Wow.

So I've recently discovered the Twilight saga by bestselling author, Stephenie Meyer.

Actually, I didn't just discover it, rather than gotten around to actually reading it. I'd always seen Twilight on the shelf in the Young Adult section of my local bookstore, and the simple cover (two extended arms with the hands clutching an rather delicious-looking apple) had always piqued my interest (plus, I liked the font in which the title was printed), I had just never bothered to open it up and see what it was all about. At this point, I wish that I had, because I've been missing out.

Apart from that, my awareness of the series was heightened by the fact that it was present all around me: the amount of flair on Facebook relating to Twilight was astounding, I saw the first teaser trailer when I went to see "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull" with my boyfriend. It was funny, because he uses the "Pieces of Flare1" application on Facebook, too, and he leaned over and asked me, "Is that the guy everyone's talking about? I can see why they like him." I, of course, agreed (Robert Pattinson? Ooh!). Then there was the fact that a friend of mine began reading the series a couple weeks later.

Sure, all that occurred before the school year was over, yet it wasn't until last Monday that I actually bought the first two books and sat down to find out why they were of great appeal to such a vast number of readers around the globe. I wasn't in a rush to begin reading, so I didn't start until after I was absolutely bored at home with nothing better to do. After reading just the first couple pages, I found it incredibly hard to stop; it was like a drug. An incredibly potent, highly addictive drug that filled your mind with such wonderful thoughts and images that were so pleasant and real that it actually filtrated down into the very core of your being; right into your soul.

Then something incredible happened: In less than only 25 minutes, I had fallen in love with Edward Cullen. I had known that literature was strong and powerful, but I'd had no idea that it was this powerful, to affect someone so much in such a short period of time.

Just how enchanted was I? I'd only begun reading at 6 o'clock and was enjoying myself so much, that I only paused when my phone rang...at 10:45 at night! I simply could not believe how quickly the time had passed. Wow.
Then there's also the fact that it not only consumed my time, but affected me in a depeer manner.

Just how did it affect me? After reading Bella's reaction to Edward's leaving her in New Moon only two days later (I had to stop reading at that point because I had to get to the office for a meeting), I found myself falling into a state of depression, simply because I wondered what I would and how I would feel if my boyfriend left me in the same manner, or if I were to leave him (since I have to, what with me going to school in New York in the fall, and all) like that, too. It was almost heartbreaking, which is a great accomplishment for me, since I've never really fancied myself as the type of person who could fall in love and have their heart broken, since you'd need to have a heart in order for that to occur. I was absolutely amazed.

I must say that I'm glad that Bella had a friend like Jacob to help her keep her sanity (somewhat) while Edward was gone and that I wish I were able to trust someone the way that she trusts him. I'm also glad that he was able to be such a great space heater in Eclipse. It's always good to see some jealousy, to make sure that the spark's alive and the fire's still burning passionately. Hell, I do that to my boyfriend all the time! Not as much as I used to, though. I'll take the fact that I stopped needing such reasurrance as pos[itive].

At this point, I'm sure you would agree that it is absolutely not an exaggeration for me to say that reading Twilight has changed my life. I sure it's changed me for the better.

Thank you, Stephenie Meyer. I am in great debt to you.

And, yes. Yes, I have pre-ordered a copy of Breaking Dawn already. =]