The vampire series Twilight reached a new level of media attention this week, when it not only got two articles in the latest Entertainment Weekly—one for the books and one for the movie—but was pictured on the cover.
If you’re not aware of Twilight at this point, and you know or work with teens, hurry and catch up! (disclaimer: I’ve only read the first one, and I’m trying to decide if I feel guilty for not reading them all, or feel fatigue from hearing so much about them!) Stephenie Meyer released Twilight, her first novel, in 2005, and in the three years since, she has released two more in the series. The fourth, and supposed final installment, Breaking Dawn, comes out August 2, and many bookstores are doing midnight releases, as with the Harry Potter releases.
The books feature teenage Bella and the love of her life, the vampire Edward. Teenage girls are the obvious target market, and make up the bulk of the fans, but don’t think it stops there! I’ve heard of teenage guys reading it (maybe to get in with the girls) and the debates among young adult librarians on the relative merits of Edward, and the casting of the movie, have been as loud and passionate as a preteen at a Jonas Brothers concert! (And speaking of concerts, Meyer is actually touring like a rock star , with an opening act and everything! And several dates, including New York’s 2000+ seat Nokia Theater are already sold out!
Somehow while writing this series, Meyer also found time to write the lengthy adult novel The Host. This is another romantic story, this time with a science fiction theme, rather than the horror trappings of Twilight. But again, teenage girls have been devouring this one, making it one of the most popular books talked about this year at ALA’s Best Books for Young Adults teen session.
Despite my Twilight fatigue, I continue to feel thrilled when a young adult novel gets this much mainstream attention, and Twilight is the “new Harry Potter.” And, it’s a perfect escapist summer read!