Kristen reviewed on
Am I the only person who found this series pretty average? As the author pointed out, Bella is based upon herself... she was a "5" where she grew up, but when she moved to Provo, UT away from all the Phoenix hotties, she became an "8" since her caliber rose in comparison to her new peer group. So we have Bella, former "5", now an "8" in tiny little Forks, WA. She's pursued by all the boys who come across her, but she wants none of them. (Amazing, for a girl who never enjoyed the heady experience of multiple suitors). After she meets Edward, she turns out to really be a damsel in distress. Getting herself into scrapes that require frequent bleeding, stitches or simply a knight in shining armor literally whisking her out of fate's hands, once again. I guess the appeal of this book is that the most physically perfect man ever adores Miss 8, enough to stare at her every night while she sleeps and save her during the day. What girl doesn't want to be the intense focus of HIM? Unfortunately, Meyer's writing quality is not of the highest caliber. It's difficult to grow attached to any of the characters because they aren't dimensional enough. They aren't fleshed out and frankly the only attachment I could find somewhat believable was the strong feelings of friendship Bella feels for Alice. If there wasn't a movie with the current hotties of teenage Hollywood, this wouldn't even be a blip on the radar.
