Stephenie Meyer's New Moon

The next movie in the famous -or infamous -Twilight series is due for release in November, and fans everywhere are gearing up for the excitement and the midnight release. Those readers who aren't fans are buckling down for another long few months of Twilight hype and hysteria. Although the books are wildly popular, fans of real literature or good writing are constantly disappointed by the amount of attention given to the Twilight series.

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Twilight's many flaws

Although the books are sometimes pardoned for their faults by the claim that they get people reading who didn't enjoy it before, or who were at a loss for things to read, this claim falls apart upon examination. When the quality of the Twilight books is examined critically, there are few if any benefits to picking these books up. For the readers who move on to bigger and better things, Twilight is a stepping off point, and there's nothing wrong with that. For readers who stick with Twilight and books of the same caliber, there is very little point in reading them at all.

The trouble for people who don't like Twilight starts when fans start insisting that Twilight is well written, or presents a great example of true love. It isn't well written, and it doesn't offer readers a good example of what a relationship should be, and that's a major concern for people who pay attention to what younger readers are getting into. The relationship between Bella and Edward is not loving and romantic, it is obsessive and abusive. New Moon in particular emphasizes these aspects.

Abuse in the book New Moon

When Edward decides that his relationship with Bella is putting her into too much danger, he does not merely break up with her and offer the explanation he has given to himself; instead, he dumps her on her birthday and convinces his entire family to uproot their lives and move. This not only demonstrates an absurd amount of control within the relationship -Bella is not even given a chance to demand an explanation -it demonstrates how immature the characters actually are. Although many relationships end for seemingly trivial reasons, in a relationship that is held up to be a shining standard for girls everywhere, this isn't too promising.

This inauspicious beginning sets up the plot for the rest of New Moon, which continues down the abusive path Bella and Edward consistently take. Since Edward is not present for much of the novel, Stephenie Meyer has to reinforce his absolute control over Bella by allowing her to hear his voice in her head -but only when she is engaged in acts that he would have physically prevented her from taking had he been nearby. These exchanges and actions are abusive, and remove still more of Bella's always small amount of control in her relationships.

Jacob Black

The introduction of a relationship between Bella and Jacob Black adds another dark dimension to New Moon; Jacob pursues Bella while she is at her lowest emotional point, attempting to pursuade her that Edward is bad for her (which he is), but Jacob is not truly much better. None of the men in Bella's life want to offer her the freedom to act on her own choices; each demands that she acquiesce to their ideal picture of a relationship. And if that doesn't work, they either force her to do so, as Edward demonstrates by physically making Bella give in to his demands, or they fight with her until she gives up, as Jacob frequently does.

These deeply rooted sexist ideals persist throughout the rest of New Moon and the series, and present a skewed, negative image of a so-called romantic relationship that many readers persist in idealizing. This is perhaps the worst aspect of the Twilight series.

The writing in the Twilight series

For readers who are looking at the writing side of the equation, the picture is almost equally dismal. New Moon, like the rest of the Twilight books, is riddled with geographical, factual and logical errors, spelling and grammar mistakes that really should have been corrected before publication and a predictable, boring story arc. Even the climax of the story leaves many readers yawning where Meyer would clearly have them wondering what will come next -unfortunately, her story is so hackneyed and dull that there are few surprises left for readers. And most of them relate to how bad the books are.

While reading the books for pleasure won't have too much of a negative impact on readers, other than leaving them bored and disappointed, the undertones of the Twilight series need to be seriously considered when younger readers pick them up. Forming an idea of what a relationship is based on these books, as many girls do, can have serious consequences down the road. For readers mature enough to simply take the books at face value, the only thing lost will be a few hours' time.