Twilight

What readers think

Readers consistently praise Twilight's intoxicating romantic tension and the way it captures the all-consuming intensity of first love — the brooding, dangerous Edward and the atmospheric Pacific Northwest setting are enduringly compelling to its fanbase. The novel is widely credited with introducing a generation of readers to paranormal romance and spawning the modern YA romantasy genre. Critics — including many former fans revisiting the book as adults — frequently flag Edward's controlling, stalking behaviour as romanticised and harmful, Bella's passivity and lack of agency, and prose that critics from the New York Times to the Washington Post have called serviceable at best. The Quileute tribe's portrayal has also drawn sustained criticism for stereotyping. Reader reception is deeply polarised: devoted fans give it five stars for emotional impact and nostalgia while detractors give one star for relationship toxicity and thin writing.

In this series

Part of The Twilight Saga — read in order:

1. 1Twilightyou’re here
2. 2New Moon