About What is Your Child Reading?
Synopsis
Elena is a typical teenager that runs the popular crowd in high school. A bit spoiled and the leader of her pack, she’s used to getting what she wants.
Enter, Stefan. He resists Elena, which of course, makes her want him even more. When she does finally win him, she gets so much more than she bargained for. Thus, begins a life of otherwordly dark drama and horror - because, as the book suggests, Stefan is a vampire.
Stefan is attempting to live a regular life, relying “only” on the blood of animals instead of the blood of humans. He simply wants to be “normal”. Normal can’t happen for a vampire however, especially when the vampire has an evil brother. Damon is driven by revenge for his brother because of a woman, who centuries earlier played both against each other.
Because Damon uses humans for blood, he has an evil power that has the ability to overtake Stefan as well as the ability to make Elena desire him more than Stefan. Damon has no qualms about using this power and the battle this creates, both between the brothers, as well as within Elena’s soul, is what the book revolves around.
Negative Elements:
There are so many I hardly know where to start. This is a dark series that I found deeply disturbing, especially since it is geared towards teen girls. With a dark, evil sensuality and sexuality, not to mention the violence, I struggle with downright anger that there are Christians getting into such things! It not only personifies evil, it gives it more credit to it than it ever deserves by calling it The Power. There is dark seduction throughout that is reminiscent of satan’s seductive power and false promises of eternal life.
“It’s the ultimate secret Elena,” he said, His voice was as caressing as the fingertips at her throat. “You’ll be happy as never before. . . “ (Book 2)
The sexual overtones as Stefan drinks Elena’s blood and Elena drinks Stefan’s is nauseatingly disturbing, as it blends evil with sex.
She was drowning in it, both the joy she sensed in Stefan and the delicious answering surge in herself. Stefan’s love bathed her, shone through her, lighting every dark place in her soul like the sun. She trembled with pleasure, with love, with longing. (Book 1)
In addition to what I have mentioned above, there are seances, an attempted date-rape, several murders (I guess this is a given when the book is about vampires), and glimpses into the future via visions and trances.
The vulgar languages is minimal compared to other books I have read.
Positive Elements:
Not one positive element. If there was, the dark evil overcame it.
Conclusion
This series has blood, gore, violence, the demonic, the sexual, the dark, and the deeply disturbing in it. It glorifies evil and while sending shivers down one’s spine, also somehow romanticizes it at the same time, alluring teens to the dark side of vampires and satan’s power. This disturbs me as a parent and this disturbs me as a Christian.
Because the first two books were so disturbing I can not even finish the last two in the series. I simply can not subject myself to anymore of this darkness and am saddened that God’s children do every day, for pleasure and entertainment purposes! This series screams anti-God and the light, beauty, purity, and holiness He asks us to live out as His children.
I give this book a one star rating (which is frankly, one star more, than it deserves) *
Discussion Questions:
- Why do you think these vampire themed books have become so popular, not only with teens but adult women and even Christians?
- Do you think, as Christian, it is ok to read these type of books? Why, or why not? Are you able to say this, even when taking verses such as “Be ye holy as I am holy” (I Peter 1:16) and “Thinking on those things that are good, lovely, profitable, etc” (Phil. 4:8), and “Do all things in such a way as to say, God, this is for you!” (I Cor. 10:31), into consideration?
