User:Allia1412

Aliyah Rouse

1)Fan of Gail Carson Levine Novels

2)Fan of Ellen Schreiber Novels

3)Fan on Stephenie Meyer Fairest

1)Fairest is a 2006 novel by Gail Carson Levine. It is based on the story of Snow White and set in the same world as Ella Enchanted. Contents [hide]

* 1 Synopsis * 2 Characters * 3 Snow White Parallels * 4 Ella Enchanted Connections * 5 Awards * 6 See also * 7 Sources

Synopsis

Aza, the adopted daughter of innkeepers in Ayortha, has always hated her appearance. Her prodigious size and her odd coloring — milk-white skin, blood-red lips, and hair that seems to be sooty black — often make her the target of stares and rude comments. Be that as it may, Aza's voice garners as much attention as her looks, for Ayortha is a land of song, and Aza is a superb singer. But besides being skilled at singing, Aza can also flawlessly mimic people and throw her voice without moving her mouth, a form of ventriloquism she calls "illusing".

While Aza's illusing begins as a simple trick to entertain herself and her family, it acts as a catalyst for her adventures in the book. When the Duchess of Olixo, a irritable guest at the Featherbed Inn, requests that Aza accompany her to the royal wedding, the new queen, Ivi, discovers Aza's gift and manipulates her. As Ivi cannot sing well, she offers to reward Aza with land and riches for her family as well as elevation to the rank of lady-in-waiting in exchange for Aza illusing a voice for her when she needs to sing; when Aza tries to refuse, Ivi threatens to imprison her and close her family's inn.

Soon after Aza reluctantly accepts Ivi's offer, the castle is thrown into turmoil when the King is terribly wounded during a sporting event. Aza is caught in the midst of Ivi's power-hungry plotting, the affection of the king's nephew Crown Prince Ijori, the suspicions of the choirmaster Uellu, and her own increasing desperation to become beautiful, a desperation which grows so strong that she ultimately drinks a beauty potion created by Skulni, the mysterious creature living in Ivi's magic mirror. With the country on the verge of revolt, the inevitable discovery of Aza and Ivi's singing deception leaves Aza fleeing for her life when a jealous Ivi leads to Aza being branded a dangerous ogre.

Exiled, Aza is welcomed by the gnomes; zhamM, a frequent guest at her family's inn, provides her with food, shelter, and a sense of heritage. After she has spent some time with the gnomes, a sinister scheme forces Aza to fight for her life, discover her true source of strength, and ultimately, learn to accept herself.

Characters

* Aza – A 15-year-old girl from Ayortha, who was adopted by an innkeeper when she was left in the lark chamber of his inn as an infant. When she was found, she was covered in a velvet blanket with gold trim, leading her family to suspect she is of royal origins. She is insecure about her appearance and is convinced she is ugly, but has a beautiful voice to compensate. She was suspected to be part ogre but is actually part gnome. She can illuse, or throw her voice without moving her lips, and is also an extremely talented mimic. She ultimately marries Ijori, becomes Queen of Ayortha and has three children.

* Ivi – A commoner from Kyrria who becomes Queen of Ayortha after marrying King Oscaro. She blackmails Aza into becoming her singing voice in order to preserve her own reputation. She is self-absorbed, as well as simple-minded, insecure, and concerned with beauty. When her new husband is injured, she uses Aza's voice in order to gain dictorial control of Ayortha. Although typically selfish, Ivi occasionally demonstrates concern for others, staying with her injured husband every night, and helping Aza find fashions which better suit her. She is sent to the summer castle at the end of the book for being too power hungry. Although she is sent away from Ayortha, she still considers herself to be queen.

* Ijori – The Crown Prince of Ayortha, the king's nephew and heir to the throne. Ijori is two years older than Aza. He first meets Aza in the receiving line at the royal wedding, and is later partnered with her in a song composing game, which they win. Throughout the course of the story, he becomes friends with Aza, and eventually kisses her, but he doubts her when she is accused of being part-ogre and plotting against the kingdom. He soon regains his faith in her, and when she lays dying in Gnome Caverns after eating the poisoned apple, he revives her. They ultimately marry and become King and Queen of Ayortha.

* zhamM – A gnome who frequents the Featherbed Inn. He becomes friends with Aza and welcomes her into his home at Gnome Caverns when she is in hiding. He is a judge and can read into the future to a certain extent, predicting the danger that Aza will find herself in. He teaches Aza about Gnome culture and helps her uncover her heritage; it is suspected that he could be her distant cousin.

* Skulni – The main antagonist of the book. He lives in a mirror given to Ivi by Lucinda, the same fairy who granted Ella of Frell's "gift" of obedience. Those who use the potions of the mirror can become beautiful or take on disguises, but the price they pay is that, at their death, they become trapped in the mirror until Lucinda gives the mirror again, while Skulni takes a holiday. When not in the mirror, Skulni travels under the name "Master Ikulni." He even stayed at Aza's family's inn prior to the story's timeline; he apparently paid well, but when he left the money he payed vanished in thin air. In an effort to obtain his vacation sooner, Skulni expedites the deaths of the mirror's owners by preying on their weaknesses, giving them ill advice, and manipulating them; he has negatively influenced much of Ayorthaian history throughout the years. He is ultimately defeated by Aza; after she smashes the mirror, he is never heard of again. Snow White Parallels Just as the prequel Ella Enchanted was based on the tale of Cinderella, Fairest is inspired by the tale of Snow White, as seen in the parallels between the stories:

* Aza is described as having pale skin, blood red lips, and dark hair, which are Snow White's defining physical characteristics. * A magic mirror is a major plot device in both this novel and the fairy tale. * Ivi sends a guard to kill Aza, but the guard found that he could not bring himself to kill her; instead, he helps lead her to the caverns of the gnomes and returns back to the castle, claiming to the Ivi that he killed her and using fabric torn from her clothing as false evidence. The guard is the Snow White counterpart for the huntsman, whom the queen sends to kill Snow White but instead lets her go and brings back a pig's heart as false evidence for killing her. * The gnomes are very hospitable and are willing to take Aza into their home, just like the dwarves in the original story. * Ivi is a queen who is so vain and insecure that egged on by Skulni, the presence in her magic mirror, she attempts to kill Aza, whom she fears has become more beautiful than she is. She attempts to kill Aza by disguising herself (with a magic potion) and giving her a poisoned apple, just like in the original fairy tale. Also on the tray with the apple were combs and laces in the original story. * The storylines are nearly identical in their endings; the prince and the girl fall in love, marry, and the two take their thrones as rulers of their kingdom.

However, there are also major dissimilarities between the stories, such as the fact that:

* Aza is neither beautiful — with the exception of when she is under a spell — nor is she the stepdaughter of the queen. * It is the creature within the magic mirror who does the evil plotting in Fairest, rather than the wicked queen; for the most part, Ivi is being manipulated, rather than actually plotting. * In Snow White, the wicked queen is forced to dance to death in burning iron shoes; in Fairest, she is merely exiled to the summer castle.

Ella Enchanted Connections

* Areida, Aza's adoptive sister, becomes best friends with Ella of Ella Enchanted. * Lucinda the fairy's magic is a strong element in the plot of both books, as she is the creator of the magic mirror. * Ayortha and Kyrria, the setting of Ella Enchanted, are neighboring kingdoms. * Sir Peter, Ella's father, is mentioned as a guest at the Featherbed Inn.

'''Ella Enchanted Author 	Gail Carson Levine Country 	United States Language 	English Genre(s) 	Fantasy Publisher 	HarperTrophy Publication date 	1997 Media type 	Print (Hardcover, Paperback) and Audiobook Pages 	240 pp ISBN 	ISBN 0-06-440705-5'''

Ella Enchanted is a Newbery Honor book written by Gail Carson Levine and published in 1997. It is also the title of the American movie based on the novel and released April 9, 2004 directed by Tommy O'Haver and starring Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy. The story is a retelling of Cinderella featuring various mythical creatures including fairies, elves, ogres, gnomes, and giants. Contents [hide]

* 1 Plot outline * 2 Characters (story relationships) o 2.1 Main characters + 2.1.1 Ella + 2.1.2 Prince Charmont (Char) + 2.1.3 Fairy godmother/Mandy + 2.1.4 Areida + 2.1.5 Lucinda + 2.1.6 Hattie + 2.1.7 Olive o 2.2 Minor characters + 2.2.1 Sir Peter + 2.2.2 Lady Eleanor + 2.2.3 Dame Olga * 3 See also

Plot outline

At birth, Eleanor (Ella) of Frell was given the "gift" of obedience by a fairy named Lucinda. This forces her to obey any order given to her.

When she is fifteen, her mother dies. At the funeral, she befriends Prince Charmont (Char). Soon afterwards, her father sends her to finishing school with the snotty daughters of the wealthy Dame Olga: Hattie and Olive. Hattie realizes Ella always does what she is told, but she does not exactly know why.She starts to take advantage of it, but Ella takes comfort from her new friend Areida.

When Ella learns that her father is attending a wedding where fairies may be present, she runs away in the hope of finding Lucinda at the wedding and asking to have the curse lifted. On the way to the wedding, she is almost kidnapped by ogres who eat her horse and order her not to run away. However, when they are about to eat her, she uses her knowledge of their hypnotic language to charm them to sleep, and is soon saved by Char and his knights.

She finds Lucinda and tries to persuade her to lift the curse, but Lucinda refuses. Instead, Lucinda orders Ella to be happy about her "gift", but luckily, Mandy, her fairy god-mother, realizes it's just another order, and reverses it. Ella returns to the manor with her father, who, after failing to find a rich husband for Ella, decides to marry Dame Olga in order to pay off his debts. She meets Prince Char again at the wedding. They find glass slippers hidden in a garden and Char gives them to Ella. A few days later he leaves the country for a year, but they write to each other frequently.

After Ella's father leaves to continue his trading business, Dame Olga makes Ella a slave in her own house. Meanwhile, Ella and Char fall in love. Char asks if she is too young to marry,and she responds in each letter in a different way, but avoiding answering the question directly, because she realized that while she is under the curse, marrying him would put him and the country in danger: she could be ordered to kill him. To prevent this, she tricks him into believing she's eloped with another man.

Char, heartbroken returns and his father holds a royal ball each night for three nights. Ella, who still loves him, is overcome with the desire to see him again, and decides to go in disguise. With the help of Mandy and Lucinda (who has reformed), and wearing the glass slippers and a mask, she goes to the balls under the name "Lela". On the third night of the ball, when she's dancing with Char, the jealous Hattie snatches off her mask and Ella flees, losing a slipper on the way. She runs to the manor, where she and Mandy plan to run away and make their living as cooks, but Char and his knights arrive before they can leave. Char orders her to marry him, but she fights an inner battle trying to defy the order. She succeeds; screaming she won't, but realizing she has broken the curse, she changes her mind to marry Char, and they live happily ever after.

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Characters (story relationships)

Main characters

Ella

Ella is the protagonist of the story. She is a charming and witty girl with black hair and green eyes. Despite her curse of obedience, she has a headstrong and rebellious spirit. She easily captivates Prince Charmont with her sense of humor. She also acts naturally around him, and doesn’t always appear to be trying to impress him like most young girls would. Ella is naturally clumsy, forever tripping and dropping things. This makes it especially hard for Ella to obey the commands at finishing school. Ella has a knack for languages and uses them throughout the novel to her advantage. Ella is also very selfless, as shown when she refuses the prince's proposal because of the danger she could possibly put him in. Ella shows the ultimate strength and devotion to Char when he commands her to marry him and she refuses and breaks the curse because of her true and unselfish love for him. After their marriage she takes the position of Court Linguist and Cook's Helper (refusing the title of princess) of Kyrria. However, most people of Kyrria still regard her as princess and later queen despite her official title.

Prince Charmont (Char)

Prince Char is the prince of Kyrria, with whom Ella falls in love. He is young and quite handsome, and has many good attributes, such as his genuine kindness and his gentle and easygoing nature. In a letter to Ella, Char says that, though she doubtless finds all the good in him, she must not overlook the bad. He goes on to admit that, though he is slow to anger, he is also slow to forgive, as shown with his lifetime-long grudge against a language tutor. Pride is another of his faults, though it is a weaker trait in him. He falls unconditionally in love with Ella and never gives up on her, despite the fact that she hurt him in her quest to save him. When he says he will never marry after he believes Ella no longer loves him, his devotion and unwavering love for Ella is shown. He is not aware of Ella's curse until the end of the novel, so the commands he issues are not intentional and in no way meant to harm Ella.

Fairy godmother/Mandy

Mandy is the household cook, and Ella's fairy godmother. Mandy told Ella that she was her fairy godmother after Ella's mother died, but ordered Ella to tell no one. Her recipes are adored by all, and it is her talent for cooking that places her in a high position among the others. She looks after Ella by teaching and caring for her as one of her own. Mandy is also known for her caution towards using magic for anything important. She refuses to remove Ella's curse because she doesn't know how to undo the spell and she's very unhappy with Lucinda for her flagrant use of magic. Mandy is also immortal.

Areida

Areida is Ella's only friend at finishing school, and teaches Ella her language, Ayorthaian. Their friendship is often their sole source of comfort. Areida's family operates the "Feather Bed Inn" in Ayortha. She is the sister of Aza, the protagonist of Fairest. Areida's lack of wealth and her foreign accent make her unpopular with her classmates. Yet from the beginning, Areida is described as kind-hearted and unselfish. She has an elegant voice and shows compassion for the girls that have ridiculed her, even nursing one such pupil back to health after she falls ill with food poisoning. She grows up to be a good physician.

Lucinda

Lucinda is the fairy that "blessed" Ella with the "gift" of obedience at her birth and would not let her take it off. She stubbornly considers her various gifts to be wonderful. Unlike other fairies, who keep their identities hidden from ordinary non-magic folk, Lucinda performs "big" magic carelessly and openly. Anyone who threatens or pleads with her, unsatisfied with her interference, she transforms into a squirrel. Her other "gifts" include eternally binding two giant newly-weds (neither of them can ever be without the other) and causing Dame Olga and Sir Peter to love one another eternally. She likes people to know that she's a fairy, as when she appears the scent of lilacs greet the room. Later in the novel, she finally experiences first-hand the suffering that she has caused with her gifts, and her perspective transforms completely. Although she refrains from using "big" magic to break Ella's curse, she helps her in smaller ways...

Hattie

Hattie is Ella's stepsister in the story. Although she is somewhat simple-minded and unimaginative, she is relatively quick-witted and clever. She quickly realizes that Ella will do whatever she wants (the reason remains unknown to her), and uses it to her advantage. She enjoys ordering Ella around and using her to complete unpleasant tasks, including cleaning Hattie's feet and plucking out the hair above her lip. She and Ella torture each other throughout the story (for example, when Ella is ordered to take off Hattie's shoes, she does so but then throws them out the window into a bucket of slops). Her greatest ambition is to marry Prince Charmont and become queen. Hattie inherited Dame Olga's desire for riches and pleasure in displaying them in their finest splendor.

Olive

Olive is the simpleton of the family. She is Ella's younger stepsister. She is largely oblivious to the guile of her sister (she has only worked out that when Hattie orders Ella to do something, Ella does it, and that when she, Olive, orders the same thing, Ella will do it too) and longs to have the same amount of things as Hattie. She is barely literate and has a strange fascination for obtaining money from other people. She has a large appetite, and unlike her mother and sister, she enjoys Ella's company, though Ella says that it is no advantage to her. At the end of the story, Olive marries a widower who falls in love with her unwavering attention; in exchange for her hand in marriage, she demands that her husband give her 20 KJs every day and serve a white cake at every meal.

Minor characters

Sir Peter

Sir Peter is Ella's father. He's a greedy and selfish merchant. Bertha, a maid, describes his character as "ashes mixed with coins and a brain." He tries to use his clever ways to gain riches. He gained his wealth through trickery and deceit and loses it the same way. Sir Peter takes pride in Ella for being a brave, sassy child. Once he gets to know his daughter, he notes their resemblance, laughs at her attitude, and seems to grow somewhat fond of her. Yet he deals little with his child and is more concerned for his business than her well-being. They have a distant relationship, as Ella acknowledges his corrupt, greedy nature and finds it unpleasant - especially during his attempts to force her to marry.

Lady Eleanor

Lady Eleanor is Ella's mother, and dies early in the story. She had a playful spirit and a close relationship with her daughter Ella. They slid down the stair banisters together, yelling and screaming during the rides. They were also notorious for climbing to the top of trees and knocking acorns down at those who passed beneath them. Despite her playful and trouble-making spirit, Lady Eleanor taught virtuous values to Ella — such as the wrongs of using her fists for fighting. Her death was triggered when, already ill, she did not consume the vital unicorn hair in Mandy's "curing broth."

Dame Olga

Ella's stepmother in the story, and the mother of Olive and Hattie. In the beginning, she is portrayed as an overbearing (in her coy and melodramatic nature) and odious woman when they meet in the aftermath of the funeral of Ella's mother. In her letters to her daughters at finishing school, she talks mostly of her social events and her attire while attending. Infatuated, she marries "Sir P." when he proposes to her (he does so for her wealth, as he is bankrupt), and once she learns of this, she makes Ella suffer through housework. Although a fairy cast a spell of "eternal love" on her and Sir Peter, Ella's father refers to her as "odious" and prefers to love her from far away.

2)Ellen Schreiber

Ellen Schreiber is a US youth fiction author. She was an actor and a stand-up comedian before becoming an author. She studied Shakespearean theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and comedy at the Second City of Chicago, which is where she lived for five years. As a novelist she has had several works published in Europe and America. Her brother, Mark Schreiber, is also an author. He helped her start her writing career. The Vampire Kisses series was her real break. The "VK" series stars Raven, a unique goth girl who has wanted to be a vampire since she was little. Ellen says that "Raven is a blast to write for, because when I'm writing about her rebellious exploits, I feel the excitement of the rebellion too."

Books Novels

Johnny Is the story of Chloe, a groovy girl who has found her soulmate in childhood friend, Danny Roth. But true love is disrupted when the distracting rock star, Johnny Lightning comes into Chloe’s life, forcing her to choose between her soulmate and starmate.

Teenage Mermaid

Spencer almost drowns in a surfing accident when a sparkling, golden girl saves him with kiss of life before she suddenly disappears. Where did the dream girl come from, and will she return?

Lilly rescues a boy from nearly drowning and dangerously steps out of her own watery world. Curious to explore this forbidden land, she's gotta find her handsome Earthdude.

A silver heart locket is their only clue.

Comedy Girl

Ladies and gentleman, heeeere’s… Trixie! In Ellen Schreiber’s third novel Comedy Girl, high school student Trixie Shapiro goes from back-up gal to front row diva while discovering success and confidence as a stand-up comedienne.

Vampire Kisses Series

Vampire Kisses

In her small town dubbed "Dullsville," sixteen-year-old Raven--a vampire-crazed goth-girl-is an outcast. But not for long...

The intriguing and rumored-to-be haunted mansion on top of Benson Hill has stood vacant and boarded-up for years. That is, until its mysteriously strange new occupants move in. Who are these creepy people--especially the handsome, dark and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town prattle actually ring true? Are they vampires? Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at risk of her own mortality and Alexander's loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth.But what happens when Alexander has to leave. a gripping tale of love.

Vampire Kisses II: Kissing Coffins

Life in “Dullsville” has become far from dull for goth-girl Raven. After meeting Alexander Sterling—a night-thriving, shadowy dream guy—her dark world suddenly has a bright glow. But as in her favorite movie, Kissing Coffins, Raven knows that love always has its complications. And Alexander has a secret; a secret she must quietly guard. When he mysteriously disappears, Raven finds herself on a dangerous chase to find him. What she encounters is more terrifying than she could have imagined—including a life-transforming decision she may not be ready to sink her teeth into. Ellen Schreiber presents a chilling and suspenseful sequel to her popular tale of an unusual teen romance, Vampire Kisses.

Vampire Kisses III: Vampireville

For goth-girl Raven, dating her dream boyfriend is complicated, especially as Alexander's secret means that they can only see each other at night. And now the pair must be extra wary in the dark with Alexander's arch-rival Jagger appearing around town. As if Jagger isn't enough cause for worry, Luna, his strikingly pale sister has also surfaced, and seems to have her sights set on Raven's own longtime nemesis, Trevor. Together, Raven and Alexander must begin a terrifying search for Jagger and Luna's hideout to drive them away. That is, if it's not already too late to save Dullsville from permanently becoming Vampireville.

Vampire Kisses IV: Dance with a Vampire

There’s a new vampire in town. Valentine’s appearance may even pose further threats. Could he somehow know Raven’s innermost feelings about becoming immortal for her true love, Alexander? The far-from-ordinary romance of these two teen outsiders takes another surprise-filled spin in the fourth book of Ellen Schreiber’s prasied Vampire Kisses series.

Vampire Kisses V: The Coffin Club

Its tough for love-struck Raven to imagine what's keeping her nocturnal boyfriend from returning to Dullsville. So there's only one thing to do find Alexander. Along the way, Raven can't resist the spot where she feels most at home, The Coffin Club. But when she stumbles upon a secret door in the club, she descends into a dim catacomb to a hidden hang-out for VAMPIRES!!!! Drawn to one of its shadowy members, Raven suspects she's in over her head. But exploring the covert club is too tempting, even after coming face-to-face with Alexanders trouble-stirring enemy.

Vampire Kisses VI: Royal Blood

Coming up soon in Summer 2009.

Vampire Kisses VII: Love Bites

Coming up soon in Summer 2010.

Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives

Volume I, Blood Relatives

This book is the first volume in a series of Manga that are based on the Vampire Kisses world. It is published by Tokyopop and is illustrated by Rem.

The absolute last thing Goth girl Raven and her vampire boyfriend Alexander need is another hitch in their night-time only romance—but dark trouble hovers on the horizon when Raven and Alexander discover four freshly dug graves filled with empty coffins. When a crew of dodgy vampires takes up residence in Dullsville’s lonely graveyard, Alexander finds this motley bunch is led by his very own blood-sucking cousin, Claude Sterling. Claude and his creepy crew can only spell out more problems for the pair, especially when Raven finds them in daylight attending Dullsville Highschool! What could Claude and his invaders be doing—or searching for—in Dullsville?

Volume II, Blood Relatives

This book is the second volume in a series of manga graphic novels that are based on the Vampire Kisses world. It is published by Tokyopop and is illustrated by Rem.

Who says dating a vampire is easy? Raven’s nocturnal romance with her immortal love Alexander is definitely dicey, but even more so with Alexander’s meddling half-vamp cousin in town. Claude and his sketchy gang are on the hunt for a stash of blood-filled vials that can turn them into pure vampires. With an old family feud casting a shadow on the search, they’ll do anything to get their hands on the vials. Raven and Alexander must swiftly mastermind a plan to outwit them, but will the very lure of the vials create more risk for Raven than she could ever imagine?

Volume III, Blood Relatives

Coming soon in fall 2009

Twilight (novel) (Redirected from Twilight (book))

Cover of Twilight Author Stephenie Meyer Cover artist Gail Doobinin (design) Roger Hagadone (photograph) Country United States Language English Series Twilight series Genre(s) Young adult, Fantasy, Romance Publisher Little, Brown Publication date October 5, 2005 Media type print (hardcover, paperback) e-book (kindle) audio book (cd) Pages 512[1] (Hardcover) 544[2](Paperback) ISBN ISBN 0-316-16017-2 Followed by New Moon Twilight is a young-adult vampire-romance novel[3][4] written by author Stephenie Meyer. It was originally published in 2005 in hardback. It is the first book of the Twilight series, and introduces seventeen-year-old Isabella "Bella" Swan who moves from Phoenix, Arizona, to Forks, Washington, and finds her life in danger when she falls in love with a vampire, Edward Cullen. The novel is followed by New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.

Contents [hide] 1 Plot summary 2 Cover 3 Awards and nominations 4 Critical reception 5 Film adaptation 6 Editions 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Plot summary Isabella "Bella" Swan moves from sunny Phoenix, Arizona to rainy Forks, Washington to live with her father, Charlie, while her mother, Renée, travels with her new husband, Phil Dwyer, a minor league baseball player. Bella attracts much attention at her new school and is quickly befriended by several students. Much to her dismay, several boys compete for shy Bella's attention.

When Bella is seated next to Edward Cullen in class on her first day of school, Edward seems utterly repulsed by her. He disappears for a few days, but warms up to Bella upon his return; their newfound relationship reaches a climax when Bella is nearly run over by a fellow classmate's van in the school parking lot. Seemingly defying the laws of physics, Edward saves her life when he instantaneously appears next to her and stops the van with his bare hands.

Bella becomes hellbent on figuring out how Edward saved her life, and constantly pesters him with questions. After tricking a family friend, Jacob Black, into telling her local tribal legends, Bella concludes that Edward and his family are vampires who drink animal blood rather than human. Edward confesses that he initially avoided Bella because the scent of her blood was so desirable to him. Over time, Edward and Bella fall in love.

Their relationship is thrown into chaos when another vampire coven sweeps into Forks. James, a tracker vampire who is intrigued by the Cullens' relationship with a human, wants to hunt Bella for sport. The Cullens attempt to distract the tracker by splitting up Bella and Edward, and Bella is sent to hide in a hotel in Phoenix. There, Bella receives a phone call from James, who claims he is holding her mother captive. When Bella surrenders herself, James attacks her, but Edward, along with the other Cullens, rescues Bella and destroys James. Once they realize that James has bitten Bella's hand, Edward sucks the venom from her system before it can spread and transform her into a vampire, and she is then sent to a hospital. Upon returning to Forks, Bella and Edward attend their school prom and Bella expresses her desire to become a vampire, which Edward refuses.

[edit] Cover Stephenie Meyer has stated that the apple on the cover represents the forbidden fruit from the book of Genesis. It symbolizes Bella and Edward's love, which is forbidden, similar to the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, as is implied by the quote from Genesis 2:17 that is quoted at the beginning of the book. It also represents Bella's knowledge of what good and evil are, and the choice that she has in partaking of the "forbidden fruit", Edward, or choosing not to see him.[5]

[edit] Awards and nominations Twilight gained recognition and won numerous honors, including:

A New York Times Editor's Choice A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year An American Library Association "Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults" and "Top Ten Books for Reluctant Readers" Translation into 20 languages [6] A New York Times Best Seller[7] The best selling book of 2008 according to USA Today[8]

[edit] Critical reception Critical reception for Twilight has been mostly positive. The Times praised the book for capturing "perfectly the teenage feeling of sexual tension and alienation",[9] and Amazon.com hailed the book as "[d]eeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful".[10] Hillias J. Martin of School Library Journal stated, "Realistic, subtle, succinct, and easy to follow, Twilight will have readers dying to sink their teeth into it",[11] and Norah Piehl of TeenReads wrote, "Twilight is a gripping blend of romance and horror".[12] Publishers Weekly's starred review described Bella's "infatuation with outsider Edward", their risky relationship, and "Edward's inner struggle" as a metaphor for sexual frustration accompanying adolescence.[13] Booklist wrote, "There are some flaws here–a plot that could have been tightened, an over reliance on adjectives and adverbs to bolster dialogue–but this dark romance seeps into the soul."[14] Kirkus wrote, "[Twilight] is far from perfect: Edward's portrayal as monstrous tragic hero is overly Byronic, and Bella's appeal is based on magic rather than character. Nonetheless, the portrayal of dangerous lovers hits the spot; fans of dark romance will find it hard to resist."[15]

[edit] Film adaptation Main article: Twilight (2008 film) Twilight was adapted into a film by Summit Entertainment. The film was directed by Catherine Hardwicke and stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson as protagonists Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen, respectively. The screenplay was adapted by Melissa Rosenberg. The movie was released in theaters in the United States on November 21, 2008,[16] and on DVD on March 21, 2009.[17] The DVD was released in Australia on April 22, 2009.[18]

External links Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Twilight (novel) Stephenie Meyer - Official Website Official Twilight Saga Website [hide]v • d • eThe Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer Novels Twilight · New Moon · Eclipse · Breaking Dawn Other books Midnight Sun (unpublished) Film series Twilight (soundtrack) · New Moon · Eclipse Characters Bella Swan · Edward Cullen · Jacob Black · Other characters