Twilight
Well, I just finished reading Twilight. I wouldn't say it was the worst book I've ever read. But I found the prose to be plodding and elementary, and the character and plot development inexpert and lacking in nuance and detail. I couldn't stand Bella, the protagonist, which I'm sure went a long way toward my general feeling of disconnectedness with the storyline. Although the narrative is in first person from Bella's point of view, I felt like her character flaws were insurmountable.
I did like the overall idea of the story. The vampires with a conscience, the instant, irresistible attraction between Edward and Bella, the young forbidden love aspect of it are all appealling. I feel like the story took forever to get started. The first 2/3 of the book were boring and painful, living in Bella's head. I found her to be rude, unfriendly, and unbelievable as a 17-year-old girl. She seemed bitter and jaded, as well as unlikeable. When finally the relationship with Edward began, I was so happy to have something to read about. I did enjoy their scenes, but my imagination had to fill in all the blanks I thought were left by the author.
If I didn't know Twilight was a series, I never would have expected or wanted a sequel. Especially given that I don't like the main character, I'm in no hurry to read more stories from her point of view.
This may be a case of the hype being too big for the book to live up to, but I'm not sure. I wasn't expected the writing itself to be so crappy, in conjunction with a strong dislike for the protagonist. At the very least I thought I'd enjoy a romantic story. However, this is one that barely scrapes an "average" score in my book, and I would never reread this book, let alone continue with the series.
I did like the overall idea of the story. The vampires with a conscience, the instant, irresistible attraction between Edward and Bella, the young forbidden love aspect of it are all appealling. I feel like the story took forever to get started. The first 2/3 of the book were boring and painful, living in Bella's head. I found her to be rude, unfriendly, and unbelievable as a 17-year-old girl. She seemed bitter and jaded, as well as unlikeable. When finally the relationship with Edward began, I was so happy to have something to read about. I did enjoy their scenes, but my imagination had to fill in all the blanks I thought were left by the author.
If I didn't know Twilight was a series, I never would have expected or wanted a sequel. Especially given that I don't like the main character, I'm in no hurry to read more stories from her point of view.
This may be a case of the hype being too big for the book to live up to, but I'm not sure. I wasn't expected the writing itself to be so crappy, in conjunction with a strong dislike for the protagonist. At the very least I thought I'd enjoy a romantic story. However, this is one that barely scrapes an "average" score in my book, and I would never reread this book, let alone continue with the series.