Title: Life and Death
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Series: The Twilight Series #4
Acquired: Purchased Barnes & Noble
My Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0
Synopsis:
Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Twilight! This special double-feature book includes the classic novel, Twilight, and a bold and surprising reimagining, Life and Death, by Stephenie Meyer.
Packaged as an oversize, jacketed hardcover “flip book,” this edition features nearly 400 pages of new content as well as exquisite new back cover art. Readers will relish experiencing the deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful love story of Bella and Edward through fresh eyes.
Twilight has enraptured millions of readers since its first publication in 2005 and has become a modern classic, redefining genres within young adult literature and inspiring a phenomenon that has had readers yearning for more. The novel was a #1 New York Times bestseller, a #1USA Today bestseller, a Time magazine Best Young Adult Book of All Time, an NPR Best-Ever Teen Novel, and a New York Times Editor’s Choice. The Twilight Saga, which also includes New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella, and The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, has sold nearly 155 million copies worldwide.
Like many of you, The Twilight Saga was a big part of my younger years. After much convincing from some friends at the time, I picked the books up, devoured them and became instantly obsessed with the entire franchise. I wouldn't say it was made me start reading as I was I always an avid reader, but it was what made me reach out and find other book lovers like me. Books and reading become cool and EVERYONE started talking about it.
I have been fortunate to have attended many book signings throughout the years and have met many of my favorite authors, but the top two authors on my list that I was still dying to meet was Stephanie Meyer and J.K. Rowling, so when I found out that Stephanie Meyer was holding two signings in Los Angeles for the release of Light and Death I was determined to attend one. It was a wonderful experience to meet her in person. By the time we got to the event it was standing room only, but I was able to listen to her speak from the back. We were too far back to get any decent pictures, but this is show marvelous Stephanie looked that day! Now on the book itself. Read down below for my review.
Photo Credit: Stacee from Adventures of a Book Junkie
My Review:
What if Bella was a boy and Edward had been a girl. Would the story still have worked? Would it have the same impact on readers as the original? In Life and Death, Stephanie Meyer sought out to get answers to those exact questions. When I heard about the gender swap, I was definitely intrigued and wanted to dive into it as soon as I got my hands on the book. Almost immediately I was drawn into the story. Yes for the most part the story is exactly the same, but it never claimed to be otherwise. But almost as soon as I started reading the story, the emotions I feel everytime I re-read Twilight came back. I kept looking for passages and quotes that I loved from Twilight. Some of them were changed somewhat, or placed in different chronological order, but all those lines that we loved still appear. However that being said, I didn't really have the same connection to Beau and Edith's relationship. I know some readers had an issue with Bella being a "damsel in distress." Frankly, I didn't and to be honest, some of the issues I had with this re-imagining had to do that with that very thing. Having Edith carry Beau around does not have the same effect emotionally as Bella being carried by Edward. And that entire imbalance just did not work with me. And I could not find myself as emotionally connected. Did I enjoy reading Life and Death? Yes. Did really enjoy it? No. I am and will always be a Twilight Fan and nothing will change that, however I am in agreement with other fans, that something better could have been done for the 10th Anniversary!
And since I know there are many Twilight fans out there that may not have had the chance to meet Stephanie Meyer and would love to have an autographed copy of Twilight on your shelves. And because it Thanksgiving week and I am so thankful to the amazing followers on this blog, I have a surprise! This Thanksgiving I am giving away 3 signed copies of Life and Death! So want to enter to win, this is how. I am giving away:
1 Copy here on the blog - Enter the raffelcopter below!
1 Copy on Instagram - Follow, Repost and Tag your friends for more entries
1 Copy on Facebook - Like, Share and tag your friends for more entries!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posts
FSOG! It reintroduced me to reading as an adult!
ReplyDeleteTo Kill A Mockingbird changed my life when I was 13. I snuck it from my aunts shelf, and read it in one sitting. It let me really think about injustice and prejudices.
ReplyDeleteThe Twilight Saga reinvigorated my love for reading, while also introducing me to the world of young adult. A recent book that has changed my life would be The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld.
ReplyDeleteControversial book, but Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. Life is hard, it's not easy on everyone, and no one is dealt an easy hand at life. And being a teenager can suck.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say FSOG; it was the one that got me reading again.
ReplyDeleteThe Hunger Games. It opened my eyes to the reality.
ReplyDeleteFor me, definitely Twilight. I never read before that, and I actually Breaking Dawn first because I'd seen the first three movies. Twilight is the book I reread the most, the movies I watch over and over again, and I even bought the dolls and some other collectibles. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by this, but can't bring myself to read it...
ReplyDeleteIt has to be Twilight, because with this book I started this beautiful journey.
ReplyDeleteI have been hearing about how this book is not as epic as all the rest, but I still want to read it because Twilight was what broke me into the YA genre when I was 11. I loved it, and I still do <3 So go course, I still want to try this one despite everything ^.^
ReplyDeleteMy recent post: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2015/11/dear-stephen-king.html
Black Iris by Leah Reader
ReplyDeleteCathy Glass' Damaged. It is the first 'big' novel I read in English (before, I only read Dutch books).
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, it was Twilight! Twilight brought me back to reading (aka chain reading) :D
ReplyDeleteBook that changed my life? I don't remember it, but I would think it would be the first I read. Kept me going on to the next one. :-)
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
Twilight! I read when i was younger, but i left it. When i listed Decode (Paramore), and watch all those twilight images, i ran to read twlight. And i has a bussiness about books and never stop to read. So. Twilight. You change my life :D
ReplyDeleteAlice's Adventures in Wonderland.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance!!!!
Raffle name: Artemis Giote
The book Twilight changed my life because I honestly didn't like reading before I read that book. Now I can't stop reading. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this chance!
None yet :) But hopefully one day one book will :)
ReplyDeleteTwilight completely changed my life, I've made friends all over the world, vacationed with them and gotten through so many tough times. All because of Stephanie Meyer, I'm so grateful to her!
ReplyDeleteRaze by Tillie Cole :) It changed my reading perspective.
ReplyDeleteEvery book that has a non-traditional HEA makes me look different at the world.
ReplyDeleteBetul E.
The book(s) that changed my life was the Harry Potter Series. They made me want to become a writer and has inspired a tattoo of mine. They taught me what it means to trully be a good person.
ReplyDeleteJurassic Park by Michael Crichton. I read it in 5th grade, with a dictionary by my side, and haven't stopped reading since. The genre has changed quite a bit though :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you :) Twilight helped me to love reading again ^_^
ReplyDeletePersuasion by Jane Austen made me love reading! Thank you for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a combination of Harry Potter, which sparked my love for Fantasy, and Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries books, which made me love romance and contemporary. Thank you for such a generous giveaway! I like how short and to the point your review was. :)
ReplyDeleteBooks that really stuck with me over the years include A Moveable Feast, The Outsiders, and Twilight.
ReplyDeleteAnne of Green Gable series
ReplyDeleteI had no desire to read this,why mess with a good thing? Finishing Midnight Sun would have been a great way to celebrate the anniversary and I think the fans would have enjoyed it more.
ReplyDelete