Meyer, S. (2006). Twilight. New York: Little, Brown & Co.

Genre: Fantasy / romance

Intended audience: Girls, early to mid-teens

Personal reaction to the book: Given all the froth around the movies, I didn’t have particularly high hopes for this one, but figured I should know what the fuss was about.

It’s a very solid romance and not a bad – if somewhat tame – thriller. Given the far more graphic depictions of both sex and violence in much modern YA, this is painting with pastels in an acrylic world, but it clearly reaches its target audience.

I can’t picture myself reading all four books to see how things turn out and I am not the target audience for the movies, but now I can at least recommend these knowing what’s going on.

With a critical eye: If I had to read one more time about just how impossibly beautiful Edward was and/or how inadequate Bella was, I was gonna like tots hurl?

Author facts: Was a stay-at-home mother of three when she started writing Twilight. A graduate of Brigham Young University, she lives in Phoenix, Arizona. With a $70 million take, the movie version marked the highest-grossing opening weekend by a female director.

Related website: http://stepheniemeyer.com/