It's freedom of speech. The fact that there's a book and the character's aren't perfect is what makes them good characters. Young people are smarter sometimes than we give them credit for.

I don't think it's an author's responsibility to create upstanding characters just because the book is going to young adults. I do think it's a worthy goal for educators and parents to talk to young adults about the themes in the books they are reading (e.g., why Bella's relationship with Edward is unbalanced). Embrace the activity...just also treat it the same way a parent would treat a movie, game, or TV show that had a less-than-perfect lead. Talk to kids about it. I imagine that a number of teens already know that Bella is not the best role model in the world.

I think that authors should be responsible to a point - like not have characters that are utterly self destructive.

However in the Twilight, Bella's low self-esteem is not completely out of context - she's an awkward teenager and faced with utter perfection with Edward. Anyway there are points he tells her that she is being hard on herself, etc. I don't think that their situation is very realistic - and I agree with TsuKata, it is a good starting point for a discussion about this issue.

So are authors supposed to sugarcoat everything and make every character seem perfect? That would make for boring books.

It's up to the PARENTS to discuss with their kids what they are reading. If we KNOW what our kids are reading, and an author DOES put out something that's bad for the kids, then it won't sell and the author will quit writing. It really is that simple.

This same controversy arose around the Harry Potter books, and look what happened. NOTHING but making one woman VERY VERY rich and a lot of fans VERY VERY happy.

To censor this is the equivalent of book burning and that should never happen.

honestly, i don't care either way. i tutor kids, and i'm just glad that they even choose to read.

Arh come on - if the books make people (kids) read then I think it´s worth it. Besides, I don´t think anyone expects meeting a vampire they can fall in love with, so it won´t even become a reality.

I totally agree with TsuKata--if all the characters in books aimed for young adults were perfect, reading would get boring, fast.

It's amazing how people will attempt to innoculate their children against ideas that may be different than their own. Authors are allowed to craft their own message, and they aren't attempting to create "role models" of any kind.

Young adult literature is meant to be a bridge between children's literature and adult fiction, and YA readers are smart enough to discern simple tropes. Kids are much smarter than we give them credit for.

It is good for these criticisms to be discussed in the media and elsewhere. Books are great launching points for discussion. However, talk of banning them or limiting them to young viewers is wrong. I think there are many conflicting things out there for teenagers. Personally, I can’t see how these books could be any more influentially bad than the TV shows or movies that are aimed at young people.

i just think it's great that kids are reading. I remember reading when I was younger the VC Andrews Flowers in the Attic series and I don't think that I then decided that incest was a good idea. Looking back, of course, how messed up were those books, but then, I loved them

My mother is a middle school librarian and very, very much against banning books and censorship. HOWEVER, even she would agree that just because kids are reading doesn't mean that we should be ignoring the subject matter. That's got to be one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. By that logic, it's okay for ten year olds to be reading Harlequin Romance Novels just as long as they've opened a book! I think parents should take care to know what their kids are reading and what kind of message it sends. I read the book "Annie on My Mind" when I was 11. The summary on the flap did little to explain that the book was an iconic piece of lesbian literature. Instead of taking the book away from me when we realized what I was reading, my mother sat me down to explain everything and then let me finish the book. The book opened an important discussion for us and also taught me a lot about tolerance and acceptance. Some parents of course would not see it that way. And yes that is often wrong.
The head librarian that my mother works with refuses to stock any of the Twilight books. Why? Because she says they are just plain bad books. She told my mother that after thirty years of working in a middle school library, she could spot a bad book. And this library sponsors Banned Book Month (where they highlight books that have been banned and shouldn't have been) After reading the reviews of the latest Twilight books, I can kinda see why now.
Fact is that authors do not have a responsibility to their readers. The readers and their parents have bear the responsibility.

I think when you start to sensor authors you run the risk of having readers miss out on some of the best experiences. As long as children are reading, it should not matter what it is. Besides, Twilight teaches a lot of GREAT values for young women including waiting until your married to have relations and that there can be more to love than just physical attraction.

I agree with others here that it should be the parent's responsibility to determine what the children should or should not read, the authors shouldn't have to give up their "artistic vision" as long as they keep the material age-appropriate. I don't understand the controversy about the Chronicles of Narnia, it was meant to be a religious allegory and it was written by a very pious man (C.S. Lewis) who was an atheist for many years before he found God. If you don't like to read anything pertaining to Christianity, then skip the Narnia books, no one is forcing you to read them. As for Twilight, I think there are so many things wrong with those books that Bella's self-esteem was not what stuck out to me the most.

Bella's insecurities make her a teenager, and I don't see that as a problem. She finds someone who loves her, regardless of her perceived flaws. I think that gives hope to all girls who think they're flawed. When the perfect heroine ends up with the perfect hero, is anything but "perfection yields perfection" learned?

I just finished Breaking Dawn and I thought it was pretty bad- it made me kinda annoyed that I read the whole series. I think the author's strong Mormon lifestyle really influenced the last book in a negative way. Not that I have anything against her religion or lifestyle, but she could have done the last book so much better...

Everyone has made excellent points! Also there are teens out there with low self esteem. They didn't learn it from books and they won't change by reading about people who aren't like them at all. There's a word for books like that... I think it's propaganda.

That being said, I was very upset when one of the princess diaries books had the main character (in high school) being pressured by her college aged boyfriend to have sex. The view was that it was ok for him to bother her about it as long as he didn't do it all the time (he was allowed to broach the subject every other month).

I stopped reading the books, but I still like the author and believe she has a right to write what she wants. She believes that is a realistic way to approach the subject.

It's up to the parents to be educated about what their kids are reading. I grew up in a conservative Christian household, and I think my parents would be floored to know about all those VC Andrews books I was soaking up!

Also, I think (from what I've read about it, I haven't read the book) that the more troubling thing about Breaking Dawn isn't the girl's low-self esteem necessarily, it's the teen marriage/teen pregnancy being romanticized and the creepy anti-abortion message! The fact that this teen girl's baby is eating her from the inside and killing her, and yet she's "keeping her baby" is some messed up indoctrination that I would not be okay with my daughter reading.

But, all things being equal, I'd rather my kids be reading these messages I wouldn't agree with rather than watching them on TV, because they'd still be reading.

I think the authors just have to worry about telling a story, and telling it well. Parents should be involved enough to help their children decide what the right message is, or to raise kids who can think for themselves.

That being said, my main problem with Twilight is not the character's low self-esteem, but that her life essentially revolves around this teenage boy. There are so many young girls who are going through teenage angst and who think they will never find a boy who likes them, or that they're not good enough for a boyfriend, who read this and get depressed because they expect to find their soulmate by the age of seventeen, and that it's alright for a girl's life to be all about a boy.

Message books get SO LAME--it's better to be true to the character and trust your readers to sort things out. Talking down to young adult readers with "lessons" is silly. Create true characters and TRUST them, I say.

I have to say I find it odd that people are upset by the plot in Breaking Dawn and Twilight in general. I feel Bella is just like every other teenager. The point is she's average, but pulled into a world of the extrordinary.

As to teen marriage/sex - first off, they don't have sex until marriage, which is commendable. Second, this story is not meant to be realistic. She's in love with a vampire who is her perfect match. That's what's powerful about it! It's like Cinderella or any other fairy tale - not real life.

As to the pregnacy - I think it's a natural instinct to protect your unborn child - and the product of true love! I'm not religious or even really pro life and I can see that.

Basically, this is being taken out of context. I think you should read books (especially if your child is going to read it) with an open mind and decide what you think. Don't just read someone else's comments.

Oh, and I have to add these books are far better for teens message-wise than Gossip Girl with their OMFG and sexy ads. I don't really have anything against that, but why is there a backlash against books that promote abstinence in a subtle way?

Sorry, rant over!!

I couldn't help but think about Breaking Dawn in particular when I read this! I thought that Meyer was kind of (unbeknownst to her)glamorizing teen pregnancy. I kept thinking about how eleven year old girls read these books. Also, I don't know about anybody else but the imprinting thing really sickened me.It was an interesting concept but had a kind of pedophile feel to it even though nothing happened. The first three books I of course hated how Bella fainted at the drop of a hat and was so insecure but then again she's a teenager so I just let it go....it's just a series of books after all!

Also, I don't really think the whole abstinence theme of the books is what has people so upset. People didn't really start to crticize Meyer's books until they got wind of Breaking Dawn. I don't really agree with censoring authors...if you think about it there's really no way to control "messages" in books- it just happens!

Oh, I just realized I might be kinda spoilery here, so if any of you guys are wanting to read it skip over my little talk bubble thing.

Sydneyalias - I think the books definitely glamorized life choices that aren't good for real girls to make. It's a bunch of actions without consequences. She has this half-vampire baby inside her that's killing her, and decides that she loves it and won't kill it...and is magically freed from all consequences. She marries as a teen and has a baby as a teen, but is magically freed from all burdens and can have sex all night. Teen motherhood is great, so she was totally right in keeping that potentially lethal half-vampire baby! It glosses over any kind of sacrifice that any characters might have to make.

Sure, maybe it's a fairly tale, but it seems short-sided and pretty stupid to me. If I wanted my daughter getting conservative allegory in her books, I'd give her CS Lewis any day because at least it's executed well.

Every thing is a freaking problem in this country.

Oh come on. They're books. Young adults reading them get to discover worlds and things, good or bad, through the strings of words. It's just like tv, young adults get to see random things all the time. They get to see different facets of the world, the weak, the strong, and again, the good and the bad. It's somehow similar to sending them out into the real world - with school and meeting young people of different backgrounds, personalities, etc.

You can't fully control that. It doesn't happen in a snap, but gradually, with whatever they're exposed with, they learn about the world and they learn about themselves. Their likes, their limits - it's a journey towards building up their core beliefs and principles.

Parents should serve as sensible guides. That's all that parents can do, you can't control everything that goes on in a child's life. At most, instill good values/ morals at a very young age and be good role models of faith and love... and hopefully, you're children will get a good grasp of that and hold those things in high esteem as they go through life.

As far as Breaking Dawn glamorizing teen pregnancy - actually, that part of the book really freaked me out even as a 24 year old. And I'm sure if I'd read it at 13 or 16 I would have been completely scared of getting pregnant! Now, post-pregnancy I could see where her life was glamorized, but it's also complete mythical fantasy. At that point, Bella has completely entered the world of the vampires of course it's going to be glamorized, the same as any fairy tale. I don't think we give children and young adults enough credit to be able to see that for themselves. Still, I agree that parents should know what their children are reading and be there to talk to them about it (and by that I mean, they should actually READ the books themselves, not listen to what other people say the book is about).

If a kid is into reading, sooner or later they will encounter (even seek out) ideas which counter their parents. Heck, I read Jean M. Auel from my mom's bookshelf when I was 8 and was totally scandalized. If it's readable, and your kid's a reader, they will find it and read it. Your job as a parent is to explain why your values are important and trust your child to make the right life decision based on that.

I don't mind books with messages. Every book has some kind of message.

But I do have some bones to pick about what has been said about Twilight:

1. It's Edward who wants to wait for marriage, NOT Bella. She totally wants to do it and tries to seduce him several times! It's his "old fashioned" ideal from being born in the early 1900s that shapes this decision. So, saying Bella is sending a message to girls to wait is completely misplaced.

2. This book should not have been young adult. It deals with marriage, sex, an extremely gory pregnancy/birth, weird fetus imprinting, etc. It is not a children's book. I was exposed to adult themes at an early age because I read a lot/was a movie addict...but I knew and my parents knew that it was adult (Rated R or the book cussed, etc.). This book is completely marketed toward tweens and teens. They should have been warned what was in it. I know I wouldn't want my 12-year-old cousin to read it.

@ sydneyalias

I'm considered a young adult and I read the gossip girl books. I know the teenagers in the books aren't doing the best things, but some of that stuff happens in real life. Also, in the books,there are consequences to most of the stuff that they do. I know that I just read the books for fun, and I would never do any of that stuff. It's just fun to read a trashy book every once in a while

But on the Twilight books, the only reason I read book 1 and 1/2 of the second one is because all of the hype. I knew they were bad books when I started reading them, but they were sorta fun in the beginning. THe last book, from what I've read, is taking it too far w. the pedophilia and the gory details on top of horrible writing. I'm just going to finish the 2 one, and read the third, but there's no way I'm reading the last one.

Twilight is a book for teenagers, and and teenagers can certainly related to Bella's awkwardness, which is part of what makes it such a great book. The lack of cookie cutter characters is a GOOD thing, and lets kids know that not everyone is perfect, and amazing people can have their flaws.

I think some people commenting are missing the point. It's not about banning or censorship. IF you read the Salon article, the journalist is careful and respectful...it's just a call to be reflective and look at how and why we connect to certain stories.

..the way we do. NOT about sugarcoating anything...if anything at all Bella is a ONE DIMENSIONAL character with little development, THAT is THE sugarcoated part.

As far as the "pedophilia", it is a unique situation that solved a major issue, and this solution satisfied the diehard fans (including me). The pregnancy brought an amazing character as well as giving her a child she would never have otherwise. Two very unique, complicated situations

I've had huge issues with Twilight since the first book. First off, there is no ONE LOVE for anyone. No love worth dying for, especially as a teen. Laying down in the woods? Getting permission to do things. Having to be protected by her boyfriend. Sheesh. And the last one, well I won't comment in case people haven't finished or had a chance to read it and want to. The writing isn't good to top it off. UGh.

And for people who think teens know it's just a book, look at the obsessed fans on the internet. These people are obsessed. It's the awkward lonely types who seem to be the most effected. They think this is what love it. It makes me sad how so many people are saying these books are so fabulous. I've seen people touting it as the best love story ever written. Story aside, the writing is just so poor in these books. It seems like it could be written by any 9th grade pre-ap english student. And have the people saying these things ever read the classics? Sheesh.

And ohbaby, you saying the imprint solved an issue is a classic example of what I am trying to say. Simple solutions. Everything was so cookie cutter and forced.

Teenagers operate in a universe of superlatives; it's not just love, it's the greatest love in the world that will last until the end of time. Young adult books tend to operate with that kind of immediacy, and the stakes are always life-and-death. I don't think there's anything wrong, per se, with an author like Meyer writing from her own perspective and with her own sensibilities. (I do think she needs a good editor, though--700+ is just too much.) I happen to disagree with her Mormon ideology, but I think as long as kids are getting different perspectives from other books, their teachers, and their family, then it's just another way to educate and broaden the mind.

There's no reason to sugarcoat anything, certainly, but I do believe that YA authors have a responsibility to write honestly, passionately, and with dedication to the stories that are in their heads and hearts. Something like Gossip Girl may be entertaining, but it's a franchise designed to make money. Whatever faults Meyer's books may have (and they are manifold), she believes in the story and loves the characters she writes about, and to me that's worth a great deal. Preserve us from the day when books have to be approved by committees of "concerned parents" before they can be published.

frogandprince - "That being said, my main problem with Twilight is not the character's low self-esteem, but that her life essentially revolves around this teenage boy. There are so many young girls who are going through teenage angst and who think they will never find a boy who likes them, or that they're not good enough for a boyfriend, who read this and get depressed because they expect to find their soulmate by the age of seventeen, and that it's alright for a girl's life to be all about a boy."

I TOTALLY agree. You expressed it better than I could.

sydneyalias - I think it's great that Edward & Bella waited until marriage to have sex, but honestly Bella was only 18! If she waited until she was 25 or 30, etc. then I would be a little bit more complimentary. And as it was said before by ASpoonfulofSugar, Bella wasn't even the one who wanted to wait.

ASpoonfulofSugar - I agree that it has been marketed towards preteens and teens, but I saw a recent interview with Stephenie Meyer that says that it wasn't intended that way. She originally wrote it for herself but I think she attracted a tween audience because of her "style" of writing.

Great Sommelier - I agree that the writing sounds like it was done by a freshman in high school. Seriously, the book is not well written at all and even Twilight should've been edited down by a couple hundred pages.

The *authors* need to be "careful with the messages"? I think it's the readers that should have the messages in mind, thinking about whatever life lessons and viewpoints the book demonstrates. I hope these books are read with some critical thinking in gear - I believe that readers shouldn't try to avoid thoughts or ignore glimpses of insight about the book's lessons, but allow themselves to learn from them and/or be challenged by them. Even though, say, Pullman's His Dark Materials is written firstly for the story, the perils of organized religion are a very important part of how the plot unfolds. The 'message' is a critical part of the story, and I think it's part of what makes the book great. As a reader, it's your own mind that should decide whether you think the "false god" analogy extends to the Catholic Church / Orthodox Synagogue / etc. applies or not. And if a reader approaches a deep book brainlessly, that's not the author's fault.

An add-on: I think there's also a suggestion that "young adults" can't handle deep sorts of material. I don't think so - this is a time in life when I think people are defining themselves, and people most want and need self-inspection and challenges. And even if so, authors shouldn't be on the hook for bad parenting.

I think it is about getting kids to not only read but to question the world around them. To get them interested in different things and to expose them to different cultures, lifestyles, and thought processes. Books are meant to create dialogue. If a child has questions about something in a book they would ask their parent/guardian (hopefully)about it and they could discuss it. I had a great conversation about the His Dark Materials Trilogy with my Evangelical Uncle.

i think that there's a level of social responsibility to make sure that the content is 'ok' but on the other hand - with the decline of people reading in general - it's really important to get the book in their hands = so it can really go either way in my opinion.

YES, HAVE YOU READ ONE OF THESE BOOKS LATELY ? DRUGS...SEX...THEY ARE WAY TO GROWN-UP FOR AGES 14 & UP....

The books are no worse than television. And unlike television at least they are practicing a valuable skill, reading.

Mmm...obviously literature throughout the ages has had various undertones hidden within it, especially regarding politics and religion. I think that controversial books can open up the door for discussions (ie. Da Vinci Code), which can be good. I can't really say that I am familiar with the current material out for young teens. I personally recommend the "classics" for my 9 year old brother. I think it's a personal choice of what you decide to read. What you take from it varies. I like reading a variety of books just for fun

it's parents' and teachers' job to see what their kids are reading and censor it if they see it fit.

I am a huge fan of these books, did they end the way i wanted, kinda. i do however think that you should take a step back. Tell me what is so bad about this book, that makes the books we have to read the right kind. Wanna talk classics? Hamlet, every bloody person dies. It's all back-stabbing murder plots. The scarlet letter's (Which is an AWFUL book) is all about adultery. Romeo and Juliet (which I do like) is about defying parents to do just what Bella does. Following your heart, and doing what is right. AND they both end up dead! I mean Bella might not be the best character, she bugged me too, but I mean, at least they're reading. Plus since reading those books, I have went through and read things like Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Something else that we're required to read, depending on the class you take, and Heathcliff and Catherine are both COMPLETELY destructive for each other. I do think that it's important for kids to read things that are out of what they normally hear about. And it may not be something you're fond of, and maybe the way it's written is why we like it. I like the details. I like the way she falls in love. Is it realistic? No. And neither was Harry Potter when I read it at 12. The thing is, maybe the relationship is unequal. and minus the pregnancy thing, Edward isn't a bad guy. He tries to protect Bella, Over protective, yea sure. But he cares. He never pressures her, not because he can't or fears rejection. However he does respect her, and that's something that girls need. But the idea that we're gonna find a 100 year old vampire that will want to kill us and end up loving us? fake. It's only good to read because it seems to reconfirm the idea of soul mates. which is something i do happen to believe in. Also. I do think that Stephenie Meyer's religion affected her book. Maybe not something I agree with, but I do think that it makes it unique.

I think it's sweet