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Book Review: Breaking Dawn (Cliff Notes of the Stephanie Meyer’s series)

Filed under: Reviews | 09/26/2008 (5:53 am) |

Look, I’m a big believer in reading what the kids are reading, so I picked up the first in this crapfest of a series.  I was a big Anne Rice fan during my middle school years, so clearly I’m not against trashy, vampire romances.  For some reason, vampires are sexy.  But Stephanie Meyer makes Anne Rice look like Shakespeare.   I committed to reading the series so that I could then intelligently discuss with my students what my problems were with the books.

So for those teachers who want the Cliff Notes version of this series, here it is so you don’t have to go through the torture that I did.  Not important, you say?  Well this series, supported in large part by tween girls, has outsold J.K. Rowling’s little juggernaut, proving the age-old adage that vampires and virgins do sell after all.

Wake up teachers and parents, these characters and their unemotional, dysfunctional relationships have been adopted as role models for our tweens.  But don’t take the book out of their hands.  Read it yourself, be a part of the discussion, and cast yourself as a voice in their head when they are thinking about things in the quiet of their alone time.

Although in this case, the Cliff Notes version should do:

Book one, Twilight: outsider girl falls in love with cold, unemotional, tortured, vegetarian vamp who won’t tell her the truth about anything, including his feelings towards her.  Think Ethan Hawke in Reality Bites but with a great car and without the tobacco problem. Girl decides that she’s plain and vamps are beautiful and she wants to be one.  Her father (with the depth of Homer Simpson), meanwhile, is totally unattached to reality, doesn’t notice there’s a vampire sleeping in her room each night.  She almost dies.

Book two, New Moon: outsider girl still loves cold, unemotional vamp who has a hard time staying a veggie around her.  He still can’t tell her how he feels, breaks her heart by deserting her (for her own safety, but he won’t tell her that.  Why would honesty help things after all? I mean, there would be no plot if people were up front with each other in this book.  It seems dishonesty is this series biggest plot device.) Meanwhile, a sophomore who turns out to be a warm and fuzzy local werewolf falls in love with her.  He stays by her through thick and thin, protects her, and makes her laugh, but she’s not interested.   Count Coldhearted returns.  She still complains that she’s plain and vampires are beautiful and why can’t they have sex?  He says marriage before sex.  But college first.  She almost dies.

Book three, Eclipse: Despite the wooing of the warm and fuzzy werewolf who loves her, outsider girl still loves cold, unemotional vamp.  Vamp still sleeps in her bed each night sans sex.  They plan a marriage that outsider girl really doesn’t want because she thinks it’s stupid; but if he wants it, and as long as it then leads to sex, she’ll agree.  She still begs cold, unemotional vamp to have sex with her.  He refuses…coldly. Newborn vampires with insatiable blood-thirst go on a rampage in Seattle seeking outsider girl blood.  She almost dies.

Book four, Breaking Dawn: Outsider girl and vamp marry, have sex that almost tears her apart.  She loves it, bruises and all.  She gets pregnant with vamp baby who tries to eat its way out of her.  She gives birth to vamp baby who is soooo precious that everyone wants to protect it.  To save outsider girl, vamp turns her into a vampire but only if she’s under morphine to dull the pain of the conversion.  Morphine makes her unable to scream but she feels everything while it’s going on and can’t react to it, but nobody knows and they think it went all fine and dandy.  She becomes the first vampire with the ability to be vegetarian from the get-go.  Warm and fuzzy loyal werewolf buddy gets zapped by special love-bond with rapidly growing baby and marriage plans are made for yet another interspecies marriage.  Outsider girl finally becomes beautiful and feels accepted.  Oh, yeah, they all almost die. 

In other words, this is clearly a series about a girl who never feels comfortable in her own skin until she’s being emotionally abused by someone who constantly battles his urge to hurt her.  She makes excuses for his hurt and asks for more with each book.  The message in this series is being read by millions of tweens around the world.  

I certainly don’t believe in censoring a school library, and all four books are even in my own classroom library, but my question is this: Where are the adults in this conversation?  Tweens need guidance in reading between the lines.  Tweens need help interpreting and seeing beyond PG-13 sex scenes and vampire violence.  When a book is loved by a tween, they are relating to a character and a situation.  But while I have heard the phenomena of this series discussed by adults, the characters and themes seem to be nowhere in the discussion.  

 

102 Comments »

September 26, 2008 @ 11:39 am #

Homer Simpson? Really? Emotionally abusive? Did you even really read these books?

I can’t help but picture an 80 year old fat woman, with 20 cats in a smelly apartment eating a container of cottage cheese while writing this review and having Oprah on for background noise. Are you unhappily married? Are you even married? Uncalled for I know, I immediately apologize. However, I should suggest to you, read Midnight Sun. It is located on Stephenie’s website. Maybe then you’ll realize how utterly wrong you are about the relationship you try to stereotype.

These books are about passion! Passionate love that defeats all the odds that are placed against them. Undeniable hope and faith. And yes sex AFTER marriage! What is so wrong with that? She is 18 years old when they marry! The same age as my STILL married parents who are celebrating their 43 year anniversary this November. I am a happily married mother and I think this series is wonderful! It is after all a fictitious book. It is a story for entertainment purposes. I will not apologize for calling you a prude.

September 26, 2008 @ 11:53 am #

To be honest. I do think you have a point. The stories seem to tell a story about a girl who seems ot know what she want in life. But gives it all up to keep her vampire boyfriend happy.

She did not want to get married at a young age… But did.

She did not want to have children…. But did.

And don to get me started on the creep factor of Jacob getting the hots for her child…. That’s just… *shudders*

Twilight is fun for light entertainment. But if anyone out there is looking to hook up with a real life Edward should seek serious therapy dealing with neglect and abuse issues.

September 26, 2008 @ 12:14 pm #

Anyone can very easily reduce anything to something that sounds horrible, it’s not that difficult to do, I’ve done it to plently of books, just to see if it could be done or if it only applied to certain things.

These books are about much more than lies, dishonesty and such. You have to look at them in context to the different species, vampires view things differently than humans do. Edward does tell her how he feels. There’s more to Bella than meets the eye. Bella was terrified of marriage but it’s because of her parents and what her mom has said. Just because she’s resistant doesn’t mean it’s horrible.

This series is about love and lets face it who out here can really relate to having a relationship with a vampire? And if you really wonder about the relationship between Bella and Edward look at the end of Breaking Dawn when they are both the same species and how their relationship is then.

I’m not saying that everyone has to love or like this series, or that people have to understand certain things, but I don’t think they should be written off like that.

September 26, 2008 @ 12:26 pm #

Crapfest? hahaha whatever
I hated reading but this book actually got me to read books and enjoy them since them i have been in love with Twilight!
Its an amazing book because the love between Bella and Edward is beautiful and i know everyone has their opinions so if u think is crapfest thats what YOU think.
wow is so weird because today i met a teacher at my high school who totally loves Twilight mmphh weird……

September 26, 2008 @ 1:09 pm #

I do not agree, I think that you are looking at all the negative you have made up out of these books. I’m sure if you are just skimming the books it may seem like Bella gives everything up to be with Edwards but really she didn’t. In the first book she did not have a plan to go to school and become a rocket scientist. She was doing what she thought was best for her mother who she loved more then herself. Only when she meets Edward does she decide what she really wants out of life. That is to be a vampire. I hate when people think that Edward was the one who took all of her dreams away. If anything the books show that he was trying to get her to see how much she was missing before by not living for herself. He wanted her to finish school, he was the one who wanted her to go on to school when she was happy to stay in Alaska and eat birds. From what I saw if Bella hadn’t been making all of her own choices and Edward was in charge then Bella would have still been in school, would have still been human and would not have been with him.

I also think that your assuming that no girls feel the way Bella does prior to reading the books. I think that the reason so many girls relate to the books is b/c they are already feeling insecure and not beautiful. In these books over and over the reader hears how Bella doesn’t think she is attractive but she also hears Edward, Mike, Eric, Jacob etc etc tell her she is. I think that girls reading the story may see that and say hey maybe I am not as ugly as I think, maybe just like Bella I just don’t see myself the way others do.

My daughter hated to read. I forced her to read for an hour each night and we looked for anything that would interest her. She is easily frightened so I wanted to make sure the books would not have blood and gore. I read all four books in a week. The blood and gore I was expecting was absent and I was really relived and amazed at how much I loved the story. I have let my daughter read the first two books and the girl who went from taking a month and a half to read the first HP book took little over a week and a half to read the first twilight. She loved the characters and I would never take that experience away from her. These books made my daughter love to read again and has opened her eyes to other stories as well.

But I do have to say I think all parents should read the entire series before letting a child read them. I have each book slotted for a time when I think my daughter will be ready for it. There are some topics that should be talked about with your kids, but you need to realize that ALL BOOKS are preceptive. Everyone sees something different when they read a book, so the things you pointed out may not be what another person sees. A child may not look at the book and say hey where is the dad b/c in day to day life for a kid Dad is there but they do not see everything Dad is worrying about in the background. They just see Dad. The entire book is written from what Bella sees and she doesn’t see everything. Just like your kid doesn’t see everything.

Thank you and sorry for my little Rant!

September 26, 2008 @ 4:49 pm #

You really have no idea of what the books are really about. let meguess you never fallen inlove with some one or even had the experience.

You read this books with your eyes closed and with a closed mind as well.

September 26, 2008 @ 4:58 pm #

Okay, it’s obvious to me that you probably skimmed these books. If not, then you should be more thorough when you’re reading. In no way is this series perfect. In no way should it serve as some role model for teen behavior..it’s a fantasy. Just like the much lauded Harry Potter…I hope you didn’t go running into walls at the train station after you read that series. Here’s the point, the ultimate theme in this story is love. It is about discovering how to love yourself, which both Edward and Bella have to do in this story. She has to realize that she is beautiful, not because of how she looks, but because of her spirit and selflessness. He has to learn that he has a right to be loved and that he’s not a worthless creature. And they both learn that when you love someone you will go to the ends of the earth for them. Your comment about honesty is unfounded. Edward was completely honest with her from the start about why she shouldn’t be around him, his past, and the fact that if he though she was in too much danger due to his presence he would leave her. You can’t get much more honest than that. And to say that a character is cold and unemotional when he spends half the series gushing about his love for this girl, is about to kill himself when he thinks she is dead, is prepared to fight to the death to save her at every turn and denies his very nature to be near her…I mean, come on. Some guys won’t even turn off the football game for their wives. So, please try not to give advise to parents on books that you haven’t given a fair chance. The fact that the idea of banning a book even appeared in your review shows that you’re somewhat close-minded. Please keep your closed mind in your own classroom.

September 26, 2008 @ 8:19 pm #

I’m sorry you’ve been taking so much unnecessary bashing from twitards. I agree with the points you’ve made. To those who wish to bash me, a few things you need to be schooled on:

1. Edward and Bella’s love ISN’T deep. It’s based on she thinks he’s hot and he thinks she smells good. Last time I checked, those were shallow reasons to love someone.

2. Not only is it shallow, it’s unhealthy, he’s controlling and a stalker while she’s so obsessed with him, nothing matters except for him.

3. The writing is comparable to a fifteen year old writing their first fanfic, it’s that bad. If you can’t accept it, get over it.

September 26, 2008 @ 8:33 pm #

I love how most of the reviews for this so far are basically, “YOU ARE AN OLD VIRGIN WITH CATS WHO CAN’T UNDERSTAND THEIR DEEP LURVE!”

Seriously, I read the first three and you basically summed them up in a nut shell. The fans love to try to drive deep into Smeyer’s writing, but the fact of the matter is that Smeyer leaves nothing to interpretation. These girls are making this book out to be more than it is.

I wish you had gone a bit more into some of the nitty gritty, but eh, still good for a laugh. Thanks.

September 26, 2008 @ 8:55 pm #

Thank you for writing this. After giving the books a fair chance, I gave up on them, for pretty much exactly the reasons you’ve mentioned.

Bella is an emotionally unstable girl who sees no problem with being stalked by a vampire, a vampire who controls her and forces her to do things she wouldn’t want to otherwise. Of course the characters around them think it looks like love; of course the readers think the same. Until there are bruises, broken bones, and broken hearts, what abusive boyfriend doesn’t look like the doting lover?

Honestly, if Twilight were presented with these shades of gray at least mentioned, it could be so much greater. If it just DEALT with these things–at a minimum find a way to prove that Edward isn’t abusive and Bella isn’t a willing victim, and ideally make them have a relationship that isn’t all funshine and rainbow butterflies–it could be a fascinating series, and definitely much more psychological.

Then again, I think if read while telling oneself that it’s actually a horror story and Bella is an unreliable, unstable narrator who can be trusted as much to tell the honest truth as the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart,” it makes for all sort of scary suspense. But playing make-believe for several hundred pages at a time is a bit too much work when I’m trying to read for pleasure. In any case, that isn’t the kind of fluffy vamp romance most teen girls want, it seems.

Thank you for this review; the people who are willing to risk speaking out against Twilight are few and far between, and I wish that weren’t so. At least you’ll be able to discuss the implications of this book series with your students, and try to show them that Bella and Edward are hardly the pinnacle of ideal relationships. But, as you can see from the comments to your review, you’ll have to be very careful about how you go about it. Honestly. People who claim to be MOTHERS accusing you of being a fat 80-year-old cat lady? Of never having married or fallen in love? I’m probably half these women’s ages and I know better than that.

September 26, 2008 @ 9:18 pm #

This is a great review - it’s funny but touches on some of the biggest issues of the book. So I think you’re totally right - I agree with everything you said.

Those d—-s who said that you’re an old virgin are just freaking r—–d. It’s almost funny, really.

So huzzah for you! :)

September 26, 2008 @ 9:50 pm #

Amen!!! It’s good to see a review that actually points out all the things that are wrong with these books. I honestly can’t believe people view these characters as role models, or the books as good writing.

Thanks for being the voice of sanity!

September 26, 2008 @ 11:57 pm #

I like a good vampire story now and then and had never quite understood the hubbub over the Twilight series. So out of curiosity, I read the book with an open mind and found it quite bizarre. I won’t get in to the relationship part since a lot of people mentioned it here but I felt that Bella had it way too easy! For those who are saying she sacrificed a lot to be with Edward, she was practically begging to be turned in to a vampire like a maniac (ex. New Moon when she and Alice were heading for Italy to find Edward and Alice made some remark about turning Bella to a vamp herself). If you’re curious, you can find that example in Chapter 19 (Hate) in New Moon.

Other than going through a depressive mode and a love triangle with herself, Edward, and Jacob, I didn’t see much of a character development in all four books.

I can understand being insecure during the teen years. I’ve been through it myself. But if it’s in her character to just brush off those who had tried to friend her on her first day to run off with vampires…guess I must’ve not been paying attention.

As far as the review goes, it’s spot on. Damsel in distress, almost dies, and it repeats over along with adding characters.

September 27, 2008 @ 6:11 am #

so basically what i’m getting from all the twilight fans’ comments are…”if you don’t like twilight you don’t understand true love and are, in fact, an old loser with no life”
uh…NO. just no.

first of all… TRUE love does not equal staring longingly at eddiekins “perfect sparkly figure”
i know a friend who is in love with someone and doesn’t care that everyone thinks he’s ugly.and i find that beautiful.
true love is loving someone not just for their appearance but for their personality. i don’t think bella and edward even HAD any personality to share with one another in any of the books.

secondly,most of the people critiquing/bashing twilight are not really all losers.
most of the critiquers are really well read people or book reviewers. just because someone’s stated an opinion different from your’s doesn’t make them automatically below you.
fyi, i went out last night.
and i’m going out tonight.
what do most of you twilight fans do?
sit at home and read the books over and over again reliving that giant wet dream of a novel?

September 27, 2008 @ 9:13 am #

While some of your words might have been rather blunt, I have to say I agree on most of your points. :) Bella annoyed the hell out of me and I just couldn’t understand the fascination with cold hard people. (Ooh, does that mean I have no idea what true love is? Poor me.)

Be prepared though of the crazed teenage fans whose hearts and egos you may have broken just because they refuse to see the other side.

September 27, 2008 @ 12:40 pm #

Thank God someone finally understands what a crapfest these books are! Stephenie Meyer should never have been published, except maybe to be an example of bad literature. If I was a teacher, that’s all I’d say about it before ripping it to pieces. Figuratively, then literally.

Sorry if I sound psychotic but I seriously hate these books.

September 27, 2008 @ 4:20 pm #

poe is turning in his grave, i agree with you twilight is horrible. So is eclipise, breakin dawn and whatever crappy name she gave the second book. But all the adults were so thrilled with it I thought ahh. Well yea, don’t be discouraged by all the stuipd comments on here, these girls are goin to be in for a real shock when real life hits them. Or maybe they won’t maybe they’ll be like the twimoms

September 27, 2008 @ 5:51 pm #

*applauds*

If you really must know, the first review you recieved is fairly laughable. The ‘prude’ bit is…non sequiter, really. You don’t have to be a prude to disaprove of a relationship that leaves the girl bruised, hurt, and almost killed at the end of every book.

Edward actually exhibits abusive behavior to Bella the entire series AND THAT IS STILL THERE WITHIN MIDNIGHT SUN.

For Example:

Edward admits to stalking:

“Like a stalker. An obsessed stalker. An obsessed, vampire stalker.” (Midnight Sun, 75)

“Bella was sleeping peacefully when I climbed up to her bedroom window early Monday morning. I’d remember oil this time, and the window now moved silently out of my way.” (Midnight Sun, 153)

“I hovered, invisible in the shadows, where I could follow the object of my love and obsession-where I could see her and hear her in the minds of the lucky humans who could walk through the sunlight beside her,” (Midnight Sun, 157)

“How was I any better than some sick peeping tom? I wasn’t any better. I was much, much worse.” (Midnight Sun, 106)

In fact, Edward qualifies for 7 out of 11 characterizing traits of ABUSERS throughout the series.

They are:

Behaves in an over-protective manner or become extremely jealous?, Threatens to hurt you or himself?, prevents you from seeing family or friends?, gets suddenly angry or “loses his temper”?, destroys personal property or throw things around?, uses intimidation or manipulation to control you?, prevents you from going where you want to, when you want to, and with whomever you want to?

I pity my friends who think their boyfriends should act like this. As a sixteen year old I am ashamed for my generation.

I’m not for banning books either, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think this should be hidden in the very back of the local bookstore/library.

September 27, 2008 @ 8:14 pm #

My first impression of your review is that you’re probably a failed writer who is taking it out on Steph Meyer. Five bucks says this is true. If you have never written, I *will* send you the five bucks. Just email me. Then I will ask you what the hell you’re doing teaching if you’ve never written.

Right now, to the horror of groups like N.O.W. , those “teen girls” (which you seem to have *such contempt* for … what is with that!?) are enjoying a literary form known as a “romance” that does not have “sex” in it. You know, I talked with one of those girls recently, and she said to me, “You know, every other thing I read, they’re having sex by page 6.” But in this series, it doesn’t happen. They kiss. That’s it. (Until the most recent book).

N.O.W.’s problem is political. They are in horror of “traditional values”. These books are simply showing Steph’s values. They ran up millions of readers off the radar. Now, The Usual Suspects are knifing it in the back with reviews like yours, in fact.

Let’s look at your major malfunction of a review.

What assumptions were poured like quick-setting concrete into your head before you picked up one of these books? Let me quote you. You were not a good enough reviewer to bother using quotes, but I am.

“I was a big Anne Rice fan during my middle school years, so clearly I’m not against trashy, vampire romances.”

Oh. Really. So, this *has* to be a trashy vampire romance a la Anne Rice, just like what you read when you were, what, 14? (With Dramatic Tone And Reverb: Back when Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth!! (I can say this, too. I’m fifty.)

“For some reason, vampires are sexy.”

Wow. Do you often scratch your fingernails across the blackboard?

This is so irritating it’s like fingernails. You’re saying,
“For some reason, we stick to the ground when we walk.”
Or, if you insist on it being literary,
“For some reason, a good character and a good plot makes for a good book.”

If you’d *ever* studied this literary form, or talked with someone who had, or even gone to Wikipedia and looked (and I hear you saying, “What’s Wikipedia?”, and there go those fingernails on the blackboard again!), you would KNOW that vampires ARE sex at a very deep fundamental level. Hint: It’s the blood, DAMMIT. Get a clue!

“But Stephanie Meyer makes Anne Rice look like Shakespeare.”
Wow, another one of those completely over-the-top comparisons people make when they absolutely without even one oar in the water. Look: Shakespeare was also helping to invent the modern English language and several of its modern literary forms. There simply is no comparison between him and Anne Rice, because Rice is using a derivative of ONE of Shakespeare’s forms. Your comparison is apples to flippin’ iguanas! This is SO bad it’s just … stupid.

“I committed to reading the series so that I could then intelligently discuss with my students what my problems were with the books.”

SoOOOoo … taking your sentence apart: you wanted to intelligently discuss with your students what your problems were with the books.

To do that, you “committed” (what a dreadful weasel word!) to “read the series”.

And that pretty much says it all. At this point, the jury finds you guilty without having to leave the room.

You read the series to know enough about it so you could lecture the kids on how much it sucks.

And now, we look to your motivation for doing this, and we find it in your words. I am quoting you directly.

“Tweens need guidance in reading between the lines. Tweens need help interpreting and seeing beyond PG-13 sex scenes and vampire violence.”

Oh. My. You’re one of those.

What *you* are angry about isn’t truly the writing style in the books, nor the plot. No, not really. You fibbed.

Let’s tell the truth here with no weasel words like “commit” or “issues” or “situations”.

You’re mad that *you* were not asked for “guidance in reading between the lines” of this series.

Good Grief, those students went out and … READ … those books … WITHOUT YOU! And without you assigning them!

And WITHOUT YOU TELLING THEM WHAT TO THINK about the books!

You are so angry that you “committed” to reading books that you already knew sucked so that you could “discuss” them with students. Please get real. What happens when a student “discusses” a book with a teacher and disagrees with her that the book sucks? The student is of-course wrong. Why, the student gets an F.

You’re furious, because you think teenagers … oh, I’m sorry, is it “tweens” today? … need “help” interpreting and seeing beyond PG-13 sex scenes and vampire violence.”

Uh, hello? *There is no sex*. Kissing is “sex”? HELLO!!! NO SEX! … not until the very last book. And it’s the ” * * * ” sort of sex. The books were wildly popular WITHOUT SEX. There are NO “PG-13 sex scenes”.

Those scenes are in the books that you assign, Teach.

Boy, those damned “teenage girls” really pulled a fast one on you, didn’t they?

Now you can go back to assigning them “On The Road” and other dreadful messes written by folks taking speed and you can tell them what they’re REALLY about, just as I got told, and they will have to write papers to agree with you.

— Dave Small

September 27, 2008 @ 9:56 pm #

I love you for writing this review! We need more reviews that aren’t insane fanbrats going all “OMG EDWARD IS SOOO HOTT!!!1″. Because they honestly can’t seem to notice craptastic writing even when they’re hit over the head with it.

So thank you from an anti-Twilighter.

September 27, 2008 @ 11:37 pm #

I am in awe of the audacity of some people. Are people willing to accept abusive relationships just to preserve “traditional values”? Someone recently mentioned that a girl in her class has been looking up to Bella as her role model, which includes tripping constantly while out on the soccer field. Someone’s fiance was asked if if was okay for him that his future wife wasn’t going to be a good wife because she refuses to cook and clean (the person who asked was that someone’s sister, of all people). Someone who owned a website dedicated to discussing the dark side of Twilight received a disgusting hate letter where the writer wished a miscarriage on her.

Really now, why would anyone want to defend a book series that is bringing out the worst in people?

This is an excellent review that touches upon the problems with Stephanie Meyer’s work.

P.S. Why is everyone so worried about sex? They should be worried about disappearing car engines and sparkly stalkers.

September 28, 2008 @ 5:26 am #

dave small -
your points made no sense.
if you’re trying to defend twilight by saying that they’re good because there’s no sex, i agree with you on that.
BUT there are lots of other better written books with 3-dimensional characters that don’t have sex in them:
pride and prejudice,flipped,emma,romeo and juliet, a midsummer night’s dream, pretties etc.

and the part about “You’re mad that *you* were not asked for “guidance in reading between the lines” of this series. ”
no,i don’t think that’s it.
i think this teacher just wanted to discuss the books with the kids she teaches to see why they like it so much. it’s just like how some teachers watch a UofM vs. Michigan State football game and then go to class the very next day and talk about it with the kids to see what side kids are on.

and trust me, as a highschool freshmen, we’re not reading anything that has sex in it.
last year in 8th grade i read “flowers for algernon”…the original has a sex scene. they cut it out of the version we read.
this year we’re reading romeo and juliet.
so it’s not like they’re teaching us rubbish at school.
and also, i don’t think it’s possible for a teacher to assign a whole book to a class of free will…in my district there’s a strict curriculum. the teachers have trouble fitting everything in the curriculum into the semester. so there wouldn’t really be time for a teacher to assign a book of their choice.

September 28, 2008 @ 5:30 am #

This is an excellent review, but be warned: When word spreads of your disdain for the holy books, you will be deluged with crazed fangrrls who couldn’t catch Russell Brand. They’ll spam your comments section with text-speak, they’ll hack your website and they’ll start sending you death threats as they inevitably do with anyone who expresses a negative opinion of the SMessiah’s epic story of two wuv. These books are little more than gilded turds which teach kids that misogyny, pedophilia, abusive relationships, and lying to your parents are all A-OK. I love the idea of the abstinence message just as much as anyone else, but I don’t think that the bruises and broken bones in this case are worth it– it seems that there are those here who do. It’s absolutely disgusting. These books really do bring out the worst in people, especially the fans.

September 28, 2008 @ 8:19 am #

You know what really amuses me?

The fact that people are taking blows at your personal life to make an attempt to discredit your points.

Surely they need not resort to that in order to put forth a decent argument, right?

In any case, I find your review to be well written, and I’m glad that SOME TEACHERS are actually seeing the books for what they really are. As what was said in previous statements, there is nothing to be interpretated. Whether you want to call this a romance or not, the “love” Bella and Edward share is nothing but lust. After a few weeks, the two of them are making declarations of LOVE and Bella is ready to throw her life away for this cold monster of a man.

This.. is not really believeable. In fact, most serious relationships I’ve read in books tok time to develop the characters and give them a REASON to love each other.

Smeyer has a “tell, not show” style. She has to tell us that Bella is one smart cookie. She has to TELL us that Bella is selfless, generous and kind.

Does she show it? No. Bella is selfish and manipulative. She whines through the entire series, about really stupid things.

Does she cherish her friends? Have worthy ambitions? No and no.

She throws her friends away for her boyfriend. What man encourages a woman to cut herself off from her friends? I guess girls that don’t spend every waking moment with their boyfriend isn’t really in love.

She throws away whatever ambitions she might have had to be with Edward. Now, I understand that she was going to be a vampire and they don’t really need college, but the point is that she was willing to toss everything away to be with Edward.. friends, family.

The cost of love is everything you have. Especially if he controls you.

I think that girls are making this out to be more of an epic than it really is. And then, the fans actually get OFFENDED when people try to criticize the books, and not in a normal, sane way.

These girls are VIOLENT AND SCARY. I’ve heard instances of people having their cars keyed or a group of fans actually tried to attack them physically for their opinions.

I understand debating your points, but honestly, is the violence necessary?

Like the poster above me said, the books really do bring out the worst in people.

September 28, 2008 @ 9:28 am #

I think the most frightening thing here is that many of the fans who defend these books against reviews such as yours and many others are the mothers of the tweens reading the books. That is simply disgusting that a mother would no recognize the dangerous misogyny, stalking, pedophilia, and shallowness portrayed by these books. Books that girls are taking seriously as a way to live. They’re all wanting to be “just like Bella” and hoping to find troo wuv in the form of a cold, dead, sparkly-ass vampire who treats them like property.

As well as all that, the writing itself is horrible. Words are used in the wrong context, the books are 80% fluff about Edward’s appearance, and there is no real, lasting conflict. Edward has about the personality of a shovel and the books have less character development than ‘Everybody Poops’.

You’ve made an excellent point in this review and I hope there are more teachers like you who believe the Twilight series to be sending out such a dangerous message to tween girls.

September 28, 2008 @ 1:57 pm #

[...] week, I posted a review of the Stephanie Meyer Twilight series.  If you’ve read the review, you’ll see I was (to say the least) not a fan.  The [...]

September 28, 2008 @ 3:31 pm #

Thank you so much for being one of the few teachers to write this. Finally someone sees what I’ve been seeing. It’s disturbing to see that some people resorted to personal attacks and believe you to be close-minded because they’re in denial of the truth. I agree with everything you said. The series is horrible. For people to actually believe that this is literature is depressing. It’s upsetting that none of the fans see misogyny, the sexism, pedophilia, lust, and superficialness and misinterpet it as something else. Mothers should not want those things for their daughters. That would lead them right into a dysfunctional relationship. No one should want their daughters to have that image of Bella as what they should strive to be. The girl simply can’t survive on her own and she’s too co-dependent on men. I don’t want the daughter I may have in the future to be continously the damsel-in-distress and to give up everything for a guy. Bella is the worst character I have ever read that isn’t the antagonist. And to point out Edward didn’t take her dreams away; she never had any to begin with.

To go further, the writing is horrible. Yes, it’s fanstasy, however, it doesn’t excuse the lack of realism, the plot holes, and her lack of consistency. She over describes, she constantly tells and doesn’t show, she doesn’t believe in character development, she continually misuses words, and the entire series is filled with mostly filler. And to those that disagree, please don’t try “The Thousand Flies” theory. It doesn’t work. Quality doesn’t not equate with quanity. Just because she’s successful doesn’t mean she isn’t a hack. Furthermore, don’t try the “You haven’t read it routine”. Clearly she’s read it or she would have brought these points up.

Even with Midnight Sun (which should not have been written) Edward is still abusive. He still controls Bella and he’s still a two-demensional.

It’s sad to hear that one would think that the series is about passion or love. Passion about lust yes, but love hell no. It’s baffling to know that most have no one idea what they’re reading. They don’t discover how to love thyself, and they aren’t in love. I doubt the two even know each other. Edward doesn’t gush his love for her. Neither doesn’t give reasons as to why like love one another. They simply wanted to have sex, and Meyer attempted to use the marriage card to make it seem like their in love.

Stephenie Meyer wishes she could be a good a Anne Rice.

September 28, 2008 @ 5:58 pm #

I am deeply disgusted by the girls who are getting violent and offensive and who are throwing personal insults at this reviewer for writing a legitimate critique of this horrid series.

All you fangirls need help. I’m serious. You should not be this emotionally invested in a book with no substance. Maybe if the book dealt with real life problems, maybe then I would understand. But getting this emotional over a book about a girl who falls in lust with a controlling, possesive vampire is just not healthy. Hm…much like Bella’s and Edward’s relationship!

September 28, 2008 @ 6:46 pm #

Oh dear. Your review was made of utter WIN - I’m so sorry that all these people are making personal attacks on you.

The scariest part is that they’re so angry, so ready to defend the books…you’ve hit a nerve there. These are core beliefs. Tread lightly - it’s hard to change them, but there’s some serious stuff that needs to be changed.

Let’s begin critiquing the critiques, shall we?
The book being fiction: This does not excuse it for having sickening themes or being badly written. If someone would like to say that it has no effect on teens, then that someone will have to explain to me why a)commercials are such a huge business, b)why so many girls are copying behaviors/obsessing over from Twilight, and c)why so many people are so angry at the ones who speak against it. This anger extends even to physical attacks and vandalism. It’s like you’ve threatened to stomp on a puppy’s head or something.

The True Love Factor: This is utter…puerile…waste. This never, EVER, excuses Edward’s manipulation or Bella’s obedience. This is no reason for half of the over-dramatic stuff that happens - and fine, you may tell me that because I’ve read the books in a “negative” light, then everything is wrong with me. But when you know that a character has spent how many months completely gone from the world because her boyfriend of three months left her - no honest explanation, no “it’s because I want you to be safe” - there is something wrong.

He was human once. He has lived around humans for many, many years. He said himself that vampires don’t change easily. Why would any of that affect their relationship beyond his martyrdom because of his thirst?

The Abuse: Loving someone does not excuse abuse, girls. In fact, most abusers love someone to the point where they think it’s right to abuse them…because they love them so much. No, he never physically abuses her, unless you count the bruising sex in BD, but he makes her feel worthless (was buying a brand-new beautiful motorcycle necessary? What kind of message was he putting out? What kind of thoughtful boyfriend does this?), tells her she’s silly and fragile and that he could kill her easily…and then talks about how he would kill himself. Take the coward’s way out. Who wants their significant other to die because, oh no, you got in a car wreck? And don’t forget the bizarre jealousy and flip-flop in Eclipse - this is not love. The car thing hypocritical (because aren’t vampires at least as dangerous as werewolves? And have the werewolves even showed the slightest sign of hurting Bella?), manipulative move that, guess what, Bella agrees with.

Shallowness:
Alice’s insane buying. The Cullens’ “helping people” and wasting incredible amounts of resources. Edward talking about wasting fossil fuels and driving like a lunatic. How Bella treats Eric different from Mike - despite identical dialogue - because he’s uglier. How Bella, despite her “deepness”, falls for the pretty boy at school because….? When do they ever talk about hopes and dreams beyond Bella’s “I WANNA BE A VAMPIRE I WANNA BE A VAMPIRE I WANNA BE A VAMPIRE”? When do they ever get to know each other? No, what ends up happening is that she falls for her, no explanation, and he falls for her.

Where is there a plot?

And as for Bella and Edward being amazing…this is a huge case of tell not show. We’re told that Bella is smart and has tough classes - we never hear that she does homework, or that she ever talks about the answers or anything. Edward is so perfect…doing what? Being handsome. Being a plot hole. He doesn’t realize he’s dazzling….but he reads minds. He leaves her in a forest to die, because oh yes, Bella is so strong that she’ll actually walk home after he dumps her. And the old age thing - Oh no, wrinkles!

Nothing makes sense.

And personal attacks just don’t have anything I can really say that I haven’t said already.

September 28, 2008 @ 10:32 pm #

…we all have opinions on this matter…
you guys dont have to argue…
I LOVE TWILIGHT SAGA and if people do not agree with me…then its not my problem or anyone’s problem anymore;))

September 29, 2008 @ 1:13 am #

I’m not even bothering to write a lengthy comment, you’ve covered everything.
I just wanted to comment on the messages you have been left with.
Notice how all these people are turning to personal attacks? What does that tell you? Seriously, what is wrong with you? She doesn’t have to like the book. Simple as that. And she is allowed to write a unfavorable review. There’s a difference between replying with debate points and calling her fat, a prude, telling her she’s never been in love etc, Jeez. It’s a STORY. I’ve heard enough rabid fangirls use that line on me ‘don’t read too much into it, it’s a STORY, OMGGZZ how can you hate it so much,it’s a STORY’. well I’ll use it here. It IS a story. You’re writing page long comments abusing the poor woman because she doesn’t like..A story.It’s very hypocritical to lecture her on being negative when you’re posting nasty comments. Hello? You’re saying don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Well, take your own advice. To all the people saying oh I’m a grown woman I’m married and I like it SO THERE! Ahh…So what? What’s your point? You think she’s gunna say OHH I didn’t realize a MARRIED woman likes the story,my opinion is so worthless! I bow my head in shame! I RECANT! I RECANT! Yeah. Kudos to all the Twilighters who acknowledged everyone’s allowed their own opinions, thanks for actually getting it :-)

September 29, 2008 @ 6:43 am #

I have to agree with everyone that believes you have never been in love or had any experience. I am only 16 years old so of course I’m not the most experienced person in the world but I still agree with them. I think that you should realize that it’s a fictitious story that will never happen because Edward is a vampire for crying out loud! As the story states vamires see things differently that humans do. He is not unemotional becuase he loves Bella and does everything he can to keep her safe, even from himself. (You should read Midnight Sun on Stephenie’s website and see if you can call him unemotional then.) That’s why he leaves in New Moon because he wants to save her from him.
And also it’s saying that you should wait until AFTER you’re married to have sex witch is good advice as far as I’m concerned. In case you didn’t notice the only reason she doesn’t want to marry Edward so young is because she is afraid her mother will be mad. She also mentions that people will think she is knocked up but shes not because they HAVEN’T had sex so it really shouldn’t matter. I do have to admit that Jacob imprinting on Renessmee is weird but remember that these people live forever so age doesn’t really factor in anymore. And yeah they almost die in every book but what should you expect from hanging out with vampires and werewolves all the time?
GET A GRIP!!!

September 29, 2008 @ 10:27 am #

ARE YOU ON CRACK? ARE YOU INSANE? DID YOU EVEN READ THE BOOKS? They arent exactly unemotional, the farthest thing from it.
“I committed to reading the series so that I could then intelligently discuss with my students what my problems were with the books.” Soooo…… you havent, at this point, even read the books, but you need to read them so can “intelligently discuss with my students what my problems were with the books” but you havent read them. How exactly do you have problems with them BEFORE YOU READ THEM???
“This is clearly a series about a girl who never feels comfortable in her own skin until she’s being emotionally abused” Uh, hate to burst your bubble, theres no abuse except the accidental case in New Moon, and thats it. As for the self-esteem, Im going to take a wild guess and say that you dont think youre too hot either.
“Vamp still sleeps in her bed each night sans sex.” You have a problem with this?
“Trashy”. THERES NOT A SINGLE SEX SCENE!!!!!!!

September 29, 2008 @ 3:29 pm #

Since when does being old, a prude, single/unhappily married, or having low self-esteem (not saying the writer of this article is any of those things) make one’s opinion any less valid than the opinion of a whining fangirl who’s got the debating skills of a snail?
Seriously, can’t you fangirls type ANYTHING that doesn’t make you look like a bunch of spoiled brats who can’t handle people disagreeing with you?
It’s an opinion. It’s different from yours. Get over it.

September 29, 2008 @ 5:09 pm #

I agree, there is much more need of adult conversation in this.
I fear that so many girls are going to grow thinking that the behaviour of a cold hearted abuser is romantic.
What will happen is they themselves end up with a controlling boyfriend. Will they have the courage they need to leave, or will they stay in the relationship because “he only does it because he loves me”

I welcome you to come to Twilightsucks.com anytime and join in our discussions. On our forum we have a variety of haters, antis(such as myself), former fans and fans. In many senses the site does what needs to be done- it opens debates on the themes and underlying messages of the series, are the book sexist? Why can’t Charlie cook? Edward is abusive!

Anyway, you are always welcome.

September 29, 2008 @ 6:22 pm #

I have to disagree with every single person who says that this woman has never been in love. When you have decided that someone will be that large an influence in your life, you realize your priorities in what aspects of your life you let them control.

Do you honestly want a boyfriend who refuses to let you see your best male friend because, oh no, he has a little anger issue? Even though he’s never even come close to hurting you? What about the adage, “If you love it, let it go”?

Girls, in real life, this would not lead to a big change of heart, but rather, a battered woman in most cases. I believe this reviewer has a very good idea of what she would excuse in the name of love, and what she wouldn’t. It’s a healthy skill to learn.

September 29, 2008 @ 7:06 pm #

Thank you! Finally, someone who sees these books for what they really are. Great job.

Oh, and I love how the fans are being so mature about this. A little difference in opinion and they go nuts…

September 29, 2008 @ 9:27 pm #

Oh wow. How immature and shallow can you people be?

So, because she didn’t like this horribly written “love” books, she’s automatically lonely and devoid of compassion, unable to recognize love? I’m pretty sure love doesn’t include oiling a girl’s window so she won’t wake up as you sneak in to watch her sleep.

I can’t even begin to say how awful Meyer’s writing is, especially in respect to love and relationships. Email me and give me more than five reasons why Bella and Edward are the epitome of “true love”. I wasted my time reading the entire series and all I got was Edward thinks she smells good and Bella thinks Edward’s hot. Beyond that, their interaction is basically “I love you more!” “No, I love YOU more!!” Those two are the most shallow and frustrating characters to read about.

And I totally agree. These books are put out as harmless, pro-abstinence books. Meyer’s more impressionable readers are being told through these books that finding a hot guy is the end-all, be-all of human existence, and it’s okay to put up with any of his abuse (emotional AND physical) in order to get that.

It pains me that teachers are actually assigning Twilight as required reading, and pushing the classics off to the side. It fucking pains me.

My email is kchildz1109@yahoo.com if any of you want to debate this further. I would be happy to talk with you, as long as you keep caps lock to a minimum and don’t include any personal attacks.

September 30, 2008 @ 3:39 am #

i totally agree with this and for all who do, try http://www.twilightsucks.com. the forums are great enjoy it.

the comments about the unfought for happy ending are right and it makes me sick.

its not love!

ENJOY

September 30, 2008 @ 5:35 am #

I’ve been hearing lots of stories about school librarians and teachers gushing over the “merits” of this ridiculously awful series so let me tell you as a fellow anti-Twilight person that your review is a breath of fresh air. And believe me, I understand that you’re receiving a lot of hilariously idiotic responses to this article and more than a few are probably going to include absurd and rude ad hominem attacks… But take heart! Others before you have fought the fray of the mad throes of brainwashed fans and come out alive on the other end. ;) Hell, I’ve received 2000+ comments on my series of three Twilight articles, most of which were vile tripe spewed from the mouths of babes, and I’m still standing. And laughing. :)

In any case, great article. So glad you wrote it and if you ever feel like venting your frustration, don’t hesitate to let me know.

September 30, 2008 @ 9:10 pm #

ok I read a comment from ’sara’ and I think It was completely idiotic! Edward doesn’t love her JUST because she smells nice!(In the fourth book she doesnt’ smell like that when she turns into a vamp herself and he still loves her more than anything!) Also Bella doesn’t love Edward JUST because he’s hott or sparkles in the sun. In the very beginning before she even thought of him as a vampire she would feel a shrill of happiness when she even said his name and wasnt’ even looking at him. Their love was something that was SO STRONG, SO SPECIAL it couldn’t even exist in the natural world.

October 1, 2008 @ 7:36 pm #

Katie
Why do they love each other? What qualities are they attracted to in one another?

October 1, 2008 @ 8:32 pm #

Exactly.

Give me some reasons why they like each other.

Also, liking him because she feels a “shrill of happiness” (I assume you mean thrill) when she says his name is not love, it’s hormones. You can’t base a relationship off moronic things like that. Maybe you feel that when you’re crushing, but eventually it goes away.

October 4, 2008 @ 8:16 am #

Everyone has a diffrnet style of reading and what they like so why does everyone care so much who likes this book? How do you think Stephanie Meyers feels knowing that she bacicly has a hate site. she worked really hard to write all these book and guess who it was for….. the people no one said you HAD to read it so just shut the hell up.

October 4, 2008 @ 11:23 pm #

Bekka-why do you care so much about who DOESN’T like the book? Don’t be so hypocritical, and that whole “How would Stephenie Meyer feel?” shtick is getting old. Meyer is a published author, and as a published author she must accept the fact that not everyone is going to kiss her ass and drool over her writing. Also, the books are not for “the people,” as Meyer specifically stated she wrote them for herself. And YOU close your mouth before you start spewing ignorant quibble filled with spelling and grammatical errors.

I agree wholeheartedly with this review and am amazed at how popular these mediocre books have gotten. I fear for the future of the literary world, not that it’s already going down the drain or anything, of course. /sarcasm

October 5, 2008 @ 1:15 am #

While I understand while young girls like this series… Oh, wait. I don’t.

Keep writing, teacher. This whole series disgusts me.

October 5, 2008 @ 6:39 pm #

Ignore the poor souls that cannot see beyond the wonder of pretty, sparkling, god-like animated corpses. They cannot see the error in their ways.

But we can try to make them see, as useless a battle it may be. So kudos to you, tweenteacher!

PS - Regarding how Steph feels? Freaking great. I would too, if I had all that money.

Great job.

October 7, 2008 @ 4:20 pm #

First of all, I would like to tell the writer of this article that you were rather harsh when reviewing the books. A good review should be well-rounded and point out the good as well as the bad.

HOWEVER!

There have been too many creepy replies from people who say they are “mothers” (I don’t believe you for a second, “moms”) and teenage girls that need their bubbles burst so they can fall back to reality. I have met some Twilight fans that are actually normal and can actually have a conversation about them. But there are many more times when I have felt my life being threatened for simply saying– and I quote– “They’re okay.”

And for all you people trying to argue against Edward being abusive… Sorry to tell you but he is. Abusive is not just hitting. He is cutting her off from the outside world, leaving her with no friends and no ambitions in life other than being undead. The only thing he doesn’t cut her off from is her family because she was pretty much doing that all by herself. I used to critisize Jodi Picoult’s writing for being so depressing, but at least she has the gall to write about actual issues that need to be discussed. And, Heavens to Betsy, she can actually present both sides of the story!

I find it amusing that the twiterds are so insulted they resort to downright verbal abuse. And yet they wonder why you have no faith in them? And for the argument that it’s “just a book” and why should we hate it? Well, if it’s “just a book” why do you fans hate me for having a different opinion?

And to ’sally’ (BTW, it’s spelled “basically”): Actually, people HAVE told me I had to read this book, so why don’t YOU shut the hell up, as you so lovingly put it?

I applaud every anti-Twilighter for putting up with this crap.

(Note- for a *real* modern vampire story, go read ‘Peeps’ by Scott Westerfield. Unlike Twilight, this is a believable twist on the old takes that explains more of the myths than Twilight even bothered to attempt.)

October 10, 2008 @ 2:09 pm #

Ok, so yes, I’m a tween mom and I loved twilight as did my daughter. Am I her to bash you and call you a prude? No, of course not. Do I agree with your review? Not a chance. I am going to attempt what many people commenting here were not able to do; disagree without acting like a 2-year-old.

First of all, this is a fictional novel. I don’t think you are giving our tweens enough credit to know that this is in fact a fantasy. Secondly, for those girls out there that are pining for Edward and acting like Bella, blame your parents and not the book. It’s up to us as parents to teach our children the difference between reality and fantasy, not the media.

I think your review has taken a very, very shallow look at the characters in this book. You don’t give Bella any credit for standing up to Edward in order to see Jacob, or for taking care of her mother when her mother should have been taking care of her. As for Edward, I think he is way too complex of a character to just say he is an unemotional abuser. If anything, he is over emotional and only wants to protect Bella because he feels responsible for putting her in harm’s way (which he kinda does). He is saddled with enormous guilt for putting her in a situation that will cause her to lose her soul. If he was an unemotional abuser, I don’t think that would have bothered him so much and he just would have changed her at the end of the first book. I guess that would be fine with you, that way you wouldn’t have had to read the other 3 books.

I think that your “Cliff Notes” version is a little weak and it’s clearly obvious that you took on reading these books with a negative slant. JMHO.

October 10, 2008 @ 8:20 pm #

^ That’s the most sensible thing I’ve heard from a Twilight fan, ever (though I don’t agree).

October 11, 2008 @ 3:11 pm #

i disagree with you.I’m 15.i do have to admit that edward can be controlling but he grew up at the turn of the centruy where women was viewed as weak.Its true how some of this can set a bad example but the readers have to remember this is fiction.I am also a little disappointed how you don’t give my age group a chance.Most of us are able to tell the difference between real life and fantasy.Also Bella did stand up for herself and Edward keep stalling her so he wouldnt have to change her.A

October 11, 2008 @ 3:20 pm #

and yes teenagers really shouldnt take it out on you since everyone has an opinion and im sorry how they take it out on you.im embarrssed for them.also not all should read the saga.it is after all for young adults so 8 year olds shouldnt read it but teenagers are young adults so even though i disagree with you i respect your opinion but i have to make this point why are you making it avaible even though you dont like it or dissaree with the message its giving?and nowhere is there sex for that im grateful since theres already enough.and if you hate there book you should at least call the author by her real name ive never seen so much disrespect to a person because she wrote a book who everyone is starting to take out of context!its a book series about a love story between a vampire and a human like true blood on hbo which is worse in some way since it has sex in it.At least last time i checked if you get the teacher mad she/he grades you harder and hates your guts for the rest of the year.

October 11, 2008 @ 9:16 pm #

Thank you so much for posting this but I’ll be replying to lisa. I’m a 14 year old girl so before lisa decides to make stupid assumptions you can know I’m very young, live in a house with my parents, brother, one cat, and a guinea pig. And I’m not Bella so I’m not married. Mkay Mr. Sillybear?

Anyway this book is shit. Oh! And I should mention, I’ve read every single book in the series except Breaking Dawn but that wasn’t much of a book to begin with. But before you say, “!!!!” to me you should know why.

Well Bella is weak. I hate that. She submits so easily and quickly. Strangely enough, the movie looks decent…then kills it by saying you’re my life now.

Edward is so controlling. The vampires sparkle. (WTF?) Everything is centered around their unhealthy relationship. It’s stuffed full of purple prose. It’s basically shitty fluff. Like someone said once, if my pillow was stuffed with the amount of fluff in this book, I’d have to sleep sitting up.

There’s no plot at all. But remember everyone, “I guess my brain will never work right…at least I’m pretty.”

October 14, 2008 @ 1:49 am #

Haha, this is a controversial subject.

I have to agree with you for most of it, although I am a fan. I realised half way through the series, she was interested in him because he’s so attractive, & he was interested in her because he couldn’t hear her thoughts & she smelled so incredible. Although it may all be a bit shallow, I think people are attracted to someone in the first place, & usually it does start out physical.

In the end, it’s more than just attraction. They’re willing to die for each other. I think that’s one of the main things that got me so gripped. It’s gotten me back into reading again (except for the fact I don’t want to read anything that isnt about vampires & love).

I can see both points of view.

October 14, 2008 @ 9:11 am #

to tweenmom

Though you’re comment was pretty well-rounded, you really did not start out strong with the “fictional novel” comment.

ALL novels are fictional!

October 15, 2008 @ 7:47 am #

To Canadian Girl:

Excuse me for being redundant, but I was doing so to emphasize my point that the story is not real. A lot of people on both sides of this argument seem to be forgetting that.

October 15, 2008 @ 8:58 pm #

As a fourteen year old, I am ashamed and thoroughly apologize for how horrendous my generation is being.
I despise these ‘books’, these faulty failures that are falsely labeled literature. Why? Abusive Edward, who belittles poor, ignorant Bella’s suffering every chance he gets. He’s ‘hot’, but why? I read his description, and to be honest, I find Eric more appealing. Yes, Eric. The oil slick hair, his skin problems! How unique! How special! How very… human. What’s wrong with being something other than gorgeous?
Bella describes every character she dislikes as ugly: fishlike eyes, nasally voice, overly-helpful. But people she does like, as in the case of Mike, seem to be attractive. All the characters who are ‘nice’ have pretty faces, described in great detail. I’ll take zits and gross eyes any day, just please give me some personality here!
Run on, run on. My ramblings are incoherent because there’s so much to hate. The only way I could ever see someone liking Twilight is because they are either very bored, very stupid, or will only read something awful because- HEY! It has hot guys!

In the immortal words of Stephenie Meyer herself, I am very “chagrined”.

October 16, 2008 @ 7:00 am #

I agree these books are horrible almost bewitched I have seen first hand the obsessive nature that my wife and daughter have begun to have since reading the books. I am very afraid they keep reading and will not stop,my wife was up until 3:30 am reading this book we got into a big argument and she tried to tell me that the books were good I was just messed up

October 16, 2008 @ 2:28 pm #

This is hands-down one of my favorite Twilight Saga reviews! Bravo! That being said, I feel it necessary to divulge that I am *gasp* a devoted 24-year old Twilighter!

On my first read-through (August 2008), I finished the Saga in 72 hours and immediately began them again. I’m now on my 6th read-through, and I have to say that I gain a more developed appreciation for them each time I finish. It’s certainly not because they are good works of fiction (they aren’t) or because it’s a gripping love story (it isn’t). Months later, I still have to wonder, “why do I keep reading?”

I agree with tweenmom about these characters being very complex, but based on SM’s writing style, how in the world would a reader be expected to glean that so easily? She spends so much time “telling” us about events that her attempt to “show” us the characters nearly fails! Instead, readers will only catch what she “tells” about the characters: Edward is obviously a classic emotional abuser, and Bella has very little self-esteem of which to speak. Oh, and what little plot exists is unsatisfying and irritating.

So why do I keep reading?

It’s kind of like asking why we keep watching Disney. Much of the Disney fare suffers from the same shortfalls: underdeveloped characters, insufferable plot lines, misogyny, anti-feminism, overt pro-capitalism; the list is infinite. I mean, there’s a reason that “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid” aren’t on the same Top 10 lists as “Citizen Kane.” That doesn’t mean that Disney is useless, does it?

I certainly wouldn’t want any daughter of mine to idolize Bella any more than I would Jasmine or Ariel, but I think there is something young women can gain from Bella’s story (other than a more sophisticated appreciation for classic literature).

Here is where I must agree with you Heather: Parents, read the book with your kids and talk about it! Even if your kids are reading trash, they are reading. Talk about why it is trash. Talk about how it could have been written better. Write some fiction together that develops these characters better than SM did in the Saga. Imagine how the story would change if Bella loved herself or if Edward weren’t a controlling, obsessive weirdo. Create a new story from an imperfect one.

For all its imperfections, I love this series. I don’t think any of the characters made wise decisions, I don’t OME! all over the message boards, and I don’t think this will ever make it into the “literature” section of any bookstores. But despite the “Bella’s-in-trouble-and-Edward-saves-her- FLIP-REPEAT” story lines, I think it’s somewhat entertaining and can inspire discussion, Twilight Saga aside, about what constitutes “good” storytelling, what love should and should not look like, what sacrifice truly means, and proper use of the word “chagrin.” ;-)

So, I’ll keep my Twilight book and my Aladdin DVD and search for the real lessons they have to offer.

October 16, 2008 @ 2:50 pm #

Thank you so much for posting this but I’ll be replying to lisa. I’m a 14 year old girl so before lisa decides to make stupid assumptions you can know I’m very young, live in a house with my parents, brother, one cat, and a guinea pig. And I’m not Bella so I’m not married. Mkay Mr. Sillybear?

Anyway this book is %$#@!. Oh! And I should mention, I’ve read every single book in the series except Breaking Dawn but that wasn’t much of a book to begin with. But before you say, “!!!!” to me you should know why.

Well Bella is weak. I hate that. She submits so easily and quickly. Strangely enough, the movie looks decent…then kills it by saying you’re my life now.

Edward is so controlling. The vampires sparkle. (WTF?) Everything is centered around their unhealthy relationship. It’s stuffed full of purple prose. It’s basically $#@y fluff. Like someone said once, if my pillow was stuffed with the amount of fluff in this book, I’d have to sleep sitting up.

There’s no plot at all. But remember everyone, “I guess my brain will never work right…at least I’m pretty.”

October 16, 2008 @ 9:08 pm #

Thank you for posting this, even though you might be eaten alive by angry fantards. I could tell you read the books and interpreted them for what they really were. I’ve tried reading it just to see what all the fuss was about, and nothing hit me to say that it’s a best seller. Seriously, I think I almost lost some IQ points from reading 3 pages of the second book. It’s sad to see how many teens these days can become obsessed with a book that holds no real substance of what a book should be as a best seller.

October 19, 2008 @ 1:15 am #

Just thought you’d like to see our coverage on your review!

http://twilightersanonymous.com/twilight-series-review-crapfest.html

- Jake

October 20, 2008 @ 1:43 am #

Jake-

This is why Twilight fans come off as nuts. You posted a review on your site so you could all bash it?

She does not like it. Neither do many people.

SO WHAT!?

October 20, 2008 @ 4:30 am #

While I agree that Breaking Dawn might be a tad innapropriate for 13/14 year olds, I could not agree less with the rest of it. Edward’s anything but unemotional, the relationships aren’t dysfunctional and the ‘Stephanie (it’s stephEnie btw) makes Anne Rice look like Shakespeare’ comment is so severely warped it’s not even funny. Stephenie Meyer is one of the greatest authors there is, Shakespeare had nothing on her. I could keep goin with this ramble but I have come to accept the fact that some people just DON’T GET IT. There’s a reason Twilight is a bestseller, it’s GOOD (and fantastic, and amazing and every other synonym you can think of). So if you people can possibly fail to see that then just don’t read it. The Twilight Saga deserves to be read by people who can truly appreciate the beauty of it, it’s the best thing I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot. So back off.

October 21, 2008 @ 6:52 pm #

^ I hope someone can appreciate the irony in the statement “Twilight is good, fantastic, amazing, any other synonym you can think of”.

One of the reasons Meyer’s writing is so awful is because all she does is re-use (often incorrectly) the same twenty synonyms for “pretty”. Edward is glorious. Edward is scintillating. Edward is incomparable. Edward is breathtaking. Edward is incandescent. Edward is perfect.

Reading a lot doesn’t make your opinion more valid, it just makes it more depressing that, after being exposed to (I’m assuming a lot here, of course) much better literature, you can’t recognize the crapfest Twilight really is.

SHAKESPEARE has nothing on STEPHENIE MEYER?! Are you JOKING?!?

I quote Oscar Wilde: “Everything popular is wrong.” Crappy books, music, and movies have been popular. Popularity does not automatically mean quality. Just because legions of hormonal fangirls rush out to hand their money over to Stephenie Meyer doesn’t hold ONE IOTA of proof that she’s a great writer.

I agree, I don’t think Edward’s totally unemotional, but he’s condescending…and moody…and jealous…and overprotective…and controlling…

“So back off.” No. We are allowed our opinions.

If you want to debate this further, because I don’t want to keep clogging up this comments page, you are welcome to email me at kchildz1109@yahoo.com.

October 22, 2008 @ 1:04 pm #

I would actually like to give SMeyers kudos for worming her way in to the vulnerable fangirls heart. It just proves that you can have absolutely no talent for writing and still make a mint as long as you know what makes fangirls tick.

So here’s to you, SMeyers! Not only have you raped the fiction world with your poor writing, you’ve also given plenty of girls unrealistic expectations of a “perfect relationship”.

And remember Twihards, life is not worth living unless you devote your entire being to your hawt vampire lover.

October 22, 2008 @ 8:45 pm #

To TweenMom: Saying the words “fictional novel” is a death sentence in a query letter. If you say it to any good writer, literary agent or publisher they will laugh at you for apparently not knowing what a novel is, or feeling that you need to emphasise that a novel is fiction - all novels are fiction.

The problem isn’t that we forget that Twilight isn’t fiction, but that Twilight is BAD fiction.

October 23, 2008 @ 5:06 am #

You make some great points. =)
It brings back some hope reading articles like this one.
As for Midnight Sun, it only gives you more proof of Edward’s controlling and frightening nature. He actually calls himself a stalker (”I feel like a stalker…”. xD

October 23, 2008 @ 5:40 pm #

Woah, finally someone who notices the reality behind those books, sad that most people are still blinded by them.
I read every book in the series.
I tried to like them, and always tought that they would get better.
But their the worst books i’ve read, and i’ve read a lot.

October 24, 2008 @ 7:08 am #

Just because this woman doesn’t like Twilight doesn’t mean she’s never been in love. She may be married, or have alot of experience. You don’t know.

The main reason why I hate these books is that SMeyer never seems to have had an editor or any sort of proofreader. The grammar (at least in the first book) is atrocious, and she misspells simple words. Within all of the books, she is too wordy and repeats in a way that is not prose like, just like a record skipping. The sentences do not flow. I’m not saying that all books with bad grammar are bad (Faulkner being an example) but this one doesn’t use it for effect, this one is just sloppy.

October 24, 2008 @ 9:04 pm #

I admire you. Lots. There are so many people who love this book that it’s annoying. Every day, in my first period class (I’m a student, you see), I hear “Edward is so romantic/hot/awesome/beautiful” and I just want to scream at my peers, “He’s not romantic! He’s emotionally abusive, controlling, a stalker, and crazy.”

Alas, I am forced to listen to that daily. However, my English teacher respects my opinion and doesn’t say anything, although I think she might like it.

I more or less agree with everything you said. You’ve been able to point out things that I haven’t seen as well, such as how Bella constantly asks to be abused. As a tween myself, I fear for the future.

October 30, 2008 @ 5:38 pm #

WOW.
That is all I want and have to say to you at this second. I can’t believe that someone would write that about this book.
So, in case you didn’t get any of what I said:

October 30, 2008 @ 5:44 pm #

WOW.
That’s all that I can really think of to say at this second…I DISAGREE WITH YOU.
I think that, although you do have a point about the whole ’sex’ thing this book is fantastic. In my opinion this book but a twist on the normal romance.
In today’s society everyone has the books about a masochistic guy who is beyond selfish but changes when he falls in love with a girl, or about some other predictable story where your never on the edge. This book has all of what you need to keep you turning every page.
It has danger, hope, love, anger, desire; it makes you want to find out what is going to happen.
I think that anyone who doesn’t realize that this book isn’t about the…fact that he is a vampire who won’t have sex with his girlfriend, but really a book about two people being able to find somethings in their lives worth living for is denser then they think.
I believe that you didn’t really get he point of it, but then again why would we have a democratic system if we saw things the same way?

October 30, 2008 @ 6:28 pm #

I hate when people say, in response to people who don’t like Twilight, “You just don’t get it!!”

Two people who find something worth living for? Bella and Edward are such bland characters - what do they have to live for other than each other? That is NOT LOVE. You have to have other interests and outlets than sitting around staring at your sparkly hawt boyfriend.

Yeah, you’re right; we “just don’ get it”. Or, we got it, and realized what shit it was.

November 2, 2008 @ 9:36 pm #

I’m a few pages into Twilight, I’m reading it so I can decide if what looks like a potentially good movie will really be worth it.

I’m not overly disgusted so far - in fact the prologue got my attention and I’ve read a few chuckle-worthy statements in the first few chapters.

Overall I don’t think this is a stupendously bad book so far, but I can already tell it isn’t a Dostoevsky comparable work of literature.

As an aside to the rabid fans: While reading these responses, I ignored every one of you that started with personal attacks, but paid attention to those who presented a succinct response. Think about that.

November 3, 2008 @ 5:10 pm #

I am a rabid fan of vampire/were/supernatural fiction in all its forms and have been for many years. I love the fantastical aspect blended with modern settings. The idea that my next door neighbor might just be a werewolf (she really does turn into a lunatic once a month though).

I enjoyed the first three books (I pretend the series ended with Eclipse) in the twilight series but I am not an out of my mind psycho fan. They are not written for my age group and I granted the series a lot of leeway understanding that its target audience was much younger. I am not stating this to be condescending, just to clarify my mind frame as I read the books.

Why I like the books:
They are fluffy, feel good; love at first sight conquers all stories with supernatural characters. I did not fine the characters or stories complex, but I didn’t think they needed to be either. (Don’t shoot me).

To borrow something from the original review poster

Book one, Twilight; Lonely girl falls in love with attractive quite boy who is keeping a whole bunch of secrets because he feels he has too. Girl feels insecure and solitary in a new environment and struggles to identify herself. She feels compelled to investigate boy due to initial attraction and plain curiosity. Boy feels pulled between emotional attraction to girl and the basic physiological response he feels for her because of his species. Upon spending time with girl boy falls in love for the first time. Rogue vamps, car accidents, forbidden love, good versus evil, high school drama, (OMG can you say prom!!!) all collide in this fantasy story designed to for the younger masses.

Is it Pride and Prejudice or Romeo and Juliet? No.
Is it an awe inspiring phenomenally well written story? No, the character dialog and grammar made me wince here and there. But the story was sweet, simple and obsessive like most first love is.

Was it entertaining? Yes
Did it speak to its target audience? Yes and even some of us outside it.

Other Fantasy/supernatural book suggestions:
For teens:
L.J. Smith: Night World books.
PC Cast and Kristin Cast: House of Night books
Rachel Caine: The Morganville Vampires

For Adults:
Patricia Briggs: Mercy Thompson books
Carrie Vaughn: Kitty and the Midnight Hour
Marie V. Snyder: Poison Study
Anne Bishop: The Black Jewel Trilogy

All of the above is based on personal opinion and everyone is entitled to have one. /wink
<3

November 11, 2008 @ 5:40 pm #

I’ve read the first three books, and I can’t say they were that good. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and that includes people who dislike the book.
Those who like the book have already made their voices quite clear, now why is it so terrible and evil to let someone express their dislike of the book? Why do the fans feel the need to jump at them like many of them do and accuse them of being old and never having felt love and etc.-in other words, attacking them personally?

-I dislike the Twilight books because of grammatical errors, incessant stalking, the annoying ‘I’m so not pretty but Edward is soooo hot’, the fact that I should not have read these books, and simply because of how rude so many fans are to those who dislike it. A fictional book is not worth that much, to insult someone who is REAL and give more importance to the book and characters who are not real.

-Also, as someone else pointed out, all the actual normal-seeming people are portrayed as undesirable. It’s the ‘hot’ guys that are given the attention and the ‘hot’ ones everyone is after. That is, indeed, sad. I do that in my writing too, occasionally-all the characters will be really pretty or really handsome and even though I try to make their emotions and etc. as realistic as possible, they still are all ‘perfect’-beautiful eyes, perfect hair, perfect skin, etc. I guess that means that I, too, have bought a bit into that lie the media is throwing at girls, saying being super skinny, pimple-less and ’sexy’ is the way to go; and actually being interesting, having a personality, and having a real life is ‘boring’.

-yes, yes, Bella does wear appropriate clothing and there’s no sex. So it wouldn’t make sense that, with Meyer’s values and the choice of clothing she has made Bella prefer, Bella would be throwing herself at Edward.

-I’m not old

-I have been in love, and no, it’s not all ‘he’s so hot and he sparkles’. You have real conversation, you do stuff that both of you enjoy, you learn about each other’s hobbies, favorite color, stuff like that. He was ‘average’ by the world’s standards, he had acne, and he called himself a nerd. However, he was one of the most interesting, intellectual, talented, wonderful, kind people I have ever met. I’d take him any day over the ‘perfect’ man who has little depth, likes to stalk and so many other things.

-I’ve read thousands of books and no, Bella and Edward are not the most interesting 3D characters, nor is their story the best love story-in my opinion.

-Lord of the Rings, Hamlet (though depressing and occasionally disturbing), and To Kill a Mockingbird are much more interesting than Twilight. They have more depth, more character.

-One of the most important things-yes, I do actually have a life. Just as I’m sure all the fans of Twilight have lives. I go to college, I work, I have fun as well (writing, reading, watching favorite shows with family and friends, going on walks, drawing, etc.). However, I also like communicating with people via the internet, and one of those wonderful people pointed this site out to me. :)

November 12, 2008 @ 9:16 am #

I kinda agree with you. I am reading New Moon now only because my bookclub is reading it and I cannot turn down a book even knowing what will become of it. I am a librarian and I would not recommend the series to anyone. I see that many people like it and i am sorry if I offend anyone but we all have different tastes and I think we should all share our views and not get crude with those who are in dissagreements it only makes those look childish.

November 17, 2008 @ 9:46 pm #

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with this review.

November 17, 2008 @ 10:00 pm #

finally, someone who sees the light!

November 26, 2008 @ 10:49 pm #

Ok so I just want to start off by saying that even though your a teacher your sooooo dumb. I’m sorry, your this stupid and your a teacher? Who the hell hired you?! The books were amazing and so was the movie, I hiley recommend getting a labotamy. I happen to be a 16 year old teenager who loved the books and loved the movie, and if I could choose being me and being in belles situation I would choose belle. Not to mention that “Tweens”, don’t need stupid adults around to “Help” them, so go back to school, THEN take your job back, because you have noooooo idea what the hell your talking about. And why does every book or movie have to have a “message” or something? Not all movies and books are going to influence the way “Tweens” are going to act or think. I’ve come to relize that every book or movie that is about a “Tween” (Juno, Twilight, Ect.) Adults always frown on because they think its bad or because they think of how its going to influence “Tweens” or whatever. What about your precious “Anne Rice” or “Margret Mitchell” or whoever is soooooooooo damn good. Use your brain, that is IF you even have one. THANK YEW! x]

November 26, 2008 @ 11:29 pm #

I hiley recommend learning to spell.

November 27, 2008 @ 6:01 pm #

Honestly, I think the phrases ‘tortured’ and ‘unemotional’ hardly belong together, they’re complete opposites after all.
I’m not a ‘tween’, yet i still found the books fantastic. If you don’t want to read a fantasy book, then simple don’t pick one up. It’s sad that people still find the need to completely criticise a book, to be honest it’s pathetic. Yes in parts it could have been written better, and the story shouldn’t have taken as long to get into, but honestly, it’s a great book. It’s entertaining and teens can relate to it to an extent. She doesn’t want to get ‘emotionally’ abused, yet shes smitten with the guy. Is it so hard to believe that the same thing doesn’t happen to regular teenagers, who feel their love isn’t being reciprocated? He clearly tells her that he is leaving to protect her, and he is constantly telling her how much she means to him, i.e. ‘your life is my life now’. Consider everything you read as a whole. As for Bella not having to sacrifice anything, in the end she sacrificed her mortality and her family, it’s a love story that has touched millions who have read it, that says something. As opposed to one supposed teacher who apparently lacks the ability and skill to justify her own ‘hatred’ towards a FICTIONAL series. In the end FICTIONAL stories sole purpose is to ENTERTAIN their audiences. It’s not labelled specifically for TWEENS anybody with a brain and eyesight can read it.
Honestly, i’m all for everybody having their own opinion, but at least justify your answers correctly before trying to obliterate the fan base.

November 27, 2008 @ 10:39 pm #

I understand that many think this book is bad, but disagree.

when you the critic say that edward is unemotional, controlling, you must have not read it throughly.

In the very first book he states it numerous times that she was unsafe to be around him. Anytime he hurts her he feels guilt that is painful for him. In breaking dawn, he feels so guilty and angry for getting bella pregnant, that he asks for jacob to kill him. That does not sound unemotional to me.

When you say he is controlling, he is partially. He only tries to do what is best for bella. He doesn’t want her to get killed, considering that she is accident prone and a prime target as a snack. That is why he takes such measures. And it is only really controlling when the other feels that they have no control. Bella is told that if she wanted to leave him then she may, he would let her go, because she has free will.

when others here say she did not want to be pregnant, that was partially correct. She said in breaking dawn that she did not want to have a kid, but that she wanted this kid and that she needed it.

I understand that many dislike this series but I don’t. I love the idea of forbidden love. this is only fantasy, and me being 14, understand that it is not real, and I have no need for guidance in reading in between the lines. I know what the things mean.

If you are really worried about sex, look at all the inuendos that disney puts in their shows.

December 1, 2008 @ 8:10 am #

I read the books and I liked them for the most part. The only thing that really got on my nerves is the stupid love triangle junk with Jacob. I seen Jacob as more obsessive person than Edward was. Dude just kept pushing bella to love him back over and over and over again and it pretty much annoyed me to death. I almost decide not to finish the books unless this character died off or edward beat his(well you know), cause I couldn’t take much more of the love traingle junk. Bella annoyed me a lot with her in ability to decide what the heck she wanted. Before long I was so mangled up in my mind with were the heck the story was going it actaully killed how much I like the 1st book. I don’t know, maybe I just hate love traingle type stories and I don’t understand them or something. If I would have known it would turn into this kind of story I probably would not have read it. If it wasn’t for that little annoying Jacob character I would have been alright with the story and gave it a 5 star rating. I’m sure I’ll get ripped of for this, just my opinion on the book. God I HATE THAT JACOB CHARACTER!!!!!

December 6, 2008 @ 1:55 am #

Yeah, I’m pretty much convinced that Stephanie Meyer hates literature. I haven’t read the whole series, but I did poke around in the books a little when they first came out and before I’d heard anything about them, at that. They read like bad Ann Rice fanfiction, and the more I hear about it, particularly the more the FANS say about the story itself, the more it annoys me.

And, yeah, I find it very amusing how middle and high school students are carrying on about how people who dislike the book must know nothing about love, because you know, fifteen-year-olds are so well versed in the trials and tribulations of unconditional love. Being a young adult with plenty of experience in perfectly healthy relationships, I can honestly say, “It ain’t like that.” These characters are nothing like people, and their “love” is every bit like an insecure gradeschooler’s misconception of hormones and creepy obsession. Frankly, I feel like my actual love for people is cheapened by giving it the same label.

Slap on the fact that I’m a writer who writes primarily paranormal genres, and I’m fast approaching moral outrage, because books like this are why I have to write four times better than anyone in any other “respectable” genre to be considered half as good. At this rate, the literary world will never take us seriously.

December 6, 2008 @ 8:50 pm #

I’ve only skimmed these comments, but it seems like they’re pretty much a re-hash of most of the Twilight discussions I’ve read. On my part I want to thank you, Heather, for your view point. I’m a 21 year old feminist English major with several younger sisters–one who is prime age for the Twilight fad–and I am very disturbed by these books. I have a few responses to some of the defenses I’ve seen of the book, here and in other discussions.

First. Twilight is fiction. That is true. But children’s lives are formed in part by the fiction they read. I grew up on Madeleine L’Engle’s “Wrinkle In Time” series, Cornelia Funke’s “Inheart”, Jane Yolen, Tamora Pierce, and “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer”. These books and television shows (well, television show) helped me to realize that I had power as a girl. Bella gives girls a very different message than does Buffy. Bella says: if you want to be happy, find a man who makes you happy; do anything to make him love you, even to your own detriment, even if he exhibits textbook abusive behavior (possessive, controlling, attempts to isolate you from your family and friends); ignore those who love you and treat you as an equal. Buffy says: if you want to be happy, be yourself; if you find a man who makes you happy, be with him, but don’t change yourself for him and keep in mind those friends who have always been there for you; know your own worth and demand that you receive the respect that you deserve.

Second. I’ve heard the “Edward is a vampire, we can’t understand what a relationship with a vampire is like” argument one too many times now. Vampires are a METAPHOR. We don’t understand what a relationship with a vampire is like because they *don’t exist*. Stephenie Meyer doesn’t understand it any better than we do! Neither do Joss Whedon, Anne Rice, or Bram Stoker! Edward is a stand-in for any ‘dangerous’, ‘other’ human boy. His character is molded solely on human archetypes with additions from Stephenie Meyer’s imagination. (He’s barely even a vampire at all, considering how much Meyer deviates from any vampire mythology.) We have to judge Bella and Edward’s relationship from the standard of a human-human relationship because that’s what it is, when you strip away the semantics. Really, other than a couple of mentions of his wanting to drink blood and a few scenes of him sparkling in the sun, there’s little in the books that separate Edward from any normal human boy.

Third. It is Stephenie Meyer’s own fault, in the choices that she made writing the book, that Bella has absolutely no recourse to defend herself. Edward has to protect her 24/7 because the vampires in Meyer’s universe are completely untouchable. She could carry around a stake…but stakes don’t work. She could spend most of her outside time in the daylight…but they can go outside during the day. She could douse herself in holy water, but they’re immune to that. Crosses. Garlic. Beheading. There is NOTHING that can harm these vampires. From Sunshine in her eponymous book by Robin McKinley to Cordelia, Willow, Xander, and the other ‘normal humans’ in the Whedonverse, most humans in other works of vampire fiction can do *something* to at least put off vampires for a bit while the humans run away. Bella is totally helpless, but not because she’s in a vampire story–because she’s in Stephenie Meyer’s vampire story.

Lastly. I don’t mind a book, even a book intended for teens, displaying an unhealthy relationship. I do, however, have a problem with a book that portrays that unhealthy relationship as not only totally fine, but as *ideal*. Melissa Marr’s “Ink Exchange” features a protagonist who is extremely vulnerable and falls in with a romantic partner who is very bad for her, but it is not portrayed as healthy. Lord knows that my beloved Buffy had more than her share of poor romantic choices, but none of them were shown as a good thing. Buffy and Angel, Buffy and Riley, Buffy and Spike…all of them had serious problems, but they had equally serious consequences and all of these relationships ended. So I don’t care if Stephenie Meyer wants to write a book about a girl who is manipulated and emotionally and mentally abused by a sexy-hot vampire boy. I do care that she pretends that the relationship is one that girls should look up to.

Thank you and good night.

December 8, 2008 @ 1:15 pm #

For one, a critic shouldn’t say crap every other sentence about what they’re crticing.
ANYWAY- You may have detested this book, but you’re NOT a teen. It’s like a child’s fairy tale. We all know that stories such as the little mermaid, and Cinderella aren’t real, but does that mean we go up to every ch