Dave - cough) I have been spending quite a bit of my extra time beefing up on my "blog engine". So, about 3 weeks after finishing the whole series, I have finally gotten a chance to write about Twilight. (Amazon Link)
I was introduced to Twilight by Gabe and Emilie. They were kind enough to give both Crystal and I the first 3 books of Twilight for our birthdays (July 19 and July 25th). I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical when I took time to look at the basic synopsis and plot. I remember thinking, "Wait... you mean this book is a vampire romance? Are you kidding me? Well, we ALL know how that is going to end."
Anyway, about a week passed before either Crystal or I were able to pick up the first of the series. In fact, I think I was in the middle of wrapping up How Would You Move Mount Fuji? when Crystal started reading Twilight. I distinctly remember kind of peeking over the rim of my book, just to gauge her reaction (and to do some preliminary judgement on how I would enjoy the book). To my surprise, Crystal could not put the book down at all. In fact, she would sit on the bed, reading, and usually grinning from ear to ear the entire time. In fact, she was so into the book that she was nearly through the entire first book within a couple of days. Generally speaking, I am the avid reader and can usually kill off a book in around a week. On the other hand, my wife takes about a month or so, because she loves to pace herself and enjoy the book at it is. In this case, she was killing me in read time. Something odd was going on here...
So, I guess it was me who initiated our little unspoken contest. Any time that she put the book down, I would pick it up and start reading. At first, I was trying to hide this fact from her - I didn't want her to have the satisfaction of knowing that I was trying to rob her series from her. Also, I certainly did not want to clue her in and let her know that I was trying to catch up. So, I found myself stealing quick reads of the book a couple pages at a time, while trying to figure out ways to keep Crystal busy (and away from that book, lol). Eventually, Crystal caught on to my little scheme and then the real challenge started.
To make a long story short, I finally gave up on the facade of reading my Mount Fuji book and dedicated my reading time to Twilight 100%. Crystal and I would get into playful fights w/ one another, each accusing the other of 'reading too much', 'skipping pages', and the like whenever I started to get close to catching up w/ her. All in all, I had an excellent time reading the series both because it was something that Crystal and I did together as well as the fact that it was a really good series.
Anyway, I will write a bit more about my initial reactions to the book , but needless to say that within about 200 pages I was hopelessly addicted. I could not put the friggin' book down. In fact, I started trying to think of ways to get more "read time" on the series, which included: trying to figure out ways to play hooky from work, not sleeping, reading during supper, reading in the shower (soggy mess there and a nice visual for you!), reading in route which traveling in the car, etc. etc. Of course, this drive had nothing to do w/ the fact that my reading pride was on the line here as I went head-to-head w/ Crystal. :) Honestly, I could not get enough of this series!
Anyway, on to the review!
The Good
Of all the books that I have read, I have to admit that the author of Twilight did one of the best jobs of pacing events that I have ever seen. I was amazed by the author's ability to slowly build action without there being action. As I was reading the story, I spent much of my time dreading and fearing of the future but totally absorbed into what was going on currently. At many places, I could actually feel my heart rate increasing and my reading speed get faster. It is truly an awesome piece of work.
In addition, the storyline of the book was strong and very appealing at the same time. Sure, it was a romance of sorts (cue gag noise, please), but it was an excellent blend of romance, mystery, and action. Very awesome!
The Bad
Okay, so I think that I have conveyed the fact that I loved the books, so what was bad about them?
When I first started reading the books, I was instantly annoyed by the "voice" that the author used. Basically, most of the story is told in a part first person narrative and part 3rd person viewpoint. I was completely annoyed by the first person narrative idea because it was the narrative of a teenage high-school girl. Thankfully, the main character had a mature portrayal and the author did not try to emulate the current "high school culture" via conversations or drama. After getting into the books, the narrative actually became pretty endearing and offered huge insights into the actions and motivations of the characters, so I consider it a necessary element despite the fact that it is not my favorite way of approaching writing.
Summary
In conclusion, I would have to highly recommend this series (thanks again to Gabe and Emilie for getting us started on it). It is a very enjoyable series and well worth the read. For those of us who are a bit more anally inclined (yes I am speaking to you Dylan and John), the author of this book might now adhere to the basic tenants of vampirism and such, but try not to get too hung up on that fact. :) It is a good story and well written.
Happy reading and I can't wait to see the movie!
On a side note, Stephanie Meyer did an awesome write-up of how Twilight came to be written and published. It is worth the read as well (no spoilers).