Twilight: The Twilight Saga, Book 1
(2005, Fiction - Fantasy, Written by Stephenie Meyer)Ratings at a Glance
| 39% | of parents don't feel there are good role models |
| 32% | of parents don't think the messages are positive |
| 32% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
Have you read it? 
Most Recent Reviews
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
- I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
Don't read it until you're older
The relationship between the two protagonists at a glance seems romantic, but the messages the book sends out is a definitely abusive relationship between two young adults who aren't ready for a relationship yet. The main protagonist dedicates her life to him. He tells her he loves her, but then to go away. Not very healthy. I don't think this book is good at all; it was a long, drawn-out read. The characters had very little depth; paper thin, one might say. Younger children, whom are easily influenced, should avoid this series due to the messages it sends out. As a vampire fan myself, I found Meyer's 'creations' to be a FAR cry from folklore and myth; PLEASE do not think of this as a good vampire romance, as it is not even close to it.
- I rate this title on for age 15 and give it
Great for teens and up...
As an adult I absolutely LOVE this book. It has very mild content, but it's a romance novel and I just don't see why children younger than their teens would be (or should be) into it. I personally don't think romance is an appropriate subject for younger children.
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- My highlights are:
- Educational
Twilight- Okay
I think Twilight is the least violent of the series. My kids are begging me to let them read it, so I'm reading it to them. They like it but I'm not reading it to my four year old. It's violent and there is a bit of concern of drama.
- I rate this title off for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Negative role models
Maybe ok for high school age kids, but not elementary!!
I am glad to see there are others who saw what I saw when I read this book, as a parent previewing it for my young daughters. My 5th grade daughter was begging me to read it because all of her friends had and a couple of moms whom I would usually trust said, "Oh, Twilight is harmless!" But for me, as a single mom who has just left an abusive relationship, the negative messages of this book stood out as ones my young daughters don't need to be exposed to, especially when they are being glorified. There is way too much desire in this novel for young girls to be reading about, let alone the fact that Bella desires someone who is dangerous, and she is more than willing to ignore the danger in the name of love. This is not a sweet, innocent love story, and I am amazed at how many VERY young girls are not only reading this series and watching the movie, but are obsessed with it, and their parents don't see it as a problem. We need to open our eyes with our daughters at this age and think about what we are teaching them about the world and how they, as women in it, should expect to be treated.
- I rate this title off for age 15 and give itMy concerns are:
- Negative role models
I cannot fathom the reason Bella is held up as a positive role model for teen girls. For all her pretensions to intelligence and independence, she is shockingly anti-feminist, and Edward is far from the ideal boyfriend. Throughout the Twilight series, Bella defines herself solely through relationships with boys. Because her one "flaw" is incredibly exaggerated clumsiness, she is unable even to walk across a patch of ice without Edward to protect her. Her interests? Edward. Her goals? Edward. Her dreams? Edward. In a later book, when Edward leaves, she engages in suicidal behavior in an attempt to win him back. For his part, Edward shows several signs of abusiveness. He breaks into her house to watch her sleep, refuses to let her spend time with her other friends, and even breaks her truck so she'll have to depend on him for transportation. Additionally, he's emotionally unstable. He continually tells her how dangerous he is, but spends time with her anyway; Bella also describes his "sudden mood changes [which] left me always a step behind, dazed." None of this would be too bad for older kids if it wasn't presented so appealingly. Bella is too vacuous and ignorant to realize the danger of her situation. She even idealizes Edward, and since the book is written from her point of view, the reader is treated to endless descriptions of how perfect he is. But he is, as discussed above, far from a positive influence, and the way the book idealizes his relationship with Bella is frankly dangerous. Twilight goes farther than simply telling girls that it doesn't matter if their boyfriend is controlling and unstable; it holds such an unhealthy relationship up as the ideal.
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
Great book; definitely better than the movie
I think it's a great epic romance! I read each book of the series before letting my 12yr old. One excerpt depicts a sensual scene edging on iffy, but is not worse than things I've seen on the popular Disney sitcoms.
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
seriously one of the greatest love stories of our generation!! This book is great!! alright i will admit the beginning is slowww.. but most books involving romance usually are.. and the romance is soo out of date. It feels like im back in the fifites or something. Their too clean but otherwise its great.. Bella is a strong empowering character and Edward the epitome of a perfect man! just kiddint but he is very sweet and chivlarious which is not very common in this day and age. just to recap minimal violence, great characters, good love story with no sexualtiy, no foul language, no drugs/alcohol/smoking.
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
Engaging Yes, Romanticizing Obsession for tweens/early teens NO!
I'm fairly progressive, yet protective of my children's childhood. We're definitely a slow-lane family in that regard - no major investments in PS or Wii, and only limited exposure to cable or programs that feature sassy or catty characters. Our kids play sports and have play dates, they don't linger much in front of tv or computer screens. I wanted to read Twilight because all the friends of my 11-yr old daughter are reading/have read it, and I wanted to screen it. While I found the book engaging, I don't much like the rush to obsession that is fully characterized here - and the false sense of security that comes from enjoying someone's attention, only to have it fade for any reason. I don't think it's a good fit for tweens or early teens. I'd rather have my girl read it when she's closer to the age of the main characters. It's just so unfortunate that such a compelling story involves abandon to the point of selflessness, but I suppose we see that in Romeo & Juliet and West Side Story, don't we? Even so, I read both of those in HS. There's plenty of other types of adolescent reading & entertainment that won't set up the expectation for, or romanticize such abandon of self and independence.
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
Conservative-thumbs down!!!
Total dangerous and suspenseful romance. There are a lot of occasions of close contact and sexual tension. Passionate kissing or wanting to there bodies pressed against each other.. Bella even somewhat bounces back and forth for two guys. Lying to parents happens a few times. This connected to too much to passion and sexual longing and being attracted to danger. I am conservative and my kids are not reading this!
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
I read this book because my 12 year old was DYING to read it. I was not going to let her until I read it first. While I agree that Bella isn't the greatest role model, she's not the worst either. She is very bright and does well in school. She isn't obsessed with her looks or being mean to others. There is not much violence in the book (though Hollywood made it more intense in the movie!). I though Edward was more protective than creepy. He knew when she was in danger and made sure to keep her safe. I think it's important to know your child before you let her read it. I believe that my daughter has a good foundation of right and wrong so I was able to trust that this book would not have a negative effect on her. She was only allowed to read this and New Moon though. I felt that the last two books were too old for her. I really enjoyed the entire series. It wasn't the best series ever, but it was fun to read and entertaining.
- I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give itMy concerns are:
- Negative role models
Unhealthy messages about obsession
Ok this is a good book. I read the whole thing because another parent showed my daughter the movie when she was a guest at a ninth birthday party. I was NOT happy about this. She has been arguing with me about it ever since. The book is a page turner for sure. But it also reminded WAY too much of being a teenage girl and the status associated with having a boyfriend, and how easy it is to get wrapped up in the relationship and push away friends and families concerns. Teenage girls are too vulnerable about this stuff. This book gives the wrong message.
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
Not for my 6th grader.... not yet!
I do not feel like my 11 year old is ready to read about a relationship of this "magnitude". I'd like her to be a child as long as possible. Why rush it? They have much more time to be an adult~ let the "I can't live without him...." wait!
- I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
okay for older teens.
I loved the book for Adults. I think that the with the world as it is today, teenagers have enough to deal with. I think that there is a lot of sexual suggestion.
- I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
Children need to be talked to about the content of the book. With the understanding that the book doen't teach good morals. Lying to parents, Taking meds to sleep, violent battle,... I would not let children under the age of 14 read this book.
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
This is a romance and a bit unrealistic--even if you suspend belief about the vampire element. It's love at first sight or maybe smell in this case. And I don't believe the reason they are committed to each other is explained very well. The romance part is somewhat long and tedious--I was ready for action. (You get that in New Moon.)
- I rate this title off for age 13 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
A model of bad behavior
If you are looking for a model of bad behavior for your kids--this is it! Making poor decisions, lying to your parents, obsessive attention to romance and ignoring any educational value of school Very gripping, yes, but I think it is inappropriate for anyone under 13, and only maybe OK if these issues are discussed with them.
- I rate this title off for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- Negative role models
I honestly don't see the appealing to this series, sure they are about "Romance" but so are many other vampire novels. Edward is over protective of Bella, I think this book is anti-feminist, and brainwashing the young girls, and even some lonely mothers.
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My highlights are:
Perfect for 12+
I loved the series myself and my 12 year old reluctant reader could not put them down! Traditionally, Vampires are portrayed as sexually charged being but this series focuses on real love and abstinence until marriage. Great series!!!
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
i LOVE the book twilight.it is a really good book. as far as language goes,the worst word they say is heII.twilight,new moon,and eclipse are all fine.breaking dawn is a little iffy,but its ok i guess.their all good books.
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- I rate this title on for age 16 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
Perfect for older kids, but not for teens
I have read the books. I don't think they are appropriate for anyone less than 13. They get more racy as they go. Older kids and adults will love them.
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
read it last year; not the best book I have ever read.
I have read about 300 books in the last two years-twilight included. The plotline sucks you in, but after you read it once, it gets boring. If you look at the way it is written, also, it has spelling and grammatical mistakes that the copyeditor must have missed or left in during the publication process. That means either the book was too bad for the copyeditor to withstand, or it is a very bad copyeditor. Bella becomes monotonous after the first couple chapters, and Edward is only interesting for about a chapter. This series is highly overrated, and deserves less attention than some of the books I have read which nobody has ever heard of.
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
The best book ever, even if the writing is not perfect.
Omg rholyokowarrior, that is just ridiculous. You are taking all of that out of context, and there is no way a two-year-old could read it anyway. Fandom? Honestly, the people who launch themselves at others are part of a minority that is overzealous about their admiration for these books. Remember, thay are the minority! He may be over 100 years old, but he is stuck in highschool as a 17-year-old male. He is not a pedifile, and do I need to remind you he tries to get Bella to stay away from him. You need to read these books again and re-evaluate. Also, the spelling and grammatical errors give people a chance to spot and correct them, which I find fun, and cool.
- I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
Reading wouldnt be the same without this book :)
I really enjoyed reading this series, and to be honest with you, this book was the start of my love for reading. Before i read this book i could care less about picking up a book and exploring the fanaties we embrace through literature. But this book's love plot and passion had caused something within me to yearn for more. Not only did i buy the rest of this series, i also have a mini libray in my bedroom that consists of 70 or so books and hoping to expand. Merci Beaucoup Twilight, my horizons can now be explored.
- I rate this title off for age 2 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
STAY AWAY FROM AT ALL COSTS
This book: Keep it away from your kids. Do not allow them to read it. It basically tells kids that pedophiles are good people. One of the main characters is a blatant pedophile, as he is trying to get with an underage girl, and he's over 100 years old. The book does not encourage kids to do well in school, as there are many grammatical and spelling errors. Want more reasons? Your kids can get sucked into the fandom, and fans have been known to assault and attack people who do not like the series. Keep your kids minds clean. Do not let them read any of the books under any circumstances.
- I rate this title off for age 2 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
STAY AWAY FROM AT ALL COSTS
This book: Keep it away from your kids. Do not allow them to read it. It basically tells kids that pedophiles are good people. One of the main characters is a blatant pedophile, as he is trying to get with an underage girl, and he's over 100 years old. The book does not encourage kids to do well in school, as there are many grammatical and spelling errors. Want more reasons? Your kids can get sucked into the fandom, and fans have been known to assault and attack people who do not like the series. Keep your kids minds clean. Do not let them read any of the books under any circumstances.
- I rate this title off for age 2 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
STAY AWAY FROM AT ALL COSTS
This book: Keep it away from your kids. Do not allow them to read it. It basically tells kids that pedophiles are good people. One of the main characters is a blatant pedophile, as he is trying to get with an underage girl, and he's over 100 years old. The book does not encourage kids to do well in school, as there are many grammatical and spelling errors. Want more reasons? Your kids can get sucked into the fandom, and fans have been known to assault and attack people who do not like the series. Keep your kids minds clean. Do not let them read any of the books under any circumstances.
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
EVERYONE
I LOVE IT!!(: Im 14 and i dont think that these series are terrbile at all. Everyone thinks that there is something bad with them when there isnt. Its called a fantasy even though I wish Edward Cullen was real. haha I just see why everyone is crapping on them. They are a really good series and so does over like half of my school, well at least the girls but there is also so boys, surprisingly. So everyone just leave the Twilight Series alone.
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
EVERYONE
I LOVE IT!!(: Im 14 and i dont think that these series are terrbile at all. Everyone thinks that there is something bad with them when there isnt. Its called a fantasy even though I wish Edward Cullen was real. haha I just see why everyone is crapping on them. They are a really good series and so does over like half of my school, well at least the girls but there is also so boys, surprisingly. So everyone just leave the Twilight Series alone.
- I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
maturness recomended....
i personally luvd it and i was 12 wen i red the saga. its mostly 4 mature 12+ and is an absolute great read. after reading this i was hookd on bella and edwards relationship and evrythin about the saga!!!!
- I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
one of the best books i've ever read!!!!!!!!!! it is not very inappropriate, i mean i read it when i was 10. the only thing that may not work for younger children is that they might not understand it or grasp its thrilling aspect.
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- Negative role models
Ugh!
Characters too perfect, plot line predictable, flat characters, protagonist is an absolute brat to her dad, unoriginal, way too mushy, Edward is an abusive freak, I could go on. All in all, pretty much the worst book I've ever read.
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Perfect for pre tees and up!
I love the book! I love the whole sreies! I am now hooked! I've read it like 20 times, and it's still making me giggle at the sound of Edward Anthony Mason Cullen! It's the best book I've read!
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think people my age should read the book. alot of people in my class reads twilight. i havent finish it yet but its awsome! (I'm on chapter 2)
- I rate this title on for age 15 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
good for 15 and higher love story
this book is about vampires and wearwolfs. tell a young legon bout a vampire falling in love with a human. like the book said "a lion falling inlove with a lamb. this book is good and keeps your reading
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
I only decided to read Twilight because I was getting mixed judgments from other people. I was at my friends house and saw it on her shelf and said 'do you actually like that?' she told me how good it was so i thought that I would read it and see what all of the fuss was about. I was hooked from the first syllable. I could finally see what everyone (well the half of my class that loved it) meant. I thought it was excellent. My favourite parts were the umhappy teenage girl falling in love and it really felt like I was there too and experiencing everything that Bella was. My favourite part was when Bella and Edward were about to run to the Baseball field and Edward is trying to persuade Bella to let him run with her. It is so sweet. I really recommend it for ages 12 and up because there are a couple of things in there that someone under might not understand and some higher vocab in there too.
- I rate this title iffy for age 14 and give itMy concerns are:
- Negative role models
Edward Hottsickle!
It's Twilight, is there anything else to add? I got this book because of how popular it was. I'm pretty mainstream when it comes to books. But this was the worst book ever! Okay, my thoughts on this book... For a romance, it's completely dumb and I wouldn't never recommend it. Here are my reasons. It is extremely anti climactic. Vampires sparkle in this book, what a pathetic thing for a vampire to do! I expected him to rise up in the air with fire spurting out of his mouth, his eyes burning out of their sockets and his skin become chard and black...but no...he sparkles. The author is a quack, she thinks of the weirdest things. The end of the book was descent enough, but mediocre to say the least. The characters are weak and Bella is a completely obsessive person who makes wrong decisions for her boyfriend stalker, Edward. This book encourages kids to not take drugs (in this case cough syrup)...unless there's a hot boy in the equation. It's also okay to be stalked, I mean, who doesn't find it hott to be stalked!? And having a creepy boy watching girls sleep, no that's not a pervert at all! Edward Cullen, the boyfriend stalker, also is very sexist. He wants to protect Bella with the simplest things--which is not what life is about. She worships him as if he were a god, but this is stupid. She’s not independent, and I feel that if girls read this book, they will not think of the flaws, but only how Edward Cullen is hott! I haven't bothered to read the second book because it was boring and had negative messages—but I heard Bella jumps off a cliff after Edward dumps her. I also feel the author was a very religious person, involving old customs into this book. What I'm trying to say is that, I don't not like it for the plot--I hate it for its message and the way the plot was pieced together. It also made me want to puke with how romantic it was. It could have been more interesting, but it failed miserably. The movie was surprisingly better.
- I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
read like a year ago it wasnt too bad but violent in parts, bad words like dammit and hell
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Excessive consumerism
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Perfect for Tweens and Teens.
A good book. Some kissing, but not bad.
- I rate this title off for age 13 and give it
twilight should be burned
i know these books r popular but i really hated it i neverr finished it and nearly feel asleep reading it i mean come on its all so boring the movie has terrible actors its just terrible i believe twilight should be burned
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give itMy concerns are:
- Negative role models
Book is written by and anti-feminist monkey(sorry to all the monkeys)
This book is written terribly and could have been written by an overly romantic monkey. The main character is an extremely weak women and the dad is the stereotypical idiot father. New moon is even worse when bella starts participating in suicidal activities just so she will get slightly crazier and here edwards voice. My inner feminist is crying right now and it makes me mad that so many people think this is a great romance with good role models. A much better choice is Buffy or for a book Blood and Chocolate or Tantalize
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
Great!
It's great! I love it! It was a little bit more "Romantic" than I go for usually. This book is WAY better than the movie, but I will of course be going to see new moon when it hits theaters.I found out about it by getting together with a group of friends. They were gonna see the movie, and I went with!
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Good summer read
This was the only book in the series I enjoyed besides Breaking Dawn. Bella is not an obssesive-damsel in distress-cry baby in this book. In fact, I loved her character in this one. But later on she becomes quite annoying. The story IS very intriguing and the movie makes it even more popular. I do fine the format a little off with purple prose and incorrect facts, but this is a good summer read.
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
BEST BOOK EVER!!!
This is my favorite book of all times! Of course you parents must be like ' oh my god ! another crazed teen!' but im telling you...its amazing !
