Probably a 2.5 but I always round up — writing books is hard, and I appreciate the effort. So ... I was definitely #TeamNotATwilightFan but I was never as opposed to the paranormal, sparkly YA angst of it all as I was to the truly terrible and repetitive writing. And, yes, the unhealthy, obsessive, controlling relationship. I think it was one of my few 1-star ratings. So I'm an odd candidate for reading Midnight Sun. But when I heard it was "Twilight, but from Edward's perspective" I immediately thought "Huh. I wonder if that's what I always wanted it to be?" And then I wondered if the author's writing had improved in the last decade or so. And then I promised a fellow bookseller that I'd read Meyer's return to angsty Edward if she'd take Collins's return to the villainous Snow. So here I am.

I'm happy to report that the writing IS less terrible and repetitive, though the pacing has some of the same issues as the original, it's 200 pages too long, and anyone who isn't a super fan but still remembers more than just the basic plot of the original may find this very tedious. Because even the structure is pretty much "Twilight, but from Edward's perspective." That perspective does open up some interesting avenues to explore, however. Not just for revealing more about Edward and the motivations behind his actions (more on that in a second) but also for fleshing out (and maybe doing a little retcon on) Bella's friends and acquaintances, and, more interestingly, the whole Cullen clan. If you recall, Edward hears people's thoughts (except for the ever-intriguing Bella), so even though that aspect is not written particularly convincingly (everyone thinks very linearly and in very complete sentences, for example) it does add a whole dimension of revelation to the book. Getting that very inside perspective on the Cullens was probably one of my favorite parts. And it considerably enhanced the scenes with the tracker — the most expanded section with the most original material added to the narrative. You'll only have to read through 500 pages before you get to it.

My other favorite part was seeing how not-human Edward really is. There's an obvious attempt to better show his character and motivations, to reclaim him from the creepy-controlling, sparkling-stalker category. The attempt is only partially successful, but I appreciated it nevertheless. The attempt to illuminate Bella's character isn't as successful. Edward puzzles through a number of her actions and responses, determining that she is brave and smart and deeply kind and selfless, but we're pretty much left to take his word for it. I'm still not particularly impressed with Bella Swan. Or with their relationship, which still seems so ill-formed for the depths of their commitment. They can barely talk to each other, but, sure — soul mates or whatever it is when one of you doesn't have a soul.

So. I wouldn't not recommend this book, but I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. This is probably a must-read for diehard Twilight fans (especially if you're #TeamEdward), a miss if you hated it the first time around or if you're just over it and on to other things and fandoms now, and a maybe if you'd like a more palatable version of the original or you're intrigued by the whole exercise of writing dual-perspective books. If you're just mildly curious and wouldn't mind visiting this world and story again, I'd recommend reading the first 100 pages, skimming the next 400, and then reading the last 150.

Content notes: I forgot to pay attention to content notes but there's definitely lying and ableist language and attitudes.