tavie.com

Stephenie Meyer, writer of the Twilight horror-romance novels that have taken the teenyboppers-in-fact-and-spirit world by storm* seems to have coined a phrase that she is far, far too fond of.

The phrase is "[his/her] eyes tightened".

I read these books after hearing everyone at work plus Gina go on and on about them. They reminded me of my grade-school days, passing around (much racier) V.C. Andrews books and taking out dog-eared Sweet Valley Highs from the Brooklyn Public Library. The writing style is about on par with those Sweet Valley ghostwriters. Which is to say, not good. The books are compelling candy, acceptable in small bites. (It's took me about a month to make it all the way through the last one - toothache.)

But what the hell is up with that phrase?

Who says that? What does it mean? Why does it have to be used every other page?

Epic fail, Stephenie Meyer. Eyes can blink, squint, tear, glaze over, redden, widen, narrow, roll, wink or be plucked out and eaten like peeled grapes, but they cannot tighten. It's a meaningless phrase. Stop using it.

*For an excellent appraisal of this series, see this article by my friend Gena Radcliffe.

Why are you in Tavie's head? 2:16 PM | shower me with attention