Twilight Tours: An Illustrated Guide to the Real Forks

by George Beahm (Photographer), Mike Gurling (Photographer), Tim Kirk (Drawings)

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series has become a genuine phenomenon in pop culture, approaching the popularity of the Harry Potter series. In 2008, 10,000 pilgrims descended on Forks, WA, the town of 3,100 people that is the setting for the books. After the fall 2008 release of the record-setting Twilight movie (which made more than $70 million in its opening weekend alone), many more fans are expected to arrive in Forks in 2009. Twilight Tours is a photographic guide to this mystical place. Included are 90 photos composed by noted photographer George Beahm, who also contributes the accompanying text. The pictures range from moody scenic shots of the rain forest and nearby tribal lands described in the four novels to photographs of the actual high school, police station, saltwater beach, and a certain vintage red pickup truck.

Genres: Nonfiction, Vampires, Travel

112 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2009

About the author

George Beahm writes books about censorship, sports figures, and numerous literary figures, including Patricia Cornwell, J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Philip Pullman, and others.

Reviews

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have visited Forks a few times since reading Twilight and this book captures the beauty of the area and fandom to perfection! I met the author while visiting and he was friendly and an amazing guy! Highly recommended book!

[Unsolved ☕︎ Mystery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a review posted but Goodreads ate it.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Text is kinda boring but the pictures are pretty. I was bored and looking for some idea about my adoptive town

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book at the Forks Outfitters when I was there last August. It is filled with beautiful pictures of Forks, La Push, and Port Angeles and is a great piece of memorabilia from my trip.

I finally got around to reading the text of the book, and I really enjoyed it for the most part. I think the author does a great job of describing what Forks is like and how Twilight has affected the town.

I would have given the book 4 stars if it weren't for a few glaring mistakes made by the author as he explains about the characters and events in Twilight.
Example #1 (When describing Bella's truck): "The only thing that the Chevy truck lacks is a radio, which she [Bella] receives as a birthday gift from the Cullens." Nope. Wrong Answer. Bella's truck did have a radio, it was just an old radio. I know this probably seems like a silly little detail to get hung up on, but it just seems sloppy to me.
Example #2 (in the section about Forks Hospital): "Carlisle used his time wisely, spending centuries to improve his medical knowledge. His hope was that with enough research, he'd find a way to wean himself away from human blood." Nope. Wrong answer again. Carlisle didn't have to wean himself off human blood, because he never (not once) drank human blood.
I just think that in a book made for fans, they could have taken the time to get all the details right.

However, despite it's flaws it's still a fun read and makes me feel very nostalgic about both my visits to Forks. Hopefully I'll get to go back someday!

[Ashley Mackler-Paternostro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in anticipation of my upcoming trip to Forks Washington, I wanted a travel book that would highlight and focus on the things I was looking forward to doing and seeing. And it's perfect for that, a really great travel guide. But, I know I am one of the lucky few (lucky many, maybe) Fanpires who will actually make the pilgrimage to Forks...however, this book is amazing for anyone who just wants to be submerged in the world of Twilight without traveling for the experience.

Twilight Tours: An Illustrated Guide is full of interesting facts about the local area, the pictures are visually captivating. It reminds you that yes, Stephenie Meyer's world very much alive and well on the tip of the Olympic Peninsula. An actual trip to Forks may not be a real possibility for some, but this book gives you an all access pass for a tiny fraction of the cost. This is the second book by George Beahm I've purchased and I can tell you, if you're looking to extend your time with the Cullens or the Pack, this book and his other title "Bedazzled" are without a doubt the best way to accomplish that. Enjoy!

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange book, if for no other reason than it wouldn't exist without the Twilight phenomenon. It's a book tour of the real Forks, WA, and gives lots of views into the spirit of that part of the country. The weird part is how the whole Twilight thing figures into the town. There are bits of tourism that have sprung up around it, and I wonder how people really feel about that. In any case, this book could be a good one to add to a YA collection for a lot of reasons -- writing process would be one of those reasons. Lots of interesting photos and funny shots of how the Twilight stuff figures in (like a hotel room that has a poster of Edward over one bed and a poster of Jacob over the other!).

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of this book is images, which is nice if you're looking to tour Forks, Washington by picture book. It is helpful if you're interested in going to Forks and don't want to miss any of the spots of interest simply because you aren't familiar with the town. But, considering Forks really isn't very large, I would think you could easily tour Forks without a preview tour book. Of the written commentary, much of it recaps what is in the Twilight Saga. I felt like it was a review and not necessary to a tour of forks--unless you read the books so fast you wouldn't remember any points of interest. Still, the pictures are nice and it piqued my interest a little more to go visit.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fun because it showed the real town of Forks, WA! It was interesting to see the different sites that were the inspiration for the book that aren't in the movie, or were filmed somewhere else. It was fun!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be good to have in hand if you were preparing for a trip to Forks. It's not the the type to re-read (it works more like a travel guide than a coffee table book) so I'm glad just requested it at the library and didn't buy it myself.

[K.C.]

Can't wait to get into this one!!

[Reading For Sanity · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this review and others at http://readingforsanity.blogspot.com/...

[Jennifer Sakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

A literary tour of Forks, Washington for Twilight Fans. Lots of nice pictures and descriptions.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took the physical tour with this book. Saved us money on tour. AP could have been a bit more detailed but addresses worked.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great guide for a road trip to Forks, La Push, and Port Angeles.