mans. There is also an emphasis on morality. Vampires are sympathetic to humans and find it hard to turn them into vampires. Rather than feeling bloodlust, new vampires try to control their instincts and turn to alternate sources of blood in order to keep humans safe. They merge their needs for blood with their caring for humans. These vampires can be kind, loving, and family-oriented who believe in true love. Overall, the Twilight series has influenced vampire characterizations and conventions in the growing YA vampire market. There has been a shift in depictions of identity, power, and sexuality, and newer novels allow teens to explore how to deal with significant new feelings and changes in their lives. Reading allows teens to play with their identities in a safe and controlled manner, and to explore who they want to be in this ever-changing world. For teens, issues of identity, particularly around explorations of power and sex, are at the forefront of their explorations. Today’s YA vampire novels allow teens to do just that. Meyer’s lore has become dominant. Today’s novels focus on love and romance in an innocent and safe environment. .
Melanie D. Koss is an assistant professor in Children’s and Adolescent Literature at Northern Illinois University. Her research interests include multiple narrative perspectives in young adult literature, representations of identity and digital technologies in young adult literature, and representations of special needs characters in children’s and young adult literature. She can be reached at mkoss@niu.edu.
WORKS CITED Atwater-Rhodes, A. (1999-2002). Den of shadows series. New York: Random House. Fantaskey, B. (2009) Jessica’s guide to dating on the dark side. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Gorton, A. (2009). The classic vampire in literature: Origins of vampires in history and the horror genre. Retrieved Jan. 3, 2010 from http://literaryculture.suite101.com/article.cfm/ the_classic_vampire_in_literature Gray, C. (2008). Evernight. New York: HarperCollins. Klause, A. C. (1990). The Silver Kiss. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell. Meyers, S. Twilight. (2005). New York: Little, Brown, and Company. Overstreet, D. W. (2006). Not your mother’s vampire: Vampires in young adult fiction. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Rice, A. (1976). Interview with the vampire. New York: Ballantine Books. Stoker, B. (1897). Dracula. London: Archibald Constable and Company Stone, T. L. (2006). Now and forever: The power of sex in young adult lierature. VOYA. 463-465
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