DISCUSS: ‘Midnight Sun’ (SPOILERS)

It’s time for a fan discussion of ‘Midnight Sun’ by Stephenie Meyer! Caution: spoilers ahead!

 

Update: We’ve completed reading! Join us in the comments if you’re done too.

The following article and comments contain MAJOR SPOILERS from Stephenie Meyer’s Midnight Sun, including important plot points and character developments.

IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED MIDNIGHT SUN, DO NOT SCROLL DOWN! THERE ARE MIDNIGHT SUN SPOILERS ON THIS PAGE!

The long, long wait is finally over, Twihards! It’s hard to wrap our minds around the fact that we’ve actually held in our hands — say nothing of having read! — Stephenie Meyer’s completed Midnight Sun.

At long last we finally get a full look into Edward’s mind during the most turbulent part of his life. While Midnight Sun stays true to the plot of Twilight, there are so many tidbits in this book that offer more insight into the characters and even conflicts that Bella and the Cullens face.

The Cullens are especially front and center of this book. We gain a better appreciation for who they are now that we can peer into their minds through Edward. And we even get more insight at things that were only hinted at in the original books, such as Billy Black’s panic over Bella’s and Edward’s relationship.

There’s a lot to say!

If you’re looking for a summary or recap of Midnight Sun, you can check out our notes below. We recapped as we read and included some thoughts and questions along the way.

But what do you think? Everyone’s bound to have a lot of thoughts about Midnight Sun. Let’s talk.

Leave your thoughts and feelings in the comment section to engage with other fans!

Not sure where to start? Here are the notes we took while reading the book. Feel free to use them as discussion points, if you’d like:

  • Did you read Stephenie Meyer’s early draft of Midnight Sun? What differences are you noticing from the original compared to the final version?
  • So Jasper’s daydreaming is, um … freaky. 😬
  • Any thoughts on Jessica? We have a good sense of her character in the original books, but here we can read her mind through Edward.
  • What about Bella’s other (future) friends?
  • What do you think of Edward’s “first sight” of Bella?
  • After seeing Edward’s reaction to Bella’s scent, it’s very easy to understand why he was hesitant to be around her.
  • Are we going to get a better look at Tanya in this book, since Edward visits her after meeting Bella? Or is this a single appearance to help tie into the later books? What are your thoughts on her and Edward?
  • Mike is super jealous!!
  • How do you feel about Emmett’s memory of his kills? Since we don’t ever really see the Cullens attacking humans very much, it’s interesting to read about their past selves and slipups.
  • Edward admits that he’s acting very stalker-ish. 🤭
  • There’s been a lot of talk over the years about some of the problematic aspects around Edward. Does the insight into his mind change your feelings toward the way he acts?
  • What do you think about Edward making plans to disappear after saving Bella? What do you make of the Cullens’ reactions?
  • Alice’s vision changes everything for the Cullen family. Either Bella will die or she will become a vampire. Are you surprised by Edward’s reaction?
  • “Bella was good.” 🥰
  • Haha — Mike is the real villain here!
  • High school dances are sooo awkward. Edward’s anxiety over the other guys asking Bella out is pretty hilarious.
  • We see Edward playing the piano, apparently the first time in a long time.
  • That’s definitely Bella’s Lullaby!!
  • Do you think Rosalie’s reaction to Bella — her anger — is merited?
  • Edward saves Bella in Port Angeles, and we see just how much he wants to hurt her attacker.
  • Me after Bella name drops Jacob:
  • The restaurant scene is hilarious. Everyone’s hitting on Edward.
  • What do you make of the Persephone-pomegranate metaphor?
  • Edward makes it clear to Bella that he’s dangerous in Twilight. Does he feel any more threatening in this book as opposed to the first, considering that we’re able to see straight into his violent thoughts?
  • Edward and Carlisle travel back to Port Angeles to track down Bella’s attacker. Is it surprising how much Edward wants to hurt the man? What do you think of Carlisle taking care of the situation?
  • Definitely still have some not-so-great feelings about Edward watching Bella as she sleeps. Not sure this book is doing much to help on that front. (Anyone else?)
  • Edward and Emmett set the stage for Ben Cheney to go out with Angela. Thoughts on Edward’s “gift” to Angela? (He’s actually doing something nice for one of his classmates 😂)
  • OK! Edward meeting Jacob and Billy has so much threatening energy this time around. (Obviously, there’s a hint of tension in Twilight but it’s all laid out here now. Especially with Billy.)
  • The werewolf storyline really doesn’t come into play until New Moon, so it’s neat to see the “behind-the-scenes” conversations taking place, setting the stage for the rest of the books.
  • What do you think of Edward’s Christmas memory of being a young vampire?
  • We catch a glimpse of Siobhan in Midnight Sun, previously only in Breaking Dawn.
  • What are your thoughts on the meadow scene, Edward finally revealing himself in the sun? How does Edward’s turmoil change this scene?
  • Rosalie promises to try to accept Edward’s decision to date Bella. Knowing how the rest of the series pans out, do you think she keeps her promise?
  • Edward casting shade at Billy by kissing Bella on the throat. 🤣
  • It’s kind of ironic how Edward reads Jacob’s mind and can see signs of Jacob’s crush on Bella, but he gives it little to no thought. Edward is definitely more worried about Billy in this book!
  • Laurent, James and Victoria have finally arrived!
  • Knowing the role Victoria will come to occupy in the series, it’s very interesting to understand just how frightened she was of the Cullens when she first meets them.
  • Charlie. 💔
  • Carlisle is great. (I forgot how much I liked him. He’s just a simply good person.)
  • Reading about the ambush on James is a good way to get your blood pumping!
  • The writing around Edward saving Bella’s life is so emotional! “Alice showed me a thousand glimpses of the future. Bella smiling, Bella laughing, Bella reaching for my hand, Bella holding her arms open for me … A thousand different scenes with Bella, healthy and whole, alive and happy, and with me.”
  • Renée and Edward meet in the hospital. It’s kind of sad to see how she thinks she may have distorted Bella’s perception of dating. Any thoughts?
  • What’s it like watching James’ creepy tape through the eyes of Edward?
  • Jacob approaching Bella at the prom is even more awkward now that we can hear his thoughts haha.
  • “As the night finally overcame the end of the day, I leaned forward again and kissed the warm skin of her throat.”
  • “(To) the readers who were so patiently eager for this book. I never would have finished without your support …”
  • Did you write your name in the acknowledgments?

In order for this to work, you have to share your thoughts below! Let’s create a space where Twilight fans can come together and discuss Midnight Sun!

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3 Comments
  • Avatar photo
    Saul Marquez • 4 years ago

    I haven’t read any Twilight books in probably over a decade. Returning to the story as an adult makes all of its flaws and problematic aspects so much more obvious for me. But that said, I enjoyed revisiting the characters. I felt waves of nostalgia reading and above all, I’m super happy for Stephenie Meyer who’s worked so hard to reach this point.

  • Alesha • 4 years ago

    I loved it!!!!!!! Edward’s love for Bella is beautiful and I really don’t care what the haters say.

  • Isabella • 4 years ago

    Ugh. It was beautiful. And it made me realize that Edward is not as perfect when perceived through his own eyes (which I love). It makes him seem more ‘human‘ to actually know his own thoughts. I love the backstory and I love that we got to see a lot of Em and Jasper in this one. This book gave me a new love for Jasper just solely based on how much Edward truly respected and adored Jasper. My only complaint was it got a little slow at the end, but I think that’s because I was too keyed up to see how Edward would be when he finally found out Bella was missing at the airport. All in all, I love this story. I actually hope she does at least New Moon from Edward’s POV because it would be incredible to see what he went through away from Bella.

    And with all of that, I leave you with a quote from Gatsby “love isn’t like it is in the books…”

    With love.