Trivium Academy Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I picked a copy of Twlight by S. Meyer at the library yesterday at 4:00p, I'm almost done reading the book! Mesmerizing. I'm sick so we're not going on a field trip today but I want to go to the book store to get the rest of the books! Isn't there a movie coming out? I have to say, I wish there wasn't. I guess I should read all I can before next month so the movie doesn't ruin the books for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 It is coming out in Nov. My dd, 14, and her blood-sucking friends* want to skip school to attend. I am the evil Mom who is saying "no - wait until the weekend." They are fun books, though. I reserve comment on the last in the series.:glare: *not really - but my dd has her brother with autism convinced that she has a coffin in her closet, and a vampire boyfriend who can really turn into a bat and fly around. So Joe has named all the Halloween bat decorations in the house "Edward". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Jessica, I'm glad you like the book. My DD, 8th grade, was assigned to read it for school. She has now read all of the books, and we had to buy them because the waiting list for our library system was over 250 people long. We had to buy two of them in hardcover because Barnes & Noble ran out of paperbacks, and DD and DH did not have me with them to insist on ordering them from Amazon. I wondered whether those books were any good, but haven't had time to look at them. I didn't know a movie was coming out. That gives me a good idea for DD's birthday, which is in a couple of weeks. I'll get her a few movie tickets so she can go with her friends. RC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 My oldest daughter LOVES the "Twilight" series!!! She'll be at the movies on opening night, at midnight most likely, to watch it. She had a ball at the Twilight book party night at Borders!! I sat in the back with a Hemingway novel and she and her friends were in their element. :D I, personally, haven't read the books....but I'd like to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Oh yes, you must go out today and buy the rest of the books. I'm forcing myself to go slowly on the last one right now. Dd read it the day it came out. Hopefully, the girls and I will be at the midnight showing for the movie when it comes out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 My DD, 8th grade, was assigned to read it for school. Really? I just don't know what to say about that. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted October 3, 2008 Author Share Posted October 3, 2008 Neither do I. Of course I have Presenting Miss Jane Austen sitting here as well waiting for me to read for my own self-ed purposes. :lol: But to assign it as 8th grade reading? I can understand Stoker's Dracula or Shelley's Frankenstein but Twlight? It's candy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura R (FL) Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I'm reading the series for about the third time, LOL! It's my mind candy at night after I've homeschooled, worked on my graduate reading, and the political news is off. We have two new little lizards that we named Bella and Edward, hee hee. But you know, I don't think I would have expected to see it in a school assignment. My 14yo is now reading the new Eragon book and she said that she is so relieved to be reading something else; something with more substance and a bteer grasp of the use of language (OK, too much classical ed). Meyer just doesn't have a great writing style and I don't think there is much there to study. She has a great gift of leaving one hanging at the end of a chapter, but that's really about it. It is a great story about chastity, however. :) I just think they are a quick read, a good escape, and I'm not so sure I want to see the movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 Really? I just don't know what to say about that. . . Go ahead and say what you're thinking! :D I did -- but only to myself. I kept my lips pressed together and repeated over and over, silently, "Do not get started." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in VA Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 After hearing so many good things about the series, I was tempted to read it, but once I went to Amazon and read more info on the series I had some major reservations about it. I read an article on PluggedInOnline about it and that reaffirmed my decision not to read it. Jessica, were you (or anyone else on the board) bothered by anything in the book(s)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in Orlando Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 LOL - I read the wholes series and totally enjoyed it (except for the name choice in book four) ... I'll admit I'm looking forward to the movie (with Cedric Diggory as the lead). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 My 8th grade dd has read the whole series at least twice. Maybe I should read it too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in Orlando Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 My 8th grade dd has read the whole series at least twice. Maybe I should read it too? :001_smile: Oh do!!!!! It's fun - not great lit, but seriously fun, Dana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarcyM Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 Loved this series. It's a mistake to think that because the main characters are mythological that the book is dark or evil or offensive to those concerned about morals. The book was written by a Christian woman (Mormon, specifically) and there is an underlying themes about immortality. While the book is absolute candy, the character development is wonderful. There are real issues that face teens... physical relationships, parenting, trust, sacrifice, academics, values, self-restraint... It's been awhile since I've had such *fun* with a series. This in no way competes with, replaces, or has anything to do with classic literature. But... sometimes it's nice to read for pure fun. And this one is pure fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in VA Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 (edited) Loved this series. It's a mistake to think that because the main characters are mythological that the book is dark or evil or offensive to those concerned about morals. The book was written by a Christian woman (Mormon, specifically) and there is an underlying themes about immortality. While the book is absolute candy, the character development is wonderful. There are real issues that face teens... physical relationships, parenting, trust, sacrifice, academics, values, self-restraint... It's been awhile since I've had such *fun* with a series. This in no way competes with, replaces, or has anything to do with classic literature. But... sometimes it's nice to read for pure fun. And this one is pure fun. Hmm, well it might not offend some, but the passages I have seen quoted in reviews (specifically out of the last book) were quite offensive to me. I guess I just can't get past the whole vampire thing. Too creepy. That's why I was wondering if anyone felt leary about the series. Thanks for your input! :) Edited October 4, 2008 by Laura in VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 It's brain candy and entertaining, but I wouldn't assign it for school reading. I think I'd also restrict it to older teenagers. While there's no explicit sex stuff, these books are some of the most sexually charged books I've read. ;) I do appreciate, though, that characters wait until marriage. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 After hearing so many good things about the series, I was tempted to read it, but once I went to Amazon and read more info on the series I had some major reservations about it. I read an article on PluggedInOnline about it and that reaffirmed my decision not to read it. Jessica, were you (or anyone else on the board) bothered by anything in the book(s)? These are fun books, quick reads, and great brain candy for adults. I admit that I would not be wild about a young teen reading them. I think that for mature, mentally and emotionally healthy people, these books are harmless, but for immature, needy, or obsessive people, I think these books could be dangerous. Bella and Edward's relationship is not a healthy model for teens, and as a parent I would not want my kids following Bella's pattern of sneaking around her parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 I started the series last weekend. See---I ruptured a disk in my back and was on mostly 'bed rest'--what else could I do but steal oldest dd's books and have a good read. Sure it is candy--but FUN FUN FUN candy. I'm a consertive Christian and I really do not have a problem with the books--but then again I LOVE Star Trek! I agree with another poster that I'm not too crazy about the name choices in book 4...in fact book 4 has been my least favorite--but I have about 1/2 inch less to go and the action is starting to pick up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 LOL - I read the wholes series and totally enjoyed it (except for the name choice in book four) ... I'll admit I'm looking forward to the movie (with Cedric Diggory as the lead). Are you talking about the name of the book? Or a character name? Note: Possible Spoiler Ahead for Book 4 The character name made me laugh, because the author is Mormon (although not living in Utah) and Utah is notorious for these sorts of names. Check out this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 The character name made me laugh, because the author is Mormon (although not living in Utah) and Utah is notorious for these sorts of names. Check out this site. Wow, that's fascinating! (And hilariously revealing, now that I think back on some names I've come across in real life over the years...) And here *I* thought it was just a reflection of something immature about that character's mother! (At least the nickname was good...) BTW, the best (worst!) name I've come across in the real world recently was... ...(drumroll)... LaTrina. Not a Mormon name. But perhaps one of the most unfortunate I've ever come across! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in the Kootenays Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 My 16 yo dd liked it so much she bought it in Spanish so she could read more without me nagging. I really must read it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in Orlando Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 Are you talking about the name of the book? Or a character name? Note: Possible Spoiler Ahead for Book 4 The character name made me laugh, because the author is Mormon (although not living in Utah) and Utah is notorious for these sorts of names. Check out this site. :lol:That's great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 Well, this isn't entirely fair, because she didn't finish even the first one, but just in case anyone else is considering them for their kids, I though her opinons might be of interest. My 13 year old got tired of being nagged by other girls she knows to read these and finally consented to give the first one a try. She figured they'd be silly, but entertaining, and she would no longer feel so left out when her friends went on and on about them. She had a bit of trouble even getting past the jacket copy, but gave it a serious try. She quit half-way through the first book, though, and returned it to her friend. I asked her why, specifically, she disliked it so much, and she said: Bella is stupid, shallow and far too damsel-in-distress-ish for her taste. Edward is just plain irresponsible. The author completely disregards traditional vampire lore (giving vampires venom, for example). The writing is not only bad, but manages to be both fluffy and boring. She said she would honestly rather read her biology textbook, because at least then she'd learn something. Now, obviously, this is not a girl who has trouble expressing her opinions. And I'm posting this not to "bash" either the books or folks who've enjoyed them, but just to provide a little food for thought for anyone who was thinking of dashing out and buying the set for their daughters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 I read books 1 and 2 very quickly, but it's taking me forever to read book 3. DD asked about it and I told her it was just taking forever to get to the "big event". Even with that, it's been a fun series to read. I'll definitely finish it with book 4, but I'll wait 'til I can get it from the library. It's brain candy. Nothing wrong with that. I'm also reading North and South by Gaskell and Little Women and thoroughly enjoying them, as well. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 Yes, I've read them!! All 4! You would probably enjoy her other book, The Host, as well. I read each of the Twilight books in one day. The first one was so mesmerizing that I was walking around in a dream state for a couple days. That's never happened to me from reading a book before. I bought the first book for several of my friends last Christmas and they were all instantly all hooked. In fact we are doing a vampire-themed party for Halloween this year. :lol: And some friends and I are seeing the movie on opening night - Nov 21. From what I've seen, it should be decent, but I'm not betting on it being better than the books. There's a trailer out if you're interested. Enjoy reading the next ones! My favorites were the first book and the last book, which just came out this August. Also, if you go to Stephenie Meyer's web site you can read the first half of Twilight written from Edward's perspective (sadly, this book will probably never be finished because it was leaked online - grrr). I think parts of it are even better than the original and it really fills in some gaps. There's also a fun sight called Twilightmoms.com that has some forums for moms (and the "older" set in general) who are hooked on the books. They have discussions and movie news, etc. It's insane how many moms have signed up on that site! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 My sis-in-law thought Twilight was great and lent it to me after her son (13) had read it. I encouraged 13 yodd to read it then I did too. It was a FUN read. I read the 2nd book and decided that it is more appropriate for older teens who hopefully have a handle on their hormones. Thankfully dd has lost interest. She's not crazy about boys at this point, and I don't want to encourage fantasizing about them. I own and have read all four books. I would encourage you all to read them. They would be great for discussions - pros and cons. I about choked when I saw that Twilight was assigned school reading. As a nation I guess we are desperate to get our kids reading books...any book. My dd reads a lot of fantasy, so I'm not trying to be smug but why assign something that is "candy?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 I'm glad that Jessica posted this thread because these books have been on my mind. I read all 4 of them, and I agree they are fun brain candy. My dd14 is obsessed with the books and has reread them all many times. I am forever reminding her that Meyer is not going to help her stretch her reading ability!:001_smile: I cannot understand how it could count for 8th grade school work. What worries me are the young girls I see reading the books. Many parents are letting their young girls aged 10-12 read these books. There were many of them in line when we bought the 4th. (Of course at midnight.) There are several elements in these books that concern me even for my daughter who is almost 15. (Warning spoiler alert!) The first was mentioned by Veritaserum above. Even though the main characters do wait for marriage, these novels are charged with sexual tension. While Bella is young, her relationship with Edward is clearly an adult one. The final book does include sex scenes (after marriage), that while not explicit clearly describe the emotions surrounding an intense and violent sexual experience. The other main problem I have concerns the second book New Moon. Teenaged girls are prone to dramatic feelings, especially when it comes to boys. (We all can remember those days.) To romanticize a teenager who becomes so despondent when her boyfriend leaves that she becomes catatonic and almost suicidal, seems irresponsible to me. As adults we know that real relationships do not look like this, but young girls do not have that perspective. I suppose that the same could be said for Wuthering Heights, but I don't hear my dd and her friends discussing how much they love Heathcliff. I have had many discussions with my dd about these points, but I think the books will stay on the shelf until my dd4 is 16 or so. I think I must by the only one who likes that poor child's name! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Possible spoiler too! The other main problem I have concerns the second book New Moon. Teenaged girls are prone to dramatic feelings, especially when it comes to boys. (We all can remember those days.) To romanticize a teenager who becomes so despondent when her boyfriend leaves that she becomes catatonic and almost suicidal, seems irresponsible to me. As adults we know that real relationships do not look like this, but young girls do not have that perspective. Anissa, I think Stephenie Meyer nailed it in New Moon. I had a friend that was so distraught that friends actually came in and fed her after her long term boyfriend broke it off. I would not have believed it if she hadn't told me. She was a very strong and mature young adult. I also went through a similar "I thought I was going to marry the guy" break up in my young adult years. I experienced similar feelings to what was described in the book. So, I have mixed feelings about what is portrayed in the book. She nailed it, but do young girls need the ammunition (referring to the things that Bella does)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WagsWife Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 I picked a copy of Twlight by S. Meyer at the library yesterday at 4:00p, I'm almost done reading the book! Mesmerizing. I'm sick so we're not going on a field trip today but I want to go to the book store to get the rest of the books! Isn't there a movie coming out? I have to say, I wish there wasn't. I guess I should read all I can before next month so the movie doesn't ruin the books for me. Depending on how badly the books suck you in, you may have plenty of time. You could say I got *really sucked in...4 books in 4 1/2 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WagsWife Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Jessica, I'm glad you like the book. My DD, 8th grade, was assigned to read it for school. She has now read all of the books, and we had to buy them because the waiting list for our library system was over 250 people long. We had to buy two of them in hardcover because Barnes & Noble ran out of paperbacks, and DD and DH did not have me with them to insist on ordering them from Amazon. I wondered whether those books were any good, but haven't had time to look at them. I didn't know a movie was coming out. That gives me a good idea for DD's birthday, which is in a couple of weeks. I'll get her a few movie tickets so she can go with her friends. RC I actually started reading them to see how appropriate they were for my DD in 7th grade. I would not be pleased if a teacher assigned them. I was "iffy" on letting her read the first book, so I decided to read all of them first. I was very glad I did. There is nothing *wrong really...but the relationship between Belle and Edward is so intense, I just did not feel it was something I wanted my daughter exposed to yet. There are some other issues in the final book...but I won't spoil it, people who have read it probably know what I am talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 (edited) The Movie is coming November 21st. Just in time for Thanksgiving (27th)! http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_movie.html Edit: Sorry Lovelearnandlive, I see you already mentioned the release date. some friends and I are seeing the movie on opening night - Nov 21. From what I've seen, it should be decent, but I'm not betting on it being better than the books. There's a trailer out if you're interested. Edited October 5, 2008 by PollyOR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WagsWife Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 These are fun books, quick reads, and great brain candy for adults. I admit that I would not be wild about a young teen reading them. I think that for mature, mentally and emotionally healthy people, these books are harmless, but for immature, needy, or obsessive people, I think these books could be dangerous. Bella and Edward's relationship is not a healthy model for teens, and as a parent I would not want my kids following Bella's pattern of sneaking around her parents. :iagree: While I loved the books...I am adult with life experience. My daughter is a very reasonable, mature and down to earth 12 (almost 13) year old...however there are so many elements of Belle and Edwards relationship that are un-healthy (even dangerous), but would be so compelling for a teen to romanticize. It was hard for me to tell her no, but after I explained it to her, she understood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Totally agree with you here, Melinda! For mature adults who see the book as a fun escape read and not as a model of how to live life, they are a fun, harmless read. But I do think the story is too passionate for what I would want my kids to be reading as teenagers. Plus the final book introduces themes that would be best left for late teens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 The character name made me laugh, because the author is Mormon (although not living in Utah) and Utah is notorious for these sorts of names. Check out this site. That was my reaction to the name too: "Maybe Bella would have picked that name, but she's never been to Utah, so where would she have gotten the idea?" LOL. Meyer's boys' have relatively normal names. Here's what she wrote in the Breaking Dawn FAQ: "Well, I couldn't call her Jennifer or Ashley. What do you name the most unique baby in the world? I looked through a lot of baby name websites. Eventually I realized that there was no human name that was going to work for me, so I surrendered to necessity and made up my own. I don't approve of such shenanigans in real life, I don't even believe in getting creative with spellings for real kids! But this was fantasy, and no human name fit, so I did the best I could." When you're all done with the series, check out the Twilight Rap Video. So funny. Spoilers galore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funschooler5 Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 I read Twilight and I'm currently reading New Moon. Even though Twilight was a quick, fun read, I was really disappointed. Bella's "romance" with Edward seemed very obsessive, and she doesn't really do anything in the book except get saved by him. Also, it took quite awhile to get to the actual story. The first few chapters were endless details about her day (she gets up, takes a shower, gets dressed, muses about the weather, drives to school, etc etc. Ugh...we don't need to know everything.) The storyline about the vampire family was interesting, and the action sequences were exciting, but it seemed like most of the book was about how much Bella was "dazzled" by Edward. (By the way, I think ten pages could be cut out of Twilight if they took out every form of the word "dazzle" out of it. The word was used so much, it was distracting to me.) But here I am reading New Moon, so the good must have outweighed the bad. I'm almost halfway through with it though, and I'm growing tired of Bella's unending depression over losing Edward. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted October 5, 2008 Author Share Posted October 5, 2008 I've read the first 3 books in less than 24 hours (about 6 hours each book), I have to WAIT until Monday at 3pm to get the 4th book. There is a 5th book, Midnight Sun, but I don't think it's published yet. I've been sick and the books have given me a reprieve from being bored. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 I've read the first 3 books in less than 24 hours (about 6 hours each book), I have to WAIT until Monday at 3pm to get the 4th book. There is a 5th book, Midnight Sun, but I don't think it's published yet. I've been sick and the books have given me a reprieve from being bored. :) Midnight Sun. Enjoy. The story behind it being available is sad, but I was very glad to read what's there. It's a little rough, but I like it best of all. Edward's perspective is more interesting. I just wish there were a few more chapters. I hope she finishes someday. Now you have something to do while you wait until Monday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn in Mo Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 After hearing so many good things about the series, I was tempted to read it, but once I went to Amazon and read more info on the series I had some major reservations about it. I read an article on PluggedInOnline about it and that reaffirmed my decision not to read it. Jessica, were you (or anyone else on the board) bothered by anything in the book(s)? I'm with you on this one. I heard such great reviews here, but the Amazon description had me scratching my head. I'd rather not. There was another series strongly recommended here..... I can't remember the name, but a woman goes back in time to Scotland??? Anyway, I didn't read the description, just reserved it and picked it up. I was hooked. It was VERY well written. But I was hooked into something that was NOT edifying. I don't mean it was just candy. I'm a huge supporter of occasional candy. I mean it was not good for me. So I stopped reading after the third book in the series. lol. Yes, I have self-control issues. But knowing that, I now try to avoid stuff that will suck me into somewhere that's not going to edify. For instance, romantic themes that make me resent my hubby. There are plenty of edifying books with romantic themes that turn me toward my husband with a deeper appreciation.....and I do NOT mean Christian romance novels - blech!:tongue_smilie: *Oh, I remember now: Outlander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in SJ Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 I have read all 4 of the books in the series & I have to say I liked the last one the least. My 14yo dd has also read them. we have had some great discussions. I think the thing that bothered me the most was that the relationships seemed to be "fated." Neither Bella nor Edward chose to love the other. She was "dazzled" by him & her blood "sang" to him. And don't even get me started on the whole imprinting thing. Again, the people in the relationship have no choice. To me this is a very immature view of love and all kinds of bad behavior is excused by people who think they have no choice in who they love. We have told our daughters that you choose your love then you love your choice. Lots of people are attracted to people who are bad for them, it is what they do with the attraction that is their choice. The Twilight books romanticised the idea of an irresistable attraction. Removing the choice also means removing the responsibility for those choices and that is not real life. Just my opinion Amber in SJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted October 5, 2008 Author Share Posted October 5, 2008 I'm not a great barometer to help you, I read Anne Rice for pleasure in high school. I would say that these are pretty mild, there is no mention of s#x until book 3 in two ways- one from person's past she was attacked but it wasn't descriptive and then the two main characters discussing/struggling with virtue, which they decide to wait until they are married :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura R (FL) Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 I agree with just about everything everyone has said here. My youngest didn't even want to read the books after what everyone said about them. From what I know of her, I think it's because she didn't want to enter the world of sexual tension. Smart kid...she's just not emotionally ready to deal with those grown-up emotions. The vampire part didn't bother me. I was surprised they were recommended for school reading because of the sexual element and the literary quality. Perhaps the fact that they are both v*rgins who wait until marriage is appealing to teachers in a postmodern culture...shrug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christy Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 I agree that the Bella/Edward relationship is rather immature. However, I didn't have a problem with it in the first books because Bella was just an immature teenage girl. In the 4th one though, I was disappointed that Bella's character never seems to really grow up. Even though she was married, it disturbed me that she was literally begging for sex. I also agree that the books are not the best for young/immature teenage girls. I'm an older teenage girl myself, and I don't think the books are totally horrible, I just found them a little shallow. Setting that aside, if you're looking for a good Fantasy book appropriate for younger ages as well as older, try Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. It has a responsible, mature, teenage girl as a protagonist and the ideas are so fresh (I've been getting sick and tired of Fantasy books that are rip-offs of Harry Potter, LOTR or Star Wars). The Fablehaven series is good, clean fun. I just finished the third one and it is amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 I enjoyed the twilight series so much! I read all 4 in about 5 days and even sunk so far as to buy the 3rd one locally instead of amazon (where I could have saved a few bucks) because I couldn't wait a day for delivery! Definitely candy but totally enjoyable. I love it when I find a series of books that I can really enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 Loved this series. It's a mistake to think that because the main characters are mythological that the book is dark or evil or offensive to those concerned about morals. The book was written by a Christian woman (Mormon, specifically) and there is an underlying themes about immortality. While the book is absolute candy, the character development is wonderful. There are real issues that face teens... physical relationships, parenting, trust, sacrifice, academics, values, self-restraint... It's been awhile since I've had such *fun* with a series. This in no way competes with, replaces, or has anything to do with classic literature. But... sometimes it's nice to read for pure fun. And this one is pure fun. This is a good summary, I think!! First of all, I despise books about vampires and I NEVER would have read Twilight if I had known that it was about vampires before I started. I just heard people talking about how great it was, so I picked it up. But, there is none of the normal "icky" demonic type stuff that is normally in vampire books. It is really just a typical young forbidden love story. Certainly not deep literature, but a fun series to read. I enjoyed them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrina Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 Well, before anyone get's the wrong impression here, I did not become obsessed with these books and spend HOURS online reading everything I could while waiting for the fourth book to come out...:glare: I have a love/hate relationship with Twilight. Bella bugged me a LOT. But, obviously something pulled me in. I've finally excused Bella's obsessive behavior by claiming she was affected my some magical vampire charm or something. I did let my 13 year old read them. Luckily she's not interested in sex or boys yet so she just skimmed over those parts. In fact I'm not sure she's even finished book 4, she was having a hard time sticking with it. The part I became worried about was Edwards obsessiveness in book 3 (don't want to spoil anything...you'll know what I mean after you've read book 3) and wanted to make sure she understood that in real life that behavior was really dangerous and if any boyfriend behaved that way she should let us know and get away from him as fast as possible. I loved The Host. Stephenie's writing ability style really improves in this book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshyne Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 It's all your fault. You see, I had never even *heard* of this series until I read this thread last week, and now I can't stop thinking about Bella and Edward and ... well... Twilight. My wonderful DH bought the first book for me as a gift, and it about 2 days to read it, since I was working. I couldn't wait for more. Lucky for me, he bought the rest of them, and I read them in 2 1/2 days. Oh. My. Today, I admit to being a little sad that it's over. But, I did head over to twilightmoms. Fun stuff. Thanks for the recommendation. I've got Host, too, but I'm waiting for my mind to clear of the last books before I get into this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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