Thursday, November 29, 2007

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer


Rating: 2.3.2
Recommend audience: Adult and teens (16 and up)
Category: Romance, thriller

I really liked this book. It's exciting, romantic, suspenseful and a fun read. I gave it 4 stars because there were a couple of things that bothered me about it. I don't read a whole lot of young adult fiction so maybe this is not a valid point. I just felt like Bella's inferiority complex towards Edward is not a healthy example for teenage girls to be reading. I think it's pretty real because I was very similar as a teenager but I would hate to see that kind of thinking reinforced in teenage girls. Another problem I had with it is that even though there is no sex in the book, it is definitely titillating. I'm just not sure I would want my teenage daughter reading this and thinking that they can behave the way Edward and Bella do and not get too carried away. Their affection is innocent enough but eventually could lead to much more when two normal people are involved instead of a vampire with super-human powers. I know this is a soap box and I'm probably taking this all too seriously but when something is so hugely popular as this book, I think it can have a big influence on people. There's my take on it and I'd love to hear your opinion.

4 comments:

Julie J. said...

I concur. This is a nice, quick, fun read.

Anonymous said...

I have a 17 year old and would not be happy to have her boyfriend in her room every night. Like you said it so popular with teens it makes me worried.

Anonymous said...

I had some very serious issues with this book for the same reasons as you . I feel that it could have a very adverse effect on the thinking of young teenage girls who are not experienced enough to differentiate between infatuation and mature love. This book was fun reading, but that is part of the problem -- it has the potential of causing some serious misconceptions because of its charm.

Linda said...

Yes that totally bothered me that Edward sat in her room all night. That and the fact that he is not soft. I hope Stephanie stays cool and clean though. I enjoyed the books but did get a little tired of her Bella's swooniness.