Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined

Twilight, Book #1.75

Stephenie Meyer

ISBN: 9780349002484

Author Website: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/

Spoilers!!!

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Caro

Synopsis:  

Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Twilight! This special double-feature book includes the classic novel, Twilight, and a bold and surprising reimagining, Life and Death, by Stephenie Meyer.

Packaged as an oversize, jacketed hardcover “flip book,” this edition features nearly 400 pages of new content as well as exquisite new back cover art. Readers will relish experiencing the deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful love story of Bella and Edward through fresh eyes.

Review:

In Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined, Stephenie Meyer takes fans back to the rainy Forks where it all started. This time the book follows the lives of Beaufort Swan, a seventeen year-old boy who moves to Forks, where he will meet the beautiful and mysterious Edythe Cullen.

Life and Death follows the same storyline as the original Twilight did years ago, with just a few changes. As a fan of Twilight, I really enjoyed Life and Death. For me the changes were okay, and Meyer’s explanation before and after the story clarifies everything.

The book is a standalone story, Meyer mentions that fans can make up their own stories as to what happens after Beau’s decision because if fans remember well, Twilight was just one book, several events of New Moon and i were added afterwards, and its only sequel was Forever Dawn, Life and Death being one book is okay, not to mention that Meyer ends it just right.

Now, SPOILERS. I have to give my opinion on Beau’s decision as a fan of the series, and for me the fact that he was transformed after Joss (James) bit him, and unlike Bella that they were able to save her, it was different this time and Beau was transformed. This event led to another change, which was Beau faking his death and making Charlie and Renee think he had died while trying to get to Phoenix. I guess this part of the book was the what-if of Breaking Dawn if Bella would have decided to fake her death as well during the honeymoon to cover up her pregnancy or being turned, the readers would have seen that broken side of Charlie and Renee.

It was also interesting to briefly read about the interaction of the werewolves with the Cullens. I do have to say that I would have liked to read more about what might happen afterwards with both of them. In Breaking Dawn they became sort of allies because of the bond between Nessie and Jacob, but in Life and Death the situation is different.

One of the other changes that made me kind of happy that Meyer decided to do it, was the new Volturi lineup. Aro and Caius are DEAD! Yay! Didyme and Marcus got their justice! I was happy to read these because in the original story Marcus was just an empty, emotionless, puppet of Aro, and Caius always got on my nerves, but now Sulpicia is the head of the Volturi along with Athenodora, and the others, and although we don’t find out about the twins, we do hear about a new vampire with a very special power.

All in all, Life and Death, was a good reimagined story for the Twilight Saga, it had the same humor and sarcasm, the same funny characters, same cloudy rainy Forks, Cullens, Swans, Blacks, and everything that made Twilight a fan favorite. I recommend you read this book, especially if you’re a fan of the series and want to go back to the good old days in Forks.

Characters:

Bella – Beau

Edward – Edythe

Alice – Archie

Jasper – Jessamine

Emmet – Eleanor

Rosalie – Royal

Carlisle – Carine

Esme – Earnest

Jacob – Jules

Favorite Quotes:

“Make fun of me all you want, but leave the truck out of it.”

“On a scale of one of to ten, how much do you want to see this movie?” she murmured. Negative five thousand, I thought.

“I’m not saying that royal couldn’t take me in a fair fight, but I am saying that I never have fought fair and I don’t intend to start now. He knows better than to try anything with me.”

“Your truck will be here, and the key will be in the ignition – unless you’re afraid someone might steal it.”

Eleanor had said Edythe was translating. Did she speak wolf?