Characters beat plot for an overall win. — 12 weeks ago
I had to retrain my reading, and remind myself that this is a Teen Lit/Young Adult book. The plot was a bit thin, and a little predictable. Any other author could have fit it into a neat little package of about 50 pages or so…but wait, this isn’t a negative review. What makes this book stand out and apart from the classic vampire mythos are the emotional descriptions of a dangerous, hesitant, and young love. It more than adequately captures the tension inherent in the first stages of any relationship, human or not. (In fact, it had me blushing and remembering more than a few distant and tense crushes.) That said, it is not without its share of action sequences, but they are overshadowed a bit by the interplay between Edward and Bella. It’s easy to sympathize with lesser characters as well, because they are all familiar faces when compared with our own experiences. It was a quick, yet satisfying read. I’m interested in checking out the rest of the series, now.
