The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer has become a phenomenon on par with Harry Potter. Whether you have a daughter or not, knowledge about and, in some cases, an obsession with this book is so pervasive among teens that as parents we ignore its impact at our peril.
This second movie in the Twilight series offers parents an excellent opportunity to raise challenging issues such as depression, risk-taking, and potentially abusive relationships with our teens. In New Moon, Edward, Bella's vampire-boyfriend, breaks up with her in order to protect her from himself-in other words, he wants her to have a fully human life. While teens may feel for her heartbreak, Edward's desire to protect her from his true nature raises serious issues about the potential for abuse in young, immature relationships. Clearly, Bella's love for "monsters" shows her willingness to be in relationships with individuals who have the potential to physically harm her.
These are tough issues, but because New Moon is "just a story" it provides an excellent opportunity to talk to your teenager about these issues in an open and nonjudgmental way. And the questions for reflection and discussion provided in this study make it easy to get the conversation started.