Twilight Reimagined: Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer

Hey everyone,

Guess who started a new job this week? Exciting isn’t it? I will try and keep the posts as regular but I can’t promise anything. Anyway on with the book review! I’ll be honest when I first heard that Stephenie Meyer was releasing a new book I wasn’t interested, but then I found out she had switched the genders. I was intrigued enough by that idea to at least give Life and Death a go.

The book:

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.

My thoughts:

Now I know this book has already been reviewed, and by most condemned, yet I’m hoping I have something slightly new to add. Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer is almost the exact same story as Twilight. Apart from the fact that all characters, except from Renee and Charlie, are a different gender. I actually liked the introduction by Stephenie Meyer mainly because she explained why she didn’t change Renee and Charlie’s genders. 

“My face was burning, and I knew I must look like a gorilla on a greyhound.”

I won’t lie I did love the Twilight Series when I first read them at thirteen years old. Yet as I matured my reading taste moved on and I forgot a lot of what happened in Twilight so it was nice to revisit some of the scenes. Even if they were a little odd. I particularly enjoyed the restaurant scene between Edythe and Beau; probably because the original scene was one of my favourites. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much in Life and Death, in part because I didn’t feel the connection between Edythe and Beau. This was a common problem throughout the book in my opinion. Yet this scene did have the best line in the entire book in my opinion.

“Try not to get caught up in antiquated gender roles.” 

Overall I felt like Life and Death had the same problems as Twilight. The love between Edythe and Beau was instantaneous and completely unrealistic. Highlighted by the fact that Beau claimed he loved Edythe before even talking to her properly. I’ve mentioned my hatred of instantaneous love in books before so I’m not surprised I didn’t enjoy it in Life and Death. Yet perhaps the biggest problem I had with Life and Death was Beau’s perspective.

“I thought about falling to my knees on purpose. This was the kind of beauty you worshiped. The kind you built temples for and offered sacrifices to. I wished I had something in my empty hands to give her, but what would a goddess want from a mediocre mortal like me?” 

I couldn’t understand what drove him. What made Beau tick. Why did he act the way he did. Considering I spent roughly 400 pages in his head that shouldn’t have been the case. Yet Beau never felt like a complete and complex human being. Instead he was a strange mash-up between Bella’s personality and the odd ‘masculine’ thought thrown in. Beau was the characters whose gender-swap I found most difficult to believe. Throughout the reading of Life and Death I couldn’t help picturing Edythe and Bella together. Not that I’m complaining about that image.

“Did you know your hair is just precisely the same shade as a teak inlaid ceiling in a monastery I once stayed at” 

Overall I feel everyone who once had an affection for the Twilight Series should read Life and Death. Purely to put the series to rest, but at the same time I wouldn’t advise anyone to rush and buy it. Maybe borrow it from a friend or rent it from the library instead. Also if you didn’t enjoy the original Twilight Series then don’t read this book. You most likely won’t enjoy Life and Death so why waste your time.

My rating:

Happy reading and see you next time!