Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, has caused a phenomenon. It may have been written for a teenage audience, but its appeal has spread to readers of all ages. Perhaps this is because of the age-old mystery surrounding vampires. Perhaps it is because many people like an interesting romance. Whatever made people pick up the book in the first place, the general consensus seems to be that once you start this first novel in the series, it's easy to get hooked.

The novel is written from the perspective of Bella, a teenage girl who's moving in with her father, in a tiny town known for its gloomy weather. Her parents are divorced, her mother is happy with her new partner, and Bella takes it upon herself to do what she considers to be right by letting her mother be happy.

We follow her as she tries to settle into her new life. Her first day at school isn't an easy one, especially as in a town so small, with nothing ever happening, her arrival causes a stir and a lot of unwanted attention. It doesn't help when one boy appears to take an immediate, rather extreme dislike for her... and subsequently vanishes for a while.

That boy is Edward, the beautiful, complex vampire Bella can't help but fall for. He saves her life, he infuriates her, and he soon makes life in Forks seem far more appealing than she ever thought possible. Still, being around a vampire can be dangerous. There are scarier things out there than Edward, and once they set eyes on her, the hunt is on...

A novel of this kind could easily have failed. For the most part, nothing much is happening besides the two main characters getting to know the other. The reason that it's a page-turner is because Stephenie Meyer is very skilled in getting across the chemistry between Edward and Bella. It flows from the pages and makes you want to find out what happens next.

It also helps that despite the supernatural nature of the book, the characters come across as believable. It's not a case of the good versus the bad - each individual has their strengths and their flaws, just like in real life.

I would consider Twilight suitable for readers of 13 and older. There is some violence, and though there aren't any naughty bits as such, this is a romance novel and probably unsuitable for a younger audience.

Twilight was published by Little, Brown and Company, a Division of Hachette Book Group, with the ISBN 978-0-316-03837-9.