It was the year 2008,  my daughter was at the sweet age of 16 and we were desperately awaiting the release of the final book in the Twilight saga: Breaking Dawn. For three years we had been living and breathing the adventures of Bella Swan and the Cullen family through the books of Stephenie Meyer. The release of  Breaking Dawn meant an end to an era for us. Not unlike what happened with the release of the final Harry Potter book in 2007. And just like with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we ordered two copies of the book, so we didn’t have to wait for the other one to finish.

That big black hole, as soon as the final word, on the final page of that final book is read, was dawning. Any avid book reader can relate. The Post book blues are a real thing. And they can hit us hard. But just like that, out came Midnight Sun. Stephenie Meyer teased us with the first chapters online.

Post book blues are a real thing. And they can hit us hard!

It was the teaser of all teasers: it would take 12 more years for the book to be released. In the midst of a pandemic. But the love was over. The spark was gone.  I couldn’t feel the excitement I usually have for a long awaited release, be it book or movie. Can you blame me? I moved on, I had outgrown the romantic teenage love affair. Or so I thought. The reason I bought the book anyway, was a nostalgic one.

I thought the love was over. The spark was gone. How wrong I was.

I should have known better. Midnight Sun, to me at least, is more than an ordinary book. It’s  a journey back in time. It didn’t take me long to get sucked back in that love triangle, between a vampire, teenager and werewolf. This time told by the vampire. I always had a hard time stomaching Bella, what with her inability to choose, despite her all consuming love for one and her obsession with the other. But through the eyes of Edward she got more dimension. The change of point of view made Bella more attractive.

The inevitable happened. I got nostalgic. I pined for 2008, my swooning over a doomed love affair, the sharing of it all with my daughter. I got homesick for LaPush, for the rainforests of the Olympic National Park, for the high school of Forks. Midnight Sun caused, in 2020, a nostalgic reading binge, followed up with a Netflix marathon. The whole Twilight saga, books and movies. I didn’t want to say goodbye, again, to al those magic places and memories.

The inevitable happened. I pined for 2008. 

How wonderful I felt, being back in 2008. The world was a friendlier place. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson were a long way from Charlie’s Angels and Batman. Empty Nest syndrome was far in the future, menopause was something that only happened to other women, Corona was just a Mexican beer.

2008: Empty nest syndrome was far away, menopause only happened to other women and Corona was just a Mexican beer. 

It took just one chapter of Midnight Sun and all kind of memories came flooding back. The first trip to the USA with my daughter, our long stay at LaPush, the roasting of hot dogs and marsh mellows on a campfire of driftwood on First Beach. Our visit to Forks. Our cruise to Alaska from Seattle with some of the cast of the Twilight movies. The Twilight conventions in Birmingham. And most important of all: the friendships, forged through all these adventures.

 

It’s easy to forget after 10 years, so much has happened. Marriages have taken place, children are born, family and friends have died, we have traveled far and shared new passions. But it took Midnight Sun to give credit where it’s due: It’s through Twilight that I gained many, many friends. We are a tight bunch, even though we live far apart, we speak and meet each other as often as our lifes permit. And all that thanks to a shared passion for the books and later the movies of the Twilight Saga. Thanks to the attending of world premieres, conventions and meet-ups.

Through Twilight I gained many, many friends. We meet as often as our lifes permit. 

Without Twilight I wouldn’t have run as many marathons with a good friend. Or made a road trip through the Southern States of the USA with another good friend. I would never have traveled to London to attend the musical Hamilton. And without Twilight, I never, EVER, would have made an unforgettable trip with my daughter to Washington State and Alaska. And that is why Midnight Sun means so much more to me, than just a romantic love triangle. I have so much to thank Stephenie Meyer for. Not in the least for her imagination that brought it all to life.

And if you never heard of Twilight, or only watched the movies: Read the books! Start at Midnight Sun and then read the rest of the Twilight Saga in the original order. The movies really do no justice to the books. The characters are so much more than depicted in the movies. My memories of the books are sullied by the characters in the movie! Don’t make the same mistake: read! You won’t regret it. TwiFam Forever!