"Midnight Sun" by Stephenie Meyer
"Midnight Sun" by Stephenie Meyer
Hey everyone!
Back again with an extremely exciting review!
Enjoy x
Novel: Midnight Sun
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Published: 2020
Genre: romance, fantasy
Pages: 756
Series: Twilight #5
When I tell you I have literally been blasting the film's soundtracks all week (particularly New Moon because no one can deny that it is superior), I literally mean all week. Like, every day. Obsessed once again.
"For the first time in a hundred years, I was grateful to be what I was. Every aspect of being a vampire -- all but the danger to her -- was suddenly acceptable to me, because it was what had let me live long enough to find Bella." - Edward Cullen <3
Blurb:
When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella's side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward's version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.
This unforgettable tale as told through Edward's eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward's past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?
I think everyone who is a die-hard Twihard can agree that this month all they have felt is a surreal sense of nostalgia. It's crazy to think that Twilight was first published 14 years ago when I was barely four years old. And to think only two years later, at the tiny age of six I'd be seeing the first movie on DVD (mum never let me watch the ballet studio scene with James until I was older, though, don't worry.) And then again, for my tenth birthday back in 2012, getting to experience the excitement of Breaking Dawn Part 2 wearing my Twilight t-shirt which was too big (and which still miraculously just fits). Although I didn't actually read the books until I was sixteen, I had already fallen in love with the films years earlier. Both the books and majority (I will always hate the film adaptation of Eclipse, mostly because Summit decided to recast Victoria for no good reason) of the film adaptations will always hold a special place in my heart and I don't think a month goes by where I'm not watching at least one of the films. Especially since Midnight Sun came out and I have felt my obsession grow strong once again. My entire TikTok page is nearly covered with video after video all about Twilight (in particular Robert Pattinson edits, because, yes thank you.) It is a series that I doubt will ever grow old, even as time moves forward and its original fans grow up. Honestly, I know that as we all grow up and if we decide to have children, we will only reintroduce the world of Twilight to them and so on and so on. I don't think it will be something that ever dies out. Stephenie Meyer has created an amazing world and an awesome legacy. Her fans are also some of the most passionate I've ever witnessed and I cannot wait until one day, she finally publishes the other two Twilight novels she has been working on (as long as we don't all have to wait another twelve years, that it...).
Anyway, I should probably stop rambling and actually talking about Midnight Sun. Starting off, I was absolutely thrilled and engrossed with Edward's point of view. I love that we literally have both sides to the story and that we really got a better and clearer insight into his mind. One thing I really loved most was the fact we got to see the Cullen family a lot more and that not every scene was with Bella, which ultimately resulted in getting an insight into his family dynamic and his real love for his parents which I don't think was highlighted enough in the original telling from Bella's perspective. I honestly loved the scenes with his family more than those with Bella, because it was something just so fresh and new that we were yet to uncover. It brought a new layer to Twilight and really showed us the importance of having a supportive network, of having a caring family, even if you aren't related directly by blood (lol, vampire pun not intended). I think in particular I really got a new found love for Jasper as a character, and how his powers really work. He feeds off emotions and loves to surround himself with Edward and Bella because he gets to experience their love. I found that so utterly beautiful. I also loved that we got to see more of Emmett's protective, humourous nature and that we also got a deeper insight into his backstory. I loved that we got to see Rosalie, who is often very closed off and stubborn, willing to go against her senses to save Emmett when he had been dying as a human. I think it gives her a more humane nature, as we usually just regard her as the one who disliked Bella so much. We also got to see the true nature of her jealousy towards Bella which was another interesting insight. What I also loved was that we got to see particular characters from Edward's perspective, like Mike Newton and Jessica Stanely. The fact that he can read all their thoughts just makes it ten times better. They literally have no place to escape without Edward being able to see what they're thinking.
Now, there were a couple drawbacks for me. Not many, but a few. I think firstly, as much as I loved to read it, it was too long. I think it dragged a lot towards the start and in all honesty, there could have been less Bella scenes. I think some of the scenes with her didn't really build to the plot of the story and they weren't necessarily needed in order to reach the climax. Some chapters were extremely long and not very action-packed with anything exciting happening. I think it could have lost a good 100 pages or so just to get the novel flowing at a better pace. I also think that Stephenie could have expanded on the Cullen's back story. Although I loved the edition of Tanya at the very beginning, I think all of that could have been expanded too. I would have loved to get even more dialogue from Esme because she is such a beautiful character to me, and I love her dearly. She definitely deserved to have her story told in greater detail because I think you barely get a page about how Carlisle saved her and that was it. So my biggest negative for Midnight Sun would definitely be the fact we didn't get enough of Edward's and the Cullen's actual story before Bella came to Forks. I think that would have just added to the overall plot and it also would have justified its large length of almost 800 pages. I would have appreciated the length more if I found every single chapter riveting.
PROS: Just being able to hold another, new addition to the Twilight series in my hands was enough for me.
CONS: Not enough backstory on the Cullens.
So, I give this novel an 8/10!
Hope to see you all again soon!
Feel free to comment on what you thought of Midnight Sun if you've read it! I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Madi xoxo
