Amazon.com
"Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands. 'Be very still,' he whispered, as if I wasn't already frozen. Slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, he leaned toward me. Then abruptly, but very gently, he rested his cold cheek against the hollow at the base of my throat."
As Shakespeare knew, love burns high when thwarted by obstacles. In Twilight, an exquisite fantasy by Stephenie Meyer, readers discover a pair of lovers who are supremely star-crossed. Bella adores beautiful Edward, and he returns her love. But Edward is having a hard time controlling the blood lust she arouses in him, because--he's a vampire. At any moment, the intensity of their passion could drive him to kill her, and he agonizes over the danger. But, Bella would rather be dead than part from Edward, so she risks her life to stay near him, and the novel burns with the erotic tension of their dangerous and necessarily chaste relationship.
Meyer has achieved quite a feat by making this scenario completely human and believable. She begins with a familiar YA premise (the new kid in school), and lulls us into thinking this will be just another realistic young adult novel. Bella has come to the small town of Forks on the gloomy Olympic Peninsula to be with her father. At school, she wonders about a group of five remarkably beautiful teens, who sit together in the cafeteria but never eat. As she grows to know, and then love, Edward, she learns their secret. They are all rescued vampires, part of a family headed by saintly Carlisle, who has inspired them to renounce human prey. For Edward's sake they welcome Bella, but when a roving group of tracker vampires fixates on her, the family is drawn into a desperate pursuit to protect the fragile human in their midst. The precision and delicacy of Meyer's writing lifts this wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre to a place among the best of YA fiction. (Ages 12 and up) --Patty Campbell
10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Stephenie Meyer
Q: Were you a fan of
Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Angel? What are you watching now that those shows are off the air?
A: I have never seen an entire episode of
Buffy or
Angel. While I was writing
Twilight, I let my older sister read along chapter by chapter. She's a huge Buffy fan and she kept trying to get me to watch, but I was afraid it would mess up my vision of the vampire world so I never did.
I don't have a ton of time for TV, and my kids get rowdy when I have on "mommy shows," but I do have a secret fondness for reality shows (the good ones, at least in my opinion). I always TiVo Survivor, The Amazing Race, and America's Next Top Model.
Q: What inspired you to write Twilight? Is this the beginning of a series? Why write for teens?
A: Twilight was inspired by a very vivid dream, which is fairly faithfully transcribed as chapter thirteen of the book. There are sequels on the way--I'm hard at work editing book two (tentatively titled New Moon) right now, and book three is waiting in line for its turn.
I didn't mean to write for teens--I didn't mean to write for anyone but myself, so I had an audience of one twenty-nine year old (and later one thirty-one year old when my sister started reading). I think the reason that I ended up with a book for teens is because high school is such a compelling time period--it gives you some of your worst scars and some of your most exhilarating memories. It's a fascinating place: old enough to feel truly adult, old enough to make decisions that affect the rest of your life, old enough to fall in love, yet, at the same time too young (in most cases) to be free to make a lot of those decisions without someone else's approval. There's a lot of scope for a novel in that.
Q: What is your favorite vampire story? Fave vampire movie?
A: I guess my favorite vampire story would be The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice, simply because it's one of the only ones I've ever read. I keep meaning to pick up Bram Stoker's Dracula, because I get asked this question so often and I should probably start with the classics, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Again, I'm afraid to read other vampire books now, for fear of finding things either too similar, or too different from my own vampire world.
Ack! I can't even answer the movie question. I can't remember ever seeing a single vampire movie, outside of clips from Bela Lugosi movies on TV. I don't like true horror movies--my favorite scary movies are all Hitchcock's.
Q: What other young adult authors do you read?
A: My favorite young adult author is L.M. Montgomery I also enjoy J.K. Rowling (but who doesn't?), and Ann Brashares. As a teen, I skipped straight to adult books (lots of sci-fi and Jane Austen), so I'm rediscovering the world of teen literature now.
Stephenie Meyer's List of Books You Should Read
See more recommendations from Stephenie Meyer
Amazon.com's Significant Seven
Stephenie Meyer graciously agreed to answer the questions we like to ask every author: the Amazon.com Significant Seven.
Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: The book with the most significant impact on my life is The Book of Mormon. The book with the most significant impact on my life as a writer is probably Speaker for the Dead, by Orson Scott Card, with Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier coming in as a close second.
Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: The CD is easy: Absolution by Muse, hands down. It's harder to give myself just one movie, but the one I watch most frequently is Sense and Sensibility--the one with the screenplay by Emma Thompson. One book is impossible. I'd have to have Pride and Prejudice, but I couldn't live without something by Orson Scott Card and a nice, thick Maeve Binchy, too.
Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: My lies are all very, very boring: "No, you really look great in hot pink!" "My children only watch one hour of TV a day." "I didn't eat the last Swiss Cake Roll--it must have been one of the kids." That's the best I've got.
Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: It's late at night and the house is silent, but I'm still (miraculously) full of energy. I have my headphones in and I'm listened to a mix of Muse, Coldplay, Travis, My Chemical Romance, and The All-American Rejects. Beside me is a fabulous, and yet mysteriously low in calorie, cheesecake....
Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: I'd like it to say that I really tried at the important things. I was never perfect at any of them, but I honestly tried to be a great mom, a loving wife, a good daughter, and a true friend. Under that, I'd want a list of my favorite Simpsons quotes.
Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: I'd love to have a chance to talk to Orson Scott Card--I have a million questions for him. Mostly things like, "How do you come up with this stuff?!" But, if he wasn't available, I'd settle for Matthew Bellamy (lead singer of Muse).
Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: I'd want something offensive, rather than defensive. Like shooting fireballs from my hands. That way, you're really open to going either way--hero or villain. I like to have choices.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 9 Up–Headstrong, sun-loving, 17-year-old Bella declines her mom's invitation to move to Florida, and instead reluctantly opts to move to her dad's cabin in the dreary, rainy town of Forks, WA. She becomes intrigued with Edward Cullen, a distant, stylish, and disarmingly handsome senior, who is also a vampire. When he reveals that his specific clan hunts wildlife instead of humans, Bella deduces that she is safe from his blood-sucking instincts and therefore free to fall hopelessly in love with him. The feeling is mutual, and the resulting volatile romance smolders as they attempt to hide Edward's identity from her family and the rest of the school. Meyer adds an eerie new twist to the mismatched, star-crossed lovers theme: predator falls for prey, human falls for vampire. This tension strips away any pretense readers may have about the everyday teen romance novel, and kissing, touching, and talking take on an entirely new meaning when one small mistake could be life-threatening. Bella and Edward's struggle to make their relationship work becomes a struggle for survival, especially when vampires from an outside clan infiltrate the Cullen territory and head straight for her. As a result, the novel's danger-factor skyrockets as the excitement of secret love and hushed affection morphs into a terrifying race to stay alive. Realistic, subtle, succinct, and easy to follow,
Twilight will have readers dying to sink their teeth into it.
–Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
See all Editorial Reviews
What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing Items Like This?
|
Tags customers associate with this product (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
Help others find this product - tag it for Amazon search
|
|
|
Search Products Tagged with
|
|
Are you the publisher or author? Learn how Amazon can help you make this book an eBook.
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can make it available as an eBook on Amazon.com.
Learn more
Rate this item to improve your recommendations
Customer Reviews
|
|
|
New! Amazon has customer video reviews
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
149 of 186 people found the following review helpful:
Not just for young adults, September 30, 2005
I am a big vampire genre fan, so when I saw this book in a magazine, it caught my eye. I have to admit, I felt a little funny even thinking of buying it, because it is listed and shelved as a young adult book. Well, I decided to "bite" the bullet, and I purchased it, curled up with it over a weekend, and could not put it down. Don't let the fact that you have to visit a different section of the book store stop you from reading it, (or of course, purchase it on Amazon, no one will ever know if you don't want them too). This is a really great book with real emotions all wrapped up in a vampire story, a young woman's story of having to grow up faster then she maybe should have because of her parents, and yet still dealing with all the issues that growing up brings with it. All in all, a great book, glad I decided to overlook the age description.
|
|
|
73 of 110 people found the following review helpful:
Sweet vampire romance, October 24, 2005
Alright - I'm a bit bias. I'll read anything that's about vampires. But this book was not only well written = the characters were relatable. I won't even say "for a young adult novel" It's not fair. It was a good book that I'm looking forward to a sequel - or 2 - hopefully.
The vampire myth is a bit tilted - which is nice, actually. Adds a bit of mystery. It's a sweet slightly dark romance that is perfect for the season.
|
|
|
23 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
144 positive reviews - and they're right! , March 6, 2006
This time the readers got it right. This is a book well worth reading and an absolute MUST for fans of themes revolving around vampires. Buffy fans should be delighted by this one as well.
By the way, don't be put off by the fact that it was written for the Young Adult crowd. It has plenty to engage any adult reader as well, from romance, bittersweet moments and, of course, the dilemna of vampire meets human, including romance and danger.
THere are also two competing vampire "clans" leading to moments of great suspense.
|
Share your thoughts with other customers: 
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Customer Discussions
Beta (What's this?)
New! Receive e-mail when new posts are made. Click the "Track it!" button on any discussion page.
This product's forum
(56 discussions)
| |
|
|
| |
Active discussions in related forums
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Related forums
|
Product Information from the Amapedia Community
Beta
(What's this?)
Look for Similar Items by Category
- 4-for-3 Books Store > Children's Books > Literature > General
- 4-for-3 Books Store > Children's Books > Literature > Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror > Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
- 4-for-3 Books Store > Children's Books > Literature > Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror > Spine-Chilling Horror
- 4-for-3 Books Store > Teens > Horror
- 4-for-3 Books Store > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Love & Romance
- 4-for-3 Books Store > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy
- 4-for-3 Books Store > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction
- Children's Books > Literature > General
- Children's Books > Literature > Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror > Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
- Children's Books > Literature > Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror > Spine-Chilling Horror
- Teens > Horror
- Teens > Literature & Fiction > Love & Romance
- Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy
- Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction
Look for Similar Items by Subject
Harry Potter StoreOur Harry Potter Store features all things Harry, including books, audio CDs and cassettes, DVDs, soundtracks, and more. |
|
|
|
|
|
Editors' Faves in BooksSave 40% on The Significant 7, our favorite picks for the month. |
|
Spectacular Textbook SavingsSave up to 30% on over 100,000 new textbooks, and up to 90% off the list price of millions of used listings, in our Textbook Store. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
You have no recently viewed items or searches.
After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
|
Continue shopping: Unique bestsellers in the New York, Newark, Bridgeport area
| | |
|
|
| |
|
|
Conditions of Use
|
Privacy Notice
© 1996-2007, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates
Cart
Over a hundred thousand books are eligible for our 4-for-3 Books, Music, DVD promotion. How do I find more eligible items?
(440)
$10.44
(2792)
$19.24
![Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]](http://web.archive.org/web/20071024101532im_/http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/P/0061234001.01._PIsitb-dp-arrow,TopRight,15,-22_PE34_OU01_SCMZZZZZZZ_SS120_V24569029_.jpg)
