Midnight Sun
by Stephanie Meyer
Published by Little, Brown Books
Book 1 in the Twilight Saga (Edwards POV)
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?
RATED: 12+ CATEGORY: MOOD:
Some Violence Young Adult Yawn.
Supernatural
Romance
Midnight Sun is the fifth book written in the Twilight Saga (not including the novella). It is Edward's POV of the events of the first book in the saga, Twilight.
So. Thoughts. Hmm.
Remember when Twilight was BIG? I was 23 when I first read the twilight series, and I was quickly obsessed. I wasn't an original fan. I watched the movie first, and Robert Pattinson, in all his deliciousness, sucked me in. I remember reading the first chapters on her website, and being one of the millions of fans who were devastated when Stephanie announced that she wasn't sure when she would publish Midnight Sun, after it was leaked. So, 2020 comes around, the year is totally sucking because of COVID ... and then like wildfire, Stephanie's announcement spreads that she is finally releasing Midnight Sun this year. I literally preordered it the day of the announcement.
I get Midnight Sun in the mail. Excited to start it, but also in the middle of reading Throne of Glass at the time, I waited a day or two before starting. Fun fact. This post is being written on October 23rd. That's more than two months after the release.
Midnight Sun. Was. Brutal. At first, I thought it was because I am older, and I had just outgrown it. But that can't be the case. There is plenty of Young Adult I still enjoy, and I think if I sat down and reread the Twilight Saga, I would probably still like it. It's just that Midnight Sun is so fucking ... boring. I wasn't expecting overly original material. I mean, it's Twilight from Edward's POV ... but I expected a lot of NEW material from when he is away from Bella, and we don't get a whole lot of that. This book is LONGER than Twilight and it barely has new material. Let that sink in. We get a WHOLE lot of Edward's POV here. Like, more than I wanted. I swear Stephanie Meyer was punishing her readers for asking for Midnight Sun for years by writing pages and pages of repetitive, and often, useless thoughts.
We don't learn anything new really. Midnight Sun is almost 700 pages of Edward thinking how much he hates himself for what he is. So if you like brooding, emo vampires, you will like this.
Midnight Sun, for me, was a HUGE disappointment. I was actually going to give up on the book, and just let it collect dust on my bookshelf, just so I could have the whole set displayed.
BUT
I came across this AMAZING podcast, who was covering the Twilight series, because it was the books that got them into reading (other than HP, of course), AND Midnight Sun was coming out. It's called Two Book Bitches, and I promise you, you will NOT regret listening to them. They COVER the books they read, so if you don't like spoilers, only listen to the episodes of books you have read. Naturally, they covered Midnight Sun, and since I have listened to all of their podcasts EXCEPT Midnight Sun, I forced myself to finish it just so I could listen (because my brain is weird, and despite it not being spoiler-y technically, I just had to finish the book first).
Fuck, I'm rambling. Sorry. But yes. Listen to Two Book Bitches. Through no fault of their own, they pushed me to finish the book, just so I can share with you just how much I disliked it.
Favorite Moments
Tanya and Edward's conversation in Alaska
Alice's vision of Bella being a vampire
Rosalie and Edward's conversation about how painful it is for Rosalie to see everything she can't have.
Edward kissing Bella by the jeep
Learning more about Jasper's power
Emmett's brotherly affection for Bella
Where to Buy
Favorite Quotes
Rosalie: "Pay attention. Alice see's him falling for a human! How classically Edward."
Did I love her? I did not think so. Not yet. Alice's glimpses of that future had stayed with me, though, and I could see how easy it would be to fall into loving Bella. It would be exactly like falling: effortless. Not letting myself love her was the opposite of falling - it was pulling myself up a cliff face, hand over hand, the task as grueling as if I had no more than mortal strength.
Esme: What do you do all night?
I smiled
Edward: "Think ... and burn. And listen."
She touched my throat
Esme: "I don't like that this causes you pain."
Edward: "That's the easiest part. It's nothing, really."
Esme: And the hardest part.
Edward: 'I think ... that I can't be human with her. That the best version is the one that is impossible."
Edward: "Your life isn't what you wanted. But in the last seventy years or so, would you say you've had at least five years of pure happiness."
Flashes of the best parts of her life, all of them revolving around Emmett, moved through her head, though I could see that, obstinate as ever, she didn't want to agree with me.
I smiled halfheartedly
Edward: "Ten years, even?"
She wouldn't answer me.
Edward: "Let me have my five years, Rosalie."
Carlisle: "Do you remember the first time you fell in love?"
Charlie was quiet for a minute
Charlie: "Yeah, I do. Hard stuff to forget."