Twilight

The mission was clear. I needed to get my hands on the book that has dominated every facet of media, and more specifically, the 11-14 female demographic these past few months. And yes, as the clock ticks closer to the inevitable 20th anniversary of my 10th birthday (ugh), I simply refused to believe I wouldn't "get it." So I bought the book; all 500 pages of fantasy, fiction, and a little bit of fangs, and started reading on Black Friday around 10pm.

It was finished by noon on Saturday. I read fast. Really fast. And I have to admit, this book was a little hard to put down. I was so siked- here I was, blasting through a 500 page book, and then reality smacked me silly like that V-8 commercial. This book is a "Tween" sensation!!! For kids! Middle schoolers! I felt I betrayed my beloved Stephen King horrors, the 500+ pagers that took me days to read, and left my hands with that nasty preview of what arthritis might someday feel like. Was I feeling guilty for liking this work of nonsense fairytale and impossible romantic notions?

Here's my theory: Twilight is a big mirror. It's a simply written, easy to read book whose storyline is something we can all relate to and sympathize with. Yes, it's entertaining, yes the author is sitting on her pile of money waving down to us peons in Corporate America, but this is the reason why it's such a craze: It's all relative!! Everyone's been Bella Swan at some point; awkward, unsure, and mesmerized by that gorgeous guy in the corner of the school cafeteria. I'll admit it, Edward Cullen is a dream come true- who doesn't want a model-perfect, shiny-silver-Volvo-driving hero who catches your every fall, sports perfectly coiffed hair, and just happens to be a vampire on the side? (this now officially moves bartender to the "uncool" side job category) All fangs and blood aside, these fans fall into the abysmal non-reality of "this could be me!" This story is your classic cheesy romance setup with vampires, fast cars, and good looks to sell it in the box office (big ups to them- it worked). And left to the ever-active imagination of a "tween" fan, this book and movie (which is the first in a series of 4) is like serving up crack to the junkie on the corner- they'll always be chasing that first "Twilight" high.


P.S.- The blog keeps me honest- add me to the potential junkie list. I'm planning on seeing the movie.