Location from Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
The sun-scorched city where Bella grew up — the antithesis of Forks in every way, and the place where James the tracker lures her into a near-fatal trap.
Phoenix is Bella's before. It's where she grew up taking care of Renee, who is loving but flighty and irresponsible in the way that forces a child to become the parent. The city is defined by sun, heat, and openness — everything Forks is not. Bella didn't fit in here either (she's not an outdoor desert person any more than she's a rainforest person), but at least it was familiar. Phoenix becomes critically important in the first book when James the tracker separates Bella from the Cullens by luring her to her old ballet studio with a faked phone call claiming he has her mother. The ballet studio fight is where Edward nearly loses Bella — James bites her, her blood is full of venom, and Edward has to suck the venom out without killing her. It's the first real test of whether Edward can control his thirst when it matters most. Phoenix represents the human life Bella is leaving behind, and the violence that happens there is the point of no return.
Blinding sunlight, flat desert sprawl, strip malls and palm trees baking in triple-digit heat. The sky is enormous and cloudless — the exact opposite of Forks' oppressive gray ceiling. Renee's house is in a suburban neighborhood that looks like every other suburban neighborhood in the Southwest. The ballet studio where James lures Bella is mirrored, wood-floored, and smells like rosin and sweat — until it smells like blood.
Also known as: Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona, Arizona