Book Review: Twilight The Graphic Novel Vol 1 by Stephenie Meyer

Art and Adaptation by: Young Kim
Publication Date: March 2010

Pages: 224
Series: 1st in a series
Acquisition: trade

Summary:

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret... Beautifully rendered, this first installment of Twilight: The Graphic Novel is a must-have for any collector’s library. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
When this book first came out my first thought was, what's the point? It's not a new story. It's not adding anything to The Saga. Maybe I'm cynical but I saw it purely as a money making endeavor.  It's hardcover first of all, so I guess that's how the $19.99 price tag can be justified. But aside from that - it's not even the entire first book. It's Vol 1 which means we will be getting a Vol 2 and who knows - maybe even a Vol 3? Twilight is, by a small margin, the shortest one in the Saga. If the entire series is to be published as graphic novels we maybe looking at, what, at least 8 books if not more?

I'm sure some of my cynicism comes from the fact that I'm not a huge fan of the Twilight Saga in general. Yes, I did read all the books but I still don't know why they are so popular. The story is ok, the writing is average and the characters are, for me at least, pretty unlikable. BUT millions of people adore Bella and Edward SO this new series of graphic novels, I'm  sure, is a true delight for die hard fans. But $19.99? Really?

Ok - enough about that!

In Twilight The Graphic Novel Vol 1 we get the same story as in Twilight but with graphics (duh).  Have to say though, I very much enjoyed the graphics. Young Kim did a fabulous job. Rich textures with lots of details. I found myself looking at the graphics more then I was paying attention to the story line and dialog.

For me, reading Twilight as a graphic novel, didn't do anything to improve my opinion of the story. If anything, it made me realize just how ridiculous Bella and Edward's relationship is. Sure they got to know each other as the series progressed and yes, their feelings for each other developed and grew. But in the beginning? Edward loves Bella because she smells good and Bella loves Edward because he's different and pretty. My interpretation only - I know tons of people out there (including you?) would disagree with me using loud voices and possibly rotten fruit.

Final verdict:
So, was it worth my time reading Twilight The Graphic Novel Vol 1? Considering it only took me about 20 minutes I would have to say yes. The graphics alone are worth it.

If you're a fan of Bella and Edward, this book is for you. It's a beautiful addition to the series. If you're not that big of a fan, like me, but you enjoy graphic novels, I would still recommend picking this one up. I can't stress enough how beautiful Young Kim's illustrations are.

Overall Story Rating:

2.5 / 5 Stars

Overall Graphic Rating:

4 / 5 Stars

Books in the Series:
Twilight Vol 1
Twilight Vol 2?

Linkage Love:
Yen Press
Author's Website
Goodreads