Twilight | Teen Ink

Twilight

May 6, 2009
By Lily Grant BRONZE, Veneta, Oregon
Lily Grant BRONZE, Veneta, Oregon
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

This is not your average rave about "Twilight". In fact, I hated the book. Nearly everyone I know has read and absolutely loves the series, but I couldn’t even finish the first book!

Bella is a whiny, self-centered character who thinks she is the best. She feels sorry for herself every chance she gets, and she always relies on someone else to fix her problems. She always has something to complain about, and she can never deal with her own life. She is just plain annoying.

Edward is depicted as a hero, and he is always the one who conveniently shows up to save Bella from some new danger. Meyer’s description of him is not only sexist, as was mentioned by Catherine Stafford of New Paltz, NY, in the April 2009 issue, but she continually uses the same verbs to describe him. How many times can you say that he “chuckled”? It really gets old after a while, as does the ongoing description of his “perfect beauty”. Find some new words, Meyer.

Furthermore, this book has no plot. I managed (painstakingly, might I add) to get through the first 300 or so pages. In this time, all that happens is that Bella meets Edward and thinks she is in love with him. If it takes 300+ pages to get to the action, then I say don’t waste your time reading it. Meyer is obviously not a strong writer if she can’t write about anything interesting in the first twenty pages, let alone dragging out the nothingness for 300.

I believe that one reason that Meyer’s books are so widely-read is because she attended Brigham Young University, a Mormon college. Kids and teens whose parents would normally forbid a book about vampires have allowed their kids to read the Twilight series. Twilight was published in 2005, and didn’t becoming supremely popular until it was learned that her alma mater was a religious university. This is discriminatory in my eyes, simply because there are so many truly good books out there that teens aren’t allowed to read because the author isn’t a graduate of a certain institution. The collective interest in this book worries me because of the mob mentality that it inspires. The citizens of America shouldn’t be so influenced by one book.


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This article has 16 comments.


on Apr. 3 2015 at 8:36 pm
MelindaKai BRONZE, Lenoir City, Tennessee
3 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"But in life we don't usually get to choose our defining moments. We just have to stand and face them when they come no matter what sort of state we're in." - Darren Shan

This is pure gold. I, too, couldn't get through the first book. I'm pretty sure my ACT lowered when reading this so-called literature.

Butterfly12 said...
on Apr. 28 2010 at 8:08 am

You want to know why so many people all over the world love Twilight, katiemiladie?

Because they haven't read anything better, or are simply not intelligent enough to comprehend the greatness of a truly good book.  Twilight is a book that appeals to the masses of brainless people out there, hence why it is so loved.


lemonmango said...
on Apr. 6 2010 at 12:49 pm
lemonmango, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
z8)<br /> tee hee...harry potter

I used to be an extreme Twilight Saga lover, but I've read lots of reviews like this one and...they really made me realize what Twilight truly was! You are SO right about everything you wrote. Keep it up!

Bookloverx said...
on Mar. 20 2010 at 10:10 am
I'll havee the books then:L I lovee twilight x

on Nov. 26 2009 at 11:49 am
YOU. ROCK!

No, seriously, you're a very good writer and are one of the few people that have a brain on this website! Twilight is completely... just so... STUPID! I wrote a review (you can read it if you want ), and it's slightly differant than yours, but I completely agree with you. Keep writing!

on Jul. 10 2009 at 1:38 pm
TheHandThatWieldsThePen SILVER, Shapleigh, Maine
5 articles 0 photos 74 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Let&#039;s waste time<br /> chasing cars<br /> around our heads.&quot;<br /> --Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol<br /> <br /> &quot;I do believe it&#039;s true<br /> there are roads left in both of our shoes<br /> if the silence take you then I hope it takes me too.&quot;<br /> --Soul Meets Body by Death Cab For Cutie

First of all, the book does have a plot. Its a ROMANCE NOVEL!!! The action in the other books and at the end is more a test of their relationship then anything else.

Secondly, Bella is not whiny. She cares about everyone else. And as for Edward always saving her, duh, they are in love, she's a klutz, he's a vampire with MINDREADING powers(to know if she's in trouble) what do you expect.

Oh I love you, i'll just let you get mugged in the street.

These books are AMAZING. And anyone who thinks otherwise can't comprehend the underlying plot AT ALL!!

I am sorry to say, you are sadly mistaken in your idea of this book.

on Jun. 2 2009 at 12:36 am
unearthlyhaphazard GOLD, N/A, New York
15 articles 0 photos 176 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.&quot;~W. Somerset Maugham

Let me just say this before I move on: I do really love Twilight and Harry Potter. Anyway, I respect your opinion, but I think you have the wrong idea on Bella. She's not whiny, and she really doesn't feel sorry for herself. She wants to fix the lives of other people, not her own! The Edward part I do agree. It's very "damsel in distress" and "knight in shining armor" like. So, maybe she should have Bella saving herself, and maybe you're right about the words deal, but I don't agree with the fact that the beginning is too simple or that the book has no plot. But hey, like I said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

tim beck said...
on May. 29 2009 at 5:02 pm
tim beck, Webster, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 20 comments
Lizzy12, the reason we don't particularly enjoy the "simple beginning" is because it is, just to simple. It doesn't really evoke any emotion whatsoever, and Meyer just throws into the middle of some boring plot, expecting you to follow it like a donkey with a stick on its back with a carrot on the end. The plot is so simple, that only people who have never read before can comprehend whats happening, and it doesn't even get more complex as the book progresses, in fact, critics have rated Breaking Dawn said that its a lower grade level that Twilight! Twilight was about 4.7 or 4.8, whil Breaking Dawn is rated 4.4-4.6! Hell, thats just sad, and here's an excerpt from the Sodahead debate



"I like Twilight because it is so easy to understand ive nevr red b4 but iv benn reading this obsesivly! GO TWILIGHT!!" only not in those exact words.



And now, time for the twitards sanity check. In the Sodahead discussion, the twitards would abuse caps lock, misspell the simplest of words, and when a HP fan came along, they started screeching that they had some sort of mental issue. Also, thier only reason that Twilight is so good is "because edward r just so sexxy". Here's an example.





Twitard-"OMG TWILIT R SO THE BEST EDWRD R SEXY I LURVE HIM SO F***ING MUCH HE MINE BI***ES, MINE!!

HP fan-"I don't care much for Twilight, its way too repetitive and its plot is boring."

Twitard-"OMG UR LIKE HP AD NO TWILIT!YOU R RETRD!U NED TO B PUT IN MANTEL HISPOTEL."

HP fan-"Um..., O.K.?"

tim beck said...
on May. 22 2009 at 5:08 pm
tim beck, Webster, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 20 comments
btw katiemilady, the critics say that twilight-breaking dawn is a 4.6 grade level. and stephen king is one of the best wriers and he admitted his distaste for the books, and to answer your other question, all of them are prepubescent. so you also need to read my review, k? and lily, pls send me a friend request on yahoo.com, but I'm on a school computer now so itll be a while for me to accept because my internets cancelled. just say 'hey im the person you asked if i would marry you' or something k?

tim beck said...
on May. 22 2009 at 5:03 pm
tim beck, Webster, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 20 comments

tim beck said...
on May. 22 2009 at 4:55 pm
tim beck, Webster, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 20 comments
will you marry me?

on May. 20 2009 at 11:15 pm
LoveLikeWoe DIAMOND, LeSueur, MN, Minnesota
54 articles 2 photos 748 comments

Favorite Quote:
Whoever laughs first has the sickest mind.

I agree with twilightnme i love this movie

on May. 18 2009 at 12:06 am
Sheridan PLATINUM, Spokane, Washington
23 articles 12 photos 67 comments

Favorite Quote:
By the time you are done reading this you will have wasted 10 seconds of your life.

I admit that I was a huge Twilight fan, but lately it hasn't really appealed to me. It is sexist and I think people are too blinded by the perfection to see that it's repetitive and way to perfect. I do, however, have a soft spot for Jacob Black because he's one of the only characters who is at least moderately realistic and he's really hot. Anyway, people need to start realizing that it's like a chocolate candy with a carmel center dipped in malt, with sprinkles, fudge, brownie, dots, and whipped cream with a cherry on top in a bowl of Rocky Road ice cream. Way too sweet, only some people realize it's over kill while others tend to savor it. But one day all the ice cream will be gone and everyone will forget about Twilight. After all, it's just a trend, isn't it?

on May. 14 2009 at 12:40 am
Twilightnme SILVER, Anchorage, Alaska
6 articles 0 photos 50 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;You dont know what you have until its gone&quot;

I think that twilight is the best. I don't care if you feel that way, but I wanted to say that I love it, and I can't stand the way this story is so damagely written...

on May. 13 2009 at 12:38 am
katiemiladie GOLD, Glendale, California
19 articles 0 photos 17 comments
I agree with Lizzy in most ways. Reviews are meant for personal oppinon and I salute you for putting your own personal thoughts on the line but, I only have one single question. If Meyer's books are so poorly written, are sexist, and are boring, why are they so highly regaurded by millions of people and thousands of the greatest writers and critics in the world? Good luck answering that one.

Lizzy12 GOLD said...
on May. 12 2009 at 12:43 am
Lizzy12 GOLD, Palmyra, New York
13 articles 0 photos 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
&lt;No one can make you feel inferior without your consent&gt; Elenor Roosevelt

Your review is well written and thought out however i completely disagree. I am Mormon and I love fantasy we are encouraged to learn and discover in fact the Mormon book store in my town sells many fiction pieces including Eragon and Harry Potter.

Bella is not selfish. She moves to her fathers house so her mother and Phil her step father can live and travel. Self centered, Bella Swan ? I think not. If you did not understand the simple beginning then you obviously did not see the deep feelings and funny characters that make the book so enticing.