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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" Series Book Review


I have recently just finished Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” young adult series of books about a teenage girl “Isabella” and a forever teenage vampire boy “Edward” and stamped it “NOT for anyone under 17”. You might be asking, why I am reading books geared for teens. Because I have two daughters, one is thirteen and an avid reader of just about anything she can get her hands on. Specifically she prefers fantasy and mythological fiction. But I am a parent who insists on reading anything and everything that might even slightly be considered controversial before the books end up in my children’s hands.
So after hearing the hoopla about the final book in this series that is taking teens by storm (or so the reports said), I set out to see what the stir was. If you do not want to know what is in these books, stop reading now.
The first book in the series is called “Twilight”. In this book we are introduced to Isabella who moves to live with her father in Washington State. As soon as vampire Edward lays eyes on her he has to fight off the almost overpowering urge to drink her blood and kill her. Of course Isabella doesn’t know this, but she’s a smart cookie and begins to put things together and finally figures out he’s a vampire, but she doesn’t care because she has already fallen for his pale flawless good looks. Edward can’t seem to stay away from her either even though he puts up a few verbal protests and warns her about him not being safe. She learns that Edward and his coven (family) have learned to live with people by drinking the blood of animals in the woods and not humans. This accounts for the vampires all having golden eyes, instead of the blood red of the other vampires who drink human blood. Edward isn’t like most vampires, he has an added gift of being able to read every ones mind- everyone but Isabella, which causes him much frustration. But not to worry, when he can’t locate her with his mind, he can sniff her out because her scent is so strong and desirable to him. Because Edward is a vampire he never sleeps. Instead he sneaks into Isabella’s bedroom each night to lay in bed with her and watch her sleep. Isabella wants to have an intimate relationship with Edward, but he refuses telling her he could kill her if he did because of the immense strength vampires have and how fragile humans are against them. Isabella also wants Edward to make her a vampire, but he refuses. He wants her to have a human life and experience all the things he never got to. This battle of wills goes on through all the books in the series (‘Twilight’, ‘New Moon’, ‘Eclipse’ and ‘Breaking Dawn’).
In the second book of the series ‘New Moon’, Edward is so worried about killing Isabella or her being killed because of him, that he dumps her and leaves the area so she can’t find him. This sends her spiraling into a very deep depression that lasts for months. At her father’s insistence she strengthens a friendship with Jacob, a family friend who ends up falling in love with Isabella. The problem with Jacob is, he’s a werewolf and Isabella figures it out (in the last book, we are told he’s not a werewolf but a shape-shifter). Can she pick them or what?
The next two books in the series “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn” are the most graphic and offensive of the four in my opinion. Here we find Isabella constantly after Edward for sex and to turn her into a vampire. He finally says he will turn her into a vampire, but not yet. Not till she’s older and has lived as a human more. She doesn’t accept this and tries to get another vampire to turn her. While this is happening there are other ‘bad’ vampires whom Edward and his coven have to deal with, along with Jacob the Wolf and his pack of wolf friends who are the enemies of vampires and protectors of humans. In the final book, vampire Edward marries human Isabella and they finally have vampire/human sex. Edward’s strength doesn’t kill her but she is roughed up during the honeymoon. She very quickly ends up pregnant with a mutant hybrid vampire/human baby that is growing at a rapid pace inside her and slowly killing her. The monster baby is killing Isabella slowly and painfully, while Edward is frantic to get rid of it- he wants it aborted. She refuses. Edward even goes so far as to go to Jacob, his jealous rival and ask Jacob if he will father a new child with Edward’s wife Isabella and talk her out of giving birth to the monster vampire/human baby. He will do anything to keep Isabella alive, even if it means giving his wife to someone else to father a child with. This doesn’t happen because Isabella begins to drink blood even though she’s still a human, but this satisfies the monster baby and helps Isabella regain some of her strength. The moment of the child’s birth, is graphic and horrid, it’s also the moment Isabella dies and Edward injects her with his vampire venom to turn her into a vampire. Isabella is now an undead and thirsty for blood. She has to be kept away from her part human baby because she could go into a blood thirsty feeding frenzy and kill it.
Of course there is much more to this four book series, but let me warn parents out there, PLEASE read this before you hand it over to your child to read. This has a lot of intense sexual situations, killing, blood and graphic scenes that in my opinion are not appropriate for young teens. The first book is the mildest of the four; each subsequent book grows more graphic. So be warned and know what your kids are reading.

11 comments:

  1. Thank you for this very carefully written review - our daughter was handed this book by a friend of ours in the 'industry'. He is working on the 'film'. We wanted to read it first, but I have been taken ill and my husband is too busy with work...so I searched the internet and found your review in relation to our Catholic faith. You resound with values that are similar to our family and in so, have helped us to steer clear and wait until Kira is 17 (a year and a half...) Keep up the great work for all of us. With Love Haynes from Malibu California

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  2. Thank you to the Haynes in Malibu, California for your feedback. It's always nice to hear something that was posted here was helpful to someone.

    In Christ,
    Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner

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  3. Thank you for the great review. I'm a journalist and I am going to be writing a column about the harm that popular books can do to teenagers and young people who are not strong in their faiths, morals, etc. I have not read the "Twilight" books, but I would like to use them in my article, so this review was quite helpful to me. Its nice to hear somebody who cares and is not willing to let objectionable material slide just because "everybody reads it".

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  4. Heh this is pretty humorous; I'm 21 and I'm a huge fan of the series. I don't really think there was anything 'too graphic' like what you would find in an adult romance series. Teenagers should know about sex so talking about it and reading about it is the same and should be fine...not to mention it's just a book. Reminds me of the olden days BURN THE BOOKS heh come on now..it's not like it's a raunchy porno movie where the two don't love each other..there is much worse out there.

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  5. I am Mormon... and so is Stephanie Meyer... the author of this book series... I am 38 and read the books after my wife did. I would also suggest that young teens not be allowed to read the last book till they are 18 or so. Stephanie does not believe in premaritial sex and has written the defense of virtue into the novels... that being said while it did not seem too graphic to me (have you ever read George RR Martin?) This is NOTHING and you should NOT let your kids read those novels (though they are fantastic fantasy writing they are adult only.) Stephanie has written without detail other than our heroine walking into the ocean on her honeymoon night and leaving her towel behind or describing the morning after being somewhat traumatic with bruises etc... If your kids are too young to talk about the beauty of sex within a husband/wife relationship... these are too adult for them. Let them start reading when they are about 16 and talk to them about the books. I have a sister who is actually 16 (We have a brady bunch family) and she just started the series. I am having my mom read the first couple of chapters of the final book before she gets to it to make the decision as to her being old enough or not. I think some kids are mature enough emotionally at around that age but all you need to do is read the first 100 pages of the final book and you will know if you are OK with it. Prior to that time it is pretty tame.

    Drew in Utah

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  6. Thank you for this honest and enlightening review. I knew my gut was right not to trust a 'vampire love story'.

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  7. i love this book and feel you should have posted some of the positive and good points in the book

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  8. I read the series and really enjoyed it. I'm 20 and am pretty strong in my Catholic faith, and I agree with this review. I think it's a great series and I suggest to everyone I talk to about it to read it, but I would definitely put the cut off age at 18. I think this book has some very strong morals in it. Great for young adults to read, and that is one of the major reasons I appreciate it so, but just because they wait until marriage doesn't mean a 13 year old should know about it.
    Again, this is a great review for parents who want to know whether the series is suitable for their children. I think the manor and style in which they are written leads people to believe that they are suitable for children, but the content I would say, is not.

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  9. Thanks for all the comments on this book review. I'd like to clarify something for some. I didn't say I didn't enjoy the book series, it was a good read and had some good qualities. Stephanie Meyer is a very talented writer and I would not hestitate to read more books by her. My review was for parents with younger teens or preteens who wanted to read the book. I felt, as a parent, that the books were too mature for children under 17. That was my personal opinion after reading all the books. For teens older, I think it's fine and think they will enjoy it if they like a true love fantasy story. I will be going to see the movie soon and will give a review of that also. I am one of those people who HAS to see the movies of any books I read to compare them. So please check back soon for the "Twilight" movie review. And thanks for all the comments- even those who disagree. God bless...

    In Christ,
    Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner

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  10. The bigger question is will reading this book draw me closer to the Lord and further the Kingdom of God? Will it bring me to greater love and joy of the Father? waiting for your daughter to turn 17 will not change the content of the book.

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  11. hey, i found your outlook on the book quite interesting. i've also written a review of the books. if you are interested check it out at www.read4fun.today.com

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Thank you and God bless...

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner