Midnight Sun – Violet Daniels

What I read in August ~ 2020

August was a good reading month. On the whole, I was very impressed with most of the things I read, including feeling a warm wave of nostalgia, having read the long-awaited latest instalment in the Twilight series. Although I haven’t read as many books, as usual, two of them were over 700 pages! I hope you all managed to have a good reading month too! What were your favourite reads?

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race Reni Eddo-Lodge, Non-fiction

This is an essential read for everyone. Reni Eddo-Lodge reveals in her emotionally charged long-from essay the deep, systemic racism at the heart of British society. With chapters on feminism, class and the criminal justice system it is a thematic demonstration of how racism is embedded within every level. Eddo-Lodge challenges readers to recognise their own bias and learn to listen – and it is evocative and completely compelling. It explains complicated concepts in a broad and uncomplicated manner, making it fully accessible, acting as a great starting point for learning about race.

Midnight Sun Stephanie Meyer, Fiction

For die-hard fans of Twilight, this is a must-read. Written as an addition to the Twilight series, readers finally get to see Edward’s version of events. Reading this gave me a greater appreciation for the Twilight world and I was interested to see things through Edward’s perspective, as he has long been branded as the creepy boyfriend. Granted, this won’t make sense unless you are familiar with the series but it offers more of an in-depth background to the Cullen’s and the Vampire world. Reading this filled me with the nostalgia of my teenage years. The over 700 page novel of mostly Edward’s inner thoughts and feelings won’t be for everyone – but for die hard fans it is bliss.

The Little Friend Donna Tartt, Fiction

Donna Tartt’s first novel is full of initial intrigue as the story follows Harriet, a young girl, who tries to uncover the murderer behind Robin, her younger brother who was found dead in the family yard many years ago. The premise offers an initial hook and Tartt delivers a dreamy and evocative description of Alexandria, Mississippi in the 1970s, but fails to deliver a coherent plot and ending to what would have been, a fascinating novel. As a dedicated Tartt fan, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed and was left wanting more of an explanation. Nonetheless, it is still a beautifully written book, but with no definitive ending. Literary fiction by nature focuses on character development, but this does not mean the plot should have to suffer. This is brilliantly demonstrated with Tartt’s latest novel, The Goldfinch.

How I Learned to Hate in Ohio David Stuart MacLean, Fiction

This book is a portrayal of hate in multiple forms, demonstrated within one community in Ohio in the 1980s. Told through the perspective of Barry Nadler, and the small community he is a part of, the novel explores racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and white, middle-class discontent which shines a light on the division that can encapsulate small communities. It’s not a plot-driven novel but an in-depth social commentary told through one person’s inner monologue. The book only really gets ‘exciting’ at the end but keeps the pace through short, snappy chapters. I think this book is important and necessary, but I was constantly waiting for something to happen and when it did, felt unfulfilled.

This takes me up to 45 books completed out of my 50 to read for this year. I am ahead of my Goodreads challenge for the first time in years which makes me really happy. For once, I won’t be ending the year wishing I had read more, but smiling because I have. And, because I have documented it all!

Happy reading everyone.

Please note – this post does contain Amazon affiliate links and if you choose to use them, I will earn a small fee but this doesn’t impact my review in anyway.

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A fascinating Edition to a Nostalgic Series: Midnight Sun

Just a quick preface – I was obsessed with Twilight throughout my teenage years and remember walking to school whilst reading Eclipse, completely hooked. Although I have revisited the films in recent years, I haven’t been tempted to re-read the saga, but I was unashamedly excited at the start of the year when Midnight Sun was announced. I really tried to savor the pages, but I only lasted a few days! This will be gushy, as it’s reviewed by a dedicated Twilight fan, but I couldn’t help myself.

Midnight Sun

Stephanie Meyer

Young Adult, fantasy, romance

Little Brown and Company, August 2020

Pros

The background to the Cullen world ~ seeing things through Edward’s perspective is different in many ways. Being over a hundred years old, Edward naturally has a more complex way of viewing the world, the language is different and heavier than that used with Bella’s perspective throughout the previous saga. It is dense and heavy, but offers a perspective on the human world that is unique and interesting. Through Edward’s perspective, we gain a greater insight into the history of the Cullen family which is fascinating to read. A lot of the book features the thoughts of the Cullen’s and other human’s in Bella’s circle, including Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley – as Edward recalls reading their minds.
The chance to see things through Edward’s perspective ~ Edward has faced a lot of backlash in recent years for his controlling nature. Although there is certainly some truth to this, one has to realise he is a Vampire and Meyer isn’t trying to portray a normal human relationship here… he is an animal after all. The animalistic nature of his very being is self evident, as Edward describes the pain of his thirst and the complications this brings. In reading this I think I actually left feeling more sympathetic toward Edward and more understanding of why he is the way he is. Ultimately, I found reading things through Edward’s perspective so much less annoying than Bella’s….
It adds greater complexity to the overall story ~ Seeing things through an alternative lens, having read the entire story multiple times over, is bound to give more complexity to the saga. Through reading this I actually gained a greater appreciation for the world Meyer had created, as all the back story’s were revealed. Meyer has always faced backlash for being a poor writer (which I never believed) but this edition really highlights her skill as a writer, expressed with her attention to detail.
It adds another dimension to their relationship ~ Bella for me was always a problematic narrator and not a very likable character. The Cullen’s were always the most fascinating, so seeing everything through Edward’s perspective was definitely better from a reading point of view. Seeing Edward’s perspective on human relationships is certainly interesting, but he also manages to convey the beautiful simplicity of being human. He notices things we probably don’t – like the subtle changes in Bella’s skin-tone, and the alterations in someones voice. Although some of the criticisms over Edward’s possessiveness are valid, I think seeing the relationship through his lens is incredibly valuable. Bella is not pushed into his arms, rather, she pushes herself, and Edward is always on the side of hesitancy throughout their relationship.

Cons

It is long winded at times ~ Being stuck inside Edward’s head is fascinating when there’s lots going on, but in scenes when he is on a hunt or just by himself, it can be quite boring. There is a constant re-laying of other people’s thoughts as he reads their minds, which could have done with a bit of toning down, but on the whole I found his perspective fascinating.
The discovery that Edward knew he was going to leave Bella far earlier on ~ From reading the saga multiple times in the past, I never got the impression that Edward knew that he was going to leave Bella so early on. In this book, he realises he needs to leave her just after the incident with James, when Bella is still in the hospital, but never lets on. I think this is one of the sides to him I don’t like – he is a very good liar and can easily manipulate Bella into a false sense of security. Obviously, with everything that happens in New Moon and after, we know they get back together but still, it was something I was shocked to discover and kind of annoyed at Edward for.
This won’t make sense unless you’ve read the other 4 books ~ Not necessarily a negative but I think it’s worth pointing out that this isn’t another Twilight story, but an addition to the series which definitely would not be as valuable unless you had read the other books. Knowing the entirety of the story didn’t hinder me as a reader, but I found I actually benefited from it as I could fully get into Edward’s own perspective.

Favourite Quotes

“My life was an unending, unchanging midnight It must, by necessity, always be midnight for me. So how was it possible that the sun was rising now, in the middle of my midnight?”

The dedication nearly had me bawling, “This book is dedicated to all the readers who have been such a happy part of my life for the last fifteen years. When we first met, many of you were young teenagers with bright, beautiful eyes full of dreams for the future. I hope that in the years that have passed, you’ve all found your dreams and that the reality of them was even better than you’d hoped.”

Midnight Sun and reminiscing over Twilight

It honestly seems like a lifetime ago that I had my head and heart buried deep in the Twilight franchise. All those ‘twi-hard’ feelings have since come back to me since the announcement of Midnight Sun.

I can remember walking to school whilst reading the book, tripping over stones and bumps in the pavement whilst my head was implanted in a different world, wishing I never had to put it down and go to lessons. I was just obsessed with it – and I also attended my then best friends Twilight themed birthday party as Rosaline. No kidding, the love and commitment was real.

I was always Team Edward, but most of my friends were Team Jacob. My rationale was yeah, Jacob was good looking and all but Edward had far more personality and history about him. Looking back, this seemed to be the dividing line in high school friendships for quite some years.

I remember the anticipation waiting for the new films to come out and I even attended a midnight screening of Eclipse, the third book in the series. I remember the room being full of screaming, excited girls and their Mums. Those were the days! Arguably though, I’ve always thought Eclipse was the best book and Twilight the best film – those misty, rainy shots of high up tree tops were all the range weren’t they?

But I’m not fourteen anymore, actually going on twenty three, but I am thoroughly excited for the newly announced Midnight Sun. I figure it will be a chance to relive some of those nostalgic teenage years…

Rumors about a new Twilight book have been thick and fast since the series ended with the last film, Breaking Dawn Part 2. Additionally, in 2008, a manuscript of Midnight Sun was leaked on the internet, it seems it has been on Meyer’s pipeline for quite some time. At the beginning of May, Stephenie Meyer finally let us all in on the truth we had been waiting for, with her exciting lockdown announcement that Midnight Sun would be released on August 4 – this year!

Importantly, Midnight Sun isn’t just a continuation of the series, but a re-telling of events through Edward Cullen’s perspective. Now, there’s been a lot of criticism about this from now ultra feminist fans who claim that Edward Cullen was manipulative, obsessive and created a lot of red flags in their relationship. Admittedly, there are some dodgy elements but I think it will actually be fascinating to see things from his perspective. I found Bella as a protagonist a bit pathetic if I’m honest, so I am excited to see the story through Edward’s telling.

I was always fascinated by Edward’s past and the amount of lives he had lived and hope this book will go into more detail about this. Then perhaps we will be able to understand more about how he approached his relationship with Bella, and his rationale for the way he is. Or will it just be a gimmicky addition to a series which was wrapped up years ago? I hope not, but somehow I think it will be more than another money spinner, after all, it has been in the works for a long time.

I’ve seen lots of people who have been shamed for being excited about a new Twilight book, as if liking the series is some kind of step backwards in their literary habits. I wish this wasn’t a thing but it is. I am unashamedly admitting that I am excited about the book and will definitely be reading it when it comes out. Although I might have to trace my mind back to the story again so I can compare the perspectives.

Is anyone else excited, slash rolling their eyes at this announcement? Let me know!

Bring on the vamps 🙂