Best Teen Books discussion

So, I've never actually read any of the Twilight books, which is why I'm posting this. A few of my friends are really into the series and I know it's really popular, but whenever I ask my friends about it they say I wouldn't like them and that they're not really that good, but then they proceed to squeal and shriek over them.

I wanted to know what other people think about them and what they like and don't like about the books, I'm just curious. I probably will eventually read them, because that's the way I am, but I'm interested in getting a few opinions.

I'm really into fantasy and would like to think that I have good taste in books. I can't stand bad writing or boring characters, which is what I enjoy most about books. I find I'm really brutal when it comes to my expectations and opinions about books, and only about 12 books on my list of 300 have 5 stars from me.

So does anyone think I'd enjoy The Twilight series? What do you think about the books?

If your friends know you don't like bad writing or boring characters, that's probably why they say you won't like the Twilight series. The characters are all so flat--and the main character, Bella, is flat AND see-through because she really has no personality other than being attractively clumsy or something.
Edward's main definition is being perfect and loving Bella and never wanting to hurt her. Oh yes, and he's slightly dangerous because he's a vampire and so is always holding himself back from drinking her blood.
I read the first two books because they were easy reads, but I realized I had no real interest in reading the third and didn't go on from there. So maybe Eclipse is better, but I don't know.

And to all Twilight fans: This is just my opinion. Please don't bash me for it.

I really like the Twilight books because I felt they captured a story of first love. The story takes place in the real world where the supernatural is real. (As opposed to a fantasy world created for the supernatural.) The concept of the supernatural existing in a world that I know was really exciting to me. I have recommended the books to many people who swear they don't like vampire novels and they ended up loving them. If you like fantasy, you may like the books because of the fantasy world that is just out of sight of most of the characters in the book, but is fully realized for Bella.

I work in a bookstore and I can tell you that these books sell to a wider range of people than I've ever seen another book do(I'm not sure that sentence worked).

What I mean is I've sold this book to 10 year old girls and 40 year old women, I've sold it to guys in their 20s(haven't seen any older men buy it), I've had people who are hardcore fantasy readers get it and and people who tell me they've never read a book with vampires before. Something about it just speaks to pretty much everyone. I recommended it to a friend who only reads Christian Fiction and she loved them, I did a teen book group and 2 of the girls said they hate stuff like that but they liked these. This has just been my personal experience.

I suggest you give them a chance because there's a good probability you'll like them as well.

Also I love them and am waiting with bated breath for the 4th.

I think the reason people like these books is precisely BECAUSE Bella is so flat. Since the reader knows pretty much nothing about her, any and every girl/woman can imagine Bella is just like her--which is why I think the movies won't be as good.

Also, as Patrick Jones likes to say, THE VAMPIRE IS HOT.

I agree with Morgan and Stephanie's view of the books---I am not a vampire fan and I picked up Twilight and was blown away by the love story between Bella and EDward---then I plowed through the other 2 and I see Bella as an insecure, clumsy teen who is desprately in love with Edward and his family maybe because what they stand for as vampires is so forbidden. I can't wait for #4 either- try Twilight at least and see what you think. I was not disappointed and the teens in my library absolutely love them- we have 2 copies of each.

I also agree with Morgan, Stephanie and bj, i opened the book not expecting much and finished by the next day. It's really wonderful and beautifully written and has something in it for everyone. You should definitely try out Twilight, I'd love to hear your opinion on it!

I think that many people are turned off from reading twilight because of the multitude of "edward is mine... no edward is MINE" fangirls. However, you do not have to obsess over twilight or hot vampires to enjoy the series. While the writing may not be fantastic, the plotline makes for, at very least a fun read. While you can't compare it to the intricate storytelling of say, Harry Potter, I still highly recomend at least reading the first one. If you wish to a have a bella and edward are not mary sues/gary stues debate with me, i would love to!

Thanks, that really helps everyone! I definitely don't think I'll have the fangirl reaction though, lol. Casy, my friends totally do the "Edward is so great! I wish he actually existed." Fangirl thing, so I know what you mean. Which was part of my hesitation in wanting to read them.

Though I, obviously, don't know anything about the series, from what I read they remind me a lot of the Bloody Jack series, because it's very plot driven with not very interesting and very predictable characters. Hopefully, if I won't get as bored with Twilight as I ended up getting with Bloody Jack, xD

I don't believe that Bella's character is flat at all. She may not be loud and flashy, but she has a voice, and she has different dimensions. She's a daughter who has to raise her parents, she's a new girl in a new school who doesn't make friends easily because she seems older than kids her age, she's self-sacrificing, and then she has this incredible capacity for love.
Stephenie Meyer's writing is amazing because of her characterization; you feel like these people really could be real and they might even be someone you know and that's what makes the books great.
Sometimes as a reader you have to look for the meaning in the words, because it wouldn't be as fun if it was all spelled out for you.

Mostly I agree with Ink Mage. This is not a very well-written series (I'm amazed that anyone can say the prose is more than lackluster), nor is Bella a poster child for feminism. She's got to be one of the lamest female heroines I've read in a long time. And in a genre that's filled with really cool female MC's that's pretty sad. As a whole I feel that this series goes nowhere, and very slowly. If you like a lot of angst and romance with not very much action then this is the series for you.

But as much as I love to hate this series I'm still drawn to it, trying to figure out exactly what people like about it. I agree with Heidi in the respect that Bella is "everygirl" and it's easy to put yourself in her shoes and be swept away by the brooding vampire. Personally I'd rather read a book with a heroine that I can respect but I can see the appeal of the Mary Sue-ness as well.

I'm drawn to the series, too, mostly because my daughter read it in one day. I got halfway through and then the book mysteriously disappeared? She gave it to a friend, perhaps? Hmmm.... I'll have to pick up another copy. Stephenie Meyer is doing a book signing in my town tomorrow. Maybe I'll get a copy then!

This is in response to the feminist comments... Stephenie actually addressed this at the book signing I went to. She talked about how both characters are strong for different reasons and how the story wouldn't be any different if Bella was the vampire. She also said that the Host would definitely change people's minds.

The Twilight series is absolutly and abhorringly addictive. I have never been so addicted to any books before, ever. I am not the kind of person that likes sci-fi stuff very much, if at all, yet these books controlled my life. While i do agree with the comments on Bella being a flat character, there is still something in the way she is described that just is so easy to relate to. If you are into romance this is a good choice because the love is core shocking, you will cry.

I completely reccomend these books.

Well I think that overall the Twilight series isn't that well written or anything. The plot isn't strong and the characters aren't always likable or easy to relate to.
But there's just this addictive quality to it, that makes you want to keep reading, no matter how unappealing it may seem to be to start with. I actually read Eclipse first, and I couldn't understand why everything thought it was so 'great' about it and why people practically worshiped it...but then somewhere along the line I was mysteriously entangled into the book and I was completely taken by it's flow.
I have no clue what's so great about the books, it's definitely confounding, but I'm just REALLY addicted to it. You know, kind of like smoking, the idea isn't all that appealing, what with the controlling of your mind, the high possibility of lung cancer and so on. Yet once you start, you can't stop and it becomes a disgusting habit that eats away at your mind and body.
That's how I describe Twilight as...it's like a drug. My kind of drug. XP
Not sure if that's any help, because it might not be your kind of drug, as you do get those select few who are immune to the original effects of drugs and nicotine. So you might be one of those rare gems who are immune to the Twilight addiction. If so, I commend you. :D

PandaRanda's analogy is pretty hilarious because it works - the series, for me, *is* like smoking! :) I am not a smoker, but I understand what she's saying... I don't necessarily *love* the series, but I feel a weird addiction to it and it's hard for me to put down. I've finished the first two books this month and will start Eclipse later today. I am almost GLAD I didn't start before now because I don't have to wait very long for Breaking Dawn.

After that, I'm quitting Meyer cold-turkey. :)

I myself was skeptical about reading Twilight, at first. All I knew was that it was a vampire book, and unlike you, I am not all that into fantansy. It took me a few chapters, but once I got into it, I was hooked! The other two books did not disappoint, and I'm counting down the days until Breaking Dawn. Some of my friends disagree, but I love Stephenie's writing style, too. I check Stephenie's website daily, I love the Twilight series so much. The movie, on the other hand, I'm not so sure about. If anything else, just read the series before the movie comes out so you are not influenced by the director's interpretation and can form your own idea of the books. Hope that's helpful.

personally i dont really like fantasy books... so im pretty leery of reading the twilight series. but i read a sample of my friends book and i enjoyed the first few pages. i need to hurry up and read the book before the movie comes out. they always say that the book is better than the movie!

I like Twilight. The characters were flat the plot - uh? kind of non-existent, and the writing was poor. But I actually did like it. Then there was New Moon, which went down hill. Eclipse was a total crash and I haven't read Breaking Dawn yet, but a friend of mine said that she wasn't even half-way done the book, but she wanted to gouge her eyes out and burn the book. The Host was okay, but Meyer seems to like to draw out everything until the last couple chapters.

My personal opinion is that people (mostly women) like the book because its a romance. And they would like someone like Edard (who cares only for Bella) in their lives. I personally can't stand the series much anymore. But everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

I don't like the series because of its fantasy aspect and to be honest, I would be surprised if many did. My friends and I enjoy it due to the ROMANCE!

Honestly, the sexual tension and teenage angst is salivating.

Her writing isn't the BEST I've ever read but I most definitely wouldn't say it was the worse either. I highly recommend it.

Hmm the romance is tantalizing, but I don't think it would quite so interesting/appealing without the fantasy aspect. The vampires, the werewolves, the intrique, the blood, the gothic ambiance of it all! If it was simply romance...then that would be so boring. Boy meets girl, girl meets boy. They fall in love. The end. How mundane.I've tried reading a number of plain romance books...and well, let's just say, I couldn't wait to finish them.

Twilight isn't good writing, or filled with entirely original plots or well-developed characters. It is average writing, with semi-new plots and unrealistic characters, but somehow Stephenie Meyer has combined all of this into one heck of a story. We don't read Twilight because it's great American literature, we read it because we enjoy imagining ourselves being swept away by a perfect, immortal man. =] (And because we love Alice.)

I thought her writing in 'The Host' was a lot better, and I liked the story of that one as well. I would suggest reading that one first?

I think that the emotions in Twilight are simpler and flatter than the ones in the Host. The many different types and concepts of love explored in the Host make it a more thoughtful and captivating read.

I tried to read them too, but found the writing too painful to continue. I just couldn't get into them even though I wanted to.

i really enjoyed most of the twilight series. you said you didn't like like boring books, and there are not boring. however they require some stretching of the mind to make them become less of a joke to read.

read the first one, see if you like. if not don't read the rest. at least you can say you tried to read it.

I like them simply because I'm a teenage girl and you know how we are with romance. As far as writing goes, yeah, I have read better; the characters are cliche to an extent (the "perfect" guy meets average girl and falls in love with her, protecting her from all her troubles and perils), just with some vampires and werewolves thrown in. I probably won't reread the series again, but I enjoyed what I read.

On a side note, The Host was very good.

The twilight series involves love, drama, and suspense all in a single plot. It appeals to me more for the "forbidden love" theme it possesses. It gives insight into the love interest almost every woman wants. Someone protecting, willing to die for, and just someone who you can't live without. Overall, I wouldn't listen to your friends. I would go ahead and try to read them. Even if you don't like them, it's a good story, and the movie is coming out, so you could always conpare and contrast to the book. that's always fun.

Eden....Was the Host good? It's on my to-read list.

Well Twilight was good by itself

I mean, it was the first book in the series so we could forgive since there was still like 2,000 pages where meyer could've fixed everything up

But at Breaking Dawn it was finally clear that the characters hadn't matured in any way, and Meyer just didn't have the heart to make her characters suffer and learn from their mistakes

THe ending was WAY too happy and Edward lost all his dazzling powers by the end...

I agree with a few of you.
I find it interesting to see how popular these books have become. They are personally my fav books on my shelf (aside from my Manga and Meg Cabot books, but even in that area they win) and I absolutley love them.
I didn't read everyones reviews on the book but I liked what Heidi, Morgan, Stephanie and BJ said.
Unfortunatly people could describe me as a "OMG ITS EDWARD" screaming fangirl... Although I do do that with alot of fictional characters, but mostly Edward...
I personally preferred the first book, and thought she could have ended it there. I've read many books that do that, leave you in curiostiy and let you decide what happens after...
You sound very much like my older sister Grace... She likes well written fantasy stories, books like Tamora Pierce's. She ended up not liking the series, but you never know, as Morgan said this book appeals to a suprsing amount of people. If I were you I would read the first book and see if you like it.

Yeah, it was good, definitely different, lol. It's a welcome change from the Twilight books, and still has romance and all that. I almost didn't because of my first thought "Aliens, what?" but I would certainly say give it a shot. It still has all your lovey elements, but they're brutal and changing given the plot, which is a great and interesting thing.

Hope I helped, lol.

you helped greatly...thank you

well, i thought the whole twilight series was rerally good, and im reading it over and over.

the strombreaker and artemis fowl series are really good.

im on the 3rd book in the artemis fowl series, and the 2nd book in the stormbreaker series.

Twilight is entertaining. That’s why I liked it. The characters for the most part, are very clichéd and redundant. It’s also very cheesy. It’s definitely not a book you read because it’s beautifully written or amazing literature. Like I said, it’s entertaining. I think why it’s become so popular is because the main theme in Twilight is the love story between the two main characters Bella and Edward. And who doesn’t like a good love story? There’s also the fact that it’s a love story between a vampire boy and human girl which adds a lot of intrigue and suspense because well, how can a vampire love a human in the first place and vice versa? I think that’s what makes the characters Bella and Edward so appealing as well. It’s their undying love for each other, their ability to look past everything just so they can be together. It’s very easy to get wrapped up in such a story, because love is universal and everyone I believe wants the same unconditional bond, vampire aside haha.


I hope this made some sense. ;)

I love YA books and fantasy books. I did my stint as a Harry Potter addict. But Twilight had all the appeal of a wet blanket for me. It also seems a bit unhealthy for all these teen girls to get into this drivel. "This is not what young love is like!" I want to scream every time I see a fourteen-year-old hugging a copy to her chest. "Wise mature teenage boys will not fall in love with you at first sight even though you lack any semblance of intelligence or personality." And if they do, they will doubtlessly betray you or bore you within the month. Yes, I'm bitter. Maybe doubly due to the number of Disney movies I watched as a kid. Which is kinda what Twilight is. A Disneyfied teen vampire love story.

(Yes, I'm being satirical. But I really do hate Twilight.)

Carly, a comment about Edward: John Green (I think it was him) described Edward as an empty vessel. And he is. That is why people like him. Is your perfect guy super smart? So is Edward, so you can focus on that. Is your perfect guy super hot? So is Edward, so again, you can focus on that. Does your perfect guy absolutely not want to sleep with you? Guess what? Edward doesn't want to either! So basically, Edward is a fill in the blank, the only premise is perfection and perfection is completely subjective. Also, the book is told from Bella's perspective. love is blind. Maybe Edward is hideous. Maybe it actually took him forever to identify the stage of mitosis. :) It doesn't matter, he is the perfect guy for her and thus becomes the perfect guy for the reader.

Casy and Carly---I am just glad the girls loving the book---as in READING. There are so many teens who don't read, it is refreshing to see them hugging the book to their chest and discussing it with friends!

I had absolutely no desire to read Twilight, but in the end my curiousity got the better of me and I of course read all 4 books in the series. It was better than I thought it would be. An easy read that I was able to be intrigued in. However, maybe it's because I have already gone through a whole supernatural vampire novel phase, I didn't find any of it to be new or creative or amazing. The brooding vampire falling for the lonerish teen girl has kind of been done, and in some cases done better, some worse though. From the first book I could basically say what was going to happen up until the end, some things in the last book were a little bit crazy and different, but I'm not sure if it was in a good way.
All in all the an okay read that I did enjoy and maybe it will intrigue teens, kids an adults to move on to more books in the genre, such as Amelia Atwater Rhodes or Anne Rice.

Grace wrote: "So, I've never actually read any of the Twilight books, which is why I'm posting this. A few of my friends are really into the series and I know it's really popular, but whenever I ask my friends a..."

I'm like that too. I mean they captivate me at the time of reading the books, but it doesn't really have a lasting effect.

I read them and they rate about as good as Gossip Girl books (no more than 2 stars). I read it because a bunch of younger students dared me to. I was not impressed but I read them so I could make an informed and honest opinion. I laugh when I see all these teens who normally don't read, say they are the best books ever. I did like the Host to some point. I'm not one for teen romance. In a mystery or historical YA, yes, but a pure teen romance book, nope.

I was hesitant to read Twilight at first, just because the Vampire thing didn't really appeal to me, but I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. I even went and bought the 2nd one the day it came out. I've read them all, but I think I only really like the first one. Bella is a flat character, but it's a good story line. Definitely better than Gossip Girl (hate those). I agree with Sina that Host was probably the best Stephanie Meyer novel. I would recommend that one.