Twilight Book Summary

This Twilight book summary continues from Part One of the Twilight summary (Chapter 1 – 12) and gives a chapter-by-chapter summary of the first book in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, about the relationship between Bella Swan and her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen.

CLICK HERE for an overview of the Twilight novel

Twilight book summary: Meet the family
Bella learns about Edward's past and that of his vampire family.

Chapter 13: Confessions
Edward walks across a meadow under the sun and his skin sparkles as though it's encrusted with diamonds. He admits to Bella that when he first saw – or rather smelt – her, he had to fight the urge to drink her blood because it’s so alluring to him. He carries her from the meadow to her truck on his back, running so fast that it makes her feel queasy. They both admit that they are in love with each other and kiss for the first time.

Chapter 14: Mind Over Matter
Bella asks Edward about his past and about the Cullen family. He tells her that his vampire father Carlisle made him a vampire in 1918, when Edward was 17 and dying from influenza. He and the other Cullens have decided to rise above their basic instincts and retain as much as humanity as they can by abstaining from human blood. His vampire sister Alice has the gift of premonition and his vampire brother Jasper can manipulate the emotions of those around him. Edward sneaks into Bella’s bedroom without the knowledge of her dad and they spend the night together. He tells her he finds her sexually attractive but can’t sleep with her because he might crush her by accident.

Chapter 15: The Cullens
Bella and Edward spend the day at the Cullen house so she can get to know the family. The parental figures, Carlisle and Esme, and Edward’s sister Alice are very nice to her. But Edward says his sister Rosalie is jealous of her because she’s human. Edward plays the piano for Bella and later shows her around the house. He tells her the story of Carlisle, who was a minister’s son until he discovered a coven of vampires. One of the vampires bit him, which made him transform into a vampire.

Twilight book summary: Danger in their midst
In this next three chapters of the Twilight book, Bella has to face the consequences of her relationship with Edward when a killer vampire rolls into town and sets his sight on her.

Chapter 16: Carlisle
Edward continues the story of Carlisle. He tells Bella how, horrified by what he'd become, Carlisle tried several ways to kill himself but failed, as it’s very difficult to kill a vampire. Once Carlisle discovered that he could survive on animal blood alone, he went to Italy to study medicine so he could do some good in the world.
Carlisle eventually left Italy to start a coven of vampires that would follow his lifestyle and abstain from drinking human blood. It was while working as a doctor that Carlisle discovered Edward and transformed him into a vampire. Edward stayed with Carlisle for a while but went his own way for about ten years. In that period, he hunted humans but only those intent on committing a violent crime, which Edward used his mind-reading skills to decipher.

Chapter 17: The Game
Billy Black suggests to Bella that she stay away from Edward but she tells him that he knows what he is and that he hasn’t harmed anyone. She tells Charlie that Edward is her boyfriend and introduces them to each other. Edward takes Bella to watch a baseball game between him and his family. The game is much faster than a human version would be and Bella finds it hard to keep up with the play.
Suddenly Alice foresees the imminent arrival of a pack of vampires that are passing through the area. Unfortunately, they are not the vegetarian kind. The Cullens have no time to remove Bella to safety so they decide to try to block her scent and pretend she’s one of them.

Chapter 18: The Hunt
The visiting vampires are Laurent, James and Victoria. Laurent seems to be the leader of the pack. He expresses an interest in visiting the home of the Cullens and promises not to hunt in their territory.
Suddenly the wind changes. The vampires pick up Bella’s scent and realize she’s human. James seems eager to attack her but Edward jumps in front of her in a protective stance. Laurent, though surprised by the presence of a human, assures the Cullens that none of them will harm her. However, that night Edward reveals to Bella that he knows, from listening to James's thoughts, that James is an expert tracker and is intent on hunting Bella. He agrees to take Bella home so she can tell her dad she’s going to Phoenix, where her mother lives.

Twilight book summary: On the run
In the next part of the Twilight book, The Cullens work together to save Bella but James manages to get past them and track down his prey.

Chapter 19: Goodbyes
Bella pretends to break up with Edward in front of Charlie and storms out of the house, telling him she hates Forks and is moving back to Phoenix. Edward drives her to the Cullen house, where Laurent is visiting. Laurent reveals that James is the real leader of the pack and one of the most dangerous vampires he’s ever known. He will stop at nothing to kill Bella. The Cullens decides they have to kill James first. Edward, Carlisle and Emmet plan to hunt him while Bella hides out in a hotel room in Phoenix with Alice and Jasper.

Chapter 20: Impatience
Bella wakes up in a hotel room in Phoenix with Alice and Jasper watching her every move. They assure her that the other members of the Cullen family are safe but she can’t stop worrying about them, especially about Edward.
In response to Bella’s questions, Alice explains that vampires can turn humans into vampires by injecting them with their venom. She says the transformation is excruciating and usually takes a few days.
Edward calls to say he and the others have lost track of James. Alice has a vision of James sitting alone in a mirrored room, which Bella realizes is similar to the dance studio she used to go to when she was younger - which is around the corner from her mother’s house.

Chapter 21: Phone Call
Alice has another premonition and this time sees James at the house of Bella’s mum. Bella is distraught. She is getting ready to go to the airport to meet Edward when she gets a phone call from James. He tells her that he has her mother and will kill her if she doesn’t get away from the Cullens and come to her mother’s house alone. Bella writes a letter to Edward telling him that she loves him and asking him not to go after James for killing her.

Twilight book summary: Attack
In the finale of the Twilight book, Bella puts her mother’s safety before her own and almost dies at the hands of a vicious vampire.

Chapter 22: Hide And Seek
Bella gives the Cullens the slip at the airport and gets a cab to her mother’s house. James tells her on the phone to go to the dance studio. When she arrives there, she finds out that he’s taken a video from her house and used it to trick her into believing he had her mother. She is relieved to know her mother is safe.
James is recording Bella's final moments. He promises her a slow and agonizing death. He attacks her, slashing her face and breaking her leg, until she finally passes out.

Chapter 23: The Angel
Bella returns to consciousness to find Edward and the other Cullens in the room with her. She complains that her hand is on fire and the Cullens realize that James has bitten her. Edward sucks the venom out to stop it spreading and transforming her into a vampire.

Chapter 24: An Impasse
Bella wakes up in hospital and finds Edward beside her once again. He reprimands her for going to James alone even though he understands her decision. He tells her that she would be safer without him and, distressed at the thought of his absence, Bella tries to make him promise that he will never leave her.
Bella asks Edward why he didn’t allow her to transform into a vampire when he discovered that James had bitten her. He grows angry and says he will never allow her to become a vampire - even though Alice has foreseen her transformation. Bella feels certain that Alice’s prediction will come true.

Twilight book summary: A promise
Edward's promise to Bella is put to the test in the second Twilight book, New Moon.

Epilogue: An Occasion
Edward takes Bella to the prom, despite her protests. Jacob Black gives her a message from his father, Billy, asking her to stay away from Edward. Bella assures Jacob that Edward is perfectly safe.
Edward tells Bella he took her to the prom because he didn’t want her to miss out on any aspect of being human. She says she wants to be with him forever and would see her transformation into a vampire as a beginning rather than an end. Edward promises to never leave her and the book ends with his lips on her throat.

The Twilight books includes Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.

You can watch the events documented in the first Twilight book on screen in the 2008 Twilight movie (photo, above).

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