Twilight

Starred review from July 18, 2005
Isabella Swan, 17, narrates this riveting first novel, propelled by suspense and romance in equal parts. The story opens with a cryptic scene of the heroine "facing death," then flashes back to Bella's departure from Phoenix, where her mother lives with her new husband, as the teen heads off to live with her father, the police chief in Forks, Wash. From the first day at her new high school, she finds herself magnetically drawn to Edward Cullen, whose behavior towards her is erratic ("I'd just explained my dreary life to this bizarre, beautiful boy who may or may not despise me"). Then she finds out why his interest in her runs hot and cold: he is a vampire—but of an unusual variety. Edward, his siblings and their adoptive parents have disciplined themselves to feed on animals rather than humans; and Edward is obsessed with Bella. Other elements factor into the plot, including a rival group of vampires who are not as disciplined as the Cullens. This plot twist (which includes a subplot about one of the Cullens' past life) contributes to a rushed denouement (much of it takes place offstage) that is perhaps the novel's only weakness. The main draw here is Bella's infatuation with outsider Edward, the sense of danger inherent in their love, and Edward's inner struggle—a perfect metaphor for the sexual tension that accompanies adolescence. These will be familiar to nearly every teen, and will keep readers madly flipping the pages of Meyer's tantalizing debut. Ages 12-up.

November 14, 2005
Kadushin takes a bite out of Meyer's debut novel, reading the suspenseful vampire romance with gusto and conveying a range of adolescent emotions. When 17-year-old Isabella Swan moves to perpetually rainy, small-town Forks, Wash., to live with her father, she accepts that it will be much duller than life in Phoenix with Mom. But Bella gets more excitement than she bargained for when she falls hard for Edward Cullen, a beautiful, pale boy with a disturbingly deep gaze and eyes that change color. It turns out that Edward and his adoptive family are all vampires, and Bella has entered mysterious, dangerous territory just by associating with them. The drama of everyday high school entertainingly blends with the supernatural as the plot thickens. And Kadushin makes listeners believe Bella's intense feelings of love, confusion and fear as Meyer's tale takes a gripping, unexpected turn toward a somewhat-rushed ending. This enticing production will definitely leave listeners wanting to hear more in this planned trilogy. Ages 12-up.

March 29, 2010
The Twilight Saga continues as the world's most beloved teen vampire story arrives in yet another package: the graphic novel. The story has remained the same: girl meets vampire, girl falls in love with vampire, vampire loves her back and almost gets her killed. Meyers's trilogy has captured by storm the anguished hearts of teens and romance readers—not to mention the jealous attention of the rest of the publishing industry. With each book in the saga, Meyers has built a devoted audience with an insatiable appetite for her series. Yen Press is clearly capitalizing on that audience with this graphic novel adaptation. The hardcover presentation and price-point signal that the book is intended as a collector's item and, at its best, another way to relive the Twilight experience. Unfortunately, this first half of the two-volume adaptation of Meyers's first book brings nothing new to the table. While Young Kim's paneling isn't terrible, her pacing is off, and the book reads unevenly. The dialogue is stilted and the characters come across as annoying rather than expressing longing. Twilight: The Graphic Novel
reads like a first draft where all the pieces are there, but have yet to meld to one another and actually fit. There are certain angles and physical poses that Kim has not yet mastered, and they stand out starkly in this book. Nevertheless, retailers will be hard-pressed to keep copies of this book on their shelves.