Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Rating: 3.3.2

Recommended audience: Mature teen to Adult (16+)

Category: Romance, thriller

Another fun read by Stephanie Meyer. Similar concerns as in the first two books. The physical aspect of Edward and Bella's relation gets a little more edgy in this book and I've said before that it concerns me. I know there are books out there that are much worse but I think this one is held to a higher standard because of the religious beliefs of the author. I think morally it gets a little gray in there but most unmarried people (teens or not) come up against these kinds of issues (pre-marital sex). With the standards of today's society, choosing to wait until marriage is not only almost unheard of, it can often be ridiculed. Edward and Bella deal with this issue, if not always in a mature way (Bella), they do at least make the right choice--in my humble opinion. :)

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

Rating: 2.3.2

Recommended audience: Mature teen to adult

Category: Romance

Another fun read but I did see it coming. I won't give anything away but this one seemed a little predictable to me because of fore-shadowing. Still, not all of it was predictable and it introduced some interesting characters. Bella drives me a little crazy because she just seems too dumb sometimes but, again, I'm afraid I identify with her stupidity a little too much sometimes, maybe that's why I can't stand it. I know some people who were quite bored with the middle of this book and I understand that opinion but I didn't think it was too boring. My biggest problem with this book though was the poor proofreading. There were so many errors that it really bugged me. I'm pretty nit-picky about that kind of stuff though so hopefully it doesn't bother you. Anyone know how I can get a job as Meyer's proof-reader?

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.