So, I’ve been somewhat MIA this weekend and I got basically nothing done that I had originally planned to (unless you count cleaning the house). I’m pretty behind in posts, unfortunately, which is a shame but not all that surprising.

And what was the reason for this?

Well, Midnight Sun came out and a friend of mine from High School (the time period in which I didn’t know enough to recognize the problems in Twilight) texted me about it.

Cue me spending literally my entire weekend to finish this damn book. And the crazy thing? I didn’t hate it! Honestly, I actually kind of enjoyed it.

😂😂😂 Three sentences in and Edward is already painfully dramatic. pic.twitter.com/qD4f0qA6R3

— Steff Pasciuti @ Reader Fox 📖 Book Reviews (BLM) (@SPasciuti_) August 7, 2020

I’ll be frank with you all here; the Twilight Saga is problematic. There are a number of things from the romanticism of abuse and lack of self-awareness with this aspect as well as the racism and stereotyping that I, unfortunately, did not become aware of until long after I first read the series that are wrong. The views on gender roles and “purity” are also a huge problem.

That said, this series is not as bad as so many make it out to be.

#midnightsun Edward be like: pic.twitter.com/toCI34S02e

— Steff Pasciuti @ Reader Fox 📖 Book Reviews (BLM) (@SPasciuti_) August 8, 2020

I say this as someone who has, over the past several years, become increasingly infuriated by abuse romanticism portrayed in YA novels and is actively making serious efforts to raise awareness of these issues. And honestly, I’ve never had a problem with people liking certain problematic books as long as they are aware of the issues and don’t deny their problematic nature.

I’ll write a more official review later, delving somewhat deeper into a lot of this of course.

At the end of the day, though, I have to admit that I did really enjoy this book. So much, in fact, that I’m to the point I feel a little hungover from it. I didn’t expect this, to tell you the truth. In fact, I was fairly certain that I would criticize and hate it the whole way. But, honestly…Midnight Sun was hilarious, at times. It was insanely, yet somehow wonderfully, dramatic.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/AiOwZM7wgG

— Steff Pasciuti @ Reader Fox 📖 Book Reviews (BLM) (@SPasciuti_) August 8, 2020

And it also made me realize how horrible the film adaptations were. As problematic as the books may be, the film took so many of those issues and somehow managed to make them worse (also, yeah, the acting sucked). Of course, it’s been years since Twilight was first released. I have no doubts at all that the current climate and previous criticisms of the Saga very much influenced some of the writing in this newest novel. In fact, much may not have been present had this book been written and published when it had originally been intended to.

So, yeah. I enjoyed the unintentionally hilarious journey through Edward’s experience. I enjoyed it so much that I’m genuinely eager to get his point of view from the rest of the books. Perhaps even some Jacob from New Moon as well? Though I don’t know if I could stomach Jacob from Eclipse. The sexual assault and then later emotional manipulation and coercion via suicide threats kind of broke me when I reread that one. I don’t know if I much care for Meyer trying to weasel an excuse for that behavior.

As much as I loved Jacob when I was young, I’m happy to stay in the head of the dramatic vampire.

HE KNOWS!!! 😂😂😂 #MidnightSun pic.twitter.com/UdTZgw2J6v

— Steff Pasciuti @ Reader Fox 📖 Book Reviews (BLM) (@SPasciuti_) August 8, 2020

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