Twilight Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
Updated September 2026
Twilight Books in Order: The Short Answer
There are four main Twilight novels by Stephenie Meyer, published from 2005 to 2008, plus three companion books that retell parts of the story from new angles. To read the Twilight books in order, start with the four novels in the order they came out:
- Twilight (2005)
- New Moon (2006)
- Eclipse (2007)
- Breaking Dawn (2008)
That is the whole saga as Bella Swan tells it. Everything else, including Midnight Sun, is extra, and none of it should come before the first book. Below you'll find where the companion books fit, the films, the Netflix series that is currently being made, and some honest notes for parents of younger teens.
In this guide:
- The Four Main Twilight Novels, Book by Book
- Where Midnight Sun and the Companion Books Fit
- More Twilight Books: What Meyer Has Said
- Twilight Movies in Order and the Netflix Series
- Twilight Age and Content Notes for Parents
- Stephenie Meyer's Other Books and What to Read Next
- Picking Up the Twilight Saga Used
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Four Main Twilight Novels, Book by Book
| # | Title | Published | What happens (spoiler-light) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Twilight | 2005 | Bella moves to rainy Forks, Washington, and slowly works out what Edward Cullen and his family really are. |
| 2 | New Moon | 2006 | Edward leaves. Bella leans on her friend Jacob Black, who has secrets of his own. |
| 3 | Eclipse | 2007 | An old enemy builds an army of newborn vampires, and the Cullens and the Quileute wolves have to cooperate. |
| 4 | Breaking Dawn | 2008 | Marriage, a pregnancy nobody expected, and a final confrontation with the Volturi. Split into three parts, one narrated by Jacob. |
These really do need to be read in sequence. Each book picks up close to where the last one ended, and New Moon in particular depends on you feeling the loss at the end of book one.
A small warning for people who stall in book two: New Moon is the slowest of the four and has long stretches of Bella simply grieving. Readers who push through almost always say Eclipse makes up for it.
Where Midnight Sun and the Companion Books Fit
Meyer has published three more books set in the same world, plus a reference guide. Here they are with the best place to read each one.
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (2010)
A short novel about one of the newborn vampires in Victoria's army. It covers the same weeks as Eclipse from the other side of the fight. Read it right after Eclipse. Before that, it spoils the plot of book three; after Breaking Dawn, it feels like a step backwards.
Midnight Sun (2020)
The events of Twilight retold from Edward's point of view. It came out on August 4, 2020, after years of fans waiting (an early draft leaked online in 2008 and Meyer shelved it). It's long, and it assumes you already know the story.
Two schools of thought on placement:
- After all four novels. Our recommendation. Edward's thoughts land differently once you know where the whole saga ends up, and nothing gets spoiled.
- Right after Twilight. Some readers like hearing both sides of the first book back to back. It works, but you'll learn a few things about the Cullens earlier than Bella does.
Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined (2015)
Published on October 6, 2015 for the tenth anniversary, bound together with Twilight. Meyer swapped the genders of nearly every character, so the story follows Beau Swan and Edythe Cullen, and the ending goes somewhere the original doesn't. It's a curiosity for fans rather than required reading. Save it for the end.
The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide (2011)
A reference book with character backgrounds, family trees and notes on vampire and werewolf lore. Fun to browse after you've finished. Not a story.
Our recommended full reading order
- Twilight
- New Moon
- Eclipse
- The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
- Breaking Dawn
- Midnight Sun
- Life and Death (optional)
More Twilight Books: What Meyer Has Said
Possibly, but nothing is scheduled. When Midnight Sun came out in August 2020, Meyer said she had two more books set in the Twilight world planned, but that she intended to write something else first. No titles or dates have been announced since.
If you see a listing for a "fifth Twilight book" with a date attached, treat it with suspicion until it appears on the author's own site.
Twilight Movies in Order and the Netflix Series
All five Summit Entertainment films are rated PG-13, and they follow the books closely. Breaking Dawn was split into two films.
| Film | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| Twilight | 2008 | Catherine Hardwicke |
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon | 2009 | Chris Weitz |
| The Twilight Saga: Eclipse | 2010 | David Slade |
| Breaking Dawn – Part 1 | 2011 | Bill Condon |
| Breaking Dawn – Part 2 | 2012 | Bill Condon |
Kristen Stewart plays Bella, Robert Pattinson plays Edward, and Taylor Lautner plays Jacob in all five. The films are easy to find on DVD, often as a boxed set. If your family wants something milder for a teen movie night, our guide to clean teen movies on DVD has picks for ages 13 to 17.
The Midnight Sun animated series
Netflix announced an animated series based on Midnight Sun in September 2024, with Sinéad Daly as writer and showrunner and Meyer executive producing. It retells the first book from Edward's side. No cast and no premiere date have been announced yet.
Twilight Age and Content Notes for Parents
Twilight is shelved as young adult, and most librarians and parents treat it as a 13-and-up series. Here's what's actually in it, so you can decide for your own family:
- Romance: intense and at the center of everything, but not explicit. Edward insists on waiting until marriage. In Breaking Dawn, Bella and Edward marry and the wedding night happens off the page, though the morning after makes clear what happened.
- Violence: vampire attacks, fights and deaths, mostly described without much gore. The birth scene in Breaking Dawn is the most graphic passage in the series and upsets some younger readers.
- Emotional content: Bella's depression in New Moon is portrayed seriously, including reckless behavior like cliff-diving to feel closer to Edward. Worth a conversation.
- Language: mild.
The more common complaint from parents isn't any single scene. It's the relationship itself. Edward watches Bella sleep before they're together and makes a lot of decisions for her. Plenty of families read the books together and talk about what a healthy relationship looks like, which turns the series into a surprisingly good discussion starter for teens.
For a gentler romance with a fantasy edge, see our list of books like Twilight, which flags the cleaner options.
Stephenie Meyer's Other Books and What to Read Next
If a reader likes Meyer's style but has had enough of Forks, she has two adult novels outside the saga:
- The Host (2008): an alien body-snatching story that is really a love triangle. It was filmed in 2013.
- The Chemist (2016): a thriller about a former government interrogator on the run. More violent than Twilight and aimed at adults.
For teens who want another big series with a love triangle at its center, the usual next stop is Suzanne Collins; our Hunger Games books in order guide covers all five books and the films. Veronica Roth's series is a close second, and our Divergent reading order explains where the extra Four stories fit. Readers who liked the supernatural side more than the romance will find plenty of options in our best fantasy books for teens list.
Picking Up the Twilight Saga Used
Twilight was one of the best-selling series of the 2000s, which means there are a lot of secondhand copies around and they are usually in good shape. You can see what Stephenie Meyer titles we have today, browse our young adult shelf, or look through romance on DVD for the films. Stock changes daily, and shipping is free on orders over $15.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Twilight books are there?
Four main novels: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. There are also three companion books (The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Midnight Sun and Life and Death) and an illustrated guide.
What order should I read the Twilight books in?
Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Breaking Dawn, then Midnight Sun. Life and Death is optional and best saved for last.
Should I read Midnight Sun first?
No. Midnight Sun retells the first book from Edward's point of view and assumes you know the story. Read it after the four main novels, or at the earliest right after Twilight.
Is there a fifth Twilight book coming?
Nothing is scheduled. In 2020 Stephenie Meyer said she had two more Twilight-world books planned, but no titles or release dates have been announced.
What age is Twilight appropriate for?
Most parents and librarians treat it as 13 and up. The romance is intense but not explicit, and Breaking Dawn has the most mature material, including a graphic birth scene.
Are the Twilight movies rated PG-13?
Yes. All five films, from Twilight (2008) through Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012), are rated PG-13.
Is there a Twilight TV show?
An animated Midnight Sun series is in development at Netflix with Stephenie Meyer as executive producer. No cast or release date has been announced.
![Twilight Saga, The: Breaking Dawn Part 1 [DVD] The Happy Book Stack](http://www.thehappybookstack.com/cdn/shop/files/B007FC3AAI-0.jpg?v=1760413907&width=533)
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