Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that, while very mild by the standards of its genre, this is a vampire romance, so there is talk about blood and romantic kissing, as well as one battle with bloody injuries.
Families who read this book could discuss the view of vampirism here. It sounds like a one-way ticket to superhero powers -- what's the downside? Why is Edward reluctant to let Bella become one? Why, aside from her love for Edward, might Bella want it?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
This is the downside to Harry Potter. Before J. K. Rowling smashed the page limits to smithereens, no publisher in their right mind would have allowed this book to be nearly 500 pages. It would have been cut down substantially, and it would have been a better story for it.
This incredibly long book is really two books. The first two-thirds is a fairly engrossing, if not terribly imaginative, vampire romance, with lots of smoldering eyes, palpitating hearts, mood swings, and a nice touch of fantasy. Then in the final third it turns into an action-thriller, as another vampire sets his sights on Bella.
Despite its length it is very readable, though it's all too easy to read a hundred pages, enjoy it, and then not be able to remember anything that actually happened. The vampires are not only presented sympathetically, but with their amazing superhero-ish powers, spectacular looks, and hipster style, they make vampirism seem like a sensible and appealing lifestyle choice -- though they would certainly fit in better in Soho than in Forks, WA. Still, it's mostly good fun, and passes the time pleasantly.
From The Book
I stared because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful. They were faces you never expected to see except perhaps on the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine. Or painted by an old master as the face of an angel. It was hard to decide who was the most beautiful -- maybe the perfect blond girl, or the bronze-haired boy.
Plot Summary:
When her mother gets remarried, Bella moves in with her father, Charlie, who lives in a small town on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, where it rains nearly all the time. There she meets Edward, a strange and gorgeous boy from a strange and gorgeous family, and soon she has fallen madly in love with him.
She also discovers that he and his family are vampires, and this bothers her not at all. It bothers Edward, though; even though they had long ago sworn off human blood in favor of animal predators, he still worries for her safety, both with him and with his family, who control their lust for human blood only by willpower.
Related Books:
Sequels:
New Moon
Eclipse
More Teen Vampires:
Thirsty by M. T. Anderson
A Living Nightmare: Cirque Du Freak: The Saga of Darren Shan, Book 1 by Darren Shan
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
Related Web Sites:
Author's site
Official site
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Sexual ContentSome passionate kissing. |
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ViolenceA brutal, bloody battle, and hints about others. And it's about vampires, after all. |
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Social Behavior |
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CommercialismCar brands, OTC drugs, soft drinks. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoBella uses cold medication as a sleep aid. |
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