Valley fans excited for 'New Moon'

Marlo Ramirez hates to read. So it took a lot of time and more than a little convincing from the 14-year-old’s friends to get her to read Twilight, the first book in a tween series by Stephanie Meyer.

“I can’t believe I almost missed out on Twilight,” the McAllen resident said wistfully. She didn’t hesitate to see the first movie when it was released in 2008.

Twilight was adapted for the big screen last year and sold more than $380 million in tickets worldwide. The sequel to the popular vampire romance, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, opens today.

Several local movie theaters, including Cinemark Hollywood USA in McAllen, had midnight screenings for the die-hard fans of the movies, starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.

Wearing a black T-shirt with an image of Edward (Pattinson) and Bella (Stewart) kissing, Marlo sat with her mother and aunt, third in line to see the movie. Marlo said she would have been in line when the theater opened, but she had to go to school.

“I hate reading with a passion,” the teen said. “The only exceptions are manga and Twilight.”

The story of Edward and Bella takes place at a high school in a small town in Washington state that doesn’t get a lot of sunshine, which is a plus for the vampires of the novels. Marlo has always had an interest in vampires but never took such a liking to a series like the Twilight saga. There’s a touch of reality mixed in with the fantasy, which makes it all seem possible, she said.

“It’s always fun to hear other people’s drama,” Marlo added. “It’s like a novela.”

The romantic elements appeal to adults as well. Marlo’s mother, Carla, has yet to read the novels but saw the first movie and fell in love with the story.

“It brings back a lot of feelings from when you’re in school,” the 31-year-old said.

Marlo didn’t want to read the series and resisted as long as she could, but in the end, she’s glad she agreed to take a chance on the books and movies.

“I was going to bad-mouth (Twilight),” she said. “But I couldn’t. I couldn’t find a flaw. It was perfection.”

Amy Nichol Smith covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4420.