The End of Twilight
Alas, we come to the end of Twilight. But, never fear, there are three more books! I know some of you went ahead and read through the whole series. That's how it usually is for me--once I start the series, I can't stop. However, this time I was slowed down by my simultaneous other reading.
As I've mentioned, the next read-along book is going to be The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Since Mini Me read it in one day and I knew that there may be questions about some difficult topics, I went ahead and read it too. And was blown away.
My sister-in-law, K, mentioned having a book hangover once. And now I know what she means. It took me a while to recover from Thomas' amazing portrayal of a community (and 16 year old girl) and what they go through after an unarmed teen is shot by a cop. Yes, the subject matter is tough. But the writing and the heart and the message are so heartfelt and deep felt that you can't help but admire Thomas and her courage and her talent to write what about a controversial topic in today's society. More on that later. My point is....that it was hard to pick up Twilight again after reading THUG.
The Last Part of Twilight
I'm sorry I took so long to post. When I finally picked up Twilight again, I raced through the last third of the book. When I was reading this section of the book, I'll be honest and say that I questioned why I questioned SM's writing. This part of the book--the part with the most action--is written well. The pacing is good and there are definitely page-turners throughout. In fact, I wonder if she could have made for a tighter series without all the backstory. But then again, the backstories were seedlings for a lot of other writers and people who discovered they loved to write (AKA fanfiction writers).
The baseball game was lots of fun! And it leads into the nomad trio coming to meet them out of curiosity. I liked how it played out--I guess I read it so long ago that I had forgotten how much detail Meyer placed within that scene. Though I do question why James, Victoria, and Laurent don't smell Bella right away. (Much as I question why Edward doesn't react in the cafeteria the first time Bella sees him. Yes, the biology lab scene is interesting, but if she was his singer, couldn't he smell her right away?)
I STAND CORRECTED!! I can admit when I'm wrong. In an earlier post, I note (complain) that Edward doesn't tell Bella that he loves her, but he DOES. It just takes a while for him to say the actual words. Also, page 363 holds a steamy--but not R-rated--kiss that I thought was written well.
Overall, I enjoyed the last part of Twilight very much. And, yes, I still do think that Stephenie Meyer wrote a good portrayal of first love. As I've said all along, it reminded me of what it was like to fall in love, especially as a teen. And I think it did for a lot of readers, which is why the series is so popular among many age groups.
Just like the first time, I questioned Bella's decision to go to Phoenix because it's the last thing James would expect her to do. Seemed too obvious to me. What did you think?
And how in the world do Charlie and Renee NOT suspect Edward of physical abuse? He chases after Bella when she breaks up with him, and then she ends up in the hospital! No wonder all the nurses looked at him suspiciously. Good on the nurses. I wouldn't buy a 'fell down the stairs' story either.
And, man, SM wrote Bella's POV with a little bit too much clarity, when really she should not have known so clearly what was going on after James bit her, and all the scenes in the hospital when she is coming out of a coma. But I guess we can give her some writerly leeway here. (Yes, I have a hard time with hospital/medical scenes in any novel or film. Even Scrubs. But that's comedy and I still adore the JD/Turk bromance.)
Finally, finally, finally, I had a bit of a shocker moment toward the end. No, not when Edward didn't change Bella at the end and no, not when they ended up at Prom. But I have to tell you that I recently co-hosted a bridal shower for one of my sisters with our other sister. Somewhat at the last minute, I put together a Jeopardy game with one of the categories being Famous Couples. Well, I read a certain quote and only my Bookworm family knew the clues. Perhaps you'd get it. And I'm trying to figure out if SM knew what she was referencing when she wrote this because I confess I didn't catch it the last time I read it, possibly because I first read Twilight eight years ago.
"Bella?" Carlisle called to me.
"I tried to answer. "Mmmmmm?"
"Is the fire gone?"
"Yes," I sighed. "Thank you, Edward."
"I love you," he answered.
"I know," I breathed, so tired.
I heard my favorite sound in the world:Edward's quiet laugh, weak with relief.
That's right! Stephenie Meyer references STAR WARS in Twilight! Or maybe she did this unknowingly. But it is a famous quote between Han Solo and Princess Leia.
Side note: Yes, I am wearing my Princess Leia Fight Like a Girl shirt by Wire and Honey in the featured photo, coincidentally. I wanted a pretty shot of the eroding cliffs where we went camping. Please ignore the sand on my legs.
Tell Dr. Bookworm!
Do you think Edward should have changed Bella at the end? What about after James' attack? When you read the ending, did you think she was changed? (Or were you spoiled by knowing that there were sequels?)
If you could choose to be a supernatural creature for one day, which one would you be?
Like I said, the vampire baseball scenes were fun--if you were a vamp, which sport would you play? (I'm thinking Parkour.....though that may be too easy for a vamp.)
There are many controversies regarding Edward's controlling nature and the bad influence this book could have on teen girls. What did you think?
Have you seen the film? What did you think? Who would you cast in a Twilight re-boot?
Let me know if you are going to join in on our next read-along, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
***Commenting here or on the other Twilight posts will put you on a raffle for a small prize. No trolls accepted.****
