Fans’ undying love for undead lover

‘Twilight’ series brings out teens for release party

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by SARA K. TAYLOR Fans of the Twilight series showed their devotion to the books during the midnight release party Friday for ‘‘Breaking Dawn.” Friends Tori Junkin, 12, left, Sarah Carter, 15, Erin Crawford, 15, Nikita Benson, 15, and Ashley Haggard, 15, wore ‘‘Vegetarian Vampire” shirts in honor of the ‘‘Twilight” characters who do not drink human blood. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

That is, the fans of the series, most of whom — at the Waldorf event at least — are preteen and teen girls in fan girl love with Edward Cullen, the series’ brooding, bronze-haired male lead who happens to be a vampire – a vampire with an unbeating heart of gold, devoted to high school everygirl (and nonundead) Bella Swan.

The latest and last book in the series written by Phoenix-based author and mother of three, Stephanie Meyer, ‘‘Breaking Dawn” had readers lining up at midnight Aug. 2 to get their hands on it.

‘‘It has fantasy and romance together,” said 15-year-old Great Mills resident Ashley Haggard, who was introduced to the books by her friend Sarah Carter. ‘‘Edward Cullen is the guy that every girl dreams of. It’s old school myths brought into a modern story.”

Sarah Carter, also 15 and of Great Mills, was besotted with the books after her boyfriend read excerpts of them over the phone to her. She devoured the books and soon her friends did as well.

‘‘It’s one of those books you can’t put down,” said Erin Crawford, 15, of Great Mills.

According to several Internet sources, the book sold 1.8 million copies in its first 24 hours of release.

Compare that to ‘‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and last book in a series that enchanted entire generations which sold 8.3 million in its first day.

Still, the ‘‘Twilight” series (named after the first book of the four) boasts a following that booksellers said is reminiscent of the one sparked by the boy who lived.

Much like the Potter books, ‘‘Twilight” has gained a following by word of mouth, said Border’s General Manager Mary Brosenne.

While the turnout isn’t nearly as huge as the parties held for the release of J.K. Rowling’s books, the unveiling of the final installment of the Edward⁄Bella story has been anticipated.

‘‘It’s a vampire series but [Meyer] did it in a way that they aren’t drinking human blood,” said Brosenne of the book’s main family who are one of only two vampire covens who have made a conscious choice to integrate into human society.

While the subject matter might sound grisly and early reviews speak of a darker tone to ‘‘Breaking Dawn” than past books in the series, the story of young love set in rainswept Forks, Wash., continues to be at its center.

‘‘They are clean novels,” Brosenne said. Reviewers have suggested that Meyer’s Mormon faith might have played a role in the tone of the books. ‘‘They are well-written and they suck you in.”

The books are geared toward young adult readers, yet parents can’t help to be taken in by the hoopla too.

‘‘They’ve been talking about it all week long,” said Helen Williams, who brought her daughter, Chelsi, 11, to the release party. ‘‘I got roped into this.”

Indian Head resident Williams hasn’t read the series, saying it was introduced to Chelsi by her cousin.

Yet, Williams is encouraged to see young people so excited about reading.

‘‘They are consumed with it,” she said. ‘‘They said they were going home and starting it tonight. I told them, you’re going home and going to bed, you can start it tomorrow.”

During the ‘‘Breaking Dawn” release party, the hours leading up to the 12:01 a.m. unveiling included a trivia contest, a Jacob v. Edward debate (Jacob is Edward’s rival for Bella’s love. Oh, and Jacob is a werewolf), palm reading and craft activities.

And the celebrating is far from over.

Fans of the book will be lining up at movie theaters in December when Hollywood takes a stab at the vampire story.

Samantha Parks, 14, and her friend, Allison Byer, also 14, have no qualms, save one, about the casting of the movie.

The cast is lead by London-born actor Robert Pattinson (who played Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter movies) and Kristen Stewart, best known as Jodie Foster’s daughter in ‘‘Panic Room,” who was recently seen in ‘‘Into the Wild.”

‘‘I like them all, except Kristen Stewart,” said Allison of the cast of ‘‘Twilight.”

Although in all fairness to Stewart, the girls of ‘‘Team Edward” aren’t likely to greenlight just anyone to spend eternity with their beloved undead Heathcliff.

‘‘These are the best books ever,” said Samantha Parks of La Plata. ‘‘They are so sweet ... a vampire falling in love with a girl.”

What makes Edward so deserving of the adoration? Of the puffy paint T-shirts emblazoned with his quotes, ‘‘Team E” scrawled on forearms and written in eye black on the faces of 12-year-olds?

Samantha summed up his allure as only a teenager can appreciate.

‘‘Cuz, he’s hot,” she said.