While theories about the mysterious popularity of the Twilight series films have been discussed and debated and debated some more, Ron Hogan at Mediabistro's book blog, Galley Cat, offers a new angle on the saga's central relationship--the romance of a 104-year-old vampire and a brooding high school girl. In a recent blog post titled, "Is Team Edward enabling domestic violence?," he cites a science-fiction blog, io9, which posted a story that outlines 15 signs of domestic abuse in the teen Twilight relationship. 

The conversation at io9... sparked by the original LiveJournal post, is lively. As one commenter interprets things: "Writing a novel about a moody, exotic, pretty, totally awesome vampire guy who is inexplicably obsessed with some random, average high school girl is practically a licence to print money. But, surprise, it also accurately reflects that the kind of relationship that would develop from her desperation: being taken advantage of by a moody, exotic, pretty, totally awesome abuser." Other people say it's just a bunch of books (and movies) for teens, or it's our modern Romeo & Juliet, so back off.

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