I had my reasons: I work with the youth in my church and like to keep current so I can understand them better. Also, I like a good book, and had heard positive reviews.
My take (having only read books 1-3): I am not such a big fan.
However,I can see why the young women in my area love it. The heroine is a misfit girl, who has no place that she truly belongs (what girl in her 12-17 yrs really feels she belongs). She doesn't consider herself beautiful, and in fact thinks of herself as slightly freakish. Again typical adolecent girl stuff here. Okay the girls are empathizing with her so far.
She moves in to a new place; this is where I start to have issues. She fixates on a young man. I mean obsesses about him. Bella (the heroine) and Edward (the hero) have bizarre conversations. While I never spoke that way as a teen, I will give her the benefit of the doubt, as some of the girls in my youth group speak differently than I did as well. (I don't just mean they are Texans)
Reasons I find the heroine to be dangerous for the young teen mind:
1. Her behavior with the hero
A. Obsessive - she goes comatose when he leaves her. As a modern woman I would hate to think that my desire to exist revolves around one person. She engages in risky behavior so she can hear his voice in her head. That is a little nuts, and not the sort of thing I would want for my youth.
B. He sleeps in her bed every night. - "Nothing happens until they are married" you say. I would not want my youth to think that spooning with a young man, especially one they feel deeply about, is a safe or acceptable behavior. If "back rubs in the front room lead to front rubs in the back room." Where the heck do you think gentle caresses and kisses in bed will get you?
C. Bella is far too willing to give her self to Edward. If he didn't have super human restraint more natural consequences from B. would have resulted. A young woman, thinking all men should be like Edward, will get in trouble, easy.
2. Characters are a little too flat for my taste.
A. many seem under developed. Examples: Charlie, and her girl friends. One would think she would have a girl friend that could have a personality other than how she relates to Edward.
3. Very predictable plot
At least so far. Even Jason, who just picked it up to a page I was reading, and skimmed a bit knew how it would end. Granted I haven't started book 4, but I think I know where this is leading.
That's about it for now. While I admire the authors desire to keep them chaste until married, I don't like the implications for regular couples. So I will finish the series, if only so I can say I did when I review it wit the youth, I don't think I will be a big fan.
1 comment:
A good assessment. These books are icky. (And I'm not at all biased...no, not I, who have written since I was small child and have yet to publish anything while this woman never wrote a smidge before this and is suddenly a bestseller....not bitter at all...:P)
This is Cindy, by the way, and this is a fun blog. :)
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