Barb, I'm a bad judge (I'm 37 and I dug it -- I'm SUCH a sucker for high-school plots that are done well...or even not [cough::90210::cough]).

The most distressing parts are the references to the cafe bombing that injures Main Jane, which prompts her family's move to the small town -- and that occurs right before the timeline of the first one begins. It's referred to in flashbacks, but it's mostly Jane's feelings about it (scared, helpless, etc. -- normal feelings), and nothing graphic.

If Abby's familiar with the fact that shitty people commit acts of violence that hurt innocent people*, then I think they'd be fine for her.

*(I don't mean to imply that you keep her locked in a media-free safe room; I just don't know the extent to which you and DH discuss terrorism, etc., with your kids. But like I said above, if Abby knows that shit happens, then that's the extent of what the books cover. They really deal with Jane's life post-random act of violence, and how she chooses to live in response to it.)

t edit No sex or anything; there are crushes and one (I think) kiss. And a gay character who, in the second book, laments not having anyone to crush on. So no gay lovin'. Which made me sad, because he totally needs a boyfriend!

The Minx imprint will be toast in January; I think that Janes in Love is one of their last releases. So if you're interested in any of their books, you probably ought to pick them up while you can.

I read Plain Janes, Clubbing, Good as Lily, Re-Gifters, and Water Baby. The only one I liked was Water Baby (though I must shout out to my friend, Josh Howard, whose art in Clubbing was awesome as usual). I found the rest kind of boring.

I'll go check them out-- Borders has got a coupon for a big buy one get one half price sale going on, so it might be a good time to pick up stocking stuffers. By the by, if anyone wants the coupon:

[link]

BWAH!!!! Best Beginner's Guide to Sparkly Vampires article ever. And it references cleolinda!

[link]

Ha ha, I love it!

Edward's family may not sing and dance on their own variety show but they do play vampire baseball. That's not me trying to be funny. They actually play vampire baseball.

And, hee, Cleo is funny!

"Yeah, it's like, Bella wants to be a vampire but she doesn't want to be a vampire before she's had sex as a human, and Edward doesn't want her to be a vampire but he wants to get married, but Bella doesn't want to get married unless she can be a vampire, but Edward won't have sex with her until they get married, and then you put the fox and the grain in the boat and you leave the goose back on the riverbank."

The video interview they link to with Robert Pattinson is pretty interesting too. Says some very revealing things--

I knew it had to be Dave White from the bit you quoted.

I heart him.

I haven't read Twilight and don't plan to, but I HAVE to know - what is vampire baseball?

I haven't read Twilight either, but I have a question based on the screening of the movie DH went to last night. (Whitefonted in case this is a movie spoiler.)

So apparently, in the movie, Native Americans are werewolves who are at war with the vampires. Since the vampires are (a) the good guys in this fight and (b) REALLY REALLY FUCKING WHITE, my question is - are the books this racist, or did the movie make this shit up???