KatherineDietz

When it was released in 2005, “Twilight” became an instant sensation. Readers, mostly young women, became enraptured by the love story of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. A story of forbidden love, danger and mystery. 

The book was inescapable then. It’s a different story now. 

Fewer students are reading the book, so few, in fact, that Marian pulled the book from its library shelves due to the low number of people checking it out. “It hadn’t been checked out for five years,” said school librarian, Mrs. Molly Raabe. “Books trend. Book covers trend. There were a lot of vampire books.” 

“When they were released, people were voraciously reading the books,” Raabe said. But those students who were once clamoring to read the latest supernatural romance were tired of the same tropes over and over again. “It just didn’t have the same holding power,” Raabe said. 

Despite this, Raabe still looks back on the novel fondly. “It made the characters’ emotions real. It was impossible to put down.” 

Although it isn’t available physically, the novel is still available digitally through Sora, which students can access with their school library card. 

Students also love the book, with 17% of the 95 students surveyed in the October Network’s Google Survey having read the novel at some point. 

Junior Delaney Shea is one such student. “The books are a staple for teenage girls,” Shea said. The books’ seemingly wild plot doesn’t detract from Shea’s enjoyment of the books.  

She enjoys the relatability of the characters, despite the outlandish scenarios they are placed in. 

“You read the books and go ‘Who decided this was a good idea?’” Shea said. “But Bella is smarter in the books than she is in the movies.” 

The books give more insight into the characters’ inner thoughts, which allows readers to better understand why they act the way they do than in the movies. Bella no longer seems irrational when you understand her thoughts. 

The movies, although iconic in their own right, make the characters significantly more one-dimensional. The popularity of the movies promotes the idea that “Twilight” is nothing more than a silly romance, even though it is so much more. 

It’s a comfort read, fall classic, and a story of romance and danger. 

Although the “Twilight” craze is long over, the story of Bella and Edward remains a staple of the fall season, a comfort read for many and a reminder of the power of romance in the book industry.