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Welcome to the final week of my first-time-reading-Twilight-blog-experience! We are at chapter 18 and we will go through the end of the book this week. Thank you all for joining me on this adventure to celebrate 20 years of Twilight.

If you are still looking for some more Twilight fun, I hope you will come to our 20^th Anniversary Twilight Party at the Fairborn Library on Saturday November 15, 6:30-8:00.

Chapter 18: The Hunt

Whoa, I was not expecting all the action of this chapter!! We meet a new group of vampires: Laurent, Victoria, and James. The differences and interactions between the Cullens and this new group was interesting. They clearly have different vampire-life philosophies and we also see Bella actually feeling the sense of fear in this situation! It’s been around 300 pages of Bella not being afraid, even though she knows she should be, to finally being so scared that she is frozen in place.

I’m not sure if I agree with the quick plan they put together to get Bella away from the danger of the tracker. I understand that they are trying to protect Bella from a dangerous situation that will move quickly, but they also seem to be forgetting that she is 17 and has a parent at home. It doesn’t seem feasible that she can go home for 15 min and then just decide to leave. What do you think of this plan?

Chapter 19: Goodbyes

Well, that plan came together very quickly! I’m surprised how easily Bella was able to leave her home and that Charlie didn’t stop her. How does the fast pace of this section of the book make you feel? I am feeling a little anxious and nervous for Bella’s safety! (but, also, not too nervous because I know there are more books in this series  )

Chapter 20: Impatience

The biggest part of this chapter, to me, is learning about how vampires are made! We hear Alice tell Bella her theory of how a vampire is made, even though she doesn’t have the actual memory herself. I do wonder why Alice doesn’t have this memory since most vampires keep this as their most vivid and painful memory. Maybe we will get more of Alice’s backstory in the future?

What did you think about the vision that Alice has in this chapter and how do you think it relates to the tracking of Bella? Do you think the Cullens will be able to protect her easily?

Chapter 21: Phone Call

This was a quick but powerful chapter. I can’t believe the tracker has Bella’s mom! Bella is certainly a little delusional to think that she can successfully escape from Alice and Jasper but I appreciate her willingness to try and her continued thinking that she doesn’t want anyone to come to any harm on her behalf.

Chapter 22: Hide-and-Seek

So, in this reading of Twilight, I have been writing these reaction blog posts in real time—I will read a chapter and then write my reflections on it. I am now laughing at myself from just a few minutes ago when I was sure Bella would not be able to escape Alice and Jasper, but then she did it so easily! She also, finally, refers to Forks as her home. This feels like a huge character development for her!

We finally get the scene that is referenced in the preface about “the hunter” in “the long room”. Bella has taken her destiny in her own hands by running off on her own to try to save her mom. Were you surprised that it was all a trap and that Bella’s mom was not actually in danger? I was! I am feeling a little scared for Bella right now! She is not doing great at the end of this chapter and I hope someone comes to save her soon! What do you think about this section?

Chapter 23: The Angel

This was a short chapter, but I am relieved that Edward, Carlisle, and Alice made it in time to save Bella! Edward is compared to an angel in this chapter which aligns consistently with Bella’s perception of him as perfect and beautiful.  

Chapter 24: An Impasse

I am feeling more relief in this chapter that Bella is okay and is recovering in the hospital. Tell me I wasn’t the only one who thought she might have been turned into a vampire at the end of that last chapter! It’s very interesting to me that she is almost regretting that she wasn’t turned. She really seems to want this for herself and her life.

Epilogue: An Occasion

This was a great ending to this book! I love that we are back in Forks and that Bella and Edward go to prom together! It feels sweet that we end on such a nice, high school experience, that bookends the beginning’s experience of starting at a new high school. There are two things that stood out to me the most in this final chapter. First, Bella is very insistent about wanting to be turned into a vampire. This feels so wild to me. Edward is trying to show her that she should have regular human, teenage girl experiences and she wants nothing to do with it. It does not seem like she is going to give up this position. Second, we get one final scene with Jacob Black! I was happy that he made an appearance at prom to chat with Bella. He’s not in this book very much, but I really like him as a character, even if his message and warnings were a little ominous.

Well, we did it! We made it to the end of Twilight. I really enjoyed this experience reading Twilight for the very first time 20 years after it was originally published. I had a lot of preconceived thoughts about the story and the writing and I am so happy to be proven wrong. This was a fun and entertaining book with an engaging story line that had me feeling so many emotions! I don’t think I can pick Team Edward or Team Jacob yet, based on this book alone…so I think that means I have to keep reading this series. 

Thank you so much for reading this far into my blog posts about this and I hope to see you at our Twilight Party in November!

Welcome back! I am still enjoying my first read of Twilight and I hope you have been having fun reading along with me! This week we will cover chapter 13 through chapter 17, so let’s dive in.

Chapter 13: Confessions

Last week, I had so many emotions over the fact that the chapter ended right as Edward was stepping out into the sun for Bella to see how he sparkles so I was thrilled to keep reading about it in this chapter.

We learn a lot about vampires in this Twilight universe here: to them, some humans smell (taste?) different than others in a way that becomes more pronounced with time; they sparkle; they are extremely strong and fast, which we have evidence for when Edward runs around the meadow and breaks off some tree limbs. In other vampire books that I have read, the vampires are often able to drink the blood from people without killing the, but Edward talks as if the only option he has is to kill her. Is that right in this universe or did I miss something? Maybe we will find out more later on in the story.

We also learned a little bit more about the Cullen family dynamic when Edward described their reactions to his situation with Bella, they were divided. I hope we get to learn more about the other Cullens—they have been mentioned in passing and have been side characters so far, but I am curious about each of them and the family backstory.

The most interesting bit of this chapter, to me, is Edwards statement, “And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…” I know this is a popular and often-quoted part of Twilight in the fandom and I’m wondering what your thoughts are about this. To me, it falls right in line with all of the other biblical references that are strung throughout this book. From the very first page with a quote from Genesis, to the repeated visual of the apple (forbidden fruit), to this lion and lamb metaphor, we are seeing the biblical representation of opposites: good vs. evil, strong vs. weak (or meek, in the sense of the lamb), perfect and beautiful Edward vs. stupid and clumsy Bella.

This is taking me back to the preface, which was very confusing to me at the time I read it, but is now beginning to make some sense. We are heading in the direction of a sacrificial death, a lamb to slaughter, a hunter stalking his prey. I would say that things are not looking great for Bella, but she seems to be happy and having the time of her life.

Chapter 14: Mind Over Matter

Oh my gosh—so Edward is 104 years old at this point in the story?! It’s very fun to get the back story of the Cullen family and how they all came to be vampires and now live together as a family. It’s also very telling and interesting that they are all paired up, except Edward. We have Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, Esme and Carlisle, Edward and…Bella?

What do you think about some of the special gifts some vampires seem to have? Edward can read (most) minds and Alice can see visions of the future. How has this played into what we know about the story now and what might happen in the rest of the book?

Once we get through some of this background info on the Cullens, I am not sure how I feel about the remainder of the chapter. I do not at all like how Edward watches Bella sleep EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!!! That is wild and an invasion of privacy. I get that he is obsessed with her…but…I don’t like it. What do you think about this? Do you think it’s cute and romantic or a little bit creepy?

Chapter 15: The Cullens

Okay, the first thing about this chapter that I want to talk about is that Edward is very clearly and intentionally not saying that he loves Bella. She has told him several times, very directly, that she loves him and he has not said it back. He said, “You are my life now” and that is not the same as, “I love you”. Do you think he will ever say this to her or is the extent of their relationship and his feelings the obsession and overprotection?

It was really fun to read about the Cullen household and have some interactions between Bella and the vampire family. I am curious and interested to find out what happens with the mysterious visitors that are coming and also what Alice’s vision is all about. I hope we find out soon!

Chapter 16: Carlisle

I have so much appreciation for the character of Carlisle after reading this chapter! Did you like to read about his backstory and his life’s journey and work? First of all, it seems like Carlisle has a fantastic home office/library and I am always appreciative of that. Bella describes it as having more books than she’s ever seen outside of a library.

Second, learning about Carlisle’s history and journey to become the vampire doctor that he is today, was kind of inspiring. He was alone in the world and had to make his own way to survive while also intentionally trying to not bring harm to humans. This compassion that drives his life and purpose is a stark contrast to the narrative that Edward has been telling to Bella—that they are dangerous killers who have little to no self-control.

Third, the concept that Edward, in his teenage-vampire rebellion, would use his ability to read minds to hunt down and kill only evil people, is interesting. What do you think of this concept? Do you think that he is justified to pursue this method? (Who has seen the show or read the book series Dexter? That’s what I thought of here—a serial killer who only kills other serial killers).

Chapter 17: The Game

Jacob is back for a scene in this chapter! It’s nice to see him and I wish we had more of him in this book because I want to figure out if I am Team Jacob or Team Edward. Someone told me that I probably need to read further in the series to really decide that, so I might have to keep going after I finish this one!

Edward FINALLY tells Bella that he loves her. It took him long enough considering all they have been through already!

The baseball scenes are hilarious. I don’t even know what to think. It’s so ridiculous that they have to wait for a thunderstorm to play baseball, but it also makes perfect sense. I am not very interested in sports, personally, but I wouldn’t mind watching a vampire baseball game!

This chapter is the final one for this week, and it really ended on a cliffhanger! I have been wondering what Alice’s visions meant and who she saw and it seems like we are really close to finding out! Are they other vampires? Werewolves? Some other supernatural creature? I guess I need to keep reading to find out!

Thank you for reading this far into my Twilight journey and I look forward to chatting with you in the comments!

Welcome back to the next installment in my Twilight journey! Last week, we left off at the point in the story where we have met our main characters and Jacob has shared with Bella some of the lore and history about werewolves and vampires. I am finding that I am really enjoying reading this book! I wasn’t sure about it when I started, but I am having a lot of fun with it now!

This week, we will cover chapter 7 through chapter 12. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Chapter 7: Nightmare

What a chapter to start this week off! I absolutely loved this chapter of the book. I am reading my own copy of this book (not a library copy) and I made so many annotations. I know it’s a controversial topic in the bookish world, but I love writing in my books, it enriches the reading experience for me and I enjoy going back to see what my past-self noticed and thought.
The first thing we have to talk about for this chapter is the old tech!! It was great and funny to read about Bella plugging in her headphones to her CD player and listening to a CD she was given. Is there any lore in the Twilight fandom about what CD this could be? I am so curious! Bella says there is “a little too much bass and shrieking” for her taste and I am dying to know what band or album this is. Then, there is an entire page where Bella is impatiently waiting for the dialup internet to connect and load. It takes so long that she walks away to make herself a bowl of cereal! I literally laughed out loud at this part because it is an experience that I have had many times in my life but haven’t thought about in years. How nostalgic! Are there any old tech experiences or memories that you miss?

I also love that she just googles the word vampire, has to click away a ton of pop-up ads, and then begins her research on her Cullens-are-vampires-theory.

My only complaint about this chapter is that Bella went into the woods by herself and that seems slightly dangerous. She has a feeling of not being alone or of being watched at least twice so far in this book—is Edward following her and watching her?!

Chapter 8: Port Angeles

In the previous chapter, I was briefly worried for Bella when she went on a walk in the woods by herself because that is not usually a safe or smart thing to do alone, especially without tell anyone. I would gladly go back to those feelings compared to the ones I had in this chapter! I read through the section of her walking alone through the town so quickly because I couldn’t stand it!

It’s an interesting juxtaposition to have this situation with heightened fear for Bella and her safety be resolved by Edward coming to her rescue. We are put in a situation where Edward seems like a strong and safe presence in Bella’s life even though this directly contradicts everything Edward says. He maintains that he is bad, dangerous, and that Bella should stay away from him. Yet, at the same time, he seems to be constantly saving her and worried about her safety and wellbeing. I am very interested in this continuation of the good vs evil themes that were set up from last week’s chapters.
Please tell me in the comments your thoughts about their first date. What wild first-date conversation—discussing the limits of Edward’s ability to read minds (hypothetically) while she eats mushroom ravioli. 

I feel like I have so many questions after this date and conversation. Why does Edward feel compelled to constantly monitor Bella’s safety and continue to go out of his way to save her? Why do Edward’s eyes change color based on his mood or his feelings? Why is Bella the one exception to his mind reading abilities? Why is she and their connection seem special and unique?

Chapter 9: Theory

We get some truly iconic moments in this chapter! In addition to never reading Twilight (before now) I have also never seen the movies, but I know enough to know that some of the scenes here are a point of contention when we compare the book to the movie, so let’s talk about it.

When Bella first says the word vampire to Edward, I was expecting something wildly dramatic and it felt anticlimactic to me compared to what I had envisioned. What are your thoughts and opinions on this scene? Do you like the more casual conversation of the book or the more dramatic flair of the movie?

The second iconic part is when she asks him how long he has been 17. I have seen that bit of dialogue from the movie and I was immediately excited to get to that part in the book. Do we ever find out exactly how long Edward has been 17?! (Also, it seems kind of crazy that they are all still going to high school…is that explained later?)

The third iconic part (in my opinion) is when Edward describes how he can’t go out in the sunlight where he can be seen. He doesn’t say why or what happens other than the sun doesn’t hurt him, but I think we all know by now what the sun does and how he sparkles. It was fun to have this be the first reference to the sparkling and I am excited to get to read about Bella seeing it for the first time (hopefully!).

The final iconic part of this chapter is the very last few lines:

About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him—and I didn’t know how potent that part might be—that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

I don’t even know if I have words to talk about this part other than I was giggling and kicking my feet and having a great time reading Twilight.
What is your favorite moment of this chapter?

Chapter 10: Interrogations

There were some fun and cute moments in this chapter. What do you think about the character of Jessica? The archetype of a high school best friend provides some relief to the intense conversations and scenes with Edward. It’s also a nice reminder that most of our characters are true teenagers and high schoolers.

We also get more of Bella doubling down on the negative self-talk while simultaneously praising Edward. This is continuing to be quite the theme in this book. Oh! We also get a second reference of a character holding an apple in this chapter. I am interested to see if there is more that happens with this imagery in the story since it is the iconic cover image and represents the theme of good versus evil.

Chapter 11: Complications

Just when Bella and Edward seem to be getting along great and getting into a cute little routine, Jacob Black shows up again at the end of this chapter. I can see why this one is titled “Complications”.

Remind me again in the comments if you are Team Edward or Team Jacob!

Chapter 12: Balancing

It was nice to see Jacob back in this chapter and see more of his interactions with Bella. It wasn’t as charming, to me, as their first meeting at the beach hang, but it was still nice.

I really dislike how easily Bella just lies to literally everyone about her plans with Edward. That does not sit well with me. But aside from the lies…. the meadow scene!! The description of the meadow is lovely—full of wildflowers and a haze of buttery sunshine.

I cannot believe that this chapter ends before Edward steps out into the sunshine. You will have to wait until next week to read my thoughts on all the sparkles. 

Thank you again for reading this far!