15 Women Reflect on What ‘Twilight’ Meant to Them, 15 Years Later

Will I read Midnight Sun? No, I just can’t go back to that. I was impressed by the way Stephenie tied everything together with the protective mental bubble that she had Bella throw over her friends in the last book, blown up big from the way that Edward could not penetrate her mind that first day he encountered her at school. I think that was very well done—it was an amazing trick going across all those books, clever and tidy. But surely anything coming after it messes up that great narrative arc. Anyhow, I’m on to other things and unlikely to read the pomegranate book.

Milka, 29, Oulu, Finland

I can honestly say that Twilight made me the reader I am today. Since I was a kid, I have tended to get deeply into things I am interested in and was sometimes made to feel like there is something wrong with caring so deeply about something. With Twilight, I found a community. As I have read more, educated myself and just generally grown up, I have come to realize that many of the elements in the books that I once considered romantic and swoon-worthy are not quite that after all. And because of the representation issues with the books, I probably wouldn’t recommend them to a 15-year-old growing up in 2020. But Midnight Sun is my most anticipated book of the year—I’m looking forward to a very nostalgic trip back to Forks. 

Maren, 41, Salt Lake City

Maren Abercrombie is the cohost of the (addictive) podcast “Remember Twilight?”

I can honestly say that one of the greatest sources of joy in my life is the Twilight saga. These days I love Twilight more than I ever have. As a mother, I look at Bella through different eyes. I see her as a child who yearns for love and direction and finds it in the most unexpected place. I look at Edward as an orphan who has never known where he belongs until he meets Bella and their lives become forever entwined. I plan to read Midnight Sun multiple times this month, at least.

Samantha, 24, Kissimmee, FL

Twilight for me means friendship and fantasy, and thinking about how our choices define us. The books helped solidify my lifelong love of reading. I coerced my mom into reading them as soon as I finished them, and she was also hooked. It was an amazing way for the two of us to bond—we spent years reading the books, going to all the midnight movies, and even traveling to Forks for my 13th birthday. These memories are so special, especially now that we live across the country from each other...even though she is Team Jacob (and I am Team Edward for life!).

Amy Clarke, Ph.D., late 50s, Northern California

The UC Davis lecturer coedited the book of essays The Twilight Mystique: Critical Essays on the Novels and Films.