A Vampire Book?

So, I've puzzled over the rage about vampires. The whole Buffy thing. I personally haven't watched any of it, but I mean, vampires? Kinda weird if you ask me.

Anyway, I wonder if Stephenie Meyer is a Buffy fan and that's where the inspiration came from for the dream she had that triggered the beginning of her novel Twilight. I was reading her blog today, and it's a crazy story. Here she is, a SAHM of three boys. Not really an aspiring writer, and hasn't really written anything much at all. But, she wakes up with the memories of a vivid dream about a human girl and a vampire boy who are desperately in love. And hence the catalyst for Twilight. And she finished it in something like three months. A 500 page book in three months. Wow. She was obsessed and that story just kept churning in her mind.

Also intriguing to me, as with Shannon Hale, is how she was able to write this and other works and go on book tours and have this successful career when she is primarily a mom.

So, the book. It was a good story. It didn't have beautiful language. I read this one right after Princess Academy, and the difference was clear between them. Meyer's language is much simpler. That's not a great way to explain. Hmm. The languaged wasn't as nuanced. It was more cut and dried. And I felt like Meyer's characters were a little flatter than Hales.

Aside from the comparison, though, the story was interesting. The whole development of what vampires' lives might be like if they tried to live within human society was creative and clever. Their magical powers, how they come to be--on and on.

And the story of star crossed adolescents who can't be together--it's a proven formula for success. The obstacles they must overcome, their determination to do so.

And in spite of all the glowing reviews by readers that I read, I didn't really feel it resonate with me.

A good book, though, and I'll read the sequel because I'm curious about it. Maybe I'll check out the book on tape and see how I like it read aloud.