It’s been almost exactly 12 years since the publication of Breaking Dawn, the last entry in the Twilight series. A lot has happened over that time, but despite everything else going on right now, it’s time to revisit one of the truly important questions of the 21st century: Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?
Author Stephenie Meyer announced back in the spring that the long-awaited Midnight Sun was finally getting an official release. Yesterday, the book, which retells the first Twilight novel from the point of view of Edward Cullen, hit shelves around the world and while fans who got into the saga as teenagers are now adults, they’re still loving those sexy, glittery vampires.
Here’s a selection of responses from social media:
Yes I’m now 32… Yes I rushed to the bookstore to pick up this YA gem today… No I probably won’t sleep tonight… Yes I do have a problem ? #MidnightSun #StephenieMeyer #booklover #nerdalert pic.twitter.com/LVI6DAB333
— Kaysh Davis (@Pink_bullfrog19) August 5, 2020
Me reading Midnight Sun. #allthefeelsagain #Twilight #MidnightSun pic.twitter.com/ukmVFaObib
— Stella (@Stella_PSA) August 5, 2020
I've read 11 chapters of midnight sun so far but now I need to sleep. I'm really enjoying MS I can't wait to get to the meadow chapter ? #MidnightSun
— MIDNIGHT SUN LOCKDOWN (@magicandmyths) August 5, 2020
È USCITO #MidnightSun ED È SUBITO BACK TO SIXTEEN AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/f5qbUzKEnO
— Clara (@Santarini) August 5, 2020
Judge me all you want. It won’t change how excited I am for this book! ?#MidnightSun #TwilightSaga #Twilight pic.twitter.com/LRBHIfnZtS
— ? L A D Y • A L L Y ? (@xLadyAllyx) August 5, 2020
15 year old Brittany is so excited right now. Edward ? #MidnightSun pic.twitter.com/dJntNJgWX8
— Brittany (@bclaire228) August 5, 2020
The new book midnight sun is sooo good ??
— Izamar ? (@izamarmtz15) August 5, 2020
#MidnightSun is simply ruining my life…I cannot stop reading it and I refuse to go to sleep until I finish it…
— no justice no peace (@graceyLeigh_) August 5, 2020
My inner teen is fangirling hard af rn. I can’t stop reading it lollllll. ???#MidnightSun pic.twitter.com/aN2E1MPyji
— Lauren Schroeter ? (@Reniverse) August 5, 2020
Midnight Sun has had a long and sometimes painful road to release. According to Meyer, the story has been almost complete since 2008, as Robert Pattinson was provided with a few chapters to let him better understand Edward. The book was pencilled in for release after Breaking Dawn hit theaters, but a wrench was thrown into those plans when twelve unfinished chapters leaked online. Meyer said the leak made her “too sad” to continue working on it, which was compounded when a Fifty Shades of Grey spinoff was released showing the story from Christian Grey’s perspective.
Now, however, it’s finally on shelves, and to mark the long wait, Meyer has included a touching dedication to Twilight fans in Midnight Sun, writing:
“This book is dedicated to all the readers who have been such a happy part of my life for the last fifteen years. When we first met, many of you were young teenagers with bright, beautiful eyes full of dreams for the future. I hope that in the years that have passed, you’ve all found your dreams and that the reality of them was even better than you’d hoped.”
So, what’s next for Twilight? Well, a Midnight Sun movie seems unlikely as it’s simply retelling the narrative of the first film/book, but perhaps at some point we might get a remake of the franchise. That all depends on whether a new generation of readers decide to pick up the series. Given how faithful the fanbase still is though, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a full resurgence of Twilight fever sometime in the next decade.
