(Continued)

So, is Bella worthy of such a love? Is she a good role model for our teen girls? Absolutely! In the midst of her weaknesses she is a strong young woman. Her focus isn't consumed with her external appearance. She's both comfortable with herself and humble. She's a great student and anticipating college following high school.

From the start, Bella sacrifices for others' happiness. She's loving and generous toward family and friends. Frequently she faces her fears bravely, and she usually solves the crisis through her own plotting and action. She is a heroine for our daughters, in the midst of her flaws.

In the end, who will Bella choose? Which superhero, Edward or Jacob the werewolf? My oldest daughter says Edward is the perfect lover, but Jacob is the perfect mate for life.

On Aug. 2, dawn will break with Edward in my hands, and I'll discover Bella's choice. I anticipate bliss either way. I completely trust Stephenie Meyer, the author, to take care of my characters. And then my daughters can have their turn reading "Breaking Dawn." And then, my husband will have his.

Martha Brockenbrough Explains Why 'Twilight' Sucks

My 13-year-old cousin warned me: "The amounts of pain that can be inflicted on those who insult Edward are better left unspoken."

I'm going to brave that pain and say it anyway: Edward is a complete prig.

It's not just that he sneaks into Bella's room to watch her sleep -- that's more stalker than prissy, anyway. It's also not just that he drives a Volvo, the car of choice for priggish drivers who obsess about side airbag safety.

Nor is it that his skin sparkles like gems in the sunlight. However gag-worthy this might be, he can't help it if he has pores that Madonna, Nicole Kidman and other alabaster celebrities would envy.

For me, the last straw really is that he is more obsessed about wedding planning than any groom should be. That makes him a terrible role model for teen girls, who will grow up to face real-life mates who don't know the difference between cummerbunds and canapés, and who will also make rude faces when asked for an opinion on either.

Seriously, though, there's a dark side to priggishness, and that's condescension. Bella and Edward aren't equals. Edward knows it -- he's stronger, his senses are sharper and he's nearly immortal. He constantly has to protect Bella. He even leaves her temporarily to do just that. Bella, meanwhile, settles for a lesser college so she can be with her boyfriend. Augh!

So what does that tell our teen girls to crave? A relationship with someone they worship, rather than someone they can work with through the various challenges of life?

However much I enjoyed the books -- and I read every one, twice -- that's my fundamental concern with them as a parent. Bella constantly needs rescuing and protection. Her vulnerability fuels her desirability, for it's not just a vampire who wants her. A werewolf does, too.

This is where it's worth making a comparison to "Harry Potter." Harry solved his own problems. When he needed rescuing, his friends -- who had complementary talents and courage-quotients -- came to his aid.

Bella doesn't really have friends, at least not among her peers. She hangs out with werewolves and vampires, any one of whom could eat (or drink) her for lunch.

She's as far from being a kick-ass heroine as she can get. She's clumsy and weak. Yes, she has her attractions. She's a devoted daughter who never complains about all the cooking she has to do for her hapless dad.

But girls would be much better off following in Hermione's footsteps. Now there was a girl who could cast a spell, throw a punch, and catch the eye of an international Quidditch star (only to lose interest because he wasn't intellectual enough).

I'm not arguing that every book needs to be the equivalent of a plate of nourishing, raw spinach. I like a cream puff as much as the next person, and possibly even more. We just need to make sure our daughters aren't thinking cream puffs are the best life has to offer. They're the stars of their own life story, and waiting for a handsome guy to bite their necks sounds to me like a tragedy in the making.

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Martha Brockenbrough is Cinemama for the Parents' Movie Guide on MSN. She is also the author of "It Could Happen to You: Diary of a Pregnancy and Beyond" and the founder of SPOGG, the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar. She writes a fun-with-kids column for Cranium.com, as well as an educational humor column for Encarta. Check out her Web site.

Lorie Ann Grover is co-founder of readergirlz and author of “Hold Me Tight,” “On Pointe” and “Loose Threads,” novels for young adult readers.

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