I’m making my way through those three books I have been reading and finished Life and Death by Stephanie Meyers the other day. This version of the Twilight tale was much more in line with the vampire novels I grew up reading. There was the gut wrenching reality of dying in order to be reborn. The loss of so much to gain this new life. The choice being made long before it happens. Bella definitely had an amazing adventure, but I really enjoyed Beau. And Edward is great, but Edythe was wonderful.
It’s a much shorter ride, but I absolutely loved the way this version played out. There was a sense of Meyers having had enough time to really flush out each character’s story and create a richer world with less words. Life and Death is such a satisfying twist. I’m so tickled by the nostalgia I felt as I finished it. I have read so many variations of vampire stories. Horror, romance, action-adventure, mystery, comedy, you name it, I’ve read it and this one definitely ranks with the best of them.
I do find it interesting that when there is a type of story that is predominantly loved by women, especially romance stories, there is a need to dissect and explain why it’s ridiculous and that any self respecting woman wouldn’t like these flat and unimaginative works of fiction. I love the Twilight novels. And so do many other intelligent, emotionally aware females of all ages. There is a lot more to this tale than a sparkling, ‘vegan’ vampire. And why can’t we have stories that are just for fun? Why does everything we do have to have some bigger agenda?
I have one more novel in this world sitting on my shelf. Midnight Sun, Edward’s version of things. As the weather and length of daylight shift quickly towards Autumn, I feel I may be in the mood to read it sooner rather than later. At the moment I am focused on finishing The Girl in Red, by Christina Henry. Still an eerie read for having been published in 2019. More on that to come.
Happy reading, everyone.
The Accidental Domestic Goddess 