Aledawn Reviews: The Twilight Saga Part 1 Twilight

Aledawn Reviews: The Twilight Saga

Twilight: the first of a four parted series about a young woman, Bella Swan. Bella lived with her mother and step-father in Phoenix Arizona. When her mother married Phil (her step-father) Bella decided to leave the newlyweds and live with her father in the always raining Forks, Washington.

Bella and her Chevy

Bella is of average height, has brown hair and brown eyes. Her hand eye coordination is of balance. Charlie, Bella’s father, is the police chief of the good citizens of Forks. Bella is staying in her old room and complains about only having one bathroom. Her father doesn’t hover about it and leaves her to be miserable by herself. She gets an old Chevy Truck, bought by Charlie from some old friends that live on the nearest native reservation. 

She enters Forks High School and is the subject of the day. She finds friends easily but is really only interested in the mysterious kids who sit in the back of the cafeteria. “The Cullen’s.” As one of her newly made friends introduces them to the phenomenon. Bella finds herself drawn to them, as they look alike and not alike. There is a burly one with brown curly hair. There are two blonds who look alike and not alike who are announced twins. There is a small pixie like girl with black hair. And there is this handsome boy with a baby face and bronze hair. Bella of course, falls head over heels for this guy. She finds that they have biology together and she is being more drawn to him. He on the other side looks like he could not care less about her. Later she goes home and does a bunch of uninteresting stuff.

The Cullen's eating lunch

When she goes to school one of the following days, she nearly gets hit by a car. He saves her with his inhuman speed and strength. Though he is being nice to her, at the same point he is warning her to stay away, that he is dangerous. She gets an invite from her group of friends to come to La Push, the beach near the native reservation. She accepts and invites Edward, who declines.  Saying he has other places to be.

Bella goes to this reservation beach thing and finds Jacob Black. Jacob is a cute, native teenager. His father is Billy Black, an old friend of Charlie. Billy is a man in a wheelchair unable to drive. He is the previous owner of Bella’s car. They talk some and he tells her all these legends. He calls them legends of the Quileute. Jacob Black being a member of the Quileute tribe he has Bella swear she will not tell. She learns about men turning into wolves and back. She also learns about the Cold Ones. It’s a basic vampire legend. The Cold Ones have skin as cold as ice and strong as a rock. They are able to move at a speed almost faster than light. But these were different. These Cold Ones did not feed on people but on animals. When Bella gets home she does some internet research and decides that Edward must be a vampire. She dreams of him. She has fallen in love.

Bella goes with her friends Jessica and Angela to Port Angeles. Port Angeles is this little harbor town near Seattle. The girls go and fit some dresses while Bella pretends to be interested. She claims she wants to visit a bookstore and the girls agree to meet up at this Italian place for diner.

Bella wanders around, finding that the only bookstore offered tarot readings and she was not interested. She turns around and notices she is being followed by a group of young men looking for trouble. Bella tries to run. She knows she is clumsy so decides a sturdy pass might be a better idea. The men close in and at the time when things started to look scary, her knight in a shiny silver Volvo shows up.

At the restaurant

Edward Cullen opens the passenger door for her and Bella gets in the car without saying a word. He speeds of into the night and only listens to Bella when she says that Jessica and Angela are waiting for her. He brings her back there, only to find the girls already leaving. Edward says he will take good care of Bella. They go in and he feeds her. They talk and the drive home takes no time at all. 

Bella confronts Edward the next day at school about her theory. She says he is a vampire and he agrees with her. They plan a meeting on the next Saturday so Bella can see what Edward looks like in the sun.

Edward and Bella in the Meadow

When the Saturday eventually arrives, Bella is totally happy and jumpy with excitement.  She finally gets to unravel a secret. Edward in the sun. When they arrive at the spot Bella gowns on the inside when she learns she has to walk for more than an hour. The trip proves to be worth it for her. Edward sparkles when the sun hits his skin. He looks like a diamond when hold up in the light. They talk somewhat and Bella asks why the family is vegetarian. Edward explains that has everything to do with his adoptive father Carlisle Cullen. Dr. Cullen decided when he was changed to research another way to exist besides the drinking of human blood. He found that animal blood is as nutritious as human blood, though maybe less tasty. Edwards explains it’s like tofu for humans. It’s nutritious enough but not as tasty as a piece of meat. Edward then goes into a personal rant about how Bella is his personal brand of heroin. She is his drug. He wants her blood more than anything he might ever wanted to have in his entire existence. He then speaks the much quoted words: “And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.”

There begins one of the most popular fictional relationships of the century. Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. Though they are destined to be bad for each other, like Cathy and Heathcliff, their love must survive, or else, what a horrible book it would be.

Edward takes Bella to his family the next day, and even though she is scared of the approval of his adoptive parents, she immediately likes them. Rosalie Hale, Edwards adoptive sister vampire is still hostile towards Bella and she says that she might bring them all in danger. Carlisle brushes this off and Alice, the pixie like small girl says that she and Bella are going to be the best of friends.

As Edward has Bella in his room, Alice barges in and tells them about a storm. They want to play a game of baseball. Everyone agrees and Edward invites Bella to come and watch. She makes a remark about needing an umbrella, but Alice, who sees the future, says it’s going to stay dry.

Edward meets Charlie for the first time and agrees to have Bella watch a game of baseball with the Cullen’s. Charlie is not aware that people in his town are vampires, of course.

Bella joins the group for a round of baseball. She is sitting on the sideline with Edwards adoptive mother Esme Cullen. She tells a horrible sad story about her near death and her joining of Carlisle. The group plays baseball for about half an hour when Alice stops the game and exclaims that they got company. Indeed, not nearly five minutes after she had spoken the words, three other vampires run into the fields. James, Laurent and Victoria. The non-vegetarian kind. The group of new comers learn by a breeze that Bella is not a vampire. Edward stands to protect Bella and that just messes up with James, a hunter. James then decides on the spot this is going to be a game. His prize is Bella. Alice, Edward, Bella and Emmett (the big burly one) get into a jeep and drive Bella home.

The Trio arriving for baseball

When Bella gets home she starts a fight with her father, saying she is going to leave and go back to Phoenix. Charlie is not standing this and argues back with Bella. She needs to sleep this over and if she still wanted to go, he would drive her to the airport. Bella does not want to hear this and with a bag in her hands she walks to her truck. She called out to Charlie that she would be safe, stay in motels and call every night. She said she was sorry. When Bella got in the truck, Edward was secretly sitting next to her. It was all a plan to get the hunter of their trail. Where would they go? First they needed to get back to the other Cullen’s who took the Jeep and think of a plan.

James biting Bella

The smartest thing you can do when being hunted, is go where you said you would be. So Bella goes with Alice and Jasper (one of the ‘twins’) to the airport. Arriving in Phoenix they decide to take a room in a hotel. Edward, Esme, Rosalie, Carlisle and Emmett are watching out for the hunter and his female friend Victoria. When in the hotel room in Phoenix, Alice gets a vision. She draws out a ballet studio. Bella recognizes it as the ballet studio she had lessons in as a kid. Not a few moments later the phone rings. Bella’s mom is scared and screaming for her only daughter. Bella takes the phone into the other room and learns it’s not her mother, but her predator speaking with her now. James warns her about telling anyone. He threatens to kill her mother. Bella agrees to his offer of meeting him in the old ballet studio. She tries to be calm and silent about this and when she sees her chance, she knows that she needs to go, alone. Not only for her mother but also for the safety of the Cullen clan. When Bella shows up in the ballet studio, she sees her mother on a tape, when Bella got near the water, screaming for her to stay close. Bella is relieved her mother is save. When she learns that, she tries to come quietly.  James bites her and at that moment, after a few of her bones were broken, Edward and his family leap through the window. They fight James and rip of his head. They set fire to the place and the only thing Bella knows to say is that the pain in her hand is too much to handle. Edward agrees to suck the vampire venom out before she becomes a vampire. He wants her to stay human. Bella tries to resist. Claiming it’s all for his best interest. Edward succeeds but at a narrow point. He couldn’t stop drinking but finally pulled it together. Bella faints.

Upon waking she learns she is in the hospital. Edward has just a minute to whisper some instructions to her before he pretends he’s asleep on the chair. Bella’s mother comes in making a point of taking her back home. Bella refuses and her mom says it must be because she is in love with that guy. Bella nods but adds it’s only a crush.

After the entire situation has been dealt with, Bella returns home in time for the prom. With an arm and a leg in a cast she doesn't know what is going to happen when she is being dressed up as a doll by her new best friend Alice. She thinks it’s because she is going to be a vampire. But no, Bella is going to prom. She tells her wishes to Edward again. She wants to become a vampire, so they can live happily ever after and skip off into the sunset. He doesn’t buy it. We learn at the very end that Victoria, the girlfriend of James, is still in Forks. She is planning her revenge. A mate for a mate.

And that is where the first part of the Twilight Saga ended.

I have found this a pretty good book. Especially because I wanted to read it before I watched to movie. Though the plot in the movie is basically the same as in the book and the movie obviously made more of a lasting impression on the people, I enjoyed the book so much more.  It was because of Twilight that I found a lost love for vampires, again. Even those who do sparkle.  It also was because of Twilight that I got hooked on audiobooks. And because of Twilight that my current book situation has grown completely out of hand. I would recommend this book to boys and girls in the mood to read something light. I am not a fast reader and I finished this book in just two nights. You need to get in the story and feel what Bella feels. It’s on my to read list for those of you who haven’t read it. I know there are more interesting books and even ones with more gore. But for  a light read, it’s perfect.

Love,

Aledawn