For those of you who don't know, I (Jackie) just recently turned 18 and am a college-bound student. So, I clearly recall feeling not all too prepared for a test that could decide exactly which college I would attend. The dreaded SATs were more stressful than any test I had ever taken (not that I was ever totally calm while taking any sort of standarized test). However, I recieved a decent score, but maybe I could have done better if I had better study aids.

I honestly wish I was taking the SATs this year because I would have been a lot better off. Why would that be? The answer is simple-- because of a book called Defining Twilight by Brian Leaf. Defining Twilight is probably one of the most interesting ways to master your vocabulary for the SAT, ACT, GED, and SSAT. In additon, I don't think it only helps with those tests. I believe it can also help for college placement tests, as well as general everyday speaking. When I was reviewing Defining Twilight, I couldn't help but wonder would this small book actually help improve someone's vocabulary. It's not the some thick enormous blue book-- like the one I studied from not for my SATs. Not to put that thick blue book down, but I suppose it just wasn't for me. People need to find their own methods of studying from a test, and maybe that book wasn't for me. Defining Twilight, on the other hand, didn't bore me. Maybe it was because the words were from Twilight, and you could use Twilight as your "textbook." Maybe it was because of all the references to Twilight and other books and movies that were used. Maybe it was Mr. Leaf's knack for making studying seem like fun. Whatever the reason, Defining Twilight worked. I wanted to learn, and I wanted to keep reading.

The first thing I noticed was the size of Defining Twilight (I know, talk about in-depth review, haha). It was small for a study workbook. I remember my study book for the SAT was huge! It made for diffcult on-the-go studying. However, Defining Twilight is approximately 8 1/2 in. x 5 1/2 in., and is perfect to carry around with you. I think that's a plus because you can literally take it with you anywhere. That sure makes studying a lot easier becuase a lot of people these days are on-the-go. The next thing I noticed was that the "About the Author" and "How to Use this Book" were actually in front of the book. So, you find out straightaway what qualifies Brian to write a book like this. In addition, even if you already knew how to use Defining Twilight, it's always good to have a refresher. So, it's great to have that right before the first group of vocabulary words.

I was glad to know that Defining Twilight had vocabulary excercises, but also explained each and every word at the end of the section. Brian not only stated which word was correct, but also why it was correct. He also gave tons of references to help you remember the word (and not just Twilight ones), gave synonyms, definitions. And if that wasn't enough, he also teaches you how to break up words to decipher their correct meaning. Back to references, like I said the book contained more than just Twilight ones. So, I think I'll name a fair few, or at least the ones that I noticed. There were movie references, such as American Pie, Ferris Bueller's Day off, Fast and Furious, and Fightclub. There were television references, such as Family Guy, Gossip Girl, and Spongebob. And of course, there were book references-- on being a book that I'm sure everyone's heard about, Harry Potter. Brian also managed to relate many of the references back to Twilight. For example, when defining the word 'disheveled' (Defining Twilight, page 31) Brian writes: "Disheveled (p. 43) means meassy. This is the second word that you've seen to describe the messiness of Edward's hair. Do you remember the first? Tousled, which also means messy, but is used especially for hair. What's with famous boys and messy hair? Edward Cullen, Harry Potter..." This is just one of many examples where Brian gives you definition, synonym, and some sort of tie-in reference to Twilight and something else.

Since it the book is called Defining Twilight, there are soooo many Twilight references to choose from. So, since Edward-Cullen.Net is an Edward Cullen fansite-- let's start with an Edward reference, shall we? The word 'topaz' (Defining Twilight, page 133) is used often to describe Edward's eyes. However, Brian clearly defines the word by writing: "Topaz (p. 209) in this case means dark golden. Topaz is a gemstone and can be colorless, yellow, or pale blue. You know, however, from the context that topaz refers to dark golden for two reasons. First, Edward's eyes are described on the previous page as "dark golden," and second, you know that Edward hunted only a few days earlier!" This clearly gives you the definition, but uses clues within Twilight to help you figure out the word. And for all you Team Switzerland fans, there is one word that Jacob and Edward have in common-- russet (Defining Twilight, page 77). "Russet (p. 119) means reddish- brown. You've learned three colors so far: auburn (reddish-brown, usually for hair), ocher (brownish-yellow), and now russet (reddish brown). That's Edward's hair and Jacob's skin-- so at least that's one thing that they have in common!" Edward's hair is almost the same color as Jacob's skin...who would have thought that?!

So overall, I completely recommend Defining Twilight to anyone who is taking their SATs, ACTs, GEDs, and SSATs. However, I also recommend it to anyone who is just looking to brush up on their vocabulary. It's a fun way to do it, and you also get to reread Twilight while your at it. I know that I am greatly looking for to Defining New Moon, which is due out in October 2009. I can't wait to see what other words I can learn thanks to Brian Leaf!



To visit Brian Leaf's site, please click here.
To purchase your copy of Defining Twilight, please click here.
Thanks to Brian Leaf for making this possible!