The main character is Bella, short for Isabella, the daughter of the Forks police chief. Bella realizes her mother's need to spend time on the road with her new husband, so she decides to move to Forks, WA, and live with her dad. Forks is a boring place and they don't really have much of a relationship in the beginning. Her dad does surprise her with an old truck for her birthday, so Bella has a way to get to school. There, she makes a few friends and inquires of them who the pale-skinned, beautiful people she sees in the school cafeteria are. After finding herself in a seat next to Edward Cullen, one of the pale-skinned, beautiful people, Bella is set on a path that will change the course of her future for forever. Murders are mysteriously happening around the town, Edward disappears for days and returns only in time to shove Bella out of the way of a moving car in a completely supernatural method, and she starts researching vampires. After confronting Edward about his true vampire identity, the two fall in love and begin dating. Bella befriends Edwards vampire parents, brother, and sister, Alice, who can see the future. After a revelation from Alice, Bella is forced to flee from an evil, predatory vampire who is after her. Edward comes to her rescue, kills the vampire, and sucks the poison from the vampire's bite out of her. This novel explores the supernatural world of vampires and their vices in a unique way.
Personal Impressions
The first part of the book was pretty drawn-out in my opinion. It seemed like the climax took to long to get to. When I finished it, though, I ended up really liking it. Meyer writes a vampire story that is unlike any I've ever read. I liked that she presented a positive side to what is often relayed in literature as a monster. Many of my students are familiar with this book and its three subsequent parts. I think the further you get into a series, the more you tend to enjoy it. This is one of those cases. I think Meyer did a good job intertwining the romance with the murders occurring in the city. The foreground of the story is definitely the romance between Edward and Bella, but in the background is a whole different story. It is interesting how they end up connecting.
Professional Reviews
Booklist starred (November 15, 2005 (Vol. 102, No. 6))
cpg1252 Gr. 9-12. In the tradition of Anne Rice and YA titles such as Annette Curtis Klause's The0 Silver Kiss 0 (1999) comes this heady romance that intertwines Bella Swan's life with that of Edward, an alluring and tormented vampire. Bella's life changes when she moves to perpetually rain-soaked Forks, Washington. She is instantly drawn to a fellow student, Edward Cullen, beautiful beyond belief and angrily aloof. Bella senses there is more behind Edward's hostility, and in a plot that slowly and frighteningly unfolds, she learns that Edward and his family are vampires--though they do not hunt humans. Yet Edward cannot promise that his powerful attraction to Bella won't put in her in danger, or worse. Recklessly in love, Bella wants only to be with Edward, but when a vicious, blood-lusting predator complicates her world, Bella's peril is brutally revealed. This is a book of the senses: Edward is first attracted by Bella's scent; ironically, Bella is repelled when she sees blood. Their love is palpable, heightened by their touches, and teens will respond viscerally. There are some flaws here--a plot that could have been tightened, an overreliance on adjectives and adverbs to bolster dialogue--but this dark romance seeps into the soul.
Library Uses
I think it would be great for the librarian to spotlight literature from this genre around Halloween. The librarian could blog about the books, make a display of fantasy literature, and conduct book talks about some of the novels included. Since it is geared toward high school students, it may be difficult to conduct a book talk. In my district, the high school students don't really schedule visits to the library unless it for research. But, they can visit the library on their own any time and check out books. I definitely think blogging would be the way to promote high school literature. Twilight would be a good one to include because the movies are pretty popular.
Library Uses
I think it would be great for the librarian to spotlight literature from this genre around Halloween. The librarian could blog about the books, make a display of fantasy literature, and conduct book talks about some of the novels included. Since it is geared toward high school students, it may be difficult to conduct a book talk. In my district, the high school students don't really schedule visits to the library unless it for research. But, they can visit the library on their own any time and check out books. I definitely think blogging would be the way to promote high school literature. Twilight would be a good one to include because the movies are pretty popular.
References
Cooper, I. (2005). Twilight. Booklist, 102(6). Retrieved 12 November 2012 from: www.booklistonline.com.
Meyer, S. (2005). Twilight. New York, NY: Little Brown.
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