You seriously want my honest opinion?

[MsFabulous]

Hi, I'm new!
I've worked retail a few years now, and a call centre briefly in the middle of that, so I have a few stories to tell I thought I'd introduce myself with a happier and sillier one first though:

One of my jobs has been a bookstore. One day after the hype for Twilight had started, a bit older than middle-aged woman came up to me while I was shelving...

Woman: Excuse me, can you help me?
Me: I can try, what are you after?
Woman: Well, my granddaughter was wanting to get that Twilight book... What do you think of it?

Now, to be perfectly frank, I enjoyed the Twilight books the same way I enjoy sappy romance novels. They're predictable, the main character tends to just be a shell that you insert yourself into, the 'hero' is always brave and handsome, and there's a happy yet extraordinarily predictable ending. The only difference being, in romance novels you usually get a steamy sex scene (or two!).
So I used the diplomatic answer that I've made up for these occasions.

Me: Well, it's very popular, a lot of people are really enjoying it!
Woman: Yes, but what do YOU think of it?
Me: Weeeeeellllll.... It's predictable and the characters aren't that good and the writing is sub-par
Woman: Ok. Well... The thing is, we're devout catholics. Do you think I should get it for her? She's only 12 but she really wants it...

Whoaaaa lady. I think you just answered your own question there.

In the end, she was being so nice about pestering me for an honest opinion that I told her I wouldn't let *my* kids read those books at that age... I ended up steering her to the YA fiction section and, since she wanted only happy, non-fantasy/sci-fi, I showed her to The Princess Diaries and she was quite pleased with that purchase. I can only hope she didn't get in too much trouble from her granddaughter

[PepperElf]

heh. guess she was lucky it wasn't me then.
i'd have recommended the entire series

hey i liked it =)

[Sliceanddice]

i still havent finished breaking dawn (because i dont like it when she trys to write in jacobs prespective... hes such a jackass once hes a wolf) but there is a cheese factor that make it kind of good.
but i presonally think with the voilence and how the girl acts no one under 15 should read it.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

I told her I wouldn't let *my* kids read those books at that age...

Likewise. My kids are reading Series of Unfortunate Events, Skulduggery Pleasant, and Raul Daul.

Let's hope for future generations sake that I never have children.

[MsFabulous]

hey i liked it =)

haha, well I enjoyed them too, I just don't think they're worthy of the excessive hype and praise they tend to get
They're a fun read but there is definitely better out there and like I said, no way would I let children I was in charge of read them!

[PepperElf]

i just think it's funny that people call her "whiney" and I think... "um she keeps trying to sacrifice herself for others. most whiners don't do that, they just complain about how hard their lives are."

the audiobook is interesting for the jacob side. normally Ilyana Kadushin reads the stories, but for the chapters in Jacob's point of view they had a male reader (Matt Walters) do those parts - interesting hearing him do Bella's voice.

[Sliceanddice]

yeah edward is way more whiney than bella

[Hobbs]

MEh, I'm a devout Catholic and have read worse...both in content and the book itself [zing] i even read the Communist MAnifesto while waiting for my RCIA class to start