The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer

From book one to book four, the titles are as follows: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.

Plot: Bella, a regular teenage girl, falls in love with a vampire named Edward. She thinks he's perfect, but he's worried that he's dangerous to be around. These are stories about love, sacrifice, guilt, and jealousy.

Comments: The first time I read these books (rather long after they had been discovered and became popular), I really liked the first book, I kind of liked the second and third books, and I really liked the fourth book. However, upon rereading them recently, I thought the first book was okay, I really didn't like the second and third books, and the fourth book was still pretty good. All in all, the series was mediocre, definitely aimed at teenage girls rather than the judges for the Pulitzer Prize.

The plot and the idea are both great, and I like the way the stories twist and turn. There are so many different characters you need to remember, all very different and easy to imagine (though after seeing so many movie trailers for the first three movies, all I see are the actors' faces, which really annoys me). I liked Bella the first time I read these books. She's practical, clumsy, slightly self-doubting; nothing special, or so she thinks. Edward is incredibly handsome, talented, protective - and immortal - and he is completely in love with Bella. I really liked that he didn't fall in love with a popular girl, like a stereotypical blond, thin cheerleader.

However, when I reread the books, I found parts where Bella just annoyed me. She allowed Edward to make decisions for her and wouldn't or couldn't hold a grudge against him for any period of time, even if he did something really irritating. I would be yelling at her in my head to "stand up for yourself, don't just let him push you around! Who cares how pretty he is, you aren't his property!" Sometimes I didn't understand why they were in love - or even that they were in love; a lot of the time it didn't show. I also didn't like the Bella cried a lot and was kind of a wimp.

This is definitely a light-read, because it's almost like a fairy-tale, even though it's set in modern day. It's sappy and reminds me of a soap opera in book form. Ye be warned.

Rating: I rate the whole series a five out of ten. The writing is okay, if repetitive, the idea is good, if a little unbelievable, but the characters are just irritating. Although maybe you aren't supposed to like them.

Notes From the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell

Plot: three girls decide to make an "underground" film as their summer project. But when the unofficial group leader Lo, and pretty, boy-crazy Mira start to take over, Gem, sensitive and lacking in self-confidence, feels left out. As Lo and Mira's friendship grows, Gem meets her long-lost father and tries to catch the eye of her crush.

Comments: this book was a pretty good read. I liked Gem's character because she was practical and clear-headed. I thought her crush on her co-worker was cute, but not when she resorted to extra measures to attract his attention. I didn't understand why she was friends with Lo and Mira, however. Mira was the dim-witted giggling type, and was only interested in boys, boys, and more boys. Lo was controlling and a self-proclaimed queen of everyone, and was never contributing anything to her "friendship" with Gem. I guess Gem was, in a way, desperate to have friends.

I liked the sound of the film Gem ends up making, but it's pretty hard to imagine. I thought it fit the definition of "underground"; different, thought-provoking, and maybe slightly rebellious. Gem's character developed well, and I liked her a lot better towards the end than in the beginning. She changed into a self-dependant, strong young woman. Still a little hesitant and self-doubting, but much better than before.

Rating: I rate this book a six out of ten.

Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger

Plot: Sam doesn't know much about her Indian heritage, and she'd never really thought about it. But one day, a man in a turban shows up at her house claiming to be her uncle. Suddenly Sam realizes what she's been missing. She wants to learn about the Sikh religion, meet her grandparents - the only problem is her mother, who is determined to keep Sam away from her ancestry.

Comments: I enjoyed this book. I learned about the Sikh religion (which, I'm afraid, I'd never heard of before) and about Indian culture. I couldn't relate very well to the book, but I thought it was very well-written, and I really liked Sam (her real name is Samar). Sam's unique, protective, and loyal, and she made the story really interesting. It was fun to tag along as she entered a new part of her life. This story takes place soon after 9/11, which makes racism and prejudice dominant parts of the book. Even though I wasn't the one being racist, I felt ashamed and embarrassed for those who were. This book reminded me not to judge anyone by their looks, and that's something everyone needs to remember.

Rating: I rate this book a six and a half out of ten. It was a good read. Not exactly light-hearted, but not deep and profound either. Somewhere in between.