Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined by Stephenie MeyerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Good Rewrite
I was a fan of the original Twilight, so favored this rewrite. There were elements I preferred over the female-driven tale, such as this story did a better job showing the protagonist as an old spirit who cared for their parents more than just being awkward for lacking social skills. I felt it did a better job showing the disconnect was from a difference in responsibility and maturity than introversion. Inversely, there were things I felt came across better in the original.
I found it difficult at times to switch the genders on all the main characters. I’m not sure it fit for all of them or was necessary. It was a good concept, and well executed (sometimes better than the original story in organization), but I think different choices could have strengthened the story. For example, I don’t think Alice and Jasper needed to be Archie and Jessamine. For me, it took some of the power of their back stories from them, especially given the historical timeframe.
I think this version did justice for ending. It felt more genuine to me, especially for the role swaps. Also, it brought out more nuances and the couple seemed to have a better line of communication than the original. I appreciated that greatly.
Overall, this was a great title. I was better engaged than when I read the original and saw the author’s growth. I recommend it, and I feel the reimagined version makes it more accessible for those who probably didn’t connect with the story the first time.
J.M. NORTHUP 