Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer: Summary and Book Reviews

Edward Cullen. He sparkles in the sunlight, is impossibly beautiful and, with 2005’s megahit Twilight, bit his way into the hearts of millions of people. Now, the centenarian vampire with a 17-year-old’s dashing looks has returned to the page in Stephenie Meyer’s, Midnight Sun.

Midnight Sun is essentially a retelling of Twilight, but this time, the author has written the book from Edward’s point of view, rather than Bella Swan’s. The general Twilight story remains unchanged – Bella moves to Forks, Washington, Edward appears unimpressed but then gets a whiff of her blood, and becomes obsessed. But, layered atop that familiar story is a new look at Edward’s internal struggle when it comes to Bella, along with glimpses into his past and his family dynamics – all of which make him a more complex, and better, character.

It’s an amazing take on Edward that fans almost didn’t get to see. Chapters from the book were leaked online in 2008, and Meyer said that the finished book would most likely never be published. But, 12 years later, she decided to push through with its publication. And while publishing it amidst the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t sound like a great scenario, it feels appropriate. After all, Edward ‘died’ and became a vampire during the 1918 flu pandemic.

Midnight Sun is still the Edward and Bella love story, but with an inside look at how Edward deals with the extreme conflicts of his love, “I was a predator. She was my prey. There was nothing else in the whole world but that truth. There was no room full of witnesses — they were already the collateral damage in my mind. The mystery of her thoughts was forgotten. Her thoughts meant nothing, for she would not go on thinking them much longer.”

Reading about that struggle is tension-building, as is the new look at his powerful relationship with his future-seeing sister, Alice, when they work together to save Bella from her predicted fate.

Official Book Summary

When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella’s side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward’s version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.

This unforgettable tale as told through Edward’s eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward’s past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?

Midnight Sun Book Reviews

Below are some reviews from Midnight Sun readers.

“Midnight Sun is a book I’ve been waiting for, for over 12 years and let me tell you, it was so worth the wait! I honestly thought this day would never come and as soon as I saw the book was available, I preordered the hardback for my collection and the audiobook. I listened to all 25+ hours of this and the narration was AMAZING. Jake Abel did a fantastic job voicing Edward. I can’t recommend the audiobook enough.

I loved being in Edward Cullen’s head. Absolutely loved it. Yes, this is a Twilight retelling, but this is much longer than Twilight and so much was expanded on. I loved getting more from the Cullen’s and with Edward being able to read minds and all, you really did get to see more from so many of the other characters in this book. Plus just knowing Edward’s side of things and what he was really thinking was truly a treat! I also have to say, I think Stephenie Meyer’s writing has only gotten stronger with time.

If you’re a diehard fan of the Twilight Saga like me, I highly recommend giving this one a go!” – Christy

“If you like Twilight, you’ll like Midnight Sun just like if you liked Fifty Shades of Grey, you will like Grey. Already criticizing her writing over every minute detail is ludicrous! I remember when Midnight Sun was leaked and she decided to just release the draft for all of us, vowing to never complete the book, I found myself signing every petition to beg her to finish the book because I loved the draft! It was funny and entertaining and basically showed us Edward point of view. Twilight flipped.” – Dawn

“Let me start out by saying I am not a Twilight fan/groupie. Yes I read the books, everyone was talking about them so I did to be part of the conversation. Yes, I have seen the movies on TV. the other day in fact. So that said I bought this for my Amazon Fire and read it last night just finishing it. I loved it. It is so different from Twilight in the fact that Stephanie has learned how to write. That’s a good thing here because Edward’s voice is different than Bella’s, its more mature as it should be. If your worried it is the same thing that was leaked online years ago…your wrong. I began reading that when it was announced that she was releasing this and i remember moaning how awful it was while reading. I decided to take a chance on the book and WOW she hit it out of the park (as far as I am concerned.) I loved the fact that Edward can read his other vampire families minds and that two vampires members wanted to kill Bella after the whole parking lot car accident. What were the guys thinking when they cornered Bella in town that night Edward showed up? Its fun let me tell you…and we need that right now. There will be the haters out here but be assured you can laugh at them now. Stephanie has nailed it with this. Hats off to you Ms. Meyer, thanks for the good read. New reading order now…Twilight, Midnight Sun, New Moon…etc. Will add a new dimension to the remaining parts of the series.” – J. Buke

“The acknowledgement in the beginning of the book was so special to read. I read Twilight when I was 11 years old (I’m 23 now) Literally grew up with it, always being something special to come back to. Frankly, I don’t think there’s been a week of my life that has gone by without me listening to Roslyn by Bon Iver. As silly as it sounds it shaped me as a person and I don’t think I would be the same had it not existed. Something that always felt like home. Something unchanging in a world that had changed so much.

Having anticipated this book for the last 10 or so years, and just assuming it would never be released. I was more than thrilled to receive it today.

And even with my high hopes (which I was surely going to be let down) it truly is even better than I could have imagined. Maybe it’s different to read it as an adult who has fallen in love and has a family and a home now. But to read something so familiar and yet so different and fresh is astonishing. Truly, even if you didn’t like Twilight, this book is genuinely phenomenal. It was worth every second of the last 10+ years.” – Dacy

“Honestly, I’m preferring this to the original book which is by far my favorite of the saga because it’s the least problematic. There’s specific parts that don’t get mentioned much from Bella’s point of view. Edward’s pov is refreshing and I would love to see his thinking in New Moon. He tortured himself relentlessly in Midnight Sun, so I’d love to read the anguish, especially from Bella’s lost months.” – Corrine

“Whether this books tone is a matured version for the sake of the audience or from the view of Edward is unknown, yet appreciated. Her core audience are now adults. I love this version of the story and really think I prefer it. The way a 100 year old mythical immortal things in comparison to the way a 17 year old star struck girl things is definitely more intriguing. You understand Edwards arrogance better. You see where his thoughts connect versus the mysterious moody vampire in the Twilight book. While both versions are essentially the same story..don’t be quick to sleep on Midnight Sun. It’s truly a whole new experience and I applaud Meyer for her growth as a writer. The beautiful complexities are easily written in words that paint vivid pictures. While my minds eye sees Edward thinking a lot in this story because his inner monologue is extensive…I recall Bella’s side easily and note the differences. It’s really charming to see the easy love Bella had for Edward…in comparison to Edwards otherworldly soul bearing connection to this girl. I’d love to read the rest of the stories from his perspective as well. Thank you for this piece, Stephenie.” – Shalece Wyatt

“Hopefully there will be more books from Twilight saga and more movies which is highly doable to pick up where Breaking Dawn left off. All of the actors look the same in 2020 except those that were children back then. And Renesme (McKenzie Foy) is an adult anyway because she grows fast. So her now in real life being 18/19 years old fits. Great book as expected. The Twilight Saga are the only books Stephanie is good at writing. I’ve read her other books and they were horrible. She needs to keep with this and only this.

If you were not and are not a super fan of Twilight or even followed back then, then your comments aren’t validated because you’re not apart of the club. If anyone leaves one star I wouldn’t even pay attention to the comments if this is your first read from the Saga. Go read the first book, this one and then the rest of the Saga. It will all make sense.” – Madrid Morenita

Stephenie Meyer

Midnight Sun

$13.32

Hardcover Book
Meyer, Stephenie (Author)
English (Publication Language)
672 Pages – 08/04/2020 (Publication Date) – Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Publisher)

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