@seekshelter - Edward (the main guy) was turned into a vamp in 1918, at the age of 17, so as the vampire thing goes he will never physically age. he will always "look 17" (even tho the actor is really 22).

there is a funny scene in the movie, where it shows some art in his family home. One is all the graduation caps they have. Edward and his 3 "siblings" have graduated high school many many many times. He keeps going back, and they move around to keep under the radar.

The reviews are 2.5 /5 usually, but after reading the book and seeing the movie its closer to a 4.

Very good points all around! (I especially enjoyed the last bit, grammar nazi's are silly.) I read the first book myself and didn't care for it much but your arguments for it are well supported.

Also anyone else read the books (I only made it through the first one) There's a homosexual relationship in the series? Wut?

(sorry, I can't answer as I don't know the movie or the books and after all this I'm not sure I want to know!)

Not all "I don't need to try it to know it's bad" arguments work. Reading books is not akin to substance abuse and the deleterious effects of heroin and other drugs are not a matter or opinion but fact.

The author of these books did not identify a niche and write a series of books in order to exploit the emotions of teen girls in order to get rich nor lure them in to some sort of R rated book trap as you suppose. She wrote a story as a personal project, was encouraged to get it published, and she did. Meyer's intended audience was really herself and a few friends at the most. Her publisher was the one that targeted it to young adults. Books one and four were supposed to be all there was to it, but the publisher asked her to write two more in order to draw it out and make it longer (and more profitable). No one was trying to pull a fast one here.

I could care less about you saying bad things about Bella. Yes, she is a fictional character. I didn't agree with the protagonists for much of the book. But it sounds as if you are making the author out to be some sort of con artist intent on destroying the morals of our youth. You say that TV shows and books aim to do this and that. Books and TV shows can do nothing since they are not living, thinking objects/beings. The people behind them are the actors here, and when you ignorantly cast aspersions about the motivations and intentions of people that you know nothing about you come off as a complete fool (worse actually).

You tell me to read between your crochety barbs in order to understand your point, but that only works when your points are well presented in the first place, which they aren't. You enter discussions with very superficial knowledge and try to make a point that doesn't belong because it's based off of freaking Buffy and whatever else and Twilight is not Buffy! Do you form all of your opinions based off of heresay ignorance?

Again, for the complete morons out there like the aptly named Byrd Brain ... I just found it interesting that it is becoming a common strategy for books änd TV shows for "young adults" to "grow with the readers/viewers" as the series develops. A perhaps unintended consequence is when a 12 year old "shows up late" and reads a bunch in a row (much faster than they took to write), the parents might not realize that the intended audience is getting older with every book. Read between my crotchety barbs and understand the main point I was trying to make.

So, no I am not out to burn books or ban them or any such nonsense. The authoress has identified a market and provided a product to fill it. Kudos to her. Parents ultimately are responsible for what influences their kids so they need to maintain vigilance in the goings on in their kids'lives, which includes reading. If the protagonist is a submissive emotionally dependent tramp, just be aware of it. Hah hah, I couldn't help that last line... Loosen the bone a little folks ... you're acting like I'm calling your *own* kids names. Bella is a FICTIONAL character.

I snuck peaks at porno mags when I was a kid and I turned out fine.

Guess what? Sex doesn't kill or pevert people! Its natural!

The fact that grown women obsess over these books to the point of stalking the actors is terrifying.

We live in a time when adults have to struggle to get kids to do anything but watch TV, play video games, or send endless text messages (in horribly mangled english) and people are are critcizing those that read? Seriously? Get a new hobby, honestly, people. Criticizing people's choice in books is as useful as people's choice in ice cream flavors.

As for book four, I'd be more concerned with a younger kid (junior high age or younger) reading about the GRAPHIC consequences of the couple's passion than with the passion. The passion is non-existant. They kiss, then the story jumps to afterwards. It's implied that there are relations between them, but for all we know they could have been playing scrabble all night.

1) These books are NOT horribly written. If my students were to ask me to direct them in a book choice, and they enjoyed this type of book (teenage relationships, vampires, or both), then I would suggest the series to them. My reluctant readers have completed 600 page books in a matter of days. It's very hard to find fault in that.

2) There are definitely people on here that are judging this book based on hearsay. TRY READING THE BOOK yourself before spreading condemnation.

**Spoiler alert**
3) I actually felt as if this book did a good job of establishing some boundaries for teenagers: none of the characters drink alcohol, there's very little in the way of sex for the first 2 books (a little more in the third, then even more in the 4th... but almost all in the context of marriage), and loyalty is a very strong theme throughout. There are even deadly enemies who are able to resolve their disputes, accept one another, and work together towards fighting a greater evil.

4) Yes, there ARE codependency issues, but hopefully people have the capability to determine what's over-the-edge and what isn't. Then, if a child is reading the series, his or her parents can have a conversation about the unhealthy aspects of the main characters' behavior (aside from the whole vampire issue).

Just my two cents... take them for what they're worth!

Oh, and if I make any grammar mistakes, I apologize... I didn't know that comment posting on the fly was supposed to be proofread with a fine toothed comb. Sheesh.

Also it seems like when people want to shield children from this stuff, they forget what kind of stuff they were into when they were kids. Unless older people really did lead puritanical lives until they hit 18...

And as for the KFC comment... KFC is rancid... screw everything that PETA says... KFC is just a big bucket of greasy insta-diarrhea.

Where is this?
It looks like it's supposed to be AZ

Back on topic: yes, that looks like it's supposed to be Renee's house. Nice!

re:tempscire
Bella's not a twit, she's intelligent
and edwards life was even more empty, as he tells it

to both of you:
kids should read more books, as a recent youth i kno reading books that went a little more mature didn't make me want to be like those books

What's scary are the Twilight moms who adore Edward even though they should be old enough to recognize the "unhealthy relationship!" warning signs.