About three things I was absolutely positive about. 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.” The Twilight Saga impacted the lives of millions all across the world. From sold out theatres to Comic-Cons, no one could really predict the turn out of the Twilight books and movies. Not even the author of the world renown series, Stephenie Meyer. I remember as a little girl in middle school being in love with Edward, and was definitely #TeamEdward (the man sparkled in the sun for heaven’s sake, who wouldn’t love him?) The series is originally told from the point of view of Bella Swan. She went through blood, sweat, and years to keep her one true love, Edward Cullen. Bella was able to unravel the unruly truth about the Cullens: they were vampires.
In August of 2020, many Twilight fans finally had their prayers answered; a book told from the point of view of Edward Cullen. I’m sure we all know Edward was the genius of the family, not just because he read a lot of books and played the piano, but due to the fact he could read minds. Every vampire has different abilities, and some have none in general. You can imagine Edward’s surprise when he realized he couldn’t hear Bella’s thoughts. Reading this book isn’t for just casual readers. All 600+ pages attract the minds of Twi-Hards (Twilight fans), or those who like to be creeped out by a 109 year old vampire lusting after a high school girl who can barely walk in a straight line without getting hurt.
In Midnight Sun, Meyer did an impeccable job conveying Edward’s inner thoughts when he first laid eyes on Bella. She even was able to describe the way her smell radiated to Edward. In the first Twilight book, Bella just sees the way Edward recoils from her, probably from her “horrible” smell. In reality, Edward was so compelled by her scent, that he was planning different ways to kill her, and the fear of outing his family’s secret to the town of Forks, Washington.
Edward Cullen seems a lot more “stalkerish” in this book as well. It’s strange how from the very start he was watching Bella as she slept in her room, or how he followed her out of town without her consent. Edward sees Bella as this damsel in distress, and that she needs constant protecting. It results in him being controlling, and even at times domineering. If you like watching toxic couples, this is the one for you.
The crazy thing is, Edward knew that everything he was doing was wrong. Yet, it could be said that his animalistic side took over when it came to Bella. Meyer does well conveying his primal instincts for love. Edward is known as the most controlled vampire when it came to his family; yet all of that went out the window when he first saw Bella. I’m not sure to call his actions sweet, or borderline insane.
I feel as though the book fell short when it came to the original plots in the books and movies. Bella had way more dialogue in Midnight Sun, more than what the audience is used to. The way she was exposed to his secret differs from how she originally knew. It skips the important scene in the first book when they’re out in the woods and she states, “You’re impossibly fast, and strong. Your skin is pale white and ice cold. Your eyes change color, and sometimes you speak like – like you’re from a different time. You never eat or drink anything. You don’t go out in the sunlight.” The realization behind this scene is so surreal. While Edward is known to always watch people and hear everything they’re thinking, here is this simple girl who also has been studying him for a change.
Meyer portrays Edward’s love story on his end with more dimension. In Twilight, Bella seems to fall in love with Edward rather quickly, and it’s jarring. For Bella, she would just simply, “blush.” Yet, for Edward, “the blood rose to her cheeks.” How cute is that?
Overall, Midnight Sun wasn’t a terrible book- it just wasn’t that great either. No matter how hard Meyer tried to sell Bella Swan as a “special” girl, it just wasn’t useful. Edward saw her in such a bright light and would risk his well being for her, but I just don’t know why. Anyway, Edward and Bella are star-crossed lovers, and it’s going to take more than fate to keep them apart- even if it means Bella may have to become a vampire herself…