Every Friday, Cienna Madrid offers solutions to life’s most vexing literary problems. Do you need a book recommendation to send your worst cousin on her birthday? Is it okay to read erotica on public transit? Cienna can help. Send your questions to advice@seattlereviewofbooks.com.

Dear Cienna,

This year is the 10th anniversary of the first Twilight movie, and I'm still furious at the way those books were mercilessly mocked by the media. Everyone snickered at the kissy-face vampire books, but now many of those same grown-ass adults (mostly men) are talking about the high quality and dense subtexts of superhero movies.

I don't mean to get too grandiose here, but I think that we're not going to resolve the issues of sexism that cause widespread harassment until we acknowledge that there's nothing wrong with romance novels. Or sexy vampire fantasies. Or romantic comedies.

When your culture giggles at teenage girls having feelings about Robert Pattinson, it makes sense that the same culture is going to misunderstand and mishandle female sexuality.

Cienna, have you read Twilight? Am I just making up an elaborate theory to justify my continuing frustration with the world?

Bella, Forks

Dear Bella,

Yes, I read the Twilight series and The Host, which was Stephenie Meyer's first post-vampire kissy novel. I had mixed feelings about Twilight. Meyer is masterful at capturing the obsessive fantasy of love that we're conditioned to think is grand – the kind of love that squeezes out hobbies and independent, platonic friendships and demands you carry a vampire fetus to full term because your life's purpose is to physically manifest a demonic symbol of your obsession with another individual. It's easy to get swept up in that (vampire fetus aside).

And you're right – there's nothing wrong with romance novels. They're great! Reciprocal love is desired by everyone on the planet and acknowledging that shouldn't be gendered. But I do have an issue with books that use love as a stand-in for identity, as I would argue Twilight does.

Twilight glorifies co-dependence – the characters are focused inward, on building and maintaining an exclusive love nest built for two and the tension/plot lines revolve around outside forces attempting to disrupt that status. I think it's lazy and boring. The Host is similarly constructed.

There are plenty of good romance novels that are more balanced. Pride and Prejudice and Crazy Rich Asians both do a superb job of using diverse characters – all with deep backstories – to contrast the dull pragmatism of marriage versus the glory of love.

I'm not a superhero expert but of the comics I've read and movies I've seen, the better ones feature characters that are grappling with themes of personal identity, alienation, illusions of grandeur, and how to navigate in society while saving the world – in other words, they are more outward- than inward-facing and don't use emotions as placeholders for personality (they use superpowers instead!). All of this gives readers more to latch on to and identify with.

What I'm saying, Bella, is that you're right – sexism exists and certainly is manifested in how our culture genders, mocks and glorifies genre fiction. But the Twilight series is a turd. I'm sorry to tell you, not even glitter can gussy up that log.

If you're in the market for less creepy romance writing, I'd suggest giving Tessa Dare and Courtney Milan a shot.

Kisses,

Cienna