Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Downloads

On this page you can download all the twilight saga for free.

Twilight is a series of vampire novels by Stephenie Meyer. It follows the life of Bella Swan, a teenager who moves to Forks, Washington, and finds her life radically changed when she falls in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen
 To download books just click on image or text from the book you want to download .
Book-twilight Book-newmoon Book-eclipse Book-breakingdawn  
Twilight New Moon Eclipse Breaking Dawn

Book-midnightsun




If you have any trouble downloading a book please contact me and I would fix the problem.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Midnight Sun

Midnight Sun
Book-midnightsun
Midnight Sun preview cover
Author Stephenie Meyer
Country United States
Language English
Series Twilight
Genre(s) Young adult, fantasy, romance
Publisher Little, Brown and Company
Publication date Unknown
Media type Print
Pages {{{pages}}}
ISBN [[Special:BookSources/{{{isbn}}}|{{{isbn}}





Midnight Sun was an expected companion novel to the book Twilight by author Stephenie Meyer. Though unfinished, it would be a retelling of the events of Twilight from the perspective of Edward Cullen as opposed to that of Bella Swan.
It started as a simple character exercise, with a single chapter from Edward's perspective, but she came to realize she had to do the whole book.[1]. Meyer has stated that Twilight is the only possible book from the series that she plans to rewrite from Edward's perspective.[2]
To give them a better feel of Edward's character, Meyer allowed Catherine Hardwicke, the director of the film adaptation of Twilight, and Robert Pattinson, the actor who plays Edward, to read some completed chapters of the novel while they filmed the movie. Midnight Sun allows you to know more about the Cullens as vampires and a family.[3]

 

Pre-release history

As of August 28, 2008, the release date of the book has been postponed indefinitely and it is not certain that it will be published. Meyer halted the writing of Midnight Sun after the illegal leak of 12 chapters of the unfinished manuscript on the Internet.
She stated, "If I tried to write Midnight Sun now, in my current frame of mind, James would probably win and all the Cullens would die, which wouldn't dovetail too well with the original story. In any case, I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely." Meyer does plan to publish the book, because she believes Edward deserves to have his version of the story.[1]
Meyer later slightly recanted the statement that appeared on her website, telling EW "That was a joke! And it sounded so serious amidst all the lawyer talk and I think my fans thought, wow, she's threatening to kill everyone! [Laughing.] I felt kind of bad about that. I never felt any anger, actually. Just a lot of sadness. I mean it was a sucker punch — like someone came up behind you and just hammered you in the kidneys and you had no idea it was coming."[4] She has made the leaked chapters available on her website in fairness to her readers, now that the novel has been compromised before its intended publication date.
In a recent interview done with EW, Meyer has stated that, "So my goal is to go for, like, I don't know, two years without ever hearing the words Midnight Sun. And once I'm pretty sure that everyone's forgotten about it, I think I'll be able to get to the place where I'm alone with it again. Then I'll be able to sneak in and work on it again."[5] This statement jokingly lead to the creation of a nickname for Midnight Sun, created at the Twilight Lexicon: Dark High Noon, in an attempt to still be able to talk about Midnight Sun, but not mention its name directly.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is a novella written by Stephenie Meyer that details Bree Tanner's version of Eclipse, as well as what she went through as a newborn vampire. This novel is a midquel which takes place in the Eclipse novel.


The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
The Short Life of Bree Tanner Cover
Author Stephenie Meyer
Country United States
Language English
Series Twilight
Genre(s) Young adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher Atom
Publication date June 5, 2010
Pages 200
ISBN 031612558X

 

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is a 200-page novella that chronicles the journey of Victoria’s newborn vampire army as they prepare to close in on Bella and the Cullens. It was released at 12:01 a.m. on June 5, 2010 in hardcover (with $1 from each sale going to the American Red Cross International Response Fund). From June 7 to July 5, fans were able to read the book for free online at www.breetanner.com, which also provided a link to the American Red Cross website where they could donate to support relief efforts in Haiti, Chile, and around the globe.
On her official site, Meyer says she never intended to publish The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner as a stand-alone book. It was just something she had started working on while she was still editing Eclipse. "I was thinking a lot about the newborns, imagining their side of the story, and one thing led to another." The novella came in handy during the filming of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, director David Slade, and actors Xavier Samuel (Riley), Bryce Dallas Howard (Victoria), and Jodelle Ferland (Bree) all read it before filming so they could better understand the characters.
Meyer thought the manuscript might work well as part of The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide, a tome still awaiting a publishing date, but at nearly 200 pages, it was something her publisher thought worked better on its own. Meyer liked the idea of publishing it before Eclipse hit theaters, to give fans an introduction to Bree. She also considered the novella a gift to devoted Twilight readers, which is why she asked her publisher to make it available for free online.

Synopsis

Bree Tanner 1
Bree Tanner, the titular character.
 
The story tells of Bree Tanner's short life as a newborn vampire and her experiences as a member of the Seattle newborn army.
During a regular night hunt, she is out hunting in Seattle with three other newborns when she meets and befriends Diego, a high-ranked newborn; they gradually fall in love with each other through the night. Together, they discover that they are able to go out in the sunlight without being fried, and that wooden stakes don't kill them, contrary to what Riley Biers, who was made straw boss of the army, has told them about sunlight being deadly to vampires. Both Bree and Diego grow uneasy as they are unsure whether Riley is deliberately lying to them or simply ill informed; in fact he's lying.
Bree and Diego doubt Riley's intentions and start to wonder whether they and the other newborns are simply meant to serve a certain purpose. Diego confronts Riley about their ability to survive in sunlight, and doesn't return, leaving Bree frightened and confused. Riley starts preparing the newborns for the battle with the Cullens, claiming that for four days a year it is safe for vampires to walk in sunlight. He tells Bree that he has sent Diego on a reconnaissance mission, and that they will shortly be reunited. Unbeknowst to her, Diego has actually been tortured to death by Victoria and Riley.
The day of the battle, Fred, also known as 'Freaky Fred', a particularly gifted member with the power to create a repulsing shield around himself, tries to convince Bree to escape with him. He, like her and Diego, has suspected Riley and Victoria's intentions to let the newborns die in battle, personally destroying any survivors, and suggests that they leave before the fight starts. Bree refuses, however, still mistakenly believing Diego to be alive and waiting for her. Fred then takes off on his own to explore the world.
Upon reaching the battlefield, she discovers that the newborn army has been decimated by the combined efforts of the Cullen family and the Uley pack and that they have been abandoned by Riley and Victoria. She also realizes that Diego is dead when she finds no trace of him; she then surrenders to Carlisle and Esme Cullen when they offer her asylum, and is taken to the field where the main fight took place and held captive.
The rest of the Olympic coven arrive along with Bella Swan, just as the Volturi turn up. Bree struggles to resist Bella's scent, but manages. Jane tortures Bree for information about her creation and the newborn army; the Cullens offer to take her in. Jane disallows it and Felix executes Bree by tearing her apart and burning the pieces. Bree bravely faces her death and doesn't resist.

Cover

The cover refers to Bree Tanner's vampire life that is coming to an end. The hourglass represents time and the red sand represents life.

Release

The novella was originally meant to be part of the series guide but became too long. It was released on June 5 and was available for free reading online until recently. One dollar from all copies sold in the U.S. will be donated to a relief fund for Haiti as well as other disaster-stricken places.

Breaking Dawn


 
Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age
The child is grown, and puts away childish things.
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.

 
Breaking Dawn
Book-breakingdawn
First edition cover art for Breaking Dawn.
Author Stephenie Meyer
Country United States
Language English
Series Twilight
Genre(s) Young adult novel/ Romance
Publisher Little, Brown and Company
Publication date August 2, 2008 USA
August 4, 2008 UK and Australia
Media type Print (Hardcover)
Pages 768
ISBN 031606792X
Preceded by Eclipse

Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final novel in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Divided into three 'books', the story is told from the perspective of Bella Swan in books one and three, but told by Jacob Black in book two. Breaking Dawn was released on August 2, 2008 with a special midnight release in bookstores all over the world. Seth (Stephenie's brother) posted on her website that Breaking Dawn will be released on paperback.[1]
This book is the longest of the Twilight Saga, and includes an index on vampires.

 

 

Book One

After Bella's pickup truck dies a "natural death", Edward buys Bella a Mercedes Guardian. It is his feeling that because of her propensity for danger, Bella needs this armored sports car to stay safe. Even though she is happy about marrying Edward, she feels guilty at the same time about Jacob running away, knowing that her rejecting him caused him to run away.
Bella and Edward tell Charlie about their engagement. Charlie doesn't show his disagreement, instead saying Bella will have to tell her mother. Bella does so, and Renee consents to it. Bella and Edward's wedding goes according to plan and is as extravagant as Alice's other parties. Bella then gets a surprise wedding gift: Jacob has decided to attend after all, despite his heartbreak. Bella apologizes to Jacob, but he answers that he only wants her to be happy. However, Jacob becomes violent towards Bella and Edward after learning of their plans to make love while Bella is still human. Not wanting to spoil her wedding day, Bella puts aside her disappointment in Jacob's unpleasantness. Edward and Bella soon depart for their honeymoon.
Edward takes her to Isle Esme off the coast of Brazil and while there, he fulfills Bella's wish and makes love to her. The next day, they argue because Edward's passionate love-making has left dark purple bruises all over Bella's body. Although Bella doesn't care about the injuries, he refuses to make love to her again until she has become a vampire. In Edward's attempt to dampen Bella's love-making appetite and energy, they engage in physically exhausting outdoor activities day after day on the island. Bella begs Edward to make love to her once again; Edward continuously refuses, as he does not wish to injure her further. Later, however, he succumbs to her. They make love cautiously and Edward does not inflict any bruises on Bella.
Bella has been having a recurrent dream of a small, green-eyed boy that she feels compelled to protect for a long time. She also finds herself constantly hungry and sick. Upon seeing a box of unused tampons, she realizes that her period is late and she is pregnant. Though Bella has not longed for a child, she becomes immediately attached to her baby when she becomes aware of its existence. Edward, however, is only concerned for her health. After hearing stories from a local woman (who suspects that Edward is a vampire) of similar situations that resulted in the mothers' deaths, Edward wants to get rid of the baby. Edward prepares to bring Bella home where it's presumed that Carlisle will "take care of it." Although it's clear that Bella doesn't want to lose the baby, she doesn't yet voice her objections. She secretly calls Rosalie for help, knowing that Rosalie had always wanted children. On the way back home, Bella is silent and Edward only figures out her plans when he hears Rosalie's thoughts.

Book Two

The book is then told from Jacob's perspective, as he receives news of Edward and Bella's return. Carlisle has advised Charlie that Bella cannot receive visitors because she has contracted a rare disease in South America and is quarantined. Jacob assumes that Bella has been bitten and transformed. He is upset when Sam Uley, acting Alpha of the pack, declares that the pack will not retaliate.
Full of anger, Jacob decides that if the pack will not retaliate collectively, he will act singly. Formulating strategies of attack, he runs to the Cullen house. When he arrives, however, he discovers that things aren't as he expected. Bella, as opposed to being a newborn vampire, is already heavily pregnant with Edward's child. Everyone realizes that the child's rapid growth is starving Bella and bruising her. She cannot digest her food as she vomits it after eating. Tension runs high in the Cullen household as Rosalie steadily supports Bella's decision to have the baby and aids her in every way possible. Edward is furious at Rosalie, and the family is divided. Jacob is furious at Edward for impregnating Bella. Jacob also agrees to kill Edward if Bella dies.
Returning to his pack, Jacob inadvertently informs them of Bella's state. This causes fear and anger among the werewolves; they don't know how the child might act since the child is the offspring of a vampire. Sam commands the pack in the double timbre of the Alpha, to obey his decision to kill Bella and her unborn child. Still in love with Bella, Jacob disagrees, but Sam takes his will away. To counter this, Jacob assumes his rightful place as Alpha of the pack. This almost leads to Sam and Jacob fighting for the right to rule, but Jacob controls his Alpha instincts to attack Sam and abandons the pack to join the Cullens. Seth and Leah Clearwater soon join Jacob and the threesome form a new pack to guard the Cullens from Sam's pack. Losing both the element of surprise and pack members, and the idea of fighting their own kind, dissuades Sam and his pack from attacking Bella while Jacob's pack is aiding the Cullens. It is discovered that the collective minds of the two packs are separate; members of each pack cannot hear the other pack's thoughts as Jacob and Sam are distinct Alphas. Jacob, Leah and Seth patrol the Cullen's territory to forewarn them of any impending werewolf attack. Esme gratefully provides them with food and clothes (since their clothes are too often destroyed during phasing). As the werewolves spend this time together, Jacob and Leah learn to tolerate each other, and forming a common understanding.
Knowing that the pregnancy is endangering Bella's life and wanting to terminate it but not wanting to deny Bella the experience of childbirth and motherhood, Edward asks Jacob to get her with child. Jacob is shocked that Edward would ask such a thing, and although he doesn't really want to, he also finds the idea of sleeping with Bella incredibly tempting and agrees to suggest the idea to Bella. For the most part, Bella doesn't realize what he means. When she does, she is touched by Edward's caring for her, but refuses their offer because she considers it repulsive to sleep with anyone other than Edward or have anyone else's baby.
As the fetus continues to develop at an alarmingly accelerated rate, Bella's health worsens. Her stomach is bruised in multiple places from the baby's movements. Two of her ribs crack, her pelvis is almost broken, and her pallor is unhealthy. Her body continues to reject human food, and Jacob sarcastically thinks about the "creature" craving for blood. Edward overhears this thought, and the Cullens allow Bella to sample human blood. To Bella's surprise, the blood smells and tastes appealing, and revives her almost the instant she drinks it. During Bella's pregnancy, Edward realizes he can read the child's mind, and is astonished to discover that the baby already loves Bella and doesn't mean to hurt her like it does. As he hears his child's thoughts, Edward begins to love the baby as well. This leaves Jacob feeling betrayed, as he was counting on Edward to suffer and hate the baby more than he did.
Jacob struggles with his feelings for Bella. She is outrageously happy every time she sees him and this confuses him. He questions her about this, and Bella says she feels that her family is more complete with him around. But this only makes Jacob feel worse, believing that he can never be part of Bella's family. Leah suggests that he find the girl he is destined to imprint on, so he won't suffer any longer, but Jacob answers he doesn't want his feelings for Bella to disappear. However, things eventually become too hard for him to handle. Edward allows Jacob to borrow his Aston Martin to get away, and Jacob attempts to imprint on random girls he sees in a park, including one named Lizzie (who appeals to him because of her niceness and knowledge of cars), but nothing happens. Frustrated, he returned to the house. Edward approaches Jacob to ask for his permission, as Ephraim Black's heir, to bite Bella once she gives birth. After some thinking, Jacob agrees because it is the only thing that will save Bella's life.
Bella goes into labor approximately a month after the honeymoon. The hard placenta that surrounds the child cracks; Bella begins vomiting blood. The child breaks free and Bella is very near death. Edward delivers the baby, a girl which will be named Renesmee, and initiates Bella's transformation into a vampire. He injects his venom into her heart and bites her in several places. Jacob and Edward perform CPR to try to keep Bella's heart beating while the venom transforms her. Eventually Jacob comes to believe that Bella is dead, and is viciously sent away by Edward.
Driven mad with rage over Bella's supposed death, Jacob goes to find and kill the baby whom he holds responsible. He finds her in Rosalie's arms, but before he can attack, the baby looks him directly in the face. Jacob sees that the baby's eyes are exactly the same shade of brown as Bella's. Jacob suddenly feels everything attaching him to the world breaking apart, leaving only a caring for Renesmee holding him to life. Even making him forget about Bella dying upstairs. Jacob has imprinted on Renesmee.

Book Three

The book returns to Bella's perspective. She has just given birth to her daughter and is now experiencing the painful transformation from human to vampire. After receiving an injection of morphine to mitigate the pain, Bella is unable to move. As the effect of the morphine diminishes, Bella consciously remains as still as possible to alleviate Edward's guilt and agony over the discomfort of her transformation.
When she opens her eyes, she feels a warm hand on her. She is startled and moves instinctively to a defensive position. She realizes that Edward now feels relatively warm to her, and that she is finally a vampire. The Cullens are wary of Bella as newborn-vampires are volatile. Yet, she manages to demonstrate a degree of self-control unseen in most newborns. She wishes to see her daughter, Renesmee (pronounced "ruh-NEZ-may"), whom she named after both her and Edward's mothers, Renee and Esme, but, since Renesmee is part-human, the family believes Bella will be unable to deny her newborn thirst if she sees the child so soon without first hunting.
Edward takes Bella on her first hunt to ease her thirst. Before they leave, Alice shows Bella her reflection. She has transformed into a stunningly beautiful woman with flawless skin and newborn-vampire red eyes. Bella jumps out of the window, kicks off her shoes and goes barefoot. She experiments with her new body on the hunt. She is now graceful, strong, and fast. She accidentally crosses a human scent. However, she resists the urge to kill and runs away to avoid bloodshed. Edward is astounded, as newborns hunting shouldn't be able to deny their instincts.
Upon returning, Bella is finally allowed to see her daughter. Because Renesmee is growing at an astonishing rate, she looks older than her calendar age. Bella learns of Renesmee's gift - the ability to communicate by sending images to people's minds, by touching them. Bella is infuriated when she learns that Jacob has imprinted on her. Her self-restraint is tested by this revelation, but she manages to control herself until she finds out the truth behind Renesmee's nickname "Nessie." She loses her self-control and tries to kill him. Seth steps in, and Bella accidentally breaks his collarbone and shoulder before managing to calm down.
Bella and Edward receive a cozy cottage for Bella's birthday from the Cullens. Esme had designed it and renovated it. That night, Bella and Edward make love for the first time since Bella's transformation. They find it very difficult to fully satisfy their sexual desire for each other. At first, sexual thirst cannot be satisfied. Edward tells Bella that this is normal for vampires when they begin a physical relationship. Satiation usually takes years to attain.
Renesmee matures quickly and soon is able to speak, walk and hunt. Jacob's imprinting also forces Sam and his pack to declare peace with the Cullens (the most sacred rule of the wolves is that no wolf ever kill the subject of another wolf's imprinting). Differences between Sam and Jacob's packs are soon settled as well, and Jacob and Sam agree to become co-existent Alphas. Jacob's pack also grows when Quil and Embry join it. Meanwhile, Jacob learns that the Cullens plan to move away from Forks. Thinking that Charlie is the reason, he phases into his wolf form in front of him and tells him about Bella's change and Renesmee (though he doesn't say she has become a vampire). Bella is initially furious, thinking that her father would now have to become a vampire or die. But he tells both Jacob and Bella not to let him know anymore than he needs to know. This allows Bella to keep him in her new life and allows Charlie to go on with his life.
Peace lasts for several months, but then things start to unravel again: Irina, a vampire from the Denali clan, sees Renesmee while hunting with Bella and Jacob and informs the Volturi that she is an immortal child. The Volturi purged the immortal children from the world because they couldn't control themselves, and made their punishable by death. The Cullens realize that Irina is mistaken and decide the only way to enlighten the Volturi is to present Renesmee with a large group of reliable witnesses.
After leaving a note with Sam from the copyright page of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Alice and Jasper suddenly leave the Cullens. Since the couple does not provide a warning or reason, the Cullen family does not know why they've left. Since it was her copy of the book, Bella perceives this as a sign from Alice. She returns to the cottage and finds that Alice has written a name and address on another page of the book. When Bella visits it, she finds that it leads to the office of a lawyer named Jason Scott Jenks (also presented in the book as J. Jenks or J. Scott) who is a document forger. Bella requests documents for Jacob and Renesmee (with false names - Jacob and Vanessa (from Nessie) Wolfe), should they need to escape if a fight ensues with the Volturi. Meanwhile, nomadic, vegetarian, and clans of vampires arrive on the Cullen's land after the family begins to seek their friends' assistance with the Volturi. Most of them are enthralled by Renesmee, and almost all agree to bear witness to the Volturi that she is not an immortal child. Bella discovers that her power of mind-privacy has a shielding effect and she wonders if she can extend this protection to others. During the month of preparation for the Volturi, several of the vampires with quantifiable supernatural talents teach Bella how to expand the barrier.
When the Volturi and Irina finally arrive, all of the vampires and the werewolves meet in a clearing in the forest. The Volturi discover that they have been misinformed. Immediately, Cauis executes Irina for it, burning her. Aro felt uncomfortable about Cauis's rash decision because of the many witnesses they brought. However, the Volturi are not satisfied to leave, since they don't know if Renesmee will become a threat in the future. Aro wants to convince Renesmee that he has no intention to kill her family and friends, but the Cullens and all their witnesses feel Aro is actually lying to her. Bella's gift disables the Volturi's offensive fighters, Alec (who causes one to lose all one's senses, much like numbing someone) and Jane (who creates the illusion of pain in the victim), when she shields everyone on her side. Aro, Caius and Marcus vote on whether or not Renesmee will be a danger to the vampire world once she attains maturity. Just before Aro can cast his deciding vote, Alice and Jasper return with another half-human, half-vampire named Nahuel from South America who is about one hundred fifty years-old. He and his three half-sisters (who are also half-vampire, half-human) are the children of a vampire who is creating a "super race." They have never caused any danger to the vampire world. Facing no other choice, Aro gives up the fight, and the Volturi leave. However, before doing so, they reveal that the so-called werewolves are not actual werewolves, but rather "shape-shifters". The "shape-shifters" and vampires celebrate their victory in successfully protecting Edward and Bella's child.
After celebrations with family and friends, Bella and Edward take Renesmee back home. They tuck her in bed and proceed to their bedroom arm-in-arm. Bella tells Edward she wants to try something with him. She places her hands on his face and tries to push away her shield. She has been secretly practicing for this moment. She conjures the special memories she wants to share with Edward. He is finally able to see for the first time just how deeply she loves him. Edward is unable to control himself; he starts kissing her and breaks her concentration, and she stops. However, she tells him that now he knows that no one loves anyone else as much as she loves him. He asks her if she would try again. Bella acquiesces. Once again abandoning restraint, Edward kisses her passionately. This distraction prevents Edward from accessing Bella's mind. She wants to open the barrier for Edward so he can access her mind. She says that they have only forever for her to perfect it.
The story of Twilight ends with "And then we continued blissfully into this small but perfect piece of our forever."

Marketing campaigns

Entertainment Weekly magazine released an excerpt of Breaking Dawn on Friday, May 30, 2008.[2] Stephenie Meyer also revealed a 'Quote of the Day' from Breaking Dawn for about 3 weeks prior to its August 2, 2008 release. The first quote was released on Stephenie's website on July 12, 2008.[3] The first chapter of Breaking Dawn, 'Engaged', was released in the special edition of Eclipse. The preface indicates that Bella, once again, faces death, only this time in the eyes of her beloved.

Cover

According to the author, Stephenie Meyer, the cover of this book "is a metaphor for Bella's progression throughout the entire series. She began as the weakest (at least physically, when compared to vampires and werewolves) player on the board: the pawn. She ended as the strongest: the queen. In the end, it is Bella that brings about the win for the Cullens."[4]

Reception

Breaking Dawn received generally negative reviews.[5][6][7][8][9][10] However, in an article in The Daily News Tribune, Margaret Smith said of Breaking Dawn, "You too might fall in love with its suspense and moving sensitivity—and with the unlikely couple struggling to find light within their world's heart of darkness."[11]
New York Magazine wrote an article called "Did Breaking Dawn Ruin the Twilight Series?", which commented on Los Angeles Times author Denise Martin's review of the book, where she compared the book to the last in the Harry Potter series, saying that, unlike J.K. Rowling's finale, "Meyers' bunted."[12] Entertainment Weekly graded Breaking Dawn with a D, criticizing the birth scene and Bella's "unwavering passion for Edward" and having no other goals.[13] The Washington Post also responded with a negative review, making comments such as, "...Meyer has put a stake through the heart of her own beloved creation," and "Breaking Dawn has a childbirth sequence that may promote lifelong abstinence in sensitive types."[14]
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Meyer responded to the negative response of many fans to the book and deemed it the "Rob Effect". She believes that fans need time to accept the ending of Breaking Dawn, just as they needed time to accept Robert Pattinson playing the role of Edward Cullen in the Twilight movie.[15]

Forever Dawn

Forever Dawn was the original sequel to Twilight, which Meyer wrote as a birthday gift for her older sister and has never published.  Until the publication of Breaking Dawn, Meyer did not discuss the plot of Forever Dawn as she said it was "working as a loose skeletal outline for the rest of the series."[4]
After publication of the final book, Meyer stated on her website that Forever Dawn has basically the same story as Breaking Dawn, but with some differences. The similarities include:
  • Bella and Edward get married.
  • Bella and Edward consummate their marriage on their honeymoon.
  • Bella becomes pregnant.
  • The pregnancy and birth greatly endanger Bella's life.
  • Bella becomes a vampire, with shielding abilities.
  • Renesmee is a vampire/human hybrid.
  • Alice has a vision of the Volturi coming to destroy the Cullens with the "immortal child" as their excuse.
  • Alice leaves the Cullens to look for others like Renesmee.
The differences between the two include:
  • Results from the events of New Moon and Eclipse never happening (i.e. Bella and Jacob have never developed a close relationship because Edward never left, Laurent and Victoria are still alive).
Since the events in those books never happened, there was:
  • No narration by Jacob (Book 2 of Breaking Dawn).
  • Absence of any details about the pack and its politics.
  • A siding of Laurent with the Cullens as he has been staying with Irina.
  • Victoria as the informant to the Volturi and is later killed by the pack.
  • An epilogue told by Max (J. Jenks' assistant), which included Bella getting to play "superman", and helping Max out of a bad situation.[4]
Meyer also stated on her website that she may post portions of Forever Dawn in the future, similar to the outtakes she has posted from other books in the series.[4]

Film adaptations

Breakingdawn
 
Final poster
 

 
Breaking Dawn was split into two movies, and the financial budget was higher than the previous movies. Bill Condon directed both films. Filming began in October 2010. The first movie was released on November 18, 2011; the second will be released on November 16, 2012.
Since Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner were originally contracted to make four films, Summit Entertainment had to renegotiate their agreements.
The original cast members have all announced to reprise their roles, including main characters: (Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner); the Cullens (Peter Facinelli, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, and Elizabeth Reaser); the wolf pack (Boo Boo Stewart, Julia Jones, Chaske Spencer, Bronson Pelletier, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Gordon, and Tyson Houseman); the Volturi, Michael Sheen, Christopher Heyerdahl, Jamie Campbell-Bower, Cameron Bright, Dakota Fanning, Daniel Cudmore and Charlie Bewley); and the humans (Billy Burke, Tinsel Korey, Sarah Clarke, Anna Kendrick, Justin Chon, Christian Serratos and Michael Welch). And over 50 new actors have been signed to join the films.
Renesmee is played by Mackenzie Foy, similar effects used in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button have also been used on Mackenzie to make her seem younger. Sierra Pitkin, Rachel St. Gelais, Eliza Faria and various other young actresses have acted as Mackenzie's body doubles during shooting.

Behind the scenes

Stephenie Meyer has said that the page of The Merchant of Venice was a hint of how the book would end.

Eclipse

The clouds I can handle. But I can’t fight with an eclipse."


Eclipse
Eclipsecover
First edition cover art for Eclipse.
Author Stephenie Meyer
Country United States
Language English
Series Twilight
Genre(s) Young adult, Fantasy, High School Romance
Publisher Little, Brown and Company
Publication date August 7, 2007
Pages 640
ISBN 978-0316160209
Preceded by New Moon
Followed by Breaking Dawn

―Jacob Black to Bella Swan[src]
Eclipse, a young adult/fantasy novel, is the third book in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Preceded by New Moon and followed by Breaking Dawn, it continues the story of 18-year-old Bella Swan and her vampire love, Edward Cullen. The book was released on August 7, 2007 with an initial print run of one million copies, selling more than 150,000 copies in the first 24 hours alone.

 

Marketing campaigns

The first chapter of Eclipse, was released in the special edition of New Moon. Meyer released the first chapter on her website, also posting a "quote of the day" from the novel each day leading up to its release.

Cover and title significance

The book jacket features a torn red ribbon. Although it was supposed to be disclosed to the public in May 2007 at the Eclipse Prom, Barnes & Noble, Stephenie Meyer's official website premiered the cover in March 2007, along with a preview summary of the book's plot. The title, Eclipse, is a reference to Jacob and Edward. While talking to Bella, Jacob refers to Edward as an eclipse, after Bella refers to him as her personal sun. In the end, an eclipse will always overpower the rays of the sun.[1] The broken ribbon represents choice, as in the book Bella must chose between her love for Edward Cullen and her friendship with Jacob Black. Meyer also stated that the ribbon represents the idea that Bella can't break away completely from her human life.[2] In the book there is a poster which features 2 halves of Bella's face. In one eye there is a picture of Edward Cullen and in the second eye there is a picture of Jacob Black. This shows how Bella is torn between her love for Edward and Jacob.

Early book release and critique

The Short Life of Bree Tanner Cover
Cover of the Eclipse companion novella
 
On July 25, an incident similar to the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows incident occurred with shipments of Eclipse. Barnes and Noble booksellers accidentally shipped advance copies of Eclipse to some of the customers who had pre-ordered. Barnes and Noble said, that it was a computer error, as their entire online store is computerized.
To prevent any spoilers from appearing online, many fansite forums for the Twilight series were shut down, such as the Twilight Lexicon. It was also suggested that Stephenie Meyer locked her MySpace comments so as to avoid spoilers being posted. In an open letter to the fansite the Twilight Lexicon, Stephenie Meyer pleaded with these "lucky readers" to please keep the ending to themselves until the rest of the Twilight fans had the chance to read and enjoy Eclipse as well.
An early book release also occurred with Stephenie Meyer's release of Eclipse Special Edition. The special edition was to hit store shelves on May 31, 2008, but multiple copies were released up to a whole week early. Stephenie Meyer herself knew that some copies had been leaked, and released the following statement:
"There is a lot of speculation on the internet about possible covers, content and text of Breaking Dawn. I hope everybody knows that you shouldn't believe everything you see on the internet. The only way you will know what is real is when you have the book in your hands. Until then, people should really take everything they see with a grain of salt."[3]

Meyer had this quote posted on her website on May 22, 2008 because, Eclipse Special Edition included the first chapter, entitled "Engaged", and cover art of the upcoming novel Breaking Dawn.

Plot summary

The story begins with the revelation that Seattle is being plagued by a string of unsolved murders, which Edward suspects to be the result of newborn vampires unable to control their thirst. Edward and Bella fill out college applications, while Bella explains to Edward her desire to see her werewolf friend Jacob again, so she can make things right with him. Meanwhile, Alice Cullen has a vision that Victoria, a vampire that is hunting Bella to get revenge for her mate's, James, death , is back in town. Although Edward fears for her safety, Bella insists that Jacob and the rest of the werewolf pack would never harm her, but he is still not convinced. Bella escapes to La Push to see Jacob while Edward is away, and arrives afterwards at her house unharmed. This convinces Edward that the La Push werewolves are harmless to her, and he allows Bella to visit Jacob once in a while, as long as she keeps a phone with her at all times. During one of these trips, Jacob confesses that he loves Bella and forcibly kisses her. Bella punches him, which in turn breaks her hand. When Edward finds out, he threatens to break Jacob's jaw if he ever kisses Bella without her consent again.
A few days later, Bella tries to get Edward to make love to her before turning her into a vampire. Edward initially refuses, explaining to Bella that he could very easily kill her. Eventually, upon realizing how much it means to Bella, he says that he is willing to try in the future as long as they are married first. Despite having an aversion to marriage, Bella realizes that spending eternity with Edward is more important to her than anything else and accepts his proposal.
Bella and the Cullens realize that the murders in Seattle are being committed by Victoria and an "army" of newborn vampires that she has created. The Cullen family, abandoned by the Denali Coven, joins forces with the La Push werewolf pack in order to combat this threat. As everyone else prepares for battle, Edward and Bella camp up in the mountains, where they are later joined by Jacob and Seth Clearwater, to wait out the fight. Bella, as a delicate human, starts to freeze in the harsh weather of the mountain. Jacob warms up Bella with his abnormal body heat, much to Edward's chagrin. During the night, Bella also overhears a conversation between Edward and Jacob, in which they temporarily forget about their hatred towards each other.
In the morning, Jacob overhears Edward and Bella discussing their engagement and becomes very upset. He runs off, but at Bella's request, Edward brings Jacob. He threatens to join the fight and get himself killed because he feels that Bella doesn't love him. When Bella begs him not to, Jacob insists that he will unless she asks him to kiss her. Furious, she does so, and while kissing him she realizes that she is in love with him as well. Edward finds out about this, but isn't angry. Bella realizes that she loves Edward more than Jacob.
Victoria eventually finds Bella's hiding spot, but Edward kills her while Seth kills her partner Riley. The Cullens and the Quileute werewolves, meanwhile, destroy her "army", though Jacob is injured when saving Leah Clearwater from a newborn. Since werewolves heal quickly, his bones begin healing the wrong way; Carlisle has to break his bones again so they will set properly. Several members of the Volturi, Jane , Alec , Felix , and Demetri , arrive to destroy Victoria's army, and end up only killing the one newborn who surrendered, Bree. They are also told that while Bella hasn't become a vampire yet, the date for her transformation has been set.
Bella visits Jacob in his home to tell him that she has chosen to be with Edward. Heartbroken by her choice, Jacob reluctantly agrees to stop trying to come between her and Edward. He says that he was giving up Bella because he knew it was hurting her to choose, and since she always thought of him as her sun, he "can't fight an eclipse", which gives the book its title. Bella then goes back to Edward. They go to Alice, who already knows they're getting married. Alice has already made a number of plans for the wedding, but Bella edits some of them. After this, they go to Edward's meadow. Edward says that they can make love before marrying if she wants to, but Bella has decided to do things his way: marriage, making love, and then becoming a vampire. They then decide they need to tell Charlie about their engagement.
The epilogue is told from Jacob's point of view, who is suffering from a broken heart. He receives an invitation to Bella and Edward's wedding. Inside it is a letter from Edward, thanking him for "everything," and saying that if Jacob didn't want to come, he doesn't have to. Jacob, after reading the letter, runs away in his wolf form to escape the pain he feels.

Critical reception

Eclipse-covers
 
Eclipse received mixed reviews. LoveVampires.com states that, "Adult readers may be put off by, the teenage relationship angst in this novel but if you have already enjoyed the author’s previous offerings I think there is still plenty here to entertain." Based on this, they gave Eclipse four and a half out of five stars.[4] DearAuthor.com said that, "It was clear to me that once the decision to remake Bella into a vampire was made, all natural tension evaporated and thus the author had to manufacture false conflict after false conflict to keep the storyline interesting." Dear Author also gave Eclipse a C- grade.[5] Revish.com said that Eclipse, " never [had] a dull moment... [and is] one of the greatest love stories I've ever encountered."[6]
Anne Rouyer of School Library Journal said that, "Meyer knows what her fans want: thrills, chills, and a lot of romance, and she delivers on all counts." Selby Gibson-Boyce of Tulsa World wrote, "I read without stopping until I finished. Meyer's book would not detach itself from my hand. Exactly the same thing happened with Twilight and New Moon."

Film adaptation

Eclipse (0)
 

Main article: Eclipse (film)
Summit Entertainment announced that it would be adapting Eclipse into a film, with a release date set for June 30, 2010.[7] The director was confirmed as David Slade, who previously directed the movies Hard Candy and 30 Days Of Night. Since New Moon director Chris Weitz was in post-production for New Moon when Eclipse began shooting, he did not direct imdb third film. Filming began on August 17, 2009, and ran until October 29. The film opened at number one at the box office and grossed a total of 300,523,113 by October 17th, 2010 in the USA, according to imdb. The DVD/Blu-Ray was released December 4th, 2010 and sold $3 million in its first weekend of release.

 

New Moon

"Tonight the sky was utterly black. Perhaps there was no moon tonight—a lunar eclipse, a new moon. A new moon. I shivered, though I wasn't cold."


New Moon
Newmoon2
First edition cover of New Moon.
Author
Stephenie Meyer
Country
United States
Language
English
Series
Twilight
Genre(s)
Young adult, Romance novel
Publisher
Little, Brown and Company
Publication date
September 6, 2006
Media type
Print (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages
608 (Paperback and Hardback)[1]
ISBN
0-316-16019-9
Preceded by
Twilight
Followed by Eclipse


―Bella Swan[src]
New Moon is a young adult fantasy-romance novel by Stephenie Meyer. It is the second novel in the Twilight series and was originally published in hardcover in 2006.

 

Plot summary

In the beginning of the book, Bella is upset because it's her birthday and it will make her older than the "permanently" 17 year old Edward Cullen. Much to her dismay, the Cullen family throws her a birthday party. She, then, receives a present from Alice and Edward, a CD with Bella's lullaby on it. At the birthday party, Bella gets a paper cut when opening a present and then Jasper attacks her which then leads to her being accidentally smashed into a mess of glass that cuts deeply into her arm, Carlisle gives her stitches, and they have an interesting conversation. Jasper does not harm Bella, as the rest of the Cullens hold him back. This reminds Edward of the danger he puts Bella in because of their relationship. Edward leaves the small town of Forks, attempting to keep Bella safe from a world of vampires. He does this by telling Bella he no longer loves her. As soon as he leaves, Bella enters a deep depression that lasts for months, becoming a kind of a zombie with no friends and no life. When her father threatens to send her to live with her mother, she seeks comfort with Jacob Black, an old family friend who clears the haze of Bella's pain.
Bella soon finds out that Jacob is a werewolf, a secret that had always been in his family's genetics but reveals itself only when vampires, the werewolves' natural enemies, are around. It is a secret he is forced to keep from Bella at first, but he eventually finds a way around it, making Bella guess what he is. As soon as Bella figures it out, Jacob reveals as much as he can without betraying his pack. Bella and Jacob begin to spend more and more time together.
Bella soon discovers that rushes of adrenaline in her system yield hallucinations of Edward's voice. Desperate to hear him, she purposely places herself in dangerous situations. She rides a motorcycle and even approaches strange men in Port Angeles. She wants to try cliff-jumping, a recreational activity, participated in by Jacob's friends, but Jacob tells her it is not safe by herself and cannot find time to take her, since he and the other werewolves are busy protecting the town against Victoria. However, Bella grows tired of waiting for Jacob. She jumps and gets caught in a riptide in the water. After a few minutes, Jacob rescues her and brings her to safety. When they return to Jacob's house, they learn that Charlie's friend, Harry Clearwater, has passed away because of a heart attack.
At the same time, Alice, Edward's vampire "sister" who has visions of the future, has a vision of Bella jumping. However, werewolves are invisible to her foresight, and she does not see Jacob rescuing Bella. Presuming Bella is dead, Alice rushes to Forks to check on Charlie, Bella's father, after his daughter's supposed death. When Alice gets there, she finds Bella alive and well. But Rosalie, not knowing the truth, called Edward to tell him that Bella is dead. Edward wants to see if it is actually true by calling at Bella's home. When Edward calls, Jacob answers the phone, however, and informs Edward, who is impersonating Carlisle Cullen, that Charlie is at the funeral, referring to Harry, but Edward draws the conclusion that it is Bella's funeral. Having lost the will to exist as immortal, Edward flees to Italy to see the Volturi (peace-keeping vampires who would be able to kill Edward if he broke the vampire laws) thus granting him leave of a world without Bella.
Bella and Alice eventually figure out everything and rush to Italy to stop Edward. Bella stops Edward from stepping into the sunlight by running with all her energy to save him, he is happy to see Bella and know she is alive. She states you didn't have to feel guilty or anything, I can let you go now. He states you'll never have to let go. The reason why Edward decided to reveal himself is because Aro refused to kill him at first so he tries to break the law by an act that would have revealed the existence of vampires and invoked the wrath of the Volturi. Instead, all three of them are brought before the Volturi for judgment. Aro, the most exuberant of the Volturi, was very curious about Bella and her power to block Edward's mind reading. So he set up tests for her, and finds out that neither he nor Jane can affect her. Aro is very excited about this and asks if she wants to join the Volturi when she is a vampire, but she refuses. The Volturi say that Bella must be killed because she knows too much about vampires and could be a threat to their secrecy. The three are free to leave on one condition: Bella must be turned into a vampire, and soon.
When they all return to Forks, Bella wakes up to see Edward and believes she had drowned or is dreaming and starts going into hysterics. Edward tells her what he was doing before he heard about her dying, but she still believes that he is a dream. He finally manages to make her believe he is real by kissing her. He also explains that he will never leave her again. She is happy to have him back, but he upsets her when he says that he won't damn her soul by turning her into a vampire. She then tells him that she is going to ask his family to vote on the matter. Everybody says yes to her being a vampire except Edward and Rosalie (who then says, "Let me explain, I don't mean that I have any aversion to you as a sister. It's just that... this is not the life I would have chosen for myself. I wish there had been someone there to vote no for me."). Edward takes Bella home, and tells Bella that he will turn her himself after she marries him.
The book ends with Bella being grounded for leaving Forks without permission. Because she hadn't gone to La Push in a while, Jacob thinks that Edward was keeping Bella away, so he drops off the motorcycles at her house, which makes Charlie furious. When Bella and Edward come back and find this out, Jacob confronts them. Bella explains that she didn't go to see him because she was grounded before, and Jacob (who thinks Edward plans to change Bella into a vampire) reminds Edward that if he or any of his family bites a human, their treaty with the werewolves will be broken. Jacob is shocked when Bella reacts angrily toward this revelation, and realizes that Bella wants to become a vampire. He leaves looking hurt and angry, and Bella gets the feeling that he now counts her among his enemies. The novel ends with Bella contemplating all the problems that she has: Victoria, Jacob's mistrust, the Volturi, and the threat of a war with the werewolves.

Cover and title significance

New Moon book cover (second)
The second edition book cover featuring the cast of the film adaption.
 
Stephenie Meyer has stated that the red and white ruffled tulip on the cover of New Moon has no significance to the story, as she had no part in choosing its design.[2] However, fans suggest theories like the "flower is drooping because Edward and Bella's love is failing," and "the white and red represents Bella adjusting to vampire life," while others suggest "the flower drop means that drop of blood in the beginning of New Moon that changed everything" and "like the falling petal of the flower, Bella is also falling into a deep depression."
The title refers to the darkest phase of the lunar cycle, indicating that New Moon is about the darkest period of Bella's life when she doesn't have true love. Stephenie Meyer has stated that it has absolutely nothing to do with werewolves.[2]

Awards and nominations

New Moon rose to the #1 position on the New York Times Bestseller List for Children's Chapter Books in its second week on the list, and remained in that spot for 11 weeks. It spent over 30 weeks in total on the list.

Film adaptation

 
Twilight-new-moon-movie-poster
 
On November 22, 2008, Summit Entertainment, the producers of the Twilight film, officially announced that they would move forward with the production of the second installment in the saga, New Moon.[3] This announcement came after the first film's early success at the box office. Stephenie Meyer stated that she is very happy to be able to continue working with Summit on the production of the saga. The majority of the original cast have signed on for the sequel, which will star Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, and Ashley Greene. Chris Weitz is directing the film, replacing Catherine Hardwicke who could not return to direct New Moon due to time restraints. Summit released New Moon on November 20, 2009.

 

Books

Twilight is a series of vampire novels by Stephenie Meyer. It follows the life of Bella Swan, a teenager who moves to Forks, Washington, and finds her life radically changed when she falls in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen
 
Book-twilight Book-newmoon Book-eclipse Book-breakingdawn The Short Life of Bree Tanner Cover
Twilight New Moon Eclipse Breaking Dawn The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
 Book-midnightsun

The Host is coming on March 29, 2013 from Stephenie Meyer.

 
 THE HOST movie opens in theaters on March 29, 2013.
 
The Host - Trailer
 
 
The Host is a science fiction/romance novel by Stephenie Meyer. The novel introduces an alien race, called Souls, which takes over the Earth and its inhabitants. The book describes one Soul's predicament when the mind of her human host refuses to cooperate with her takeover. The Host was released on May 6, 2008[1] with an initial print run of 750,000 copies.[2] An international version of the novel was released on April 2, 2008 in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and Hong Kong by the UK publishing division.[3] It was translated into Finnish, Catalan, Chinese, Japanese, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Swedish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Romanian, Serbian, Hebrew and Danish among others. The prologue and the fourth chapter of the book can be found on Meyer's official website.[4]

 

 Plot summary

In the future, Earth has been colonized by the "Souls," a parasitic alien race which inhabits human bodies, erasing the original occupants. Melanie Stryder is one of the last free humans alive. On a raid to find food, she meets Jared Howe, another human, and the two fall in love. Melanie is chased by a group of Souls, intent on capturing rogue humans. To avoid capture, she throws herself down an elevator shaft, nearly killing herself. A Soul named Wanderer is inserted into Melanie's body with the hopes of accessing her memories and finding the other humans in her group. Melanie remains partially conscious and bombards Wanderer with her memories of Jared and her brother Jamie. Wanderer begins to form an emotional connection to both and heads into the desert to find their hideout.
Near death from dehydration, Wanderer is found by Melanie's uncle Jeb and taken to a series of desert caves that serve as a hideout for dozens of free humans. Her presence angers many of the residents, who view her as a parasite, but Jeb refuses to allow her to be killed. Eventually, after helping out and showing kindness, Wanderer begins to be accepted by the group, who call her Wanda. She must deal with her increasing attraction to Ian O'Shea, one of the residents, and Melanie's continued feelings for Jared. She becomes angry when she discovers that the humans are experimenting with ways to remove Souls from their human hosts, but that the procedure has so far proven fatal for both parties.
When Jamie becomes sick, Wanda uses her identity as a Soul to gain access to a hospital and procure the needed medicine, earning her more trust. However, Wanderer's old seeker tracks her to the caves and kills one of the inhabitants before being captured. Remorseful, Wanda reveals a method for safely extracting Souls from their host bodies, and the humans use it on several of their loved ones. Wanda asks to be removed from Melanie's body so that Melanie can live again, opting to die rather than possess another human. The process is a success; however, her friends go against her wishes and implant her in the body of a human girl whose mind had been left blank after a Soul was extracted. Melanie and Wanda begin romantic relationships with Jared and Ian respectively. At the end of the book, the group runs into another group of surviving humans, which includes another turned Soul.

Characters

 Major characters

Wanderer "Wanda"  – Wanderer is the main character, a parasitic alien "Soul" inserted into Melanie Stryder's body in the first scene. She received her name due to the number of planets she has lived on, having never settled on one she truly liked. She is later nicknamed "Wanda" by Mel's Uncle Jeb and her brother, Jamie. Initially only interested in enjoying her new life, Melanie's refusal to die off as expected forces her to make choices she otherwise would not have, and she slowly develops sympathy for the human characters, eventually acknowledging that they have a right to their own lives, and attempting to sacrifice herself so that Melanie can have her life back. She is uncomfortable with violence, and enjoys being a storyteller, a role she indicates having held in previous hosts. Her physical capabilities are determined by her host. She is oblivious to Ian's growing affection for her, and so is surprised when she overhears Ian O'shea and Jared Howe arguing about it just outside her door. Even though Wanda dearly loves Ian, she is limited because Melanie's body loves Jared. She hates upsetting people and so suffers endlessly trying to be as little of a burden as possible.
Melanie "Mel" Stryder  – Melanie is a 21 year old human (she was 17 when she met Jared) who was captured and infested with a Soul after years of evading the Seekers. Melanie survives Wanderer's implantation into her body, and resists the Soul's control as best she can. She likes the feeling of being physically strong and berates Wanderer for neglecting to keep her that way. She has a temper and may be considered volatile compared to docile Wanderer. Melanie is passionately in love with another human, Jared Howe, and shares a strong bond with her younger brother, Jamie. It is clear from their relationship and previous interactions that their years on the run made her extremely parental. Despite initial anger at Wanderer for stealing her life, they eventually become unwilling allies, and finally develop friendship and a bond that mirrors a sister's. Melanie, despite wanting her body back, sides with Ian when Wanda decides to give Melanie her body back by telling Doc how to take out a soul. Wanda did not intend to go on living after she was removed from her head, and wanted to be burried next to Walter and Wes. Melanie ensured Doc had not done that part of his promise, and eventually Melanie found a suitable body for Wanda.
Jared Howe  – Melanie's lover. Jared is 26 years old when he and Melanie first meet (in most of the story, he is 29). Loving, aggressive, and somewhat excitable in Melanie's memories, by the time Wanderer meets him he has become quite bitter. He bears a grudge against Wanderer, and is unable to empathize with her for most of the book. He starts to change his views on the Soul, however, when he sees her comforting a dying friend. He is somewhat of a rival to Ian O'Shea, who sees him as competition for Wanderer's affections. He also has a parental relationship with Jamie, whom he continued to care for after Melanie's capture. He is described as being muscular and tall, with tan skin, sienna-colored eyes and naturally dark, but sun-bleached hair. His survival skills are an asset to the group, and he is considered responsible and capable by most other characters, but his rational thinking sometimes becomes a bother to the more sentimental humans.
Ian O'Shea – Wanderer calls Ian "as kind as a Soul, but strong as only a human could be." He has a strong dislike of the Souls in the beginning, but quickly abandons it once he begins to empathize with Wanderer. Other characters seem to view him as mostly level-headed. However he does have a temper; he shows violent and aggressive reactions when Wanderer is at risk, particularly when it is his brother attacking her. Ian befriends Wanderer and gradually falls in love with her, telling her that "[she] is beautiful", not just the body she wears. At the end of the book, he is in a relationship with Wanderer, who has been put into a new host body. He is described as being tall and muscular, with black hair, sapphire blue eyes, and fair skin. He doesn't help find Melanie find a new body for Wanda, which surprises Melanie. Ian said he didn't care what she looked like; he loved Wanda for her personality.
Jamie Stryder  – Jamie is Melanie's younger brother and is 14 years old when he first meets Wanderer. His behavior and emotions are generally childish, representing an idealized innocence; unlike most characters, he holds no animosity towards Wanderer for stealing his sister's body or life. He quickly comes to view Wanderer as a substitute sibling, and draws her into the group with his interest in her stories and opinions. Despite his apparent innocence and naivete, Jamie wants to be treated like an adult; he yearns to go on raids with the others, and is uncomfortable with the coddling he receives when he is injured. He describes the medicine Wanda brings to save him as 'magic' and gets to choose Wanda's body in the end.
Uncle Jeb  – Jebediah "Jeb" is Melanie's eccentric uncle. He was one of the first humans to suspect an alien invasion, and thus constructed an elaborate hide-out in caves beneath the Arizona desert. He maintains strict control over the hideout by virtue of having the only firearm. He believes Wanderer can fit in with the humans, and pushes for this to the point of creating great strain within the group. He is calm and deliberate in his decision-making, and despite being one of the most welcoming towards Wanderer, nonetheless does not hesitate to explain and justify the humans' perspective to her. He is witty, curious, and loves a good laugh. He loves out-there, Sci-fi stuff and is particuarly interested in Wanda's stories. He always get's his way in the caves, using cunning and deception... and a rifle.
The Seeker  – The Soul responsible for finding Melanie's family. Mutual spite towards the Seeker is the basis of Melanie and Wanderer's early relationship. She is described as unusually irritable and edgy for her species. She mocks Wanda for not being able to completely drive out Melanie's spirit. This is later revealed to be due to her insecurity at having failed to subdue her own host, who remembers her name and recovers most of her personality when the Seeker is finally removed. Both the Seeker and the host are extremely unlikeable.
Kyle O'Shea – Kyle, Ian's brother, is a fiery character with a strong dislike of Souls. This is implied to spring from the loss of his girlfriend, Jodi, who was caught and implanted early in the war. He is impulsive, and tends to take precipitous action without considering the group's opinion, which can lead to danger for himself. Due to this quality, he is not trusted to lead raiding missions. His hatred for Souls disappears when he realizes that his girlfriend cannot be saved, and he begins a relationship with Sunny, the Soul inside Jodi. Before finding Jodi's body, Kyle despised Wanda and caused a cave-in in the bathroom trying to kill her.
Doc  – A tall, slim human rebel who was a surgeon and serves as the rebels' doctor. He is shown as deeply affected by his patient's suffering, which in combination with the conditions, places him under great strain; this drives him to alcoholism, such as they can afford. He is very interested in finding out how the Souls invaded, and their surgical practices, attempting to rescue the victims of the invasion. His real name is Eustace. He is a man of his word, and is only stopped from killing Wanda like she wanted by Jared's hunting knife at his neck. Some of his characteristics were influenced by Meyer's younger brother, Seth.[5]

Minor characters

Magnolia "Maggie"  – Jeb's sister, Sharon's mother, and Melanie and Jamie's Aunt. She shows extreme dislike towards Wanderer and never accepts her, though her attitude softens when Wanderer is moved into Pet's body. She is extremely tough and stubborn.
Sharon  - Maggie's daughter, Jeb's niece, and Melanie and Jamie's cousin. Melanie is captured on a trip to Chicago to find Sharon. Melanie remembers Sharon as fun and vibrant girl in their childhood but the years have been hard on her and she is now cold and bitter. Like her mother, Sharon hates Wanderer and obsesses about the threat she poses, sometimes to the point of risking other priorities. Her dislike weakens when Wanderer is placed in Pet's body because Pet is impossible to hate. She is in a relationship with Doc. However, the relationship is strained due to Doc's acceptance of Wanderer and Sharon's own prejudice. She eventually reconciles with him at the end of the book.
Pet (Petals Open to the Moon) – Pet is the former host body of a Soul named Petals Open to the Moon, from which her name is derived. After Petals Open to the Moon is removed and placed in cryogenic storage to be shipped to another planet, it is found that Pet's mind either did not have a chance to develop, or did not survive implantation - she is essentially a blank slate. As a result it is decided that they will use her as a host for Wanderer after she is removed from Melanie. She is 17 years old, small and weak, with pale skin, gray eyes, and wavy blonde hair.
Candy  – Candy is the human who held the Soul of a Healer — that is, until Doc removed the Soul and placed it in a cryotank. At first, she shows signs of memory loss, but she eventually manages to recall her name and memories of healing that she shares with Doc.
Walter  –One of the older humans in the cave, he is slowly dying of cancer. He is very fond of Wanderer and defends her. When he nears his last leg, he grows disoriented and believes that Wanderer is his beloved wife Gladys. Wanderer stays at his bedside until it is time for him to die. Doc euthanizes him and the group holds a funeral for him. It is then that Wanderer fully accepts that the souls coming to Earth was wrong. Wanderer's caring attitude with Walter helps endear to the other humans, especially Jared.
Wes  –A young human in the caves, he is around 19-years-old. He has a crush on Lily despite her being older than him. Lily is initially oblivious of his feelings but eventually enters a relationship with him. When the Seeker attacks the caves, she shoots Wes and kills him. Lily is devastated and his death is the catalyst for Wanderer to reveal her secret of getting a soul out of a body and leave Melanie's body. When asking Wanda questions in her 'informal class', he is more interested in the way the Souls run the Earth than the Planets Wanda has been to.
Lacey  –The Seeker's host. Lacey is an obnoxious whiner who drove the Seeker nuts inside her head. Wanderer removes the Seeker and Lacey is fully restored. Lacey annoys almost everyone but is immediately accepted, which slightly upsets the still sometimes shunned Wanderer.
Sunny (Sunlight Passing Through the Ice)  –The soul who inhabits Kyle's girlfriend Jodi's body. Sunny used to be a bear before coming to Earth. She was put in Jodi's body six years previous and began dreaming about Kyle. Upon learning that Wanderer could remove souls, Kyle recklessly raced out to find her and brought her back to the caves. Kyle grows fond of her and when Jodi is not revived, he reinserts Sunny and begins a relationship with her. Sunny is looking for Jodi inside her head at the end of the book, when Jodi fails to reappear.

 Major themes

In an interview with Vogue Magazine, Meyer stated that body image was a major aspect of her novel. She noted that she is "very critical" of her body, but not others'. In The Host, she tried to convey "what a gift it is to just have a body, and really love it." This is something most humans would take for granted before being captured, and something that Melanie is all-too aware of once she loses control of her body.[6] Other themes Meyer explored were the mother/child bond, the need to change our lives for the ones we love or because our community expects something different of us than what we want, and not fitting in.[7] In other interviews, various themes were noted including the value of the Soul and faith in a world that has been destroyed,[5] tolerance, forgiveness, and understanding.[8] Identity issues are also frequently mentioned, as Wanderer notes whether other characters differentiate between her personality and Melanie's identity as they interact with her.

 Background

The idea for The Host originated on a trip from Phoenix to Salt Lake City. Bored, Meyer made up stories to entertain herself, and was halfway through outlining the story of The Host in her head before realizing what she had created. She notes that the story grabbed her attention, and that she "could tell there was something compelling in the idea of such a complicated triangle." As soon as she got to her computer, she typed the outline that she had written in her notebook. Originally meant to be a side project, The Host eventually became a priority, as she favored it above the ideas of other stories she had saved on her computer.[9]
It took Meyer a year to write The Host as she was still editing Eclipse and, as Meyer considers herself a storyteller, she needed something to remind her that she was still a writer, not just an editor.[7] Therefore, after editing Eclipse, she took two days to read through 'what she had already written for The Host to get back into what she calls The Host mode.[5] The character of Ian was originally meant to play a small role' Meyer had no plans for a romance between Ian and Wanderer until Jared "got on [her] last nerve", and Ian "refused to be ignored", and as a result, the ending was changed to allow for Ian.[10]
The title "The Host" comes from the perspective of the main character, Wanderer, because her "host" Melanie forever changes the way she sees the world.[10]

 References to other works

True to Meyer's other books, The Host includes a poem at the beginning of the novel. The poem is titled Question, by May Swenson, and ties into the idea of the mind's reliance on the existence of the body, just as Melanie experiences when inhabited by Wanderer.

Potential sequels

Meyer has said that she is working on additional books in The Host series and that she intends to write a trilogy. She said in an interview that, if published, the first sequel would be entitled The Soul and the second The Seeker.[11] In November 2009, she said, "I'd like to eventually have The Host be part of a trilogy."[12] In a Q&A session in Kansas City, Meyer stated that she has outlines for the sequels and has done some writing on them, but she has some qualms since The Host universe is a "dangerous place" where characters might die, and she is not sure if she wants to kill them off.[7]

 Reception

The Host was named one of the "Best Books of May" by Amazon.com, and also received praise about its ending saying, "Readers... will gleefully note that the story's end leaves the door open for a sequel—or another series."[13] In a review of the book for The Guardian, Keith Brooke stated, "When it's good, the novel works well, and will appeal to fans of the author's hugely bestselling Twilight series, but it is little more than a half-decent doorstep-sized chunk of light entertainment."[14]
The Host was also a #1 New York Times Best Seller,[15] and remained on this list for 26 weeks,[16] and also spent over 36 weeks on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list.[17] The novel was named #1 on Maclean's Magazine's list of 10 top-selling fiction books in Canada.[18]

Film adaptation

The Host is being developed into a film with Andrew Niccol attached to direct and Saoirse Ronan to star as Melanie.[19][20] The project was first announced in September 2009 when producers Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz, and Paula Mae Schwartz used independent financing to acquire film rights to The Host. Niccol was hired to write the screenplay and to direct the film.[21]In early 2011, before the start of filming, Susanna White had replaced Niccol as the director,[22] but Niccol resumed his role of director in May 2011.[19] In the same month, Ronan was cast to play Melanie in the adaptation.[20] On June 27, it was announced that the film is set for release on March 29, 2013 with principal photography to start in February 2012 in Louisiana and New Mexico.[23] Open Road Films acquired the U.S. distribution rights for the film and Meyer will serve as producer along Wechsler, Schwartz and Mae Schwartz.[24]