If you grew up in the early 2000s, there is no way that Twilight did not take over your life temporarily. Just when young adult dark fantasy addicts were coming down from the Harry Potter phenomenon, The Twilight Saga’s release in timing was unmatched.
Having been obsessed with the books as a teen, religiously dedicated to Team Edward, and projecting my own teen angst into the books and films, I had always considered the series a part of my literary education. As an adult, I decided to revisit that part of my life and re-read the books just to see how it hit more than 15 years later.
Overall, it was like revisiting any media from your past: some items hold the test of time while others are stuck in the 2010s – both of which are just a part of media and art, and I have accepted that. It was bittersweet to re-read the paranormal romance that sparked my teen years, and also notice all of the red flags that had been there all along.
Here are 10 thoughts I had while re-reading Twilight as an adult, the good, the bad, and the inbetween.
10. It Still Isn’t Clear Why Bella Is Always Getting Hurt
It is very clear that Stephanie Meyer fully intends for Bella to be extremely clumsy and likely to hurt herself. As a teenager, this helped make Bella more human and imperfect, especially in contrast with Edward’s precision and perfectionism.
While it might be a parallel to human and non-human existence, it is a bit overdone to the point that she is constantly physically dealing with an injury which is not normal in healthy relationships.
9. Bella’s Character Is Stronger Than Remembered
While Bella has always been a relatable protagonist, and overall a strong female lead, rereading the character as an adult gave me a new appreciation for her strength.
Mostly when she does not like something that Edward, Jacob or any other male character in the book does, she verbalizes it and sticks to what is true for her. All controversy aside, this aspect of her choosing herself is a much better representation for young adult readers than I remembered.
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8. The Plot’s Timing Is Unbelievable
Unbelievable, as in it can be a bit corny sometimes. Yes in dark fantasy as a genre the author can get away with a lot more in terms of tying up loose ends that don’t have to reason with logic. But as Twilight is a fantasy novel that takes place in a mortal realm, sometimes the movement of the plot is too intense.
There are so many moments throughout the Saga where Bella happens to do X, which leads Edward to make a life-to-death decision at the exact. same. time. Re-reading this as an adult reader made the timing come off less believably than to teen eyes.
7. Jacob Is Not The “Nice Guy”
The saga itself builds on a love triangle between Bella, who is loved by the vampire Edward, and werewolf Jacob, who are archnemesis. As a teen reader, it always seemed so obvious that Bella never really wanted Jacob, and she was always Team Edward but as an adult reader it was easy to understand the love triangle – and realize that Jacob is not just the “nice guy.”
He has his anger issues too, which present an unappealing aspect to his character. Not to say he is a bad guy, but he is a more complex character than being presented as the safe choice for Bella compared to Edward.
6. Edward Is Way Too Obsessed With Celibacy
As the series is intended for teens, it is understandable that Stephanie Meyer choose to approach sex on the safe side for her audience (and their families) – hence all of the sexual tension, all under the eyes of Edward’s strict celibacy policies.
Regardless of this notion, as an adult reader, Edward just comes off as being obsessed with celibacy and though it is a delicate topic for young adult fiction, it is an interesting perspective the author chooses to be so dedicated to.
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5. Edward Ignited Emo Culture
If you grew up in the 2000s, you know exactly what emo culture means – think back to stores like Hot Topic and music playlists by Paramore. Gen Z might call Edward a “sad boy,” but he is much more emo than any sad boy in today’s sense.
Putting the labels aside, he was the hot guy in school who had no issue sticking to himself – the opposite of a popular and populous character. While this might seem obvious to any reader, it was a blast from the past to reread as an adult.
4. Bella’s Parents Aren’t Worried Enough
Another element that was harder to believe as an adult reader was just how absent Bella’s parents are in this series. Yes, they are trusting of their daughter which is a positive representation but it reaches an extent of unbelievable when their daughter disappears for days at a time, shows up in bandages just after getting into a new relationship, and makes drastic life decisions such as getting married at 18…
Again this is a fantasy book taking place in the mortal world, where parents are generally more concerned about these issues.
3. The Element Of Money And Economic Class Come Up Often
Something that no one talks about much is the socioeconomic status of fantasy characters – especially vampires who are almost always rich.
Edward is constantly paying for things, and Bella contrasts that by rejecting gifts and material objects. Bella comes from a middle to working-class family and does not feel outside of Edward’s world but there are several contrasts between where they come from. It is a whole other topic to dive into the social-economic comparisons between werewolves and vampires, but an intentional element on Stephanie Meyer’s side.
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2. Bella Is Self-deprecating
This may seem like an obvious aspect of Bella’s character, but as an adult reader, this is a very stark trait that she has and again brings up the question of healthy representation for young readers.
At the time the book was written, it reflected how many young women felt in terms of self-deprecation – it seems like a social-cultural element. However that is heavily shifting with today’s youth, and literature is representing more young women learning to love themselves which is something missing from Bella’s character. All of that being said, it is also positive to have an imperfect female lead who is complex, there are two sides to this argument.
1. Overall, The Book Still Stands The Test Of Time
Whether you read Twilight at the time it was published and participated in the cultural phenomenon that it was, or are deciding to pick up the series 15 years later, the series will still hold as an indulgent read. Rereading it as an adult a someone who enjoyed it 15 years ago was a pleasant reminder of my YA reading years.
If you are a parent of a young adult reader, Twilight Saga has its ups and downs but can still be considered appropriate reading keeping in mind the kind of relationship troupes represented.
