Series: Twilight Saga (A Guy's Perspective)

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga has captivated young readers since the release of the first book back in 2005. Each of the four books has become a best seller. The first book has been adapted for the big screen starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.

I decided to read this partly to see what all the fuss was about, partly because I love vampire stories, and partly due to some gentle nudging from a friend. I do realize that I am not part of the target audience for this book. I thought it might be interesting for you to hear what a guy in his late 30s thinks of the whole series.

Warning, there will be spoilers beyond this point.

First off, I think each book was better than the one that preceded it. The first book and most of the second, in my opinion, was nothing more than preparatory material for the real story that began towards the end of the second book. I realize that the forbidden love element had to be introduced. I just think it was a little more drawn out than it needed to be.

I applaud Stephenie Meyer's courage to stray from the traditional vampire folklore. Her vampires are different in many ways, their skin glittering like diamonds in the sunlight, yet similar enough to be recognizable as vampires. I especially liked Bella's wonder at having her vampire strength and senses in the fourth book. I also enjoy the fact that not only do they not have to sleep in a coffin, they don't sleep at all.

Since the series is mostly centered around the forbidden love of Edward and Bella, I should touch on that. I do enjoy the motif of unlikely partners falling in love. Add a third partner into the mix, and you have a lovely triangle of emotions. I enjoyed the tension between Jacob and Edward throughout the last three books. I'm not sure about the resolution though. It's a little weird to have a future romance with the child of the girl you have been competing so hard for. I understand that it's a book about vampires and shape shifters, but that seems a little far fetched to me.

There are some really good action scenes throughout the series. I was honestly surprised at how well the action sequences flowed. These confrontations provide excellent contrast to the more romantic parts of the book. The scene revolving around the battle with the newborns was one of my favorites in the series. The final confrontation with the Volturi was as suspenseful as any thriller I've read. The fact that there was little action did not diminish the tension in any way.

I did enjoy the series overall. I will say that there were parts that could have been much shorter. In my opinion, the series could easily have been a trilogy. I found large portions to be overly wordy and not really contribute to the story in a substantial way. But, I did enjoy the overall story. I'm glad I decided to finish this series.