Snap Judgment: First chapter of 'Midnight Sun'

If you, like me, flew through the 768-page behemoth that is Breaking Dawn during the wee morning hours following its release, you probably have little left to temper your Cullen cravings until the big screen version of Twilight hits theaters November 21 (thank you, Harry Potter). Which is all the more reason I was so psyched to stumble upon the first chapter of Stephenie Meyer’s next book, Midnight Sun.

As any die-hard Twilighter can tell you, Midnight Sun is a retelling of the saga’s first book through the eyes of hunky vampire Edward Cullen. Meyer recently told EW.com that she’s 12 chapters into the novel, which Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke and star Robert Pattinson (pictured, with costar Kristen Stewart) used to help flesh out Edward’s persona in the film. I’ve gotta say, as much as I love the original Twilight story, I think I’m even more in love with the tale from Edward’s darker point of view.

But I shouldn’t call it simply Edward’s perspective, because as you know, the vamp’s ability to read other people’s thoughts provides easy access to everyone’s inner workings. We’re not only privy to Edward’s intense (and I mean INTENSE) struggle to not eat Bella, but we get a peek into the minds of the mysterious Cullens — from Jasper’s naughty yearning to devour a classmate in the cafeteria to Alice’s ongoing worries about her partner’s vegetarian fidelity. Edward’s voice in the novel is not only more nuanced and mature than high-strung Bella’s (perhaps his 107 years has something to do with that), but we get the added bonus of avoiding all the smoldering eyes/icy-cold granite-body talk.

What say you, PopWatchers? Have you had a chance to peruse the first chapter of Midnight Sun? Do you prefer the Twilight story from Bella’s or Edward’s perspective? Which scenes are you dying to see through Edward’s eyes? (I’m stoked for the fight scene!)