Comments on Breaking Dawn Debacle, Twilight Movie Release Bumped Up, and Midnight Sun Chapters Leaked = Clever Marketing?

1. # Alison Kershaw wrote on November 5, 2008 at 1:06 pm:

   Here, here.

   I have to admit that when I began to read all the crazy blogs about burning books, which personally I think is sacrilege, I thought that was the end of Ms Meyer’s career. (This thought was in no way judgemental or said glee I might add, merely an observation).

   Then the drama of the “leaked” unpublished book… Oh please, are the public that blind?

   I was desperate to blog about this myself, but I decided to keep my mouth shut for various reasons. Trust me in twelve months time, when Twilighters are chewing at the bit for another film or book release it will miraculously appear on bookselves around the world after she has gotten over the hissy fit of one of her trusted aids (ahem) leaking said manuscript (if she is the next JK as some “PR articles” claim then she, her agent and her publishing house would have taken all the necessary precautions to avaid such a disaster, just as JK and Bloomsbury always did…) and the fickle population have completely forgotten about this summers drama.

   I worked in marketing for a few years and my suspicision chip overloaded and I had to reboot! Glad there is someone else out there the same view as me.

   The Twilight series is nothing more than a genius marketing spinning machine, although I haven’t read any of the books yet. Too many mixed reviews for me to invest my time reading them. I think I’ll watch the film first (only takes a couple of hours then I will decide)

   Take Care
   Ali

2. # Ann-Kat wrote on November 6, 2008 at 6:48 am:

   Glad to see I’m not being overly paranoid, Ali. If it is marketing, then I must admit it’s very clever…future authors and publicists could learn a thing or three from this.

3. # Jennifer wrote on November 28, 2008 at 2:39 am:

   When I read that Meyer “postponed” finishing Midnight Sun, I couldn’t believe it. The book, in its raw form on her web site, is really good. REALLY. It could definitely redeem her for Breaking Dawn and since its the same as Twilight but from Edward’s perspective, she couldn’t lose with it. It sounded like she was pouting over the leak when in fact she was the one who gave out the unfinished chapters. It seems unfair to punish me, a reader, for her mistake. If I were her and I had the following she has had, I would finish it and publish it. She owes it to her loyal fans to give them what they want–Edward’s perspective. I think it just might be the best in the series. If and when she gets over her hissy fit, that is.

4. # Ann-Kat wrote on November 28, 2008 at 9:52 am:

   Hi Jennifer,
   Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

   Here’s the thing, while there are some truly loyal fans remaining, the number came into question when Breaking Dawn was released. It did not bode well for any future book releases because it seemed a lot of those “loyal fans” jumped ship. Now, if a book is not predicted to make an astounding amount of money for the publisher, they simply won’t publish. And while I’m speculating, from the rude awakening they received with BD, I’m sure the publisher put the screeching halt on MS.

   But, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Meyer has changed her tune, will suddenly and miraculously have gotten over the betrayal and announces that she will complete MS. Why? Because Twilight opened to the tune of $70 million, more than double what they expected. And guess what? They’ve greenlighted the movie New Moon. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if MS comes out just before the movie hits the theatres or shortly thereafter.

5. # Marisa wrote on November 29, 2008 at 3:07 pm:

   Ok, well, if u don’t think that the Twilight Series isn’t worth reading, then think again; I can’t get enough of the books. Now, I don’t know who the heck thinks that the book Breaking Dawn was a total dissapointment, but they must be really pathetic, because from the details aspect, she elaborated quite enough, thank you! I mean, do they want EVERY gory detail? Seriously people, get a life, and think about it– if you were writing a book, and gave it to, say, your BEST friends, and one of your friends leaked it, would you keep on writing?? I mean, I’m not saying that I’m not waiting at the edge of my seat for the release of Midnight Sun, but Meyer has a right to be pissed, I mean, come on, that’s like, infringement on her rights as a writer. Imagine being in the middle of writing the book, and finding out that it’s being plastered all over the internet! Not to mention the embarrassment, it’s like having your diary being read by everyone who uses a computer!!!

6. # Ann-Kat wrote on November 29, 2008 at 9:35 pm:

   Hi Marisa,
   Thanks for stopping by and adding your view. I would, however, urge you to scroll back up and actually read to post because it’s apparent you glossed over an important tidbit: …I’m not saying it was right for whomever leaked those unpolished chapters without Meyer’s permission if it did happen that way (it’s deplorable)….

   Also, I said nothing about the Twilight series not being worth reading. Again, you need to take a deep breath, calm down and go back and re-read the blog entry from start to finish. It has nothing at all to do with the readability of Twilight.

   Yes, Meyer has a right to be pissed of, but frankly, I find the timing of it all to be suspect.

7. # Steph wrote on December 9, 2008 at 7:50 am:

   Now, if a book is not predicted to make an astounding amount of money for the publisher, they simply won’t publish. And while I’m speculating, from the rude awakening they received with BD, I’m sure the publisher put the screeching halt on MS.

   Actually, I think all the negativity surrounding BD earned SM a lot of notoriety and even more attention than usual. Little, Brown would be crazy not to offer her more book deals if she wanted to publish more novels – and believe me, if her agent decides to set up an auction for future works, they (and every other publisher with the means) will be bidding very, VERY high. Negative reviews won’t deter people from consuming to the point of the astounding million-copy first day sales.

   I really don’t know what to make of this whole Midnight Sun thing, mind, and personally will not be reading it. I have too many VC Andrews novels to catch up on

   Steph

8. # Ann-Kat wrote on December 9, 2008 at 12:13 pm:

   Hey Steph,
   Welcome back!

   I was actually discussing the whole thing with a friend (who’s in marketing) the other night and she confirmed my suspicions.

   The “all publicity is good publicity” angle is certainly true, but selling a million copies the first day means diddly if half a million are returned the following day.

   The old adage once bitten, twice shy remains true and publishers know this. Those people who felt the bite of BD are the ones who need to be convinced that the next book won’t be as disappointing–even with SM’s notoriety, the ad execs would need to do double duty. With almost half the reviews coming in with dissenting viewpoints, it simply didn’t make practical business sense.

   But like I said, after the astounding success of Twilight the movie, MS is in a much better position to be sold. It wouldn’t surprise me if SM got over her anguish and began working on the MS manuscript again (assuming she’s interested in the money).

   Since no one truly knows the deal, except those on the inside, this is merely speculation.

9. # Ann-Kat wrote on December 9, 2008 at 3:26 pm:

   Forgot to mention that my friend suggested (if it was an actual strategic move) that the leak was most likely a quick market test to see how people would respond to the rough chapters so far or to MS itself. Meaning, would the content be well received and would the fans be itching for more? Basically, is there room for a Twilight 2 (i.e. first book from different perspective)?

10. # Caite wrote on December 9, 2008 at 4:05 pm:

    OMG!!! i love TWILIGHT sooo much!!! i have read each book at least four times and have seen the movie five time and intend to see it again! some people call me and obsessed twilight fan, but im not an obsessed twilight fan, i am THE obsessed twilight fan!!!!!!! !GMO
    <3

11. # lisa wrote on December 16, 2008 at 10:15 am:

    I thought that the rough draft of MS was great and hope that she finishes it. (which I think she will). Also BD in my opinion was a great ending to the twilight series. Common sense would tell you that it has to end at some point and a new book would be terrible since Bella is now a vampire. she was smart to end it the way she did. I actually thought that they were all going to die, which in my opinion would have been a better ending but I forgot what the age group for the series was, which I guess is what caused the immature up roar over burning the books.

12. # Heather wrote on December 22, 2008 at 6:59 pm:

    I have to agree with the whole conspiracy theory here. Also, I think that it was leaked as a way to test the response from fans on MS. I read the leaked chapters, from her website, and they were great. However, you know the story and where do you go from there? Do you write the entire series from another person’s perspective? Some people may like that and others not so much. Who knows…oh and to that person who said they weren’t going to read the books but watch the movie instea…ARE YOU CRAZY?! The books are so much better than the movie and I have little faith in New Moon as a movie either. So you have to read the books! And really, BD wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t as good as the others by far, but I wouldn’t burn it for god sake that’s pretty extreme. Although I’d say burn the Twilight movie and then start over!

13. # Tanu wrote on December 26, 2008 at 10:52 pm:

    hey guys,
    i was recently introduced to the Twilight Saga by a friend of mine and have been in love with it ever since. I was eagerly waiting for Midnight Sun and was shocked, along with many Twilight fans, when the chapters were leaked (leading to the putting of the book on indefinite hold). I was disgusted that anyone would cause a breach of trust and place those chapters on the net. However, I recently read the comments on this blog and was intrigued by the new spin it put on the entire event. I felt that Heather had a good point- by putting the book on hold, Meyer would get more time while her victimization by the “leaking” of the book would increase the amount of publicity MS would get when the book would finally be released. Also, placing the chapters on her site would definitely give her an idea of the possible reception the book could receive if, and when, it is published.

    And for anyone planning on seeing the movie before reading the books- DON’T! The movie wasnt bad and due credit should be given to Rob Pattinson (I dont think anyone could play Edward perfectly but he was alrite) . However, I felt the movie still didnt do the books justice. So please, read the books before u see the movie, or u might not realize what a real gem Twilight really is. Btw have they announced who the new director for New Moon is gonna be? Since Catherine Hartwick isn’t doing it…..

14. # Taylor wrote on December 28, 2008 at 1:09 pm:

    I recently read the partial-rough draft of Midnight Sun and i LOVE it . Most of my well obsessed Twilight fan friends have read it and love it too . I personally loved Breaking Dawn . It was my 2nd favorite book in the Saga , but since a lot of so called fans didn’t approve of it , i think this book could really put Stephenie Meyer back on top . Everyone loves Edward of course , so this book could bring more fans back on her side of loyalty . It’s not right to snoop in her privacy and take her draft without consent , but this whole thing is making fans ansy and WAITING ON EDGE for Midnight Sun to be decided if published or not . Stephenie Meyer has a lot of loyal fans (me for example) and i really think it would only help her career . She wants to “say goodbye to the vampires” so this should be the farewell . She can’t leave her fans with a bad taste in their mouth from Breaking Dawn . I think that it should be published despite all the drama going on ! YAY FOR MIDNIGHT SUN !!!!
    thanks ,

    – Tay (:

15. # Taylor wrote on December 28, 2008 at 1:17 pm:

    Oh I forgot to add , I don’t know who will be directing New Moon . I’m just glad Hardwicke isn’t directing it . She didn’t do a good job on Twilight at all !! In my opinion , the movie did not show their relationship growing and the intensity of it . One day he is glaring at her and ignoring her and the next he is sneaking into her bedroom and kissing her in her panties . Plus , there was added scenes that weren’t even in the book ! That’s worse then leaving scenes at ! I think that the movie is discouraging viewers who haven’t read the Twilight Saga . These people might not ever want to read it now . It also kind of looked like a low-budget film to me . Not good film quality . Oh well , i hope that the new director , whoever that may be , will do a better job on New Moon !
    thanks ,

    – Tay (:

16. # Steve Brennan wrote on December 29, 2008 at 3:13 am:

    Hey there.

    Interesting theory, however please consider this point. It may not be a marketing ploy. If it did happen, imagine how you would feel if someone took the first draft of a novel you were working on and made it publicly available without your permission.

    Personally I’d be fairly upset.

    Just a thought.

17. # Ann-Kat wrote on December 29, 2008 at 3:59 am:

    Steve, your comment has only made me aware of one thing: you have not fully read (or comprehended) the entire post or its subsequent comments.

18. # Steve Brennan wrote on December 29, 2008 at 7:52 pm:

    Ann-Kat,

    Respectfully I feel your comment about my reading and comprehension of your article was out of line. I did read your whole article and the comments and I did comprehend it.

    Whilst you do qualify your position in this paragraph,

    Frankly, the timing is too convenient which leads me to believe the attention is being deliberately funneled. Now, I’m not saying it was right for whomever leaked those unpolished chapters without Meyer’s permission if it did happen that way (it’s deplorable), but the whole scandal surrounding the real life Twilight saga reeks of a clever marketing ploy.

    You then launch into your marketing ploy theory which personally I disagree with. I made my original comment because I felt your article came across as an attack on the author.

    Again, I put it to you. How would you feel if someone did this to your work? If this happened to you, how would you feel if you read an article like this that basically accused you of attempting to pull off a marketing ploy?

    Stephenie Meyer knows the truth of what happened with Midnight Sun, the rest of us can only guess.

19. # Steve Brennan wrote on December 29, 2008 at 8:06 pm:

    Ann-Kat,

    I must add this as a follow up to my last comment. I love both your blogs and I enjoy reading them. I just disagree with this particular blog post and I’m attempting to state why I disagree in a polite and non-hostile manner.

20. # Ann-Kat wrote on December 30, 2008 at 2:49 am:

    Hi Steve,
    I understand that you may disagree with the premise, however, had you read the full entry or the subsequent comments, you would have noted that whether or not Stephenie Meyer has a right to be angry or hurt is not in question assuming things happened the way they did; I already agree that she does. Therefore, asking me to look at it from her POV is moot; her feelings are not what’s up for debate–whether or not the leak was intentional and the motives behind it are, hence my original comment. Hope that’s clearer.

21. # Steve Brennan wrote on December 30, 2008 at 3:52 am:

    Hi Ann-Kat,

    Thanks for your response. I’ll make this my last comment on this topic, promise *smiles*.

    I have read your post and the follow up comments. I did understand them. I disagree with your premise, but I did understand what you were saying. I feel I have to say this, because twice now you have made the statement that I hadn’t fully read or comprehended the blog post and it’s follow up comments and that is not true.

    “Therefore, asking me to look at it from her POV is moot; her feelings are not what’s up for debate–whether or not the leak was intentional and the motives behind it are, hence my original comment.”

    Here’s the problem I have, Stephenie Meyer has publicly stated that the leak occurred, (see http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html) . By presenting your premise you are effectively saying that she has lied to her fan’s and this is all a publicity stunt. You may be right, however I feel that such statements should be backed up with some evidence.

    Anyway I don’t think that discussing this any further is going to get us anywhere. So I’ll agree to disagree with you. Thanks once again for your blog, I really enjoy it.

22. # Twilight FAN! wrote on December 31, 2008 at 10:37 am:

    I sure do hope that Stephenie Meyer will finsh and publish Midnight Sun. Its not our (the readers) fault that the book was leaked. She just has to finsh it..I am sure everybody is at the edge of there seat for the release of it. The readers should not be punished for somebodys unfair, stupid, and dumb descion… All I know is that my heart went into SHOCK when Stephenie posted that she isn’t finshing the book…. I seriously almost cried… but for now I will be waited eagerly for the book which i hope will come in the next year or two!!!! ( :
    I LOVE THE TWILGHT SAGA!!!!!!!!!

23. # Taylor wrote on January 5, 2009 at 2:44 am:

    Love your blog ! It’s interesting to read everybody’s thoughts on the topic . Well lets just wish that Stephenie Meyer publishes Midnight Sun and BE DONE WITH IT ! I love Twilight but quite frankly , i’m tired of all the drama . (oh yeah this isn’t exactly a response to the above comment so please don’t say i didn’t read all of the postings or whatever . just my opinion) Well Ann-Kat this is a great blog , and it’s so interesting . Great work ! : )

24. # Ann-Kat wrote on January 5, 2009 at 11:26 am:

    …this isn’t exactly a response to the above comment so please don’t say i didn’t read all of the postings or whatever…

    LOL Taylor. I know your comment wasn’t a response to the above comments and you have my apologies for their diversion. It was my goal to steer the comments away from discussing Stephenie’s right to feel bad (which has already been established) and discuss either the facts presented, whether dissenting or not, or her works themselves. Since your comments hover around your opinion of the books (and movie), you have no worries.

25. # English Teacher wrote on January 10, 2009 at 1:47 pm:

    I read “BD”- what was wrong with it? I didn’t really notice anything until reading this website…there was backlash?

    Boy do I feel out of the loop.

26. # Ann-Kat wrote on January 10, 2009 at 5:50 pm:

    A lot of people didn’t like how the story was “wrapped up”. You can actually find quite a bit of the threads and blog entries by doing a quick Google search or checking the Amazon reviews–look at the 3 star and lower reviews and also look through some of the Amazon discussion threads if you want more information.

    As for being out of the loop, not really. You probably didn’t take notice of it because a) you saw nothing wrong with BD and weren’t looking for dissenting viewpoints or b) you didn’t care either way. I only found out about it by chance when I came across a thread proclaiming that those not happy with the book should burn it and that prompted me to do a bit of digging.

27. # English Teacher wrote on January 11, 2009 at 1:15 pm:

    I loved the way it was wrapped up. So many times I read a book, and the book rarely ends the way you want it to. I understand it is because the author doesn’t want to write a predictable book, but what’s wrong with a happy ending where no one dies and the pair end up “happily ever after.”

    I will admit there were some things that were just bizarre…like the whole J. Jenks story line. I felt that was totally unecessary since it did nothing to impact the story. Also, the Brazilian lady at Isle Esme did nothing for the development of the plot, since the whole conversation was in Portuguese anyway. The conversation really didn’t yield any information and leaving it out wouldn’t have affected the story in any way.

    There could have been somewhat of a fight when the Volturi came and a few casualties would have helped, and maybe all those vampire families that “escaped” could have been accounted for at the end…but then again, its her story and not mine. And I thought, even with a few of the bizarro things that took place, it was overall a good book.

    That doesn’t mean much coming from an English teacher…you know what they say about “those who can’t”…

    I’ve definitely enjoyed this conversation thread. It’s actually the first one I’ve participated in.

    BTW, I read Midnight Sun on Meyer’s website and its prompted me to read Twilight again. Its so cool reading it knowing what was going on in Edward’s head.

    And yes, it keeps the “euphoria” going for a little while longer. I honestly can’t wait for the next movie! I’m purposely reading the book really slow this time around.

    Happy “Hunting”

28. # Ally wrote on January 15, 2009 at 10:12 pm:

    OMG! THEY NEED TO MAKE BD iNTO A Movie! I Will BE so SAd If They Didnt!

    Its My Favorite Book IN The Series!

    …. <3

29. # Lesley wrote on January 19, 2009 at 1:12 am:

    I know the Twilight Saga was written for teenagers, but, honestly, there are more than teenagers reading these books and watching Twilight. I went to see the movie the other day and there was an old couple in there. The man of the couple was telling the woman everything that was happening and how the book was too. I thought it was really sweet. Guess what! They both loved it. I don’t want to sound all evil and stuff, but the only thing that I was disappointed about in the books was the fact that the intimate scenes didn’t tell a little bit more. I mean, I didn’t need every detail, but to leave it at kissing then jump to a completely different subject, frustrated me a little. I loved the books no matter what. I also loved Twilight too. I cannot wait for New Moon to be released. Although, I do not like how Edward is hardly in this one. I know it’s like that in the book, but it was really sad. Oh yeah, the director for New Moon is going to be Chris Weitz (I think that’s how you spell his last name). He directed American Pie and Golden Compass. I think he will do a better job than Catherine.

30. # Ava wrote on January 19, 2009 at 4:43 pm:

    Okay, so I haven’t finished reading all of the comments on this blog, but I’ve read enough of them and th blog itself to be disappointed in a lot of people. I love the Twilight series. To those people who hated Breaking Dawn because it didn’t reveal every single detail of everything, they can go read some of those trashy “romance” novels to get what they want there. Twilight and its sequels are perfect just the way they are. They are YOUNG adult novels, not ADULT novels. They are for the enjoyment of teenagers and whoever else wants to read them. They show the romantic side of things and Stephenie Meyer left the gory details of the bedroom in Breaking Dawn to Edward and Bella’s privacy, as she should have. The books are about love, not sex.

    As for the next subject, the leaking of Midnight Sun, Meyer has every right to not publish the rest of the book for a while. And I think that it’s ridiculous to make the statement that not many people would buy it. It may not be as big a seller as Twilight, but sequels are rarely as good as the originals. I personally don’t think she is lying about the leak, though it is strange that she would say that she does not feel it was released with malicious intent and yet still be so upset about it. But even if it were a marketing ployand she plans on releasing it later, what would that mean for every Twilight fan out there? It would mean that there was something else to look forward to in the future and that Twilight was not over. Of course I’m disappointed that she’s not finishing the book right now, but I have hope that she will in the future. People should stop bashing Stephenie Meyer when if it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have Twilight at all, so stop whining abnd get over it. The books are amazing and I don’t think that they make up a “fluffy angst-ridden teenage love story,” but rather a story of true love between two people that seems impossible, but somehow they make it work. It’s not just another “Oh woe is me, my boyfriend dumped me, let’s go out and hit on guys till I find another one,” kind of story and it’s not a sex ridden piece of trash. I appreciate Twilight for waht it really is: a craftfully written novel about true love and good persisting over evil despite the difficulties it must overcome.

    Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. That’s just what I think of the books. It’s okay if other people hate them. I’m just never going to. And I know that you, Ann-Kat, never said a lot of this yourself and my rebuffs aren’t aimed specifically at you, I just put them out there to state my opinion.

31. # English Teacher wrote on January 20, 2009 at 5:42 pm:

    Twilight rocks and that’s all there is to it. No matter how good a book is, it can’t be perfect. I too am sad that Edward was hardly in New Moon; that made the book excrutiating to read…but its the story she wrote, so let’s look forward to Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, where Edward is the end all and be all of Bella’s world we get our fill of Edward…sigh

32. # Lisa wrote on January 20, 2009 at 8:08 pm:

    Great blog Ann-Kat, Bottom line, I don’t care if it was a marketing ploy if it means she might finish Midnight Sun! I found myself loving it just as much as Twilight.

    As for Breaking Dawn, I really liked it and if not for a few parts, it could have been my fav of the series. I just hated the imprinting thing – not sure why I hated it so much, but I really did. I also felt like it drug along a little toward the end…but I thought it wrapped up nicely and I loved the happy ending. I also (surprisingly) liked the chapters written from Jacob’s pov. I groaned a little when I saw them at first, but I really got into them after a while.

33. # English Teacher wrote on January 21, 2009 at 9:45 pm:

    I agree 100% with everything you said, Lisa…especially about dreading the Jacob section at first but then really enjoying it!

    I also agree that the very tasteful sex scenes left a bit to be desired, but not nearly enough to impact the book in any negative way. I try to stay on top of YA Lit since I have to teach it, and believe me the implied love making was quite tame in comparison with other teenaged books.

    And being a pushing-30-mother-of-three, I LOVED how Edward insisted they waited until marriage. Chivalry…sigh (again).

    The best thing about the saga is this…with all that is good, bad or in between about the book, Meyer has created a world in which once you enter, you’re reluctant to leave. I too cannot wait to see what becomes of the Midnight Sun project.

    I also bought her adult novel, the Host, but I haven’t started it yet. I’m reading the Twilight books again; I just can’t get away from them!

34. # Lisa wrote on January 23, 2009 at 11:58 am:

    English Teacher, I would love to know what you think of The Host. I thought of reading it myself, but right now I’m reading Revolutionary Road….I wanted to see if I could get through it before the movie, but I think I am caving and going tonight!
    Its funny that you mention not being able to leave the Twilight series, because I am having the same issue! It has been hard for me to really sink myself into a “grown up” book like Revolutionary Road because I still feel so caught up in Twilight! I did read Speak a couple of weeks ago – I’m usually not so into YA Lit, but I saw the movie on Lifetime (I guess everyone is playing all Kristen Stewart’s old movies since she is so popular now) and loved it. I liked her in the Twilight movie, but she was ssssssooo much better in Speak I thought. I hope the new director gets that sort of performance from her in New Moon.

35. # English Teacher wrote on January 25, 2009 at 4:39 pm:

    I haven’t started Host yet…my husband bought it for me about a month ago, but after reading the partial Midnight Sun draft I went right back to the Twilight books. I can’t help it…its so good. Especially chapter 13 and 14 of Twilight (the “meadow” and the first time he sneaks into her bedroom with her knowledge). It is just such an intense courtship and romance, nothing else even comes close. And then reading Twilight knowing what was going on in Edward’s head makes it even more irresistable.

    Its funny you should mention watching Speak…that was the whole reason I ever got into Twilght in the first place. I had seen my kids reading the Twilight books and I had of course seen it plastered all over the book stores but it never caught my eye. Then I saw that Kristen was playing the lead female role and I LOVED her in Speak (I teach this book and always show the movie as a “treat”) so I figured, “OK, I guess I’m going to have to read this book so I can see the movie cuz I love this girl!” I think she is so adorable.

    And the rest was history. I bought the book on a Monday, hoping to finish by Friday in order to have a date night with my hubby but instead by that very Friday I had read Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse! By the following Saturday I finished Breaking Dawn (I tried to slow it down) and I am a loyal and faithful fan!

    Its amazing how perfect she is for the part of Bella. Its almost like the book was written with her in mind. And the whole time I was reading, since I knew she played Bella, I had her in my mind and it was really cool how easy how easily she fits the role of Bella.

    Anyway, if I ever get my head out of Twilight and into other books (I have Olive Kitteridge, Please Stop Laughing at Me, the Shack and a few teacher books in addition to my neglected copy of Host) I will certainly keep you posted on my reaction to the latter.

    It seems Meyer’s approach is to have deeply human characters that are approachable to any reader, then she adds in love that’s so strong a reader can’t resist, finally she mixes in some impossible situation that through the character’s perspective becomes totally believable. It is obviously a winning combination and if she continues this pattern in Host it shouldn’t disappoint.

36. # Ava wrote on January 28, 2009 at 7:38 pm:

    After reading Twilight, it was hard for me to imagine anyone but Bella in the shoes of Melanie in the Host.. The Host was good, but it kind of drug a little. Like in New Moon when Edward isn’t there, but a little worse. It was a good book, but it wasn’t Twilight and if you’re looking for something as amazing as Twilight, then you’ll be disappointed. If you don’t, however, expect it to be as good as Twilight, then it’ll be good.

37. # Ann-Kat wrote on January 29, 2009 at 2:26 am:

    I will jump in here momentarily to add that everyone I’ve spoken who has read The Host before Twilight has thoroughly enjoyed The Host, and those who’ve read Twilight before The Host tend to dislike it.

    My belief is that people who’ve read Twilight go into The Host with certain character and flow expectations, which simply aren’t met because The Host is a different kind of novel. Twilight was written for a younger audience whereas The Host was written for an adult audience. (Not to say the two groups can’t enjoy books outside of their demographic.)

    It’s just something to keep in mind for anyone considering The Host after having read Twilight. Go in with no expectations and you might enjoy it. (I’ve not yet read it, but it’s on my TBR list.)

38. # Katie wrote on January 29, 2009 at 5:42 am:

    The second I heard about the leak of midnight sun I thought there was more to it. Obviously I’m not alone.

    I did however enjoy BD and thought that the series ended well and was unaware that anyone thought badly of it, It makes sense now though.

    I too agree that midnight sun was released to see what the response from the fans would be, after all it’s quite unique, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a book being redone from another character’s perspective…quite innovative really!

    I did read the chapters from midnight sun and not only am I desperate for the rest of the novel but I re-read the previous novels from a whole new perspective it’s a shame that she’s not doing the same thing with the rest of Twilight as I would love to read it all in Edwards hands they are so interesting.

    I guess we’ll know soon enough if we are correct in our assumptions…the release date will tell all, but then I don’t really care as long as I can readit eventually.

    As for the movie, I didn’t even know it was based on a book untill I saw it and immediately went and purchased the novels, and whilst I agree that books are always better than the movie I think the cast did a fantastic job on a series that is really based on alot of intense emotion and therefore hard to replecate, I saw it again after reading them and understood so much more behind it and to be quite honest it made me like it more…like I was in on a private joke (along with all the other twerds). Other than that I didn’t really think about the novel while I watched the movie that bought a book I enjoyed to life.

39. # lindsay wrote on February 11, 2009 at 5:15 pm:

    i would just like to say that i absolutely loved all of the books. i REALLLYYY hope she decides to finish Midnight Sun. i read the 12 chapters and loved it even more than twilight. i also hope that the movie New Moon will be better than Twilight. don’t get me wrong i saw Twilight 8 times because i couldn’t get enough of it, but i still hope its better. ; ) thank you for this website. i feel like i am more in the “know” now. and i hope that your right about this being a marketing thing.

    FINISH MIDNIGHT SUN!!!!!!!! PLEASSEEE ))))

40. # Dana wrote on February 12, 2009 at 4:58 pm:

    Well… I have to say that I was disappointed with BD but that in the end it was worth the read. I did read the first 12 chapters of Midnight Sun and I loved reading it from Edwards perspective… you get so much more info. I would love to see the entire series rewritten through Edwards eyes… I think Midnight Sun could outsell Twilight. As far as the scandal goes… marketing… who cares, we all get what we want in the end right?

41. # Ann-Kat wrote on February 12, 2009 at 8:13 pm:

    As far as the scandal goes… marketing… who cares, we all get what we want in the end right?

    Not necessarily.

    If it is marketing and the numbers don’t pan out (meaning the bottom line isn’t there), then those who would like to see Midnight Sun published will be waiting for a very long time.

42. # klc wrote on February 15, 2009 at 11:40 am:

    I saw the movie first and loved it. I was compelled to read the books, knowing that more often than not, the books are always better. I was not dissapointed. I finished all four in just a little over a week, able to put them down only for work and sleep. I was left wanting more, when I came across the draft of MS on SM’s website. I couldn’t believe what I was reading!! It was amazing to me that I could enjoy the same story so much more than the original version. I truly loved Edward’s personality and the way he viewed the world. (Bella was just a little too self sacrifing, a little too winey in the first 3 books) I have started rereading the series with a whole new prospective. I enjoyed “seeing” through Edward’s eyes so much more, that I have found myself going back to her website to reread the 12 chapters again and again.

    As for YA, I’m 50 and can’t get enough!!! My friends are the same way. I took one to the movie for her 47th birthday and now she’s hooked too. She said she wouldn’t have wasted her money or even watched it on video had I not taken her and now she’s as deep into the books as I am. My poor husband, who has also read the series and loved it, is truly hoping MS will be published so I’ll shut up about it!!

    I personally liked Twilight and Breaking Dawn the most and was suprised to hear there was an uproar about BD when I read the posts on here. What did people expect? This is a make believe world with make believe characters and BD brought all the magic and mystery of the secret vampire world to life. I was thrilled at the end that none of the main characters died and that these star crossed lovers had overcome all to be together forever. And who truly doesn’t wish for a “Happiliy Ever After” in their own lives? I will admit, I was hoping for a little more of the passionate honeymoon, but truly it’s not hard to use the imagination and get just as much out of it. I mean come on, he bit pillows and destroyed a headboard for crying out load, what doesn’t that tell you? Maybe my imagination is too wild for this old body.

    Stephanie Myer is a truly gifted writer, obviously capturing the imagination of so many. I don’t think it is a great leap for either senario, a true breach or publicity stunt. Whichever the case, that is not what’s important. The ones who really suffer are the fans. I hope SM comes to realize this and finishes MS. I would love to see the whole series from Edward’s point of view, it’s truly more facinating than I had imagined it could be. Everyone I’ve sent to the sight has had the same reaction. They loved it and wanted more. Hopefully, she will finish MS and consider the rest. However, like the misery felt by the Cullens, repeating high school over and over, I would imagine Stephanie Myer might feel the same way about repeating the series from a different character’s point of view. While I’m sure her fans would love it, it would probably make her miserable. Either way, I will be anxiously awaiting for news on Midnight Sun and hoping for more.

    Thanks!!

43. # Karen wrote on February 23, 2009 at 4:41 pm:

    I am so glad, after having read your blog and all the comments. It’s such a relief to know that I am not the only one out there who is so obsessed. In little over a week I went to see the movie ( I had heard about it and the books from many people before but had never made it to the theater to see the movie before), started and finished all 4 books. The longest taking me only 7 hours to finish. I just couldn’t seem to put them down. It wasn’t until finishing BD last night and this morning that I slowed down and read slower… I wanted to make it last longer!!!

    I personally loved the movie and am really looking forward to the next one when it comes out. I really like Kristen Stewart and think she makes a perfect Bella. However I may be biased since I saw the movie before reading the books.

    As for Midnight Sun, I agree with everyone who has said how wonderful it is. I think it is (so far) is the one of the best if not the best out of the whole series. Edward’s perspective has so much more depth than Bella’s in Twilight. I do would love to re-read the whole saga through Edwards eyes. As for a marketing ploy… It’s definitely possible that it went down the way Meyer has said, and even if it did and she had nothing to do with the leak… I think there was definite publicity spin put on it. To create anticipation and suspense for all the fans out there who are now dying to find out when and if it will be published. Not being able to have something only makes it more desirable!

    I really enjoyed your blog Ann-Kat and look forward to reading more in the future!!!!

44. # RJ wrote on March 16, 2009 at 1:04 am:

    Ann-Kat,

    Thank you for your blog. I never stopped to think that the leak was a marketing ploy. It does make sense if BD was indeed causing bottom line issues for the publisher. The leak of Midnight Sun would help to maintain a decent, if not high level of fans.

    Like many other fans of the series, I enjoyed Midnight Sun. Her writing improved, in my opinion, compared to Twilight. And considering how different it is to re-write an entire novel in another character’s perspective, Meyer did a really good job. I’m glad she didn’t write the original series through Edward’s perspective because through Bella’s perspective, fans fell in love with Edward. Midnight Sun would only become icing on the cake now.

    I can see where there was a backlash regarding BD. I enjoyed it but was left feeling not completely satisfied. There was a build-up to the final scene, the climax but there wasn’t that “oomph” so to speak. and in a way, I was expecting…more. But every author/writer has their own reasons for writing their books the way they do. In either case, I enjoyed the series (I finished the entire series in four days). I definitely enjoyed the movie and await the release of New Moon. Having watched the Golden Compass, I have a lot of confidence in the new director. Like Twilight, I will come into watching New Moon with no expectations in order to enjoy the movie. When it comes to books-turned-movies, expectations can sometimes lead to disappointment.

    Marketing ploy or not, Stephenie Meyer will be an author that fans will watch out for. I don’t believe she will have the same wide success of JK Rowling (she is at the moment in a league of her own) but Meyer has created a world, a fan-base that she can definitely be proud of

45. # Samantha wrote on March 17, 2009 at 3:30 pm:

    I am dying to finish midnight sun. I started reading the books after Breaking Dawn came out, but I had absolutely no problem with that final book. It was good to me the one I couldn’t stand was New Moon which means I’m cringing over the movie. It doesn’t help that the first movie didn’t THRILL me. It was alright, but not the ideal movie. It’s almost out on DVD and still in theaters though… odd…
    Anyway I really hope you’re right about Midnight Sun. I’m hoping she’ll write it anyway because it’s good so far. Even without getting to what I would consider the “good” part of the story I find myself devouring it. Reading the rest of the books from Edward’s perspective would be divine!

46. # alex wrote on March 22, 2009 at 11:55 am:

    hi i am so sorry for my english but i come from greece.i must say that i can not wait for MS anymore
    it is very good. . .but there is something strange in it . i can’t explain it

47. # alex wrote on March 22, 2009 at 12:00 pm:

    there is too much of edward cullen too much of his immortal love and some times that makes me feel a little sad like reading something much more than our life.i don’t know if that’s the best or the worst part of this book.i would like to hear an opinion from someone else

48. # Shreya wrote on March 29, 2009 at 9:31 am:

    Hey Aan-Kat

    i was suprised when i read your blog, i never thought of it that way , but you have a point the timing is a bit suspicous. even so i LOOOVE the books and it was quite cool to read twilight and MS at the same time and see what Edward is thinking, i really enjoyed it even tough it was suppose to be a very rough draft. I really hope she releases MS SOON!!

49. # Lady G wrote on April 2, 2009 at 3:42 pm:

    I am an English and creative writing teacher, and after listening to my students giggle, complain, and sigh over the books for so long, I relented… unavoidable, I must say. I rented the Twilight movie for my daughter and I was fascinated. I quickly read all four books last week, and I was impressed. SM takes Vampire lore in a different direction, providing us an alternative view of the traditional
    “bloodsucking” vampire. I found it refreshing and adorable.

    It seems, though that the uproar over BD is due to our rejection of the archetypical “happy ending”. We wanted more… more blood, more guts, more sex, more Edward and Bella. Perhaps the argument here then becomes one not of the actual ending, but of the simple fact that it ended at all. Remember, the demographic was those tweens who get so much market attention. The happy ending was a bit of a prerequisite- nobody complains about happy endings in other HUGELY popular novels (who shall remain nameless)

    Anyhoo— moving on. My reading of MS (tainted though it was by having to read it online instead of having pages to flip) deduced an entirely new perspective for the series. Interesting- in reviewing the original four, I have now caught things that were a bit hazy before- some of the reactions between the characters and so forth- looks, glances, and muttered responses seem much more meaningful now. But I thought it would be an interesting experiment to see if people would want to read the same story twice simply to see the “other side of the coin” so to speak.

    I will say though, that I did find it somewhat suspicious when the MS manuscript conveniently ends at the point when the story begins to really become defined. Us MS readers endure a new introduction, a few choice scenes and then are left, mouths agape at the end of the manuscript right before the definitive turning point in their relationship (I apologize if you havent read it) – the classic cliff hanger.

    I will be waiting to see if MS ever makes it to the shelves, and along with the rest of you, will dutifully purchase my copy- hoping for the chemistry we experienced in the first viewing of the story- intentional publicity stunt or not. And, like I did with the Harry Potter books, will encourage my students to meet me at the local bookstore for the release- because in the end, marketing, publicity, and money aside, the real bottom line is encouraging our children to read.

50. # Carrie R wrote on April 3, 2009 at 7:20 pm:

    I loved the books. I do agree that the timining is suspicous. I wasn’t a fan until after the movie and read all four books in about 5 days-losing much needed sleep.

    I just read MS, I have say,I LOVE IT! It brings new insight into Edward mind and the the Cullen family as a whole..leaving me to want more.

    Love the blog.

51. # Leah H wrote on April 22, 2009 at 1:43 pm:

    I was surprised to see that so many people had the same reaction to seeing the movie (Twilight) that they decided to read the book and then ended up reading the entire series in a matter of days. I was the same way and am trying to get my husband to do the same so he doesn’t think I’m crazy to have spent so much time reading these books. They were so page turning that I couldn’t stop.

    I loved that some of the series in written from Jacobs perspective (as he is by far my favorite character) and, for me BD was one of the best books because the anguish that you felt for J in the previous books was resolved.

    I read MS, not realizing that it was incomplete and was sorely disappointed when I got to the end only to find out that I would have to wait, or may never get, to finish the book. The perspective from Edward is so intriguing and explain so many of his reactions and side comments that I couldn’t stop reading it once I had started. From Bella’s perspective you really cant see what attracts him to her so much as she can’t see it for herself. Also to see him have insecurities about himself is indearing. I dearly hope that it is completed and done soon as I am chopping at the bit to see the rest of the book from his perspective.

52. # Rissa wrote on May 31, 2009 at 4:15 pm:

    I also saw the trailers for the movie and decided that I would see the movie when it came out on DVD (I have 3 children under 4 and 1/2 yrs and almost never have the ability to see a movie in the theater), partly because I love fantasy and partly because of Rob Pattinson- loved him in Harry Potter 4. After loving the movie I then borrowed the 4 books from a good friend and read the entire series in 2 days- not easy to do with 3 young kids and a husband who is a doctor in the Navy and was away for training.

    That was a month ago and I still have not been able to move on to another story! I’m totally obsessed, my husband and friends think I’m nuts, and all I have to say is I don’t care about the MS controversy- I just hope it either gets published and then I’ll add it to my collection or SM just finishes the story and then posts it on her website.

    And I can’t wait for the New Moon movie to come out. I already informed my husband that I’m going to see it in the theater- along with Harry Potter 6!!!

53. # Cinderella wrote on June 8, 2009 at 7:50 pm:

    I loved breaking dawn and don’t see why anyone had a problem with it. Why do all books and movies have to end badly? Why cant just once we actually read a book or watch a movie that ends well? I was soo happy when they had there happy ending it left me smiling, and thats the way it should be.

54. # C.C wrote on July 3, 2009 at 1:07 am:

    I personally love the Twlight series and I don’t get how someone couldn’t even though we are all different people. Midnight Sun seems interesting although I havn’t finished reading the posted chapters yet. I really hope that she publishes it. And by the way, Breaking Dawn movie is going to be rated R, crap. Ha ha, and im NOT going to see that with a parent. Just have to wait for the D.V.D.

55. # meg wrote on August 3, 2009 at 1:54 am:

    i just finished reading the 12 MS chapters earlier and thought it was awesome! i really do hope SM decides to publish it. its already about as popular as the other 4 books and all we got to see r those 12 chapters… if SM doesnt publish it shed be crazy! she must know how many ppl would buy and read it. ppl dont care if the first chapters are a spoiler. while i understand shes upset it was leaked ( unless it really was a clever marketing scheme) she still knows ppl would buy it and still love the work. hopefully itll come into publication soon.

56. # ADE wrote on August 4, 2009 at 7:20 am:

    I loved the books and the twilight movie. Cannot wait for New Moon and the rest Would be great if SM could finish the book from Edward’s perspective – I loved it !

57. # JOANN wrote on August 7, 2009 at 10:16 pm:

    PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT STOP WITH ONE NOVEL SHOWING EDWARD’S PERSPECTIVE. THE FOLLOWING NOVELS COULD EVEN BE WRITTEN WITH THE ADULT IN MIND. BELIEVE ME, MUSH MONEY WILL BE MADE BY THE PUBLISHER AND HENCEFORTH STEPHANIE MYERS. STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT. WE ALL WANT MORE OF THE STORY. I READ THAT AN ADDITIONAL BOOK ENTITLED “FOREVER DAWN” WAS WRITTEN THEN SCRAPED. I THINK THIS BOOK MIGHT DESERVE A REWRITE. LIKE I SAID, WE ALL WANT MORE OF BELLA, EDWARD, THEIR DAUGHTER, JACOB AND THE CULLEN CLAN. I, AS WELL AS SO MANY OTHERS, COULD NOT PUT THE BOOKS DOWN. I AM 66 YRS OF AGE FAR, FAR, FROM A YOUNG TEEN. THE STORY IS A REFRESHING PERSPECTIVE ON THE VAMPIRE MYTH AND HAS THE QUALITY OF THE FORBIDDEN LOVE OF ROMEO AND JULIET BUT I AM HAPPY TO SAY WITHOUT THE TRAGIC ENDING.

58. # Sravana wrote on August 21, 2009 at 3:02 pm:

    Stephenie Meyer is most definitely going to re-write the entire series from Edward Cullen’s perspective. If you think about it, she left a lot of holes in the first four books that she still has to explain. For example, in Twilight, James some how figures out that Edward can read minds and manages to keep enough of a distance from Edward, so that he can’t.

    In New Moon, Edward leaves Bella and tracks Victoria. He goes to Texas and then follows a false lead down to Brazil. Why does she mention this if she doesn’t plan on explaining it. Cardinal rule of writing: NEVER mention something if you don’t plan on explaining it. If she didn’t plan on re-writing the entire series then she could have had Edward hang out in Ithaca with Carlisle and Esme, and story really wouldn’t have to change much. NM rewrite is going to be Edward’s adventure with tracking.

    Eclipse is mainly going to be Edward’s internal battle with Jacob. I know Edward’s a nice guy (vampire) and everything, but there had to be a lot going on inside him to make him be so fair and let Bella hang out with Jacob.

    In Breaking Dawn, Stephenie writes the story from Jacob and Bella’s perspective. The 2 main characters of the entire series are Bella and Edward. Technically, Alice and Jacob are only supporting characters. So then why does she write it in Jacob’s perspective instead of Edwards?? It’s because she is probably going to re-write Breaking Dawn in Edward and Alice’s perspective. Alice and Jasper leave the Cullens and have an adventure of their own. She can’t mention that without explaining it! And she will. It probably was a great adventure, and I’m predicting that she’s going to end the series with a bang! So all of those readers who had an uproar about the book… I definitely think they were too hasty.

    Other points she mentions without explaining that are just on the top of my head:

    1. When Edward asks Charlie for his blessing to marry Bella, Charlie laughs his head off. Why? Edward knows…

    2. When Zarfina comes to Forks, she mentions that Alice needed Kachiri somewhere. What did she need her for? It has to be part of Alice’s story.

    I agree that MS leak was a marketing ploy. It was done to make people forget their disppointment in BD and concentrate on this book.

    I also heard that she is only going to re-write Twilight. But clearly for all the points mentioned, above this CANNOT be true. If she doesn’t re-write the series, then Twilight is just going to be incomplete, and therefore, not a very good series. It’s not a matter of IF, it’s a matter of WHEN.

    I’m thinking next year, or right before Breaking Dawn (the movie) is released to hype up the movie.

    When you write a series, the end of it should leave readers happy and sad. Like Harry Potter. After Deathly Hallows, even though I was sad it was over, I was happy and satisfied. Twilight series did not have that feeling after BD. There is so much more to write… and I bet it was her plan all along to do it.

59. # Michaela wrote on August 24, 2009 at 2:39 pm:

    Hey all,
    I was reading through the comments and I am not sure what to think.. I really wasn’t aware of any of the issues people were having with BD until I just read it.. then again I wish that the ending had been a little bit different… Sravana, I agree with you there!!! I think she will add more books to the series there are several things that are left out that could be made into books.. then again maybe SM won’t write more and leave it up to us to fill in the blanks, or use our imagination.. whatever you want to say. Only time will tell what Stephenie Meyer is planning on doing with the rest of MS and the hopeful books that will go into more detail on the last 3 books….. we will see.. thanks for listening..

60. # Shel wrote on August 26, 2009 at 11:21 pm:

    I am very interested to hear what everyone thought was missing or wrong with BD. I, too, felt a bit dissatisfied with BD. I didn’t think it focused enough on the passion they had spent the first three books building on. I felt let down. I also didn’t feel there was the same strong connection between the characters, especially the relationship between Bella and Alice. Don’t get me wrong, I liked BD enough to read it 7 times, but I think I kept thinking I would discover something that just wasn’t there. Please tell me what you think.

61. # jennifer wrote on August 29, 2009 at 12:52 pm:

    ok, after reading all these comments i have to agree that the book series is incomplete. the first part of midnight sun was great. it was nice to see it from edwards point of view. bd was a good book but the ending just left me unsatisfied. what happened with edward and bella? are they living happily ever after or not? also jacob and renesme are they happy? how long did it take her to grow up? did they have kids? could they have kids? I NEED MORE!

62. # Jessica wrote on August 29, 2009 at 3:39 pm:

    I read the first eleven chapters to midnight sun and i am in love. this book has caused me to fall for edward all over again. I have in fact read all the books. And I am about to read the series from start to finish again. I love Midnight Sun and can’t wait for it to be published.

63. # Amaranta wrote on August 31, 2009 at 6:38 am:

    I can’t stop reading the books over and over again. MS is great and I hope SM will finish and publish the book asap. Can’t wait, I am too excited! The idea of presenting the Twilight universe from Edward’s point of view is awesome. Hope all of you are right and we will have the love story completed from all points of view.

64. # Hannah wrote on September 3, 2009 at 7:05 pm:

    I just finished MS for the second time and agreed with all of you that it is great! Wanting more and with SM not having a update on her page I searched google. I found that on yahoo answers someone had found copyright info saying the book was to be completed in 8/10 and released 8/11. Of course I have no idea if this is true and i haven’t put much effort into researching it. I would love to see the sage from the Edward/Alice POV. I think it was disappointing how Alice was absent most of BD when she was such good friends with Bella through out the series. If anyone has any updated info that would be awesome!

    http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090620120822AAolwdo

65. # Jennifer wrote on September 3, 2009 at 11:07 pm:

    I had no idea people were dissatisfied with BD! I loved it, in fact, I loved the whole saga. I couldn’t wait until Alice returned from her voyage… and when she did show up, I understood why she left. It kept me reading because I knew she would return!

    There are holes, but SM can’t fill in every single one, or the book would have been way too long.

    I did think that BD had a different feel to it, especially with chapters from Jacob’s perspective. It took a while to get used to, but maybe it was a test run to see how readers would like a following book from his perspective….telling the story of him and Reneesme.

    And why do we need another 10 books about Edward and Bella?! No relationship is perfect, and they’d have to start having real marital problems sometime! I loved the ending with Edward FINALLY getting to hear her thoughts!

66. # Sravana wrote on September 4, 2009 at 9:32 am:

    Jennifer, I think the main reason why people were having difficulty stomaching BD was BECAUSE of the holes. SM left a lot of BIG holes which made the story very disappointing. What’s more is that there was no clear cut understanding of what was happening. We just read everything that Bella THOUGHT was happening, but we really didn’t know the other side of the story.

    Basically in BD, the Volturi come to kill the Cullens. Alice goes off on a massive adventure, and comes back at the nick of time to save everyone. But at the end of the story, we find out that it was BELLA who actually saved the day, but all we really know she did was shield everyone’s minds. If the evidence Alice brought was the reason why the Volturi left, then how was Bella the hero? These are really really big holes that no one seems to understand.

    Also, the fact that part of BD was written in Jacob’s perspective is probably not a set up for a tale about Renesmee and Jacob, but more a set up for the BD re-write. SM is probably going to re-write in Edward and Alice’s perspective. All of the holes will be filled up once we learn Alice’s adventure. None of the books ever really gave us a clear cut understanding on why the Volturi is so feared. Edward’s side of the tale is going to give us a better understanding of the Volturi, what they were thinking, and how Bella was the hero.

    I loved BD too, but as I wrote in my earlier post, I definitely think that the entire series is going to be re-written in Edward’s perspective. There were holes in ALL of the books, but they were significantly smaller, so I think that people were more forgiving toward them. When you write a story, the thing is, it needs to be complete, and not leave readers trying to imagine what happened in between.

67. # Jason wrote on September 4, 2009 at 11:54 pm:

    Ok to answer the last post on my screen here from Sravana, yes its full of holes. But the books were really meant to be written from Bella’s perspective so as a reader we can only know what she knows. So she is new to the whole situation with the volturi. But to answer a question. The reason why Bella was the hero is b/c she made the twins useless. Those 2 were the Volturi’s main weapons and they didn’t have them. That is how she was the hero. Yes Alice came to make show all the witnesses that Nessi is harmless but the Cullen’s were still doomed, unless Bella could put her shield around them and make it a physically fair fight.

    But i agree, the book was a long book and it seemed to me that it went slow for the first 700 pages and then ended in 50 pages. It came to an abrupt end and I for one would like the wholes to be filled in. I would like to hear the whole saga from Edward’s eyes, midnight sun is a completely different book from Twilight. So i think the whole saga could be even better told through his eyes, so we know the whole story and not just Bella’s side and thoughts of what she thinks is real.

68. # Sravana wrote on September 5, 2009 at 8:54 am:

    Jason, yep, I agree with your reason. But what I mean is that based on the physical course of events:

    1. Volturi come to kill and conquer
    2. Aro shakes Edward’s hands to get all the insight into the Cullens and their friends
    3. Volturi give a few reasons to convict which that are refuted
    4. Bella shields everyone’s minds to protect them from the Volturi
    5. Aro says that because they don’t have a good idea of what a half human/half vampire will be like, they have to kill Renesmee
    6. Alice comes with Nahuel and the Volturi leave.

    Based on the physical course of events that happen, and NOT taking into consideration Bella’s point of view, you see, it was Alice’s evidence that saved the day, not Bella’s powers.

    While I agree that Bella is the hero because she rendered the Volturi useless (not just the twins, but also Chelsea, Aro, Felix), we don’t know what how much damage her powers caused the Volturi because we don’t know their side. So saying that she is the hero because she made the most dangerous Volturi useless is more of an assumption and not the actual fact. Do you see what I mean about holes and mentioning something without explaining it? A good piece of writing has no holes. I mean, what’s the point of being an author of a story when the readers are going to have to imagine or make up half of the story the story themselves?

    Another event to make my point even stronger… Alice sends Zarfina to the Cullens, but takes Kachiri to help her. Why bother mentioning this when you don’t plan on explaining it? If SM meant to make BD the final final book, then she could have either taken Kachiri out of the novel all together, or Kachiri could have come to the Cullens as well, the SM wouldn’t have to change BD at all. It still could have happened the same way. It’s a big whole… and all of these holes make Edward’s perspective a necessity, not a gift from SM to her fans.

    I also agree with you Jason, that Midnight Sun will be better than Twilight. But I actually am more interested in the re-write of NM and BD. We basically know what’s happening in MS and in Eclipse… we just don’t know Edward’s psychology. But in NM, we can see Edward’s tracking adventures, and in BD, we can get a better insight into Alice’s adventure, and the Volturi.

69. # Jason wrote on September 6, 2009 at 12:38 am:

    I agree with you Sravana, but would it be like MS when Edward ran off to Alaska, SM didn’t really elaborate on what Edward actually did except he sat on a snow bank and thought alot. So I do agree with you those books through Edward’s eyes have the possibility to be great, but that will leave a lot of room for let down. Now I don’t think it could let anyone down who is a true fan, but thats not really the point.
    I think they have great potential being told through Edward’s eyes, and I really hope it happens.

70. # grace wrote on September 8, 2009 at 8:55 pm:

    I didn’t read every comment so don’t know if this was touched on. I love the Twilight series. But, I would next love to see SM write Jacob and Renesmee’s story. The characters would be familiar, but the story would be entirely new.

71. # Very Surprised wrote on September 11, 2009 at 12:52 pm:

    Hello to Everyone on the forum. I just recently rented the Twilight movie from Netflix at a friends urging. I enjoyed every minute of it to my surprise. Unfortunately I was not aware that there was an entire series of books for Twilight!!! (Embarrassing I know !!) I bought all four of the books and read them from Saturday at 11:00 am and did not put the very last book down until Monday at 4:30 pm !!! I just could not put these books down. I even went on to Stephenie Meyers website to read Midnight Sun……AND LOVED IT !! Again to my surprise! I agree with most that Midnight Sun does answer quite a few of the holes in from Twilight. From what I hear Midnight Sun expected release date will be August 24th 2011 (some say 2010). This is based on the copyright. I believe Midnight Sun will be the stronger book of the 4. I truly hope to see all of the books re-written from Edwards’s perspective. Again like most I did enjoy Breaking Dawn, but the ending I was not quite satisfied with. There are some loose ends that I feel she should clear up with a follow up book. Anyway, it has been a blast reading everyone’s comments!

    Take Care.

72. # Rita wrote on October 8, 2009 at 11:42 pm:

    I fell in love with the Twilight series over the summer, and I have to say that I really enjoyed Breaking Dawn! What nitpicking! My goodness! I don’t see what the fuss was about here- I thought it was a great ending to an enchanting tale! I stumbled onto Midnight Sun just last night, and was so excited to see that it will be released… eventually. Wish it was so much sooner, though! I think I may have enjoyed Midnight Sun more than Twilight, even in it’s “rough form”. But then again, maybe not. Maybe it’s just like peanut butter and jelly or cheese and crackers- they’re wonderful on their own, but really compliment and complete each other! I can completely understand Stephenie Meyer feeling hurt and betrayed at the chapters leaking out onto the internet, and losing her motivation to work on the book. With everything else that leaks out online, I tend to believe that is what happened. There’s too many other conspiracy theories out there to add this perfectly logical explanation (and reaction) to the stack. At this point, what has been done cannot be undone, and I just hope that Midnight Sun comes out sooner rather than later. So to sum up- LOVED all four Twilight books, LOVED The Host, LOVED the first 12 chapters of Midnight Sun, and am eagerly awaiting it’s publication! Keep writing please, Stephenie!

73. # Jennifer wrote on October 10, 2009 at 3:44 pm:

    Rita, I agree with you 100%. I think people who didn’t enjoy BD are nitpicking!! When I think back to the books, I think back to the overall story, the “BIG IDEA.” It doesn’t matter to me who Alice took on her journey to South America because everything worked out! I enjoyed the story for what it was – a work of fiction, meant to entertain.
    I mean if we are going to get really picky, why isn’t anyone complaining about where Laurent went in between leaving the Cullens with a warning in Twilight and returning to be killed in New Moon?!
    BECAUSE IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER.
    And a good author doesn’t have to spell everything out for his or her readers! Anyone ever been to college and discussed a work of literature before? One thing I can remember thinking was, how do we really know what that author was thinking?
    My point: We don’t! The only person who knows is the author.

74. # Tayla wrote on January 11, 2010 at 3:00 am:

    Breaking Dawn was my favorite book of the series..Its to bad everyone expects books to be sex and violence and can’t appreciate a book for what it is. As for Midnight Sun I thought it was great and really hope it gets released soon, whether it was intentionally leaked or not Meyers obviously got the response she was hoping for. There is no doubt in my mind that it will be a best seller along with the rest.

75. # SJ wrote on April 1, 2010 at 1:02 pm:

    Interesting theory. Here is a bit of a spin: maybe she refused to continue writing it because it was leaked intentionally by THE PUBLISHER. That would explain why she believes there was no malicious intent just, as is listed many times above, an attempt to appease angry BD readers as well as garner publicity and goodwill for the movie deal.

76. # The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: Greed or Philanthropy? - Today, I Read… wrote on April 9, 2010 at 8:47 am:

    [...] Looked upon objectively, there is financial gain in being altruistic. I’m not upset about it in the least—a girl’s gotta eat. But it’s always important to look at the situation objectively before hopping on a particular (extremist) bandwagon. What this all comes down to is more clever marketing. [...]

77. # Elaine Hayden wrote on September 30, 2010 at 6:12 pm:

    WHEN WILL BREAKING DAWN HIT THEATERS?!?!?

78. # Arline R. wrote on October 18, 2010 at 7:59 pm:

    Hi all, I only recently became a Twilight fan after simply popping in a random DVD from my sister’s collection. I loved it so much that I looked it up online and found that it was part of a saga! From there, I read all four books and Midnight Sun within a week. I really was surprised to find all the negative comments on BD. I will say that I didn’t much like the bloody “scene” (didn’t want to possibly spoil). Other than that, however, I think it really did a good job of tying up lose ends and bringing the story to a great end. I’m not going to say that I would compare these works to a piece of literature but, come on, they are what they are, they’re pieces of fiction that (as someone else mentioned)are meant to entertain. I loved them for that, because they were exactly what they promised to be, super romanticky, gooey, sweet, make your heart flutter, swoon books that make u wish you had an Edward of your own! When you pick up a book, maybe you’ll like it maybe you won’t, it’s a risk you’re taking. As far as breaking dawn, I agree with other posters in that I think it’s probably the best work in the saga. You really see the way that Edward is torn about his decision to pursue Bella. I do understand that the Author is upset about the illegal release of her work, and I’m not going to say that she “owes” it to anyone to finish it because it’s her work and it must be a very personal invasion to have someone divulge it when it’s not the way you wanted it. However, I do hope that it gets published soon, it truly is engrossing and I would LOVE to see the meadow scene from Edward’s pov!

79. # Arline R. wrote on October 18, 2010 at 8:01 pm:

    I meant as far as Midnight Sun is concerned towards the end of my post, sorry.

80. # angel wrote on April 6, 2011 at 10:13 am:

    I have read all four books in the series and Midnight Sun at least 4 times each and absolutely loved them all. I love her style of writing and description; she is truly a very gifted writer…
    The movies however, were a great dissappointment. There was SO much they left out and changed unnecessarily. I too am hoping that SM finishes the Midnight Sun version.. but, since it has been a few years now, I am sad to say I don’t think it will happen. I am starting to read “The Host” this week and hope that she stays true to form in her writing style. We’ll see… In my opinion none of the books in the Twilight Series were a dissappointment. I didn’t even realize there was a bad opinion of Breaking Dawn until I read this blog. This one is actually one of my favorites from the series… although Midnight Sun would have probably taken the #1 spot had it been finished. It is truly entertaining to see his insecurity when you know she has fallen for him so completely at the same time. Good work! I hope to hear more from Stephanie Meyers soon.

81. # Jeanmarie Molyneaux wrote on March 26, 2012 at 3:02 am:

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