I loved these books and I could NOT put them DOWN. I read them like I had a disease and they were the cure. I devoured the entire series of 4 books in under 6 days. I’m not the only one; many of my friends had the exact same reaction. The plot keeps the reader going to find out what happens next. It’s suspenseful, not always action suspense but also waiting for a character’s reaction or decision with baited breath.
When I first heard of these books I was already on board. I love to read paranormal romance, vampires, and science fiction. But after all the hype, I was so apprehensive to get started that Twilight sat on my nightstand for a couple days before I reluctantly picked it up. What could possibly be so great to need all this attention?
For the first 50 to 100 pages when I sat down with Twilight my reaction was, “what the heck is the big deal?”. But once I had invested in the characters and got roped in to the story I was hooked.
I expected a good coming of age novel like Eragon, Harry Potter, and so so many more. But Bella can hardly be compared to most of the gawky teenagers showcased in science fiction/fantasy books. Bella is shown to be an old soul who is more responsible than most adults. In between fitting into a new town, fighting social mores and working on bonding into a vampire family she makes dinner for her dad and runs the household.
Edward also isn’t the typical vampire. After reading slews of vampire novels, I have to say some of Meyer’s ideas still surprised me as original. Which I think is hard to find! Edward and his siblings also have such significant differences. Their personalities, and the background which brought them to who and where they are now, are so fantastically diverse. You have to read onward into all four novels to hear most of their stories and even get a glimpse into lives of other vampires from around the world.
The hype does bother me somewhat, and I hate to raise expectations too high for other readers. It was definitely obvious to me that these books were written for a young adult audience. As such they have all the flaws therin; no, they don’t argue about nail color and say, “like” and “ya know” repeatedly; but yes, they do have low esteem, peer pressure, teen angst and prom to write into the plot line.
The writing isn’t spectacular, but it’s the original characters and fantastic story that make these books great. The set up for something about to happen; expectation as it is about to unfold; waiting for realization; it’s addicting!
For days after finishing the series and putting the books down, the books (and Edward) stayed on my mind. Days. Even though I had moved on to other novel(s). What is that elusive compulsion that captivated me and millions of others?
I have no idea. But I want more.
The Twilight Saga includes the following four novels by Stephanie Meyer. You need to read them in order or you will really lose out. I would suggest buying all of them at once, since if you are like me, you will want the next one NOW. 
All four novels were original and exciting as each introduced new concepts and characters. And of course, you have to keep reading to find out what happens next!!
The Twilight Saga:
1. Twilight
2. New Moon
3. Eclipse
4. Breaking Dawn
