Welcome back to the next installment in my Twilight journey! Last week, we left off at the point in the story where we have met our main characters and Jacob has shared with Bella some of the lore and history about werewolves and vampires. I am finding that I am really enjoying reading this book! I wasn’t sure about it when I started, but I am having a lot of fun with it now!
This week, we will cover chapter 7 through chapter 12. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Chapter 7: Nightmare
What a chapter to start this week off! I absolutely loved this chapter of the book. I am reading my own copy of this book (not a library copy) and I made so many annotations. I know it’s a controversial topic in the bookish world, but I love writing in my books, it enriches the reading experience for me and I enjoy going back to see what my past-self noticed and thought.
The first thing we have to talk about for this chapter is the old tech!! It was great and funny to read about Bella plugging in her headphones to her CD player and listening to a CD she was given. Is there any lore in the Twilight fandom about what CD this could be? I am so curious! Bella says there is “a little too much bass and shrieking” for her taste and I am dying to know what band or album this is. Then, there is an entire page where Bella is impatiently waiting for the dialup internet to connect and load. It takes so long that she walks away to make herself a bowl of cereal! I literally laughed out loud at this part because it is an experience that I have had many times in my life but haven’t thought about in years. How nostalgic! Are there any old tech experiences or memories that you miss?
I also love that she just googles the word vampire, has to click away a ton of pop-up ads, and then begins her research on her Cullens-are-vampires-theory.
My only complaint about this chapter is that Bella went into the woods by herself and that seems slightly dangerous. She has a feeling of not being alone or of being watched at least twice so far in this book—is Edward following her and watching her?!
Chapter 8: Port Angeles
In the previous chapter, I was briefly worried for Bella when she went on a walk in the woods by herself because that is not usually a safe or smart thing to do alone, especially without tell anyone. I would gladly go back to those feelings compared to the ones I had in this chapter! I read through the section of her walking alone through the town so quickly because I couldn’t stand it!
It’s an interesting juxtaposition to have this situation with heightened fear for Bella and her safety be resolved by Edward coming to her rescue. We are put in a situation where Edward seems like a strong and safe presence in Bella’s life even though this directly contradicts everything Edward says. He maintains that he is bad, dangerous, and that Bella should stay away from him. Yet, at the same time, he seems to be constantly saving her and worried about her safety and wellbeing. I am very interested in this continuation of the good vs evil themes that were set up from last week’s chapters.
Please tell me in the comments your thoughts about their first date. What wild first-date conversation—discussing the limits of Edward’s ability to read minds (hypothetically) while she eats mushroom ravioli.
I feel like I have so many questions after this date and conversation. Why does Edward feel compelled to constantly monitor Bella’s safety and continue to go out of his way to save her? Why do Edward’s eyes change color based on his mood or his feelings? Why is Bella the one exception to his mind reading abilities? Why is she and their connection seem special and unique?
Chapter 9: Theory
We get some truly iconic moments in this chapter! In addition to never reading Twilight (before now) I have also never seen the movies, but I know enough to know that some of the scenes here are a point of contention when we compare the book to the movie, so let’s talk about it.
When Bella first says the word vampire to Edward, I was expecting something wildly dramatic and it felt anticlimactic to me compared to what I had envisioned. What are your thoughts and opinions on this scene? Do you like the more casual conversation of the book or the more dramatic flair of the movie?
The second iconic part is when she asks him how long he has been 17. I have seen that bit of dialogue from the movie and I was immediately excited to get to that part in the book. Do we ever find out exactly how long Edward has been 17?! (Also, it seems kind of crazy that they are all still going to high school…is that explained later?)
The third iconic part (in my opinion) is when Edward describes how he can’t go out in the sunlight where he can be seen. He doesn’t say why or what happens other than the sun doesn’t hurt him, but I think we all know by now what the sun does and how he sparkles. It was fun to have this be the first reference to the sparkling and I am excited to get to read about Bella seeing it for the first time (hopefully!).
The final iconic part of this chapter is the very last few lines:
About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him—and I didn’t know how potent that part might be—that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.
I don’t even know if I have words to talk about this part other than I was giggling and kicking my feet and having a great time reading Twilight.
What is your favorite moment of this chapter?
Chapter 10: Interrogations
There were some fun and cute moments in this chapter. What do you think about the character of Jessica? The archetype of a high school best friend provides some relief to the intense conversations and scenes with Edward. It’s also a nice reminder that most of our characters are true teenagers and high schoolers.
We also get more of Bella doubling down on the negative self-talk while simultaneously praising Edward. This is continuing to be quite the theme in this book. Oh! We also get a second reference of a character holding an apple in this chapter. I am interested to see if there is more that happens with this imagery in the story since it is the iconic cover image and represents the theme of good versus evil.
Chapter 11: Complications
Just when Bella and Edward seem to be getting along great and getting into a cute little routine, Jacob Black shows up again at the end of this chapter. I can see why this one is titled “Complications”.
Remind me again in the comments if you are Team Edward or Team Jacob!
Chapter 12: Balancing
It was nice to see Jacob back in this chapter and see more of his interactions with Bella. It wasn’t as charming, to me, as their first meeting at the beach hang, but it was still nice.
I really dislike how easily Bella just lies to literally everyone about her plans with Edward. That does not sit well with me. But aside from the lies…. the meadow scene!! The description of the meadow is lovely—full of wildflowers and a haze of buttery sunshine.
I cannot believe that this chapter ends before Edward steps out into the sunshine. You will have to wait until next week to read my thoughts on all the sparkles.
Thank you again for reading this far!
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