Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
by Stephenie Meyer
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Book Reviews of Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
Book Review: Do not read if you value your brain cells
Summary: 1 Stars
Over the summer I had the misfortune of reading the Twilight Saga (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn) because my sister is doing a parody of it (which shameless plug* can be found on fanfiction.net; it is called "Toilet", and its sequels will be "Full Moon," "E-Snips," and "Breaking Wind") and is too lazy to read the books herself. Aside from being atrociously written (Stephenie Meyer, the author, never met a dialogue tag she didn't like, including the infamous "Sorry," apologized So-and-so) and miserably boring (400 plus pages of the protagonist making breakfast and eating it, occasionally bite by bite, then going to school and giving us a blow-by-blow of her perfectly mundane, ordinary day, something that most of the target audience could get by just opening their eyelids), it has ridiculously purple prose (not a paragraph goes by without a description of the love interest as perfect, gorgeous, amazing, beautiful, etc.). One begins to need a barf bag after each chapter.
The basic plot is well-known: girl moves to small rainy town. Girl looks down on everyone in small rainy town, including her father and the boys who, for some reason, flock around her trying to be nice, despite her description of herself as "average." Girl meets beautiful boy who at first appears to hate her. Girl endlessly describes boy in long purple passages that do not bear repeating here. Girl later learns that she holds a mystical attraction for boy and that boy is a vampire and that he sparkles. (Yes, that's the author's explanation for why vampires can't be out in the sun: they sparkle like diamonds. I need another barf bag.) Boy and girl walk around in the daisies holding hands for about four hundred pages. Author hastily construes some semblance of a plot that gets wrapped up within fifty, whose conflict could have been easily avoided had girl used her brain.
And don't even get me started on the characters. The protagonist, Bella, is supposed to be intelligent--at least, the author tells us so. But her actions have shown otherwise--as mentioned above, the conflict at the end of the story could easily have been avoided had she stopped and thought for a moment, but that doesn't make for a good story. Bella doesn't do much--she has few close friends, no hobbies or likes or dislikes that she talks about, besides snow, rain, and everybody other than Edward. She has no distinguishing character traits except that she's terminally clumsy--something that is meant to be adorable, but instead comes off as an unrealistic (seriously, she trips about every five seconds) device designed to have all the males in the book, and eventually Edward, rushing to her side to pick her up and carry her off to safety. She is, for lack of a better word, a bimbo. She never does anything to help herself and is infuriatingly attached to Edward--*SPOILERS* when he leaves her in the second book, she goes catatonic for several months. END SPOILERS
And then there's the fact that Bella is a blatant Mary Sue. That alone should be enough to turn you off, but just in case it's not because you don't know what a Mary Sue is, here's a brief rundown. A Mary Sue is a flimsy, underdeveloped excuse for a character who is generally adored by all the "good" characters, and somehow even manages to be attractive to the "bad" ones. It's usually disgusting, how they all fawn over her. What's even worse is that the character is usually a stand-in for the author, so it's the author living out all of her fantasies. Or, slightly less damningly, it's meant to be a stand-in for the reader, but that should immediately reduce it on the literary quality scale. We want characters who are people, not cardboard cutouts.
And Edward himself is infuriatingly arrogant, but not much else. He is only described physically in long purple passages, and not much there beyond "beautiful, perfect, gorgeous," and other gag-inducing adjectives. But here's the thing: WE DON'T HAVE ANY CLUE WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE. Is he tall or short? Is his jaw square? Is his nose straight or aquiline? We know his hair is bronze, but is it curly or straight? Is it long, or... I could go on forever. Whatever. We have no idea what this guy looks like. And we have no idea what he's like, either. We know he plays the piano and is in love with Bella. THAT IS IT. But that's not the worst of it. Beware of this next paragraph, spoilers abound.
Edward is an even worse Gary Stu (the male version of a Mary Sue). He's the fastest of all the vampires, who are all exponentially faster and stronger than humans. He has a unique telepathic gift. He's constantly described as "perfect" and "godlike". Bella worships him like a fanatic. But, like most Stus, he has very little personality. He doesn't do anything that doesn't have to do with Bella. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but in a real relationship one keeps one's personality and, like, life, even after one has found a boyfriend or girlfriend. But then, when you never had a life anyway, there's not much to lose. Meyer, you just failed at character development and, oh, reality.
His and Bella's relationship is abusive, though the author would have you think it romantic. SPOILERS He does not let her visit her best friend and goes so far as to disable her truck so as to prevent her sneaking out to see him (who has to sneak out from their boyfriend, anyway?). END SPOILERS Even in the first book, his behaviour is nothing less than stalkerish: he watches her sleep, follows her everywhere, and gets away with it because he's too fast to be seen. He doesn't walk anywhere with her but tugs her or pulls her and occasionally carries her places against her will (which is also apparently supposed to be romantic, not caveman-ish). And he never trusts her to make her own decisions, because he is that much smarter than her (although I might have to agree with him there--a fruit fly is smarter than Bella).
But that's not all. There's also the message that this book is sending to the millions of teenage girls (and their moms, unfortunately) that are captivated by the story and want their own Edward. The message is: if you're average (but really not, because otherwise why would the entire male population of your school be panting after you on the first day?) you too can get your own special someone. Looking down on everybody else is okay, once you've found him. Relationships in which he prevents you from seeing your friends, yanks you around, and forbids you from making your own decisions in the guise of "protecting" you are romantic. So while many fans say, "Whatever. It's just a fun book," it's sending these messages to our youth. Is this dependent pre-feminist trash what we need our kids to be idolizing in their formative years? I most ardently think not.
P.S. And for those saying this is the next Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Austen is spinning in her grave so fast I'm surprised she hasn't started affecting the rotation of the earth. Honestly.
Book Review: Not Your Typical Vampire Romance Novel
Summary: 5 Stars
Not Your Typical Vampire Romance Novel, by Kristin Clift
Stephenie Meyer's Twilight successfully engages a wide range of female audiences and even if they won't admit it, males secretly enjoy Meyers's story too. Meyer wonderfully combines the appeal to pathos and mythos to make a great fantasy that is easy to read. Although some may say Meyer's writing is found wanting and her story line needs to be developed sooner, she has created a delightfully entertaining read that has gotten all ages and types of people to love her characters, relationship developments, and her interesting can't-put-it-down plot.
Stephenie Meyer intentionally wrote Twilight for young adult readers but in doing so it reads so that all ages are enticed. My middle-aged mother was the one that introduced me to Twilight; he was just as enthralled as I was by the book. I've met all ages of people who loved Twilight--anywhere from pre-teens to the elderly. Meyer's aim was such a bull's eye that all audiences can highly enjoy this read. It is an extremely popular book that made it onto the New York Times "Best Sellers" list and "Editor's Choice," Teen People's "Hot List" pick, and Publishers Weekly "Best Book of the Year."
Part of the reason why it is so successful is that Meyer's character development is such that it is so easy to fall in love with and identify with her characters. I have heard it said that the main character and narrator of the story, Bella, needs to be a little more human. However, I find that her awkwardness and her introverted quirks are easy to relate to no matter what type of person you are. My favorite characteristic about Bella is that she is clumsy and horrible at sports as portrayed in the scene as the new girl describing her first day in gym class; "I watched four volleyball games simultaneously. Remembering how many injuries I had sustained--and inflicted--playing volleyball, I felt faintly nauseated" (26). That reminds me of my gym class days and how many times I had ended up in the nurse's office. Meyer develops attributes in Bella that any reader of all ages can relate to. This makes it possible to imagine yourself in Bella's place, which is an effective tool Meyer uses to engulf readers in her story.
Meyer does a phenomenal job with details. She doesn't put too much that you lose interest and not enough that you can't visualize. She finds the perfect balance--not to mention her description of Edward's sexiness is enough to make any female giddy! Especially not the part where Bella first witnesses a reason Edward can't come out into the sunlight in their secret romantic meeting in the meadow; "Edward in the sunlight was shocking. I couldn't get used to it, though I'd been staring at him all afternoon...He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms were bare...A perfect statue, carved in some unknown stone, smooth like crystal...The meadow, so spectacular to me at first, paled next to his magnificence" (260-261). Is it any wonder why so many people are obsessed with this book?
Stephenie Meyer's development of Bella and Edward's relationship is scrumptious. Immediately readers are entranced by the unexpected, daring, forbidden romance much like Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers. Meyer superbly puts these lovers on the border of fantasy but yet it is so realistic you can't help but feel that you are a part of the relationship. Critics say they argue too much or the relationship is just uncomfortable, but that is why I believe it works so well; so many of us have had bizarre relationships where we knew it was bad for us but we couldn't help it. Edward and Bella's relationship is extremely identifiable. The appeal to pathos is strongly evoked. In just re-reading this book such strong emotion arises that I am immediately captivated.
Meyer executes the description of feelings in new love so beautifully, specifically the physical part of it all that is magnificently displayed in this first kiss scene, "Blood boiled under my skin, burned in my lips. My breath came in a wild gasp. My fingers knotted in his hair, clutching him to me. My lips parted as I breathed in his heady scent" (282). At the risk of sounding cliché, I'm getting `weak in the knees' just reading it! The cautiously erotic tension between Edward and Bella is so intense that I actually think Meyer should quit the Young Adult business and start writing corny romance novels, you know, the ones with the overly-muscley guy and the damsel in distress on the cover.
If all of that romance is too gushy to handle, there are plenty of other parts in Twilight that make it a worthwhile read, such as the plot. It's enough to keep pages turning and interest going. Even for males. I was once talking to a clerk at Wal-Mart about Twilight and the guy behind me goes, "Yeah that was an incredible book! Uh, I mean, my wife made me read it." Some say that it takes too long in the beginning to get developed and Meyer condenses all of the action towards the end. However, I found that Meyer carefully distributes the action so that each event becomes more intense as the story progresses.
There is plenty of blood, gore, and action to keep the male reader interested, especially toward the end, where it becomes a race to keep Bella alive. Even the preface keeps you on the edge of your seat. Stephenie Meyer begins with this tantalizing intro, "I'd never given much thought to how I would die--though I'd had enough reason in the last few months--but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this" (1). The preface is where you get a sneak peek at Bella's thoughts at the climax of the book. My friend told me that her mother had to sleep with the lights on after she read the climax of the story because it was so horrifying. Authors who can keep you interested from the beginning through the entire book are definitely great writers.
The appeal to mythos is another quality that makes this book fantastic; it's about a vampire (don't worry I didn't give anything away because you find that part out when you read the back of the book). Edward, the irresistibly attractive vampire with super-powers--how alluring does that sound? Stephanie Meyer ingeniously writes about what the world and cultures have been fascinated with for hundreds of years but she puts her own spin on an old idea and develops a new kind of vampire. It is always interesting to read a new version of antique myths.
Although some may say Meyer's writing is not up to par with that of the classics, such as Chaucer or Maya Angelou. I would offer that her story and relationship development belongs with writers such as Jane Austen or William Shakespeare. Twilight is a charmingly fun read; I haven't been so in love with a book since I first read Harry Potter. In the words of LeVar Burton, "But...you don't have to take my word for it!"
Book Review: Near Nonsense
Summary: 1 Stars
I wasn't going to review the novel at all because I simply hated it too much and, well, why spend more time dwelling on it than necessary? But the amount of people who claim her writing is flawless, the story is original and perfect, and the book appeals to all ages just drove me crazy. No, her writing is not flawless. In fact, it's very juvenile for someone who has had as much schooling as Stephenie Meyer. The story itself is completely predictable from the drab and ridiculous Preface, to the very last sentence. And the overall plot of the series? Well, I'm not actually sure there is one.
Don't get me wrong. I understand why this book appeals to young readers. It has every girl's fantasy, doesn't it? A handsome boy falling madly in love with the supposedly plain new girl. The story is so simplistic and so centered on this love story that, frankly, it can become addicting whether you like what you are reading or not (and I will freely admit to reading it in about six hours). I would not shy away from giving this book to preteen friends of mine.
However, I think the bias has to end somewhere. This book makes Harry Potter a literary masterpiece. This book makes Anne Rice's novels appear well-constructed. This book does not do anything new for the genre--which is not wrong. No one needs to set out and create a new precedent. No one is under that obligation. That doesn't negate the fact that the entire story was very tired. I had no interest in Bella's questions. I had no interest in the long blocks of explanations. There is a good reason Jo Rowling left most of her explanations scattered through seven books of varying length, and not all at once in every chapter. For someone who is hanging on the fence, boring descriptions and Q&A sessions are a killer.
Additionally, and perhaps the real reason I disliked the book, Bella Swan made for one of the worst protagonists I've ever read. Reading Meyer's website, I was amazed that someone who loves her characters so dearly manages to create such lifeless, flat personifications of them on paper. Bella is your typical self-insert of the author. She shares the author's hometown. She has a beautiful name--Isabella Swan! She's so clumsy that you figure she probably has an inner ear problem. She's constantly miserable, irritatingly oblivious to the world she's describing to us, and overdramatic.
And none of these are endearing traits.
Handled differently, they could be. Handled differently, they would be. Third person would have been preferable, rather than first. In a romance story where the author is not quite sophisticated enough to actually provide realism instead of fanfiction, first person kills the narrative. One moment, Bella is weeping over how horrible her life is. The next moment, she's discussing how unattractive she is while rebuffing three invitations to the dance in one day--after having no relationships at home. These are not endearing. These are the hopes and wishes of very young teenage girls, and perhaps a few older ones. But it makes for a very ridiculous read through. Personally, I believe Meyer should have worked on reading a bit more structured works before sitting down. She ought to have researched fiction writing and the dynamics of creating a proper heroine, because she has managed to make someone that is very unrealistic to the point of frustration.
You see, it's frustrating because I know Meyer is trying to make Bella realistic instead of perfect. What girl doesn't think she's ugly sometimes? What girl doesn't stumble gracelessly over her own feet? The only difference is, in a novel, these traits are the superficial flaws of a Mary Sue. Simply, they aren't flaws at all. They are excuses to make Bella "less perfect" while achieving the exact opposite. Had Bella been genuinely shy (she so wasn't shy!), genuinely unhappy, genuinely boring, it might have been less irritating. But she was clearly outgoing. She was clearly beautiful. She stumbled into horrible situations only to be saved by a gaggle of boys. And all the while, she remained oblivious to all of it. That isn't a flaw--that's convenience. And it's very immature writing.
I also think all of the Prefaces should have been removed. Upon reading Twilight's, I burst out laughing. Coming forward to kill her, eh? The writing couldn't handle the suspense or drama the author was attempting to create--it left no room for either. This is where first person kills the narrative completely. This preface then set the tone for the entire book, and I laughed similarly at about half of the descriptions she used.
There is no need to reiterate that Edward is perfect. If you trust your reader, you should trust them to remember that Edward is, apparently, a Greek god or adonis with an angel's face and runway model physique with black eyes sometimes, topaz eyes sometimes, ocher eyes sometimes, and golden hair, and that he drives fast, has a lot of money, is a musical savant, sparkles in the sun, dresses impeccably, etc., etc. You only need to say someone is perfect a couple of times over the course of the novel for anyone to understand.
All the overdesigning of Edward's appearance ended up feeling like was the author relishing in this personal fantasy. And that's great. We all have personal fantasies! But this book doesn't quite deserve the enormous praise it's receiving from all corners. Dissect the writing. Look at the ridiculous romance novelesque style of it all. Don't tell me writing doesn't matter when it's Young Adult. The YA genre is expanding. Teenagers are writing exquisite pieces of literature and not publishing them anywhere. There is no excuse for poor writing.
If I wanted to read a romance novel, I would have picked one up. At least romance novels have plot. Meyer all-too-frequently used 'scowling' and 'glaring' as the only method of communication between people. And Edward's behavior was indecisive to the point insanity. His constant 'please go away I can't love you I'll kill you but don't go away I love you please go away' would drive any sane human being into a psychological tailspin. If you made the movie exactly how she wrote the book, Bella and Edward would be consistently scowling at one another and arguing over everything. And there would be no plot until the last fifteen minutes.
Because, frankly, there was no plot. After the lust between Edward and Bella was reconciled, my interest left completely. After the relationship became whole, I was done. Everything else Meyer threw in seemed very, very half-hearted. And that's a shame, because I know she dedicated as many years into her characters. I only wish her results were better.
May your writing improve in the future, Stephenie Meyer. You have serious potential, but you probably jumped on writing and publishing these novels too soon. You definitely needed more time in Washington, as well.
Book Review: Boring Main Character and Wimpy Vampires Galore!
Summary: 1 Stars
I have to admit, when I first started reading the series I loved it. I was also 14. I am very ashamed to say that it took me a while for the fangirl in me to die, but I've made it to maturity without it and thank God for that. I am 16 and a recovered Fangirl.
I just recently read the books over again in my new state of mind and I have to say the books are ridiculous and so is its Mary Sue. Every one knows that Mary Sues can ruin an entire series (flick through most Young Adult books in the paranormal category and you'll be swamped with them)
Spoiler Alert-(ish)
First you have the typical High School Garbabge plot - Girl sees Wildy Popular yet Outcast Boy, Boy sniffs Girl, Boy wants to kill Girl, Girl turns into Fangirl Stalker, Outcast Boy manages to avoid killing Fangirl Stalker for a short amount of time, Fangirl Stalker gets saved by Outcast Boy and BOOM Star-Crossed Love! Oh, wait...not typical High Scool Garbabge Plot. Let us call it the Unique Twisting of a Typical High School Garbage Plot #And still Plain Garbage).
Girl sees Wildly Popular yet Outcast Boy - We all know these boys are peaches and cream to High School girls. They're mysterious, dark and secrete delicious pheromones and in this case, deadly. How can the average and shallow Bella resist? He's her Heathcliff, her Romeo - even Meyer thinks so! Not original at all, but when having teenagers as your main characters its hard to resist falling into the cliche trap.
Boy sniffs Girl, Boy wants to kill Girl, Boy avoids killing Girl - Its common knowledge that wanting to kill someone means you love them, more so if you can resist killing them! This confuses me the most. When you think of killers you generally don't equate them with love, least of not old men who prey on young girls! I still don't get how Edward thinks he's in love with the girl because he resists draining her of her blood; he even says that he thinks himself a monster for even feeling the urge! What, is this 'love' supposed to redeem him? If so, what about the thousands of others that he didn't kill? Excusing, Bella bionic blood of course. Please. I bet Jasper doesn't go leaping into girls' windows because he can control himself from killing them.
Girl turns into Fangirl Stalker - Stalkers aren't crazy and obsessed? Since when?!
Fangirl Stalker gets saved by Outcast Boy - I wasn't aware that anyone who helped me out of a jam was my one true love. I should immediately ring up that old woman who helped me pick out laundry detergent! Hero Syndrome is overrated.
BOOM Star-Crossed Love - They've known each other for as little as a month and for most of it Edward was absent! This means they fell in love over the smell of Bella's bionic blood and her infatuation with his face. They don't even have any significant interest in getting to know one another, besides a couple of conversations on Romeo and Juliet's "Star-Crossed" love (which in my opinion is a satire on teenage 'romance') and the parallels between the two relationships and a few references to Bella's choice of literature. Oh, and somewhat similar taste in music.
Bella is a Mary Sue:
Bella is very plain, described many times throughout the series, in almost every chapter and every time she is physically described, which completely contradicts most of the interest in her seeing as she barely interacts with the students at her school or anyone in town. There's nothing wrong with plain girls, but plain girls with no personality holding this much attention is weird and contradicting.
She is very selfish, shown clearly in her manner towards her aquintances and decisions she makes (no matter what problems people had around her, she always managed to focus just on herself and her whiny, pitying monologue showed no caring for the life of others), yet she makes these 'selfless' acts which should've redeemed her, but as you read on for her reasons you catch that all her decisions resulted positively for herself. Honestly, there is only one selfless act she makes and that's in the first book. I'm not talking about when she moves to Forks either.
She's smart, extremely so, but has virtually no common sense which shouldn't be a huge deal seeing as a lot of people are like that, but after seeing her play the naive damsel in distress for three books the act is tiring and she should've wisened up by then if she was so smart.
The books start to drag on once you realize you're being bombarded with self-pitying monologues that are childish and whiny which shouldn't be coming from a girl everyone commends for being mature and selfless.
Quite honestly, I was more interested in the mushroom ravioli and coke she was eating while on their first 'date' in Twilight.
Another downside is the total under-development of her main characters. You know you've bombed once every character is lightyears more interesting than the protagonist and her hero. Its also weird that we know mostly everything about the antagonists and the side characters, but not Bella and Edward. All I ever really understood about Bella was her vanity (displayed in her obsession to stay young and not be 'older' than Edward), her childishness (her disregard for others in favor of herself, Edward and the Cullens. Also, in the way she used Jacob in New Moon) and her obsession with Edward (Endless pages upon pages of how beautiful and sparkly the guy is as well as her totaly self-powered isolation from everyone but the Cullens including the father she ignores throughout the series).
All you ever know about Edward is his longing for a mate, his dislike of Heathcliff and Romeo and his affinity for mountain lions and how old and long he's been with Carlilse.
Ending this long review, I do not recommend this book for young girls (16 and younger) because they might get the wrong idea about relationships. It is not healthy to only spend time with your boyfriend/girlfriend's family, to have no friends (even just one friend is NOT okay!) outside of them, no relationship with your own family and no other hobbies or interests beside your boyfriend/girlfriend.
As for the movies...the only reason I'm going to see New Moon is for Dakota Fanning cuz that girl is a champ. Plus, I love the Volturi and all the deemed 'bad guys' of the series and really want to see Victora's little games and the Volturi confrontations. I do suggest not seeing it on opening weekened or two weeks on after that; unless you like your movie interrupted by squeeling girls.
Sorry, but this series is better left ot Fanfiction - I've seen way more interesting tales spun from them that actually convince me of Bella and Edward's so called ever-lasting love.
Au Dieu,
Skippy.
Book Review: Taking on Twilight
Summary: 2 Stars
She's been called "the second coming of J.K. Rowling," and her Twilight series, about a family of "vegan" vampires and the teen girl who falls for one of them, has been giving Harry Potter a run for his money.
If you have teenagers in the house--especially teen girls--chances are you've heard of Stephenie Meyer. Her first book, Twilight, was recently made into a movie and the utter devotion of its fans has turned this Mormon housewife into a publishing phenomenon, not to mention a multi-millionaire.
Before you write off all the hysteria to a bunch of hormonal teen girls, you need to know that one of the most active and popular fan sites is www.twilightmoms.com, proving this obsession isn't just for the high school set. Of course, I didn't know that when I was given a copy of the book recently as a gift. A teenage vampire romance novel? I tossed it on my bedside table, doubtful that I'd ever crack the cover.
It wasn't until a conversation with a friend about the Twilight series and the dilemma it posed for Christian parents whose daughters are begging to read the books that my interest was piqued. Does a well-written story justify exposing kids (or adults, for that matter) to themes we don't agree with? I decided to dive in and make up my own mind.
I've always been an avid reader, spending much of my teen years devouring young adult romance novels (embarrassing but true). I've also written some young adult fiction for the Christian market. Even so, I was surprised when I tore through Twilight--all 498 pages of it--in less than 24 hours. Suddenly I can understand--at least to some degree--what might possess i fans to create T-shirts that say, "Bite Me" and dream of dating the undead.
It may seem black and white, but parenting is a hard job and determining what's appropriate for who is not an exact science. Some parents say "no" as soon as they hear the word "vampires." Others worry about the influence Meyer's Mormon faith has on her stories. Others are put off by the Beatlemania-like devotion the books seem to inspire. Then there are those who would take issue with the romantic storyline between Bella and Edward even if they were both "normal," average high school students. Those are a lot of objections to overcome, so I'll take them one by one.
When it comes to the vampire storyline, which has a starring role in the books, it's less offensive than any of the scary movies currently aimed at teens--and a lot more chaste. I'd also argue that it's less dangerous than the more subtle messages hidden a lot of kids' movies today. Not that I'm "pro-vampire," but it's not the biggest problem parents should have with the Twilight series.
Further complicating things is the Cullen family's desire to be "good" vampires. They fight their true natures by forgoing humans and only feeding on wild animals (they even go so far as to focus on overpopulated areas and species--how eco-friendly!). Then there are the spiritual issues raised by this storyline, which are discussed with more thoughtfulness than you might expect. If there is a Creator, then is He also responsible for creating vampires, the characters wonder? And are we doomed to live out our hurtful desires or can we fight our more monstrous urges? Then there's Edward's unwillingness to grant Bella's wish and make her "one of them" because he believes that act requires taking her soul. Maybe not the spiritual issues you want your teen pondering, but it's more food for thought than she'll get from 90210, Gossip Girl or The Hills.
Which leads to Meyer's Mormonism, a religion that most associate with clean-cut boys going door-to-door looking for converts. So it's understandable that I'd be on the alert for a Mormon message hidden between the lines of Twilight. Well, if it's there, I didn't find it. In fact, Meyer insists, "I never write messages." Of course, any writer's personal beliefs factor into what they write, but Meyer does a much better job than most Christian writers do of telling a story without hitting you over the head with a moral or spiritual message. It's hard to write a compelling story if your real motive is to teach a lesson. It ends up feeling forced, an affliction the Twilight series definitely doesn't suffer from. Instead, Meyer has created a fantasy world that seems utterly real, which is why so many readers can't get enough.
For me, the biggest issue I'd have letting a teen I know read this series is the one that seems the most innocuous on the surface: the love story (and those concerns have nothing to do with the interspecies dating going on). While Edward keeps his hands to himself, showing superhuman restraint for a 17-year-old boy, he's far from a parent's dream. He drives too fast, has an endless supply of disposable income, is way too good looking and spends most nights in Bella's bedroom without her father knowing (since vampires don't sleep, what else does he have to do?). Add to that his knack for always showing up at just the right time, his ability to save Bella from any danger, his fierce protectiveness and his utter lack of teenage gawkiness or uncertainty, and he's every girl's dream and every parent's nightmare. He's more than a boyfriend and even more than a vampire, he's her own personal god. Edward is the one she goes to for help, advice, protection and love. With Edward in her life, Bella's parents are completely superfluous. She only hangs around because her scatterbrained mom and absent-but-loveable dad need her so much. It's dysfunction with a capital "D".
That said, is getting caught up in Edward's world really any worse than being devoted to a favorite soap opera, a teen TV drama or a reality show? All of those feature teens doing things no youth pastor would condone. It can be easy for parents to adopt the attitude that anything that comes from a Christian source is good and anything from a non-Christian source is harmful. It certainly simplifies the approval process when it comes to movies, books and TV shows. But nothing is perfect, and even the most wholesome fare can become an obsession. So maybe we should spend less time wondering how to keep Twilight out of our teens' hands and more time what we put into them.
As Christians, we should give much more thought to everything we allow to entertain us. It isn't just he wizards and the vampires that pose a threat. In fact, they may be more harmless than the stuff we allow to chip away at our morals everyday. Pop culture is a powerful thing. If you don't think so, ask your family and friends how many Bible verses they can quote and then ask them how many TV theme songs they can sing.