Reviews

Touched by a Vampire: Discovering the Hidden Messages in the Twilight Saga by Beth Felker Jones

catrev's review

4.0

Touched by a Vampire by Beth Felker Jones is an indepth look at the messages in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. From marriage and children to self-worth and faith, there are plenty of messages to be found in the series of books, and Jones looks at them all through the light of Christianity. My daughter and I are both big fans of the Twilight series so I was intrigued by the idea of digging deeper into what Meyer has to say about the big issues of life, especially in view of her Mormon faith, and Jones covers every issue thoroughly. Looking at the Cullen family as a metaphor for the Mormon ideal was eye-opening. Some readers may be angered by Jones occasional criticism of the way Meyer portrays a loving relationship through Bella and Edward, but she makes some excellent points about how Bella's complete lack of self-worth and Edward's protectiveness make an romantic fairy tale, in real life they could lead to a destructive, abusive relationship. This book is definitely NOT for those who have not read the series. In deconstructing the books, Jones gives lots of spoilers that would ruin it for those who haven't read it yet. For those who have read them, it's important to keep an open mind and try not to get angry with Jones for exposing flaws within the psychology of the books. Her points are valid and thought-provoking and will give readers a completely different point of view regarding the series and may even inspire a re-read!

kylajean's review

2.0

I only gave this book two stars because I was expecting more from it, it seemed to me that it touched on the issues that any Christian would have with the series and I didn't learn any new Hidden Messages. I think that the title is a little misleading.

Currently, I am not the books target audience but will be holding on to my copy for when I someday have a daughter. Because while I love the Twilight series for what they are, I have been concerned about the ideas that they are teaching to very young girls. I do not think that Bellas is a good role model and Jones does a great job of bring that to light in a Christian Perspective.

In conclusion this is the perfect book for a parent to read with their daughter in order to bring up discussion of the themes in the Twilight Series. But if you are wanting to learn something new about the series, I would pass on reading this book.