Is It Worth The Hype? Yes and No: a review of Twilight

A cultural phenomenon worth reading mostly because it is a cultural phenomenon. You could also just watch the movie. 

I would like to start by saying that I am in no way looking down on anyone who enjoys these books. Before I get into the meat of this review I would like to establish the following:

1. I am a nearly thirty-year-old woman reading a book for the first time that is intended for teenagers.

2. I was surprised to find that I actually thoroughly enjoyed the movies (which I also watched in my adulthood).

3. There is a reason that these books, and movies, became a worldwide phenomenon and continue to be adored, read and reread, watched and streamed by millions of people, young and old.

Now that I have spoiled the fact that I did not entirely enjoy book one of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga, let’s get into the details of why. 

My biggest complaint was length. Of the nearly 500 pages of this book, the first and last 100 pages were arguably the most interesting. The 300 pages in between contained so much fluff it was hard to pinpoint any sort of body. Yes, much of the story is a romance, but much of the romantic scenes felt repetitive— like I’d already read the same scene once or twice before. Entirely more interesting, and arguably better written, were the establishing narratives and conversations surrounding Meyers’ version of vampires as well as the Cullens’ history. Should I continue reading the rest of the saga, I hope there will be more of that and less soppy, repetitive conversations. 

I should add that I do understand the point that these conversations have to the overall story— I have been a teenager, and I have been in love (though not at the same time). I feel that should I have read these books as a teenager myself, I would have been obsessed. While I still stand by my assessment of the romantic story-line being repetitive, I must give credit to Meyers’ ability to write teenagers, and teenagers grappling with emotions and emotional circumstances. This she does phenomenally well. 

However, the movie also does this pretty well. You may never hear this from me again, but I am not sure you miss all that much should you watch the movie rather than read the book. The one thing you would miss would be the depth of the Cullens’ story, and a less creepy Edward. 

I must allow myself one final caveat to this review: I have only read Twilight. Perhaps I will feel differently when I read the rest of the saga, so stay tuned!