Twilight: The Craze

The hit book series turned movie, Twilight, has girls everywhere swooning. A story about an average girl falling in love with a vampire may not sound appealing, but since the book was released in 2005 people have become obsessed.

Electronic Media junior Danielle Driehaus says, “I was drawn to Twilight because some of my friends were reading it. I read the first book and didn’t enjoy it, but they encouraged me to read the other ones.” Although she isn’t Twilight’s biggest fan, she completed the entire four book series in two weeks.

Sydney Benter, also an E-Media junior, agrees: “I only started reading Twilight because my roommate pressured me into it. Over Thanksgiving break when I had some free time I thought, ‘what the heck!’ and started reading the first one. My roommate was right. I was hooked.”

Though Danielle read the entire series, she notices its flaws. She has a love/hate relationship with Twilight. “I think Bella is a terrible role model for girls because she is just living for everything Edward does.”

Sydney believes that what has young girls so obsessed with the series is the concept of unrequited love. “The characters fall in love, yet there are serious obstacles preventing them from truly being together. Readers become obsessed with their quest to be together. The book is a classic love story.”

The series was completed in August 2008 by American writer Stephanie Meyer and had rave reviews. With fans preparing for the release of the second movie in November, after the success of the first movie in November 2008, expectations are high. Will the second movie live up to its potential, or dwindle and disappoint?

While some people will wait for it to come out on DVD, Sydney will be first in line for “New Moon.” She says she was not very impressed with the first movie, but with a new director the second movie looks more promising.  “It’s always fun to see what the story in your head looks like when played out on the silver screen.”

Written by Leah Addison, October 2009