Criticism
Bella has received negative reception from critics.
Publishers Weekly states that, after her transformation into a vampire, "it's almost impossible to identify with her" in Breaking Dawn.
Lilah Lohr of the Chicago Tribune compares Bella's character to the story of the Quileute wolves and describes it as "less satisfying."
During Twilight, Kirkus Reviews stated that "Bella's appeal is based on magic rather than character", but that her and Edward's "portrayal of dangerous lovers hits the spot." In the review of New Moon, Kirkus Reviews said that Bella's personality was "flat and obsessive."
Laura Miller of salon.com said, in regards to Edward and Bella, "neither of them has much personality to speak of."
Entertainment Weekly's Jennifer Reese, in her review of Breaking Dawn noted, in regard to Bella, "You may wish she had loftier goals and a mind of her own, but these are fairy tales, and as a steadfast lover in the Disney princess mold, Bella has a certain saccharine appeal", and that during Bella's pregnancy "she is not only hard to identify with but positively horrifying, especially while guzzling human blood to nourish the infant."
Washington Post journalist Elizabeth Hand noted how Bella was often described as breakable and that "Edward's habit of constantly pulling her onto his lap or having her ride on his back further emphasize her childlike qualities", continuing to write that "the overall effect is a weird infantilization that has repellent overtones to an adult reader and hardly seems like an admirable model to foist upon our daughters (or sons)."
Gina Dalfonzo, in an article posted on the National Review website, calls Bella "self-deprecating" before her transformation into a vampire, and afterwards she is "insufferably vain." Dalfonzo also states that Bella gets what she wants and discovers her worth "by giving up her identity and throwing away nearly everything in life that matters."
Some fan critics argue that Bella is a "Mary Sue" due to the striking resemblance between Stephenie Meyer's and Bella's physical traits and personality characteristics, suggesting that Twilight may have been an expression of Meyer's personal fantasy.
Bella also does not have any acknowledged flaws in the novels, besides her clumsiness, which is generally agreed to be depicted as endearing and cute. The fact that she is also an exception to many established rules, such as Edward's inability to read her mind, and her exceptional control over her thirst, which no other character in the novels have, is also indicative as another "Mary Sue" trait - the fact that she attains and learns skills significantly faster than what is thought to be normal.