Midnight Sun

Stephenie Meyer

Aug 2020 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Jake Abel

About this audiobook

#1 bestselling author Stephenie Meyer makes a triumphant return to the world of Twilight with this highly anticipated companion: the iconic love story of Bella and Edward told from the vampire's point of view.
When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans have heard only Bella's side of the story. At last, readers can experience Edward's version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun.
This unforgettable tale as told through Edward's eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire. As we learn more fascinating details about Edward's past and the complexity of his inner thoughts, we understand why this is the defining struggle of his life. How can he justify following his heart if it means leading Bella into danger?
In Midnight Sun, Stephenie Meyer transports us back to a world that has captivated millions of readers and brings us an epic novel about the profound pleasures and devastating consequences of immortal love.
An instant #1 New York Times BestsellerAn instant #1 USA Today BestsellerAn instant #1 Wall Street Journal BestsellerAn instant #1 IndieBound BestsellerApple Audiobook August Must-Listens Pick
"People do not want to just read Meyer's books; they want to climb inside them and live there." -- Time
"A literary phenomenon." -- New York Times

Ratings and reviews

3.5 stars — I’m not a huge Twilight fan, though I enjoyed the stories and the movies (to some degree). They’re very much a guilty pleasure, and for all their faults I am entertained by the series. I will admit though, that when I got the audiobook from the library and saw that it was almost 26 HOURS LONG I may have choked a bit. And when I figured out that those 26 hours were only going to cover the first book of the quadrilogy?? Well, I knew it was going to be a long ride. In the end there were parts of this alternative POV that I absolutely LOVED. But there were also a LOT of spots where I felt the story could have been edited down. First, Jake Abel as the narrator did an AMAZING job. I looked him up, and apparently he’s an actor. Not sure if he does audiobooks a lot, but he has a knack for them. His pacing and emotion were fantastic. But what shocked me was his fantastic range of voices for different characters. They were always consistent, and quite often I even felt like they matched up with the actors from the movies to a small degree. He made the book easy to listen to, even when it was drawn out. I’m also glad I ended up listening instead of reading, b/c since I knew most of the story, I was able to sew at the same time and thus the book went by a wee bit faster. I think I might have given up otherwise. I loved the new bits we got about Edward’s past, and the insight into his early years and how the Cullen family evolved and such. Those were some of my favourite parts. I also ended up with some additional insights into quite a few of the rest of the Cullens that made me wish to know more about their stories. Particularly I’m fascinated by Jasper and Alice, their past, their abilities, etc. I mean, I was already fascinated by them from before, but now I’m MORE fascinated if that makes sense. I also adored Emmett more than I was expecting. And because of Edward’s mind reading ability, I ended up learning more about Charlie, Renee, Bella’s high school classmates, and particularly Jake. I’m fascinated by the Charlie partial block, and the Renee shout, and can’t remember if I already knew that or not…but it was interesting to see from his perspective. And I actually really adored the way Jake’s thoughts were portrayed through Edward. Edward may have been jealous, but it was nice to see him admire Jake in some way as well. As for Edward? I really enjoyed seeing just how hard Bella’s scent affected him. It was something that I don’t think you get a good view on without watching him experience it. It was kinda fascinating. Other than that? Meh. I didn’t really fall in love with him or anything, but I wasn’t really in love with him before. I just enjoy the story. The downside to this book is there is a LOT of repetition, and an ungodly amount of back and forth within Edward. Honestly, I got whiplash. I think it made me like him less actually. And, I don’t know, I guess because I’m older and I’ve read different opinions on the story, I really noticed how unhealthy the relationship is. I mean, I guess it’s not supposed to be healthy, and Ms. Meyer does lampshade that at times. In the end, I’m glad I read it, because my curiosity abounds. And the parts that expanded my knowledge I really enjoyed. But I desperately wish someone had felt comfortable enough to suggest editing it down…like, for realz.

I was an avid twilight fan in my middle school days. I read the books three times onto of watching the movies endlessly. At this point they're a guilty pleasure. However, I am not enjoying Midnight Sun either due to age (recognizing the more problematic aspects of Myers storytelling) or its just written poorly. Stephanie tends to go into hyper detail about background characters and does a lot of telling instead of showing. Midnight Sun is a very long monolog

Though I loved being able to finally know what everyone was thinking besides Bella. I find Edward's knowledge of how much Bella would suffer without him before he left in " New Moon" but still did it. Is distasteful and I now agree with him. He so does not deserve Bella if he could knowingly put her in that kind of pain.

About the author

Stephenie Meyer is the author of the #1 bestselling Twilight Saga, The Host, and The Chemist. Twilight has enraptured millions of readers since its publication in 2005 and has become a modern classic, redefining genres within young adult literature and inspiring a phenomenon that has had readers yearning for more. The series has sold 160 million copies worldwide and was made into five blockbuster feature films. Stephenie lives in Arizona with her husband. Her website is stepheniemeyer.com.