Controversial opinion: I love “Twilight.” And that might alienate people, but just to assure you, I do see the issues and complications with this series. However, this book is a major pillar in my reading life, so I can’t help but have affection for it. I had a major, hardcore phase if you can’t tell.

“Twilight” is great, but what’s even astronomically better is its counterpart “Midnight Sun” (or MS). Yes, that book is my child, and that’s no surprise since it’s “Twilight,” but from Edward’s perspective. The entire first book, but from our emotionally tortured, sparkly Edward.

To be brutally honest, I think MS was my most anticipated release ever (it came out in 2020). I was obsessed (and I mean crazed) about this idea that I was going to get to see inside Edward’s thoughts and feelings. I watched Stephenie Meyer’s author interviews (hours of them), stalked her website for updates (which were infrequent), and actually stared at the wall and hallucinated about what new things I would get to see (I’m not proud).

Before we get into why MS is superior, I have to take a moment to acknowledge the OG. I experienced this world first through Bella’s POV. I fell in love with Edward through Bella’s eyes, shared her insecurities, and discovered the world of vampires with her. This was the book that revitalized my love for reading and got me into the romance genre (I do read about healthier relationships now, thank you). “Twilight” will always be my first love, but MS is my soulmate. 

So why is MS the “as if you can outrun me” of the Twilight Saga. It’s because of the vampires, plain and simple. And, yes, duh, but the superhuman-ness of them is just so intriguing. We get information that isn’t presented to Bella outright, we get to see the Denali coven (the only other coven like the Cullens), and we finally understand a vampire body’s swiftness and strength. 

This insight extends into their relationships, especially Edward and Alices’s. In “Twilight” it is established that they have a connection more distinct from the other Cullens. We see that they truly understand each other — deep enough that it is sometimes inconvenient and uncomfortable. We see their powers interact. Alice’s foresight is complemented by Edward’s mind reading, creating a fool-proof and sometimes sabotaging communication network.

Furthermore, The Cullen’s dynamic is explored through a personal connection, instead of Bella’s outside view. They fit together in pairs as a whole — Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, Carlisle and Esme, leaving Edward as the odd man out.

My favorite part of the book is that we get to see Edward’s emotional complexity. We find that he is reluctant to let himself be happy in his redundant, eternal life — until Bella comes across his path and nearly ruins it before becoming his world. Slowly, you can see him test the idea of letting himself go after what he wants, eventually leading him to believe that he can fight his instincts.

I think that “Twilight” sometimes doesn’t convey Edward’s emotional state well. It makes him out to be unfairly angry, whereas in MS it’s really his self-loathing and disappointment in himself that drives his mood. An example of this is the angry conversation in the Jeep after the tracker, James, begins hunting Bella. In “Twilight,” Edward seems unreasonable, snapping at everyone and refusing to listen to any input. However, in MS it is revealed that he’s consumed by his distress and fear, while also despising himself for putting Bella into this situation.

Lastly, but definitely not anywhere near least, MS provides us with bonus scenes that we don’t get to experience in “Twilight” because Bella is either not there or unconscious (surprise). First, we have the hunting/chasing of James after Bella leaves for Phoenix, and next we see Edward’s panic when he realizes Bella has gone off to meet with James, i.e. the car stealing and speeding that follows. Then, finally in the dance studio where Bella is dying, we witness Edward’s internal battle when surrounded by Bella’s blood. Later, we get the delight of seeing how the Cullen’s orchestrated the cover up of the disaster (Alice smashing through a hotel window), and Edward’s slow formation of the idea that he needs to leave to protect Bella (like he did in “New Moon”).

So there you have it, and I’m sure you’re now convinced that “Midnight Sun” is better than “Twilight.” Hope you enjoyed my passionate TED talk, and be sure to not hate on “Twilight” anymore.