Spoiler Warning! Read on at your own discretion...
The author is a BYU graduate, so I'm surprised that the book is really quite suggestive. It is definately geared toward teen/high school girls who silently 
pine for a certain someone (which described me in High School, so I can relate to the main character), but in some ways it irks me becuase I don't want my daughter to let boys in her bedroom and to talk about true undying love when she's only 17.
My biggest problem with the book, and why I think it is extremely suggestive, is the concept of pushing the limits. In this case its "I want to drink your blood but I'm going to get as close to you as possible anyway" but in my opinion, his "thirst" for her and his temptation to drink her blood strongly represents to me his physical arousal/attraction to her and his temptation to rape her... The writing isn't superb either, and it was pretty slow to get to the main events of the narrative. In my opinion the ending was rather anti-climactic. I doubt that I will read the next books in the series, especially since I hear that in the second, and particularly the third book, it is blatant in its references to sex. It doesn't seem like children's fiction at all...Anyway, that's my opinion, for what its worth!
pine for a certain someone (which described me in High School, so I can relate to the main character), but in some ways it irks me becuase I don't want my daughter to let boys in her bedroom and to talk about true undying love when she's only 17.My biggest problem with the book, and why I think it is extremely suggestive, is the concept of pushing the limits. In this case its "I want to drink your blood but I'm going to get as close to you as possible anyway" but in my opinion, his "thirst" for her and his temptation to drink her blood strongly represents to me his physical arousal/attraction to her and his temptation to rape her... The writing isn't superb either, and it was pretty slow to get to the main events of the narrative. In my opinion the ending was rather anti-climactic. I doubt that I will read the next books in the series, especially since I hear that in the second, and particularly the third book, it is blatant in its references to sex. It doesn't seem like children's fiction at all...Anyway, that's my opinion, for what its worth!
7 comments:
I just started reading Twilight today actually. You are the first person I have heard that didn't like it. It is the big craze in my ward over here. The funny thing is, I have heard several women say they wouldn't let their teenage daughters read it, so when I started it, I was surprised that the main character is a teenage girl! Thanks for the review.
I found this link at MMW....
Ummm...I think you are reading WAAAAYYY too much into this. I'm a well-seasoned reader and consider myself pretty good at underlying messages. I really didn't think Twilight was anything more than a fantasy. The rape thing? I just don't get where you got that. Especially when, on page 310, they actually talk about ever engaging in intimate relations and he plainly said they never could.
I don't mean to say that your opinion is wrong. It's your opinion and you are entitled to it. But I was a little disturbed at your thoughts. [And fwiw, this is Young Adult literature (17-30), not children's.]
btw-
I think your blog is great!
The copy I read had a sticker on it from the BYU bookstore that said "20% off Childrens books"
All I was saying is that whenever he smells her hair and gets "thirsty" it seems to me like it would relate perfectly to a man smelling a woman's hair and getting...well...horny. It seems very apparent to me. Maybe I am reading too much into it, but I didn't really like it how I read it.
I don't mean to insult you, but Rape isn't about being turned on --it's all about control over another person, usually with a healthy dose of anger. The fact that Edward is adament about protecting her in every way (physical, emotional, etc.) kind of disproves that. But, with that said, if that's how you read the book, then that's how you read the book. I can't change your mind, and you won't change mine, so it's kind of an impasse, wouldn't you say?
Interesting about the children's books thing. I'm wondering if Deseret Book sells it the same way. Because yes, I would never let my daughter read this until she was at least 16 or 17. Definitely not for children.
I was directed here by MMM and just HAD to comment. I am so relieved to find someone that actually feels the same way I do about the book. I felt that the "lust for blood" was way too suggestive for young readers. I had hoped for a bit more from an LDS author. It's a shame really. But, I'm still reading the other two so I can find out how the story goes. I'm a glutton for punishment I guess.
I've written a demi-review at my blog if you'd like to mosey over and comment there.
http://www.thisblogs4me.blogspot.com/
SO- I just finished it as well and also was way disappointed, but not for exactly the same reasons as Jenny. I just didn't like the book. I thought it was an awesome story line, with horrible writing. And I wouldn't want my teenage daughter to be reading about obsessive love, because I want her to realize what appropriate love is at appropriate times.
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