Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

4/5 Stars

I've wanted to read this book for the longest time since I am such a huge fan of the movies, and I was actually very impressed with how closely the movie followed the book.

It may be super cliche to say that I enjoyed the book over the movie, but I can't emphasize it enough in this instance. The characters, especially Edward, just seemed much more lively and vibrant compared to their movie counterparts. I was also surprised to notice that it is a little more lighthearted than the film, with occasional jokes here and there.

In my opinion, the romance is a little rushed, and it made me feel like their 'love' was more along the lines of infatuation. They spend every second together, and it bothered me how Bella literally did not have a life outside of spending time and/or pining for Edward. The only time we see her do things without him is when she spends time with Angela, Jessica, Eric, or Mike, but even then, she is still thinking about what Edward is or what he may be thinking. But then again, I guess that is a part of their whole love story dynamic.

Bella is also a bit whiny at the beginning about her move to Forks. But as the novel progressed, she got better (probably because she found her first boyfriend, who happens to be an angsty vampire). I really enjoyed her sarcasm and humor throughout the novel. In the films, Bella is a bit too serious and stiff for my liking (maybe it's just due to bad acting). Edward was also super fun to read about, especially because he seemed to be looser and wasn't afraid to let his personality show.

Despite my previous criticisms, I literally could not put this book down. It's such a classic love story to my generation, and I am glad to have read the original story. Count on my review for New Moon.