Stephenie Meyer’s debut novel is a kicker. It’s fast paced and includes all of elements which make a young adult novel great (a handsome love interest, a teenage misfit, danger, rebellion and fast cars).
Seventeen year old Bella leaves her mother and sunny Pheonix for the dreary Olympic Penninsula in Washington state. Aside from summer, Bella really hasn’t spent much time in Washington and does not find the cooler climate all that agreeable – until she meets Edward.
Edward is exceptionally good looking and more elegant than any other teenager Bella has met, but it seems that the beauty only runs skin deep as Edward relunctantly partners Bella in biology.
Edward is as graceful as Bella is klutz and soon Bella finds that Edward’s uncanny knack for being at the right place at the right time hides a deep, dark secret. Despite Edward’s not-so-normal lifestyle, Bella falls head over heals for him. Which leads her to rebel against her father and her peers.
When Bella’s life if threatened, her relationship with Edward is put to the test and Bella must choose which direction she wants her life to take.
Deliciously romantic in places, and thrilling in others, I highly recommend this to any fan of fantasy stories or just plain, well-written young adult fiction. I am currently waiting for the second book of this trilogy to arrive, but have already tried checking it out from the library.
