Review: Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

Midnight Sun
(The Twilight Saga #5)
by Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: Aug. 4, 2020
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Rating:

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?

My thoughts

Well, that was different. I read the leaked version of Midnight Sun… well, back when it was leaked. I remember being so into it. So, I was pretty excited to hear that the author decided to go back and finish the story. I was ready to fall back into the world of Twilight, but what I wasn’t prepared for was just how dark and twisted Edward was. Nor was a ready for the size on this book.

I knew that the perspective would be a bit off since Bella was a human female teenager, and Edward is a 100 yr old vampire. However, this book definitely had some interesting tones to it. First up, the darker aspect was what I first noticed. I mean, I knew Edward had some internal battles, but ooweee I didn’t know just how bad he had it. That scene where he’s plotting how to kill all the students in the classroom, and then escape… yeah. That was some pretty unsettling stuff. With that being said, I kind of enjoyed that the author didn’t make him this controlled vampire that he portrayed in the Twilight series. You got to see his darker side and you really felt his struggle.

While I liked getting to be inside Edwards head, I will say that it had its drawbacks. For one, the book is weighed down with internal musings. Whether it’s him reading minds, having non-verbal conversations, or watching the future through Alice’s eyes, it was a lot of internal stuff. I didn’t feel like all of it was necessary and I found myself skimming a lot to get back to the story itself. Another thing I had an issue with was just how unhealthy and stalkerish Edward was. I mean, we knew he climbed into her room at night to watch her sleep. We also knew that he could hear peoples thoughts. However, we didn’t know that his entire day/night was consumed with following Bella around via the thoughts of those around her. It was very unhealthy, and it started to put me on Rose’s side with not liking their romantic relationship. It just didn’t seem healthy, and Bella didn’t even know the half of it.

Even though at times I had to push myself to pick this book back up to read it, I will say that once the action finally starts, being inside Edward’s head was a huge asset. Everything else was so mundane and boring. However, once the other vampires came on the scene and the family was scrambling to protect Bella, the book got so much better. The silent conversations, watching Alice plan out what was ahead and what needed to be done to get the best outcome, witnessing a new power of Jasper’s that I didn’t even know existed. That last fraction of the book really made the story worth reading, in my opinion. Now, do I want to sit down and read the rest of the series in Edward’s POV, no… but I’m glad the author finally finished this story. Now, if she can only write a Jacob and Renesmee in the future book that would be great!

Previous reviews from Twilight
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn