I don't know why people hate this series so much. I really don't get it, and probably never will.
I'm not a hardcore, die-for Twilight fan. I just really enjoy reading the whole series, and I think that Mrs. Meyer is really emotional person who really loves her characters, and that's what makes Twilight magical in its own way.
But, I'm also not saying that these books are perfect. They have some serious flaws and some questionable themes in them, but if you leave all that apart, the story itself is very enjoyable and the ambient that Meyer creates is almost touchable - that's why I understand why so many people wanted to get lost in her world.
Now, is the Twilight Saga the new Harry Potter phenomenon? Most certainly IS NOT. The two series should not be compared in the first place because they are two totally different things. I think that the main source of the comparison between those two is Robert Pattinson, who played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and who plays the main vampire character in Twilight, Edward Cullen. Should Mrs. Meyer and Mrs. Rowling be compared? Absolutely not! Although they both love and are connected to the characters they've created, J.K. Rowling spend years and years developing them, and Stephenie Meyer just dreamed them up and started writing about them, developing the characters as she wrote the story itself.
The Twilight Saga is a loveable and enjoyable story for people who are open minded to new things. Some people take the "sparkling vampires" way too seriously. I mean, they are invented creatures who never even existed, and if Meyer wants them to sparkle instead of burn on the sun - let it be.
Bottom line, Twilight is a phenomenon - like it or not. It got people talking about it (good or bad things, doesn't matter) and it gained a huge audience and medium attention. Although it honestly deserves just three stars, I'm giving it four in spite of all undeserved hate from people who haven't even read the books.