Twilight

"Twilight was huge in 2009.  The top four selling books last year were Stephanie Meyer books according to USA Today. I also recently came across an article that CPUY highlighted in their email newsletter that I found very helpful re: Most Influential Young Adult authors by Heidi Broadhead.  Check her post out, "The YA Decade."

My title for Twilight is "Bella's Quest to be with Edward Forever: Falling in love with a vampire can be different, but passionate; yet has its dangerous elements"

This story seeks to chronicle the misfit love between a human girl and a male vampire.  In the end, the vampire wants to keep her human.  "I don't want my presence to take anything away from you, if I an help it. I want you to be human (495)."  The human wants to become a vampire and be with him forever.  Bella reveals her heart when she mistakens dressing up for the prom for dressing up for a wedding when she becomes a vampire.  "Okay," I confessed in a rush. "So I was hoping that you might have changed your mind...that you were going to change me, after all (496)."  She pursues this quest with reckless abandonment and even to her own death.  It's like a death wish for her. 

Edward changes in the book dramatically as well.  At first, he is distant, labeled weird and aloof, a loner in a loner family. Charlie summarizes how people viewed the Cullens: "They...the kids...are a little different. THey don't seem to fit in very well at school...they stick together the way a family should--camping trips every other weekend...just because they are newcomers, people have to talk (36,37)." Moreover, Jessica adds, "The Cullens don't like anybody...well, they dont' notice anybody enought to like them (42)."  Then he joins community life--interacting with Charles & Tyler, goes to prom, becomes more human. The interaction described at the end of the book reveals how integrated Edward has become.  He keeps secrets with Charlie and talks directly to Tyler (482-483). 

I like the title picture of an apple. It reminds me of the forbidden fruit presented by Satan to Adam and Eve. In fact, Stephanie Meyer includes the verse Genesis 2:17 in her book after the title page, "But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."  One student remarked that the apple brought to her mind--Snow White and the poisoned apple.  Whether forbidden or poison, the analogy works. 

Bella wants to be with Edward so bad that in the last chapter she thinks the pretty fancy dress is a wedding dress rather than a prom dress.  The book ends with an unresolved dilemna; it ends in an empasse, "He frowned at my tenacity. No one was going to surrender tonight. He exhaled, and the sound was practically a growl (498)." Edward and Bella argue about Bella becoming a vampire forever to be with Edward in eternity.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the books. I believe love is the central theme. How do you deal with overwhelming feelings of love when everything points to danger?  It's a dilemna with many students.  Yet rather than go it alone. A Christian student has many available sources of help--friends, pastors, small group leaders, parents, step-parents, teachers, and relatives like grandparents.  It doesn't have to be one couple against the world.

I did not like the scene where Edward stays all night with Bella (296ff). I believe that what they do is questionable. Physical proximity can enflame a fiery passion that is not easily vanquished. What I mean is, a couple being alone in a bedroom may start a process of physical affection that gets out of control.  As a father of two little girls, it is hard not to envision one of my daughters sneaking a boy into her bedroom overnight without me knowing it.  But that's the fantasy of young adult fiction and its devices.  You can seem to get away with things that may be questionable, depending on your parents, your boyfriend, or your girlfriend. 

I truly praise the family life of the Cullens and their willingness to include friends of the family. Their care for friends was so important that to defend them was necessary; even to defend with their own lives and at their own expense.  They were willing to do whatever it takes to protect the friend of one of the family. I love that!

I hope that you have a chance to respond and to interact with what I post.  You can share by leaving your comments or you can send them right to me at dbutler@woostergrace.org.  I'd love to see what you post. 

I have also included reviews from the following links:

• Tim Challies review, From his About Me part of his website, "Tim is editor of Discerning Reader (www.discerningreader.com), a site dedicated to discerning reviews of books that are of interest to Christians." 
• Mahoney review, From her bio, "Kelli Mahoney is an experienced Christian Youth worker and published writer. "
• Anna Limber review, Add your review here at About.com. 

I trust you can engage the culture around you and wisely discern how to live in the world, but not be of the world.