vampires and werewolves

I'm not sure how I survived so long without jumping into the mainstream "Twilight" craze over the last few years. I even received Twilight as a Christmas present in 2008. Yet, I didn't make it past page 17 until April 2010. Over the next four weeks, I finished the series.

At times, I loved Bella and really connected with her character -- sort of as an idealized version of me as a teenager. Yet, at other times, I thought her character flaws were a bit over-the-top and not relatable.

I really couldn't choose a side in the Edward v. Jacob debate. They were both so loyal and fit well into Bella's life and the "story" too well in a mushy way, especially once they started to band together (Edward and Jacob, that is). Still, Bella and their love-triangle kept me involved to the very end. Despite all the distractions and ups and downs of the love relationship between the young naive girl and the 100-year old vampire -- the young love, longing for one another, the willingness to sacrifice for the other, and the idea of "immortality" was very whimsical and romantic.


Aside from the main relationships, I found many of the other relationships in the story line distracting, especially the ones at the beginning of the series when Bella started at the high school in Forks (e.g. Jessica). At times though, I appreciated Stephanie Meyer's attempt to weave the intricacies together and add multiple layers into the plot (my favorite is Jasper in the third and forth book; and James in the first book; and Charlie - although he became just "one note", which eventually turned to blah). Some of the plot details were just too distracting, and somehow, most of the story's tangents fit too perfectly together for my taste (my least favorite, Rosalie and the different Volturi members, and the members of the Alaska clan because Meyer tried to develop these characters, but then found herself needing to add too much detail to too many characgters that she never did any of them justice).

Regardless, I watched Twilight and New Moon. And, I'm waiting still to see Eclipse. I missed the IMAX version, but still plan to see it soon on the big screen.