“When you can live forever what do you live for?” Do you believe in love at first sight? If you don’t I know just the person (or rather, vampire) who could change your mind in a single glance. Edward Cullen is described as perfection. One beautiful glance from this handsome vampire and you’re love struck. But only one lucky girl has been chosen for his soul mate. Is she perfect and flawless in every way as our vampire “angel”? No, Bella Swan is your plain and clumsy girl. Bella moved from her warm cozy home in Arizona to a small, dark, damp town called Forks to live with her father.
At her first day of school Bella is introduced to the Cullen “family” (Carlisle, Esme, Emmet, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, and Edward) who are slightly strange and different than everyone else and she’s quickly entranced by Edward who’s shy and distant as her biology partner. As the story goes on Bella gets to know Edward by studying ancient myths and stories to find out who he really is. When Edward is confronted he shows all his wonderful skills and traits such as super fast reflexes and speed and beautiful shimmering glittering skin when out in the sunlight. But stories such as these are never just happy and sunshine. Evil vampires come into town and attack people and eventually one of the vampires lures Bella to her hometown and Edward saves her life. As a happy ending Edward takes Bella to her prom and dances her away under the stars and leaves readers and movie goers longing for more.
This first book in the Twilight saga has become an instant hit to teenagers (especially teenage girls) and even adults everywhere. This is no regular vampire novel. Most involve vampires always drinking human blood and terrorizing towns. These vampires are “vegetarians” (they feed off animals instead of human blood) who are kind and mingle with other human beings. As readers get closer to the end of one book they hunger and long for the next one. As they draw closer to the end of the fourth some tear up and wish it didn’t have to end.
This fall, Twilight was made into a hit movie. Adoring fans crowded the movie theater opening night and cheered as the lights dimmed and the movie began. Decked out in Twilight shirts and pins and costumes movie goers watched as Robert Pattinson (Also played Cedric Diggory from the Harry Potter movies) filled the very big shoes of Edward Cullen by sweeping Bella (Kristen Stewart) off her feet. All the actors and actresses did an incredible job. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give Twilight an 8. It followed the book’s plot and storyline very well for a movie, but as is expected, people were disappointed by the way the characters looked or acted because, after reading the book, they had their own idea and images of how it should have gone.
For those who left the movie theater with high hopes of a second movie I have great news. New Moon is in the process of being made and the release date is going to be sometime in 2010. For now I guess dedicated Twilight fans will just have to listen to the soundtrack and get the DVD when it is released and countdown to New Moon!