So many have judged me, as a bookseller, for reading Midnight Sun. So many have critiqued Stephenie Meyers for publishing Midnight Sun, but all I have to say to her and this world is thank you.
I read the Twilight Saga when I was eleven years old, devouring all four books within a week's time. I vividly remember this series being the books that jumpstarted my obsession with reading! After Breaking Dawn, I devoured vampire book after vampire book, witch book after witch book. This series lead me to Vampire Academy and then Maggie Stiefvater, who became my writing idol. Twilight also inspired me to write. So really, I might be a little bit biased, but this series gave me a lot.
Fast forward ten years: vampires have disappeared from the publishing sphere, and people had all but forgotten about Twilight, except to joke about sparkling vampires. Then Stephenie Meyers posts a mysterious countdown on her website and reintroduces the world to the love story that defined the 2000s Young Adult genre.
Midnight Sun, aka Twilight told from Edward Cullen's perspective, is everything we Twihards imagined it would be. Moody, melodramatic, and angsty, I honest to God loved being inside Edward's head. Yes, he has been criticized as being a creep (ya know, the whole watching Bella sleep for nights on end thing), and in a satisfying way, this book explains Edward's actions (maybe not totally justified cause still a bit creepy, but he is a vampire after all). I loved being in Alice's head and getting to know her story through new eyes, as well as the rest of the Cullens. I forgot how lovely Carlisle is, and Emmett, and Esme. I forgot how much Rosalie annoys me, and Jasper confuses me. And Edward's widening of their world gave so much pleasure.
This book is not revolutionary or the most brilliant, but Stephenie Meyers is a great storyteller. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still found myself riddled with anxiety at the Meadow scene, or when James the tracker met Bella, even how it was all going to end! I gushed when Edward and Bella kissed for the first time and was totally shattered when I turned the last page on the epilogue. I'd let myself escape for just a couple weeks, and it's been the best medicine I could've asked for. Even if I did have a few restless, vampire-dream-filled nights.
Every author I've ever talked to, when asked why the write books, always replies, "I write for myself. I write to see the books I want to read." People critique Stephenie Meyers for publishing this book. She didn't need the money. She didn't need the fame or attention. But what does that matter? She wanted to write this book! Many, many people want to read this book and are gaining comfort from the familiarity of it during a ridiculously trying time.
Overall, I think the power of Midnight Sun lies with that potent magic of nostalgia, one of our most powerful senses. I immediately fell back into the atmospheric town of Forks, where vampires live under our noses, and werewolves are the boy next door. I lost myself in the story and the characters, and sometimes that's all we need. To get lost for a little while.
And, ya know, we could probably all do with a bit of vampire immune system right about now.
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