Then vs Now: my thoughts on Twilight

When I was in junior high, my cousin told me about this awesome new book that had been published two years before. It was called Twilight. Cool name, I thought. I went to the library to look for a book after finishing R. L. Stine’s Fear Street saga.

I picked up a novel with a glossy picture of a red ribbon on it and read the back. It sounded interesting.

So, I read it. About two chapters into New Moon, I realized it was a sequel to Twilight. I returned the book and searched for its predecessor. Unfortunately, the series was so popular that every time I tried to check it out of the library, it had either been put on hold or was checked out by another student. 😂😂😂I gave up and instead found a fantasy novel titled: The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron. I enjoyed all five books and forgot about Twilight.

Until...in 2008, my friend was raving about Eclipse and how she had gotten to the love triangle part. And I just rolled my eyes, tired of hearing about Edward and Jacob. From everyone. Even some of my teachers.

I watched the movie when it came out from sheer curiosity. And to see what all the fuss was about. I liked it, thought it was good, and knew there’d be a sequel. Fast forward to 2011, I went to the library after having read Reckless by Cornelia Funke, and guess what I found? 🤭 Yep, a copy of Twilight. At last!

I had it within my grasp. Mwuhahaha! I checked it out lightning fast and began reading it after the assembly. My eccentric friends caught me. 🫣They bashed Twilight whenever they could.

And thought Edward was a pixie, and that’s why he sparkled. Lol. 😂 Anyway, one of my friends ripped the book out of my hands after someone pointed to me and yelled, “Twilight! She has Twilight! Save her!”

😂😂😂😂My friend explained she was trying to save me from the corrupt universe of Twilight.

I got as far as Edward calling Bella spider monkey until I returned the volume so my friends would stop giving me such a hard time about it. I still enjoyed the movies when they came out and was overjoyed when Shark Boy took off his shirt. Lol. I listened to the soundtracks on my iPod but I began adopting a negative attitude toward Twilight only around my peers.

So, my initial thoughts on the book, because I wanted to fit in with my friends, were dissecting and complaining about things like Bella wasn’t a real teenager. Real teens don’t talk like that. The book drags on in some scenes.

In reality, teenagers don’t like to admit Bella is truly a reflection of themselves. Why? Teens tend to dislike things that are reminiscent of their own image. Dealing with the awkwardness of high school is challenging enough. The constant reminder of Bella was too much for some. I think what it came down to for my friends was that they got offended by a simple sentence in the book.

“He enunciated every syllable as if he were talking to someone mentally handicapped.”

Now, most of my friends, including myself, had mental disabilities which impacted our lives. So, I think calling someone mentally “handicapped” is very offensive and probably set my friends off from liking the book at all.

Or maybe it was the cringing lines in the movie like “you’re my own personal brand of heroine”. Whatever the reason, my friends were pro Twi-die.

Over the years and during the course of the movies, I got really curious about the backstories of the Cullens, especially Alice, who was my favorite character. In 2023, on a trip to the DI (Deseret Industries), a thrift store, a woman was donating all four original copies of the Twilight saga. I ended up getting them for free because she wanted them off her hands. Which was cool.

Now, as a thirty-year-old woman, I can finally read Twilight without being criticized or trying to pretend I hate it. I actually like book Bella. She’s funny. And Stephenie Meyer nailed the awkward teenage phase. And now I can shout from the rooftop, “I like Twilight!!!!”

Stay tuned for the review.