Peace? Seperately?

At school we're reading a book called A Seperate Peace. Normally, I hate reading. This book is no exception. It's a pretty old book, and for once, it's actually pretty interesting. I've read my share of unrealistic, boring, stupid books in English, (besides A Tale of Two Cities) but this book has something that all the others lacked. Character. Not the book itself, but it's literal characters. So many books now a days have such stupid characters.
Take Twilight for example. Top rated book, best selling movie, but why. The vampires have got to be the stupidest rendering of vampires I've ever seen. They can be out in the sun, and when's the last time you saw Edward drink someones blood. I'm not exactly sure on the last one there, I haven't read the book. But worst of all, you can't relate to the characters because 1. You are NOT, and I repeat, NOT, a vampire. And 2. You are not in a relationship with a vampire. Also, this book was writen by a mormon. Just saying.
In the end, A Separate Peace has these quality characters. Ones that are just like you except for the fact that they're from 1940 something. Character. It's what drives a book. I could care less what happens to them. Just make them a real person, not some bull @%$! vampire.