Twilight: Love Vs. Lust

Don’t judge! Mumu covers their eyes to protect them from the glare as they dig up their teen years and Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series.

TITLE: Twilight

AUTHOR: Stephanie Meyer

GENRE: Vampire Romance Dark Fiction

PAGES: 498

FORMAT: Paperback Book

PRICE: US $10.99/ CAN $11.99

Ah, Twilight; a book from my teenage years. A new student with her own family problems falls for the mysterious heartthrob boy who has secrets of his own. A classic trope in vampire romance. Always the mysterious stranger to fall for; always the vampire that the protagonist wants to love. Comparing the book Dracula to this book wouldn’t do the story justice; it may be vampires but this story happens in a different reality where vampires cells’ turn into crystalized versions, making their skin glow in the sunlight. Vampires don’t have many weaknesses in this reality, either; not allergic to the sun, nor garlic- they can’t even be killed by killing the brain. They must be ripped limb from limb and burned to ashes.

Now knowing all of that, how could a female human fall for a vampire?  Bella is a 17-year-old teenager who has never experienced physical or sexual attraction in her whole life. She meets Edward in her class, someone who was mysterious and attractive, and she falls for him before she even knows it. It seems like a silly crush; Edward was avoiding her as much as possible so he wouldn’t hurt her nor reveal his vampire blood to the school. 

However, Edward does fall for Bella himself. He saves her time and time again, even having her know the secret of his family. The way he shows his affections, though, is a problem; sneaking into her room at night, listening to her sleep-talk (knowing she is saying his name in her sleep), even going so far as to read the minds of everyone she knows, yet he cannot read hers. She doesn’t acknowledge that this is a red flag- a partner who can read minds and stalks you? She felt honored for being his obsession, for he was becoming her obsession.

What makes the matter worse is that Edward, canonically, is 108 years old; at 17, being turned into a vampire in the 1700s does keep one rather fresh. In a sense, a 17-year-old with a 108-year-old isn’t a good look; since he’s a vampire that’s stuck at 17, it may be more socially acceptable in the world’s eye. It doesn’t bother the vampire kind, as long as they follow the rules and stay out of sight of the public eye.

Edward does state that he loves Bella, that she is his life now; I did laugh at this, as he’s an undead vampire, naturally Bella would be life. It made me squeal with how intense the romance got within a few weeks of them dating. Looking back, it seemed that they were both unhealthily obsessed with each other; Edward for Bella’s blood, and Bella for Edward’s companionship.

Bella believed herself to be in love with Edward; that her lust and her love exist together for him alone. He became her obsession, causing her to look up different vampire myths when it was mentioned to her that his family may be vampires by a childhood friend of hers. It seems unwise to be obsessed with someone this much. However, she was willing to put herself in danger just to be with Edward, even knowing the risks. Which begs the question: Is Bella in love with Edward or are her teenage hormones getting in the way of her self-survival? 

Mumu the Tricked loves to read and write. It’s easier to sit still and work with their eyes and hands than move around some days. They are hoping to become a successful author and book reviews are quite fun, too. Thank you!

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.