Lake County not immune to Twilight mania

If the name “Edward Cullen” means nothing more to you than “Bob McTickle” then you were perhaps one of the few Americans not eagerly awaiting the newest installment of the “Twilight” series.

“New Moon” is the second film based on Stephenie Meyer’s mega-hit book series about “vegetarian” vampires, werewolves and the mortal that loves them. It was released nationwide on Friday.

Basically, the 30-second plot review of the series revolves around the Cullens, a clan of vampires that abstain from human blood and survive on animals. Bella Swan is your average, angst-ridden teenager that falls in love with Edward Cullen. The hitch? Bella smells sweet enough to devour to Edward — he describes it as heroin to an addict in “Twilight.” The books revolve around Bella and Edward’s relationship, Bella’s relationship with the vampire world and the love-triangle between Bella, Edward and the werewolf Jacob Black. 

With “Twilight” fever as contagious as swine flu, Lake County has not been immune to the vampire’s bite.

Trudé Hunsucker, youth services librarian at the Polson City Library, said Twilight is one of the most popular book series she’s ever seen.

“I can only really compare it to the popularity of the Harry Potter series,” she said.

While the stereotypical Twilight fan is a tween or teen girl, Hunsucker said that, in Lake County at least, everyone is reading them.

“I’m really surprised how popular they are,” she said. “I’d say the only people not reading them are the older generation. But everyone 50 and below are.”

With anticipation building around the new film, Hunsucker said interest in the books built as well. The Polson library has two copies of each book in the series (“Twilight,” “New Moon,” “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn”) and are never on the shelves, Hunsucker said.

“If you want to read Eclipse or Breaking Dawn, it would take about a month for a copy to become available in our entire sharing system,” she said. Considering there are 152 copies of “Breaking Dawn,” a month is quite the wait.

For the premier of “New Moon,” the Polson Showboat Theater — the only theater in Lake County with a midnight premier — was full to bursting. The 120 seats were full long before the previews rolled at 12 a.m.

“I got to the theater around 10 p.m. to get good seats,” Monica Cleveland, a 13-year-old 8th grader at Polson Middle School said at the premier. Cleveland, along with friend Andria Donovan, has read each of the four books two or three times each.

“My favorite book is “Eclipse” because you can really see the relationship between Bella and Edward develop,” Donovan said. “They love each other.”

Both girls consider themselves part of “Team Edward” (as opposed to “Team Jacob,” cheering for who Bella will choose) and after seeing the “New Moon” movie, can’t wait for “Eclipse.”

After “New Moon” garnered $142 million in the opening weekend (third all time behind “The Dark Knight” and “Spiderman 3”), there are legions of fans — in both Lake County and around the world — that undoubtedly agree.