Title: Midnight SunAuthor: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers*
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Hardcover, 662 Pages
Published August 2020
Hardcover, 662 Pages
Published August 2020
Summary: When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella's side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward's version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun. This unforgettable tale as told through Edward's eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward's past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?
When I first picked up this book, I'll admit that I was definitely worried for a few reasons. For starters, it had been YEARS since I'd read the Twilight books, so I was worried that I would have already forgotten everything, especially since I didn't do any research to refresh or reread before I jumped into the story. Second, I'm not really big on rereading any books (I know, I know -- Amber loves to do it, but it's just something I'm not big on!), so I didn't know if I was going to enjoy the retelling of a story I already knew, just from a different perspective. And lastly, this book is just simply HUGE, so it makes sense that I was a little bit intimidated by it.
But I'm really glad to say that, as is the case with most of the scenarios in my life, my worries were unfounded and everything turned out just fine. In fact, I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'm excited to get into my review! So without further ado, let's get into it.
As the summary explains, this book is a retelling of the first Twilight novel but from Edward's POV. While at first glance it may seem like it's just the same story told over again (which, like I said, kind of pushed me away from it in the beginning), that's actually not the case. For starters, this is the first chance that readers get the chance to be in Edward's head. But you also get the chance to see the Cullen family dynamic behind closed doors, as well as the history of not only Edward's vampirism, but also how the rest of his family both came to be vampires and also how they decided to join the family in the first place. There's a lot of history packed into these pages that I never knew before and found myself really intrigued by. I really enjoyed reading this book!
While it was certainly hefty (almost 700 pages!) in a way that definitely intimidated me at first, I ended up not wanting the story to end. Watching Bella and Edward's antics outside of her head makes for a totally different story, in my opinion. I didn't feel like I was rereading the first Twilight book at all -- it felt like an entirely fresh, new, exciting story. Even the scenes I remembered from the first book (or, more accurately, the movie, since that was more recent in my head) felt entirely refreshing and different. Knowing what was going to happen with certain scenes and how they'd play out didn't take away from my reading experience at all, which I was pleasantly surprised by. It was truly such a delight to read and it definitely reignited my love for YA vampires and the Twilight series as a whole.
The only thing that disappointed me a little bit as a reader was the fact that, a little ways into the book, I started to figure out that it was pretty much just going to be the retelling from ONLY the first book. It felt like there were definitely times where there wasn't much plot on Edward's end and the story was dragging a little bit, so it would've been awesome to see some more of the future books showing up here. But then again, maybe that's just Stephenie Meyer's plan to release more books, in which case...I'm totally here for it. Although, to be entirely honest, I'd probably skip right to buying whichever books covered the BREAKING DAWN drama, because the hopeless romantic (and avid romance reader!) in me wants to see everything about the wedding and the ~*honeymoon* from Edward's POV. *fans self*
Overall, I really enjoyed reading MIDNIGHT SUN and I'd definitely recommend it to any fans of Twilight, new or old. Even though it's been nearly a decade since I read the books and I wasn't such a huge stan during the original release (I'm talking tee shirts, midnight releases, cardboard cutouts...I was too young at the time!!), I really fell into this story and couldn't put it down because I kept wanting to relieve the story that had captured me so many years ago. It was really a treat to read and I'm hoping I'll get the chance to read the other books from Edward's POV as well!
Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to pop some popcorn and to convince my boyfriend to come over for a Twilight movie marathon (a rewatch for me and a first-time event for him). Because if there's anything better than falling into the drama of Twilight's narrative, it's watching it play out on the screen. Anyone in the mood to queue up Supermassive Black Hole by Muse?
But I'm really glad to say that, as is the case with most of the scenarios in my life, my worries were unfounded and everything turned out just fine. In fact, I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'm excited to get into my review! So without further ado, let's get into it.
As the summary explains, this book is a retelling of the first Twilight novel but from Edward's POV. While at first glance it may seem like it's just the same story told over again (which, like I said, kind of pushed me away from it in the beginning), that's actually not the case. For starters, this is the first chance that readers get the chance to be in Edward's head. But you also get the chance to see the Cullen family dynamic behind closed doors, as well as the history of not only Edward's vampirism, but also how the rest of his family both came to be vampires and also how they decided to join the family in the first place. There's a lot of history packed into these pages that I never knew before and found myself really intrigued by. I really enjoyed reading this book!
While it was certainly hefty (almost 700 pages!) in a way that definitely intimidated me at first, I ended up not wanting the story to end. Watching Bella and Edward's antics outside of her head makes for a totally different story, in my opinion. I didn't feel like I was rereading the first Twilight book at all -- it felt like an entirely fresh, new, exciting story. Even the scenes I remembered from the first book (or, more accurately, the movie, since that was more recent in my head) felt entirely refreshing and different. Knowing what was going to happen with certain scenes and how they'd play out didn't take away from my reading experience at all, which I was pleasantly surprised by. It was truly such a delight to read and it definitely reignited my love for YA vampires and the Twilight series as a whole.
The only thing that disappointed me a little bit as a reader was the fact that, a little ways into the book, I started to figure out that it was pretty much just going to be the retelling from ONLY the first book. It felt like there were definitely times where there wasn't much plot on Edward's end and the story was dragging a little bit, so it would've been awesome to see some more of the future books showing up here. But then again, maybe that's just Stephenie Meyer's plan to release more books, in which case...I'm totally here for it. Although, to be entirely honest, I'd probably skip right to buying whichever books covered the BREAKING DAWN drama, because the hopeless romantic (and avid romance reader!) in me wants to see everything about the wedding and the ~*honeymoon* from Edward's POV. *fans self*
Overall, I really enjoyed reading MIDNIGHT SUN and I'd definitely recommend it to any fans of Twilight, new or old. Even though it's been nearly a decade since I read the books and I wasn't such a huge stan during the original release (I'm talking tee shirts, midnight releases, cardboard cutouts...I was too young at the time!!), I really fell into this story and couldn't put it down because I kept wanting to relieve the story that had captured me so many years ago. It was really a treat to read and I'm hoping I'll get the chance to read the other books from Edward's POV as well!
Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to pop some popcorn and to convince my boyfriend to come over for a Twilight movie marathon (a rewatch for me and a first-time event for him). Because if there's anything better than falling into the drama of Twilight's narrative, it's watching it play out on the screen. Anyone in the mood to queue up Supermassive Black Hole by Muse?
*While I purchased this book at a local B&N with my own money and as part of my own decision, I am also an employee of Hachette, specifically Little, Brown and Company -- but the company is no way involved in my thoughts or opinions about this book. All of these thoughts are independent and entirely mine!
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