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What are readers saying about New Moon (Twilight Saga)?
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-25 09:14:49.
(Language: English)
  
This is the second book to the Twilight Saga and I have to say for those"Edward Cullen" friends, you've got to be patient when reading this and I will explain it as I go along. Bella, still over the moon about going out with Edward, is about to turn 18. Edward and Alice organize a party for her. However, when unwrapping one of her gifts, she has a paper cut and the blood drives Jasper into his killer mood and tries to attack her. Edward who starts to recognize the danger Bella will be under if she is among vampires all the time, decides to leave her to keep her save. This will only take you to about the first 80 pages of the book and Edward will only reappear after about 300 pages-that's why I have said girls be patient!!! The breakup turns Bella into pieces and she starts to have hallucinations and hearing voices-basically all the symptoms of someone with psychiatric disorder to put it in proper terms. She also starts to engage in extreme sports and driving motorcycles-as she realizes she can hear or remember Edward when doing so. On the other hand, she develops a close relationship with Jacob Black, the son of her father's close friend Billy. Jacob becomes her savior during this difficult time who also falls in love with her. Personally, I think this book is more of a one about Jacob(and the wolf pack) rather than Bella, Jacob only appears in probably two of the chapters in Twilight. The next big part of the book accounts how Jacob turns into a werewolf and the werewolf legends of the Quileute. With his new superpowers, Jacob and his pack protects Bella from the attack of Laurent and the threat from Victoria. I have to admit the middle part of the book does drag a bit but you get to see how the relationship between Bella and Jacob develops. I think it's good that Stephanie adds the character of Jacob and he is one of the supporting characters that I do like a lot in the book. Jacob is a big contrast to Edward, apart from being "very warm" in temperature, he is the kind of opposite of Edward-playful, easy going, probably less mature but still very true to his heart. After all this "werewolf" part, you will be back to the "vampire" part of the story, and I have to say this is kind of like "Romeo and Juliet". Due to some miscommunication, Edward believes Bella is dead and decides to go to Italy to ask the Volturi to end his life. Alice, having seen this in her vision, reappers in Folks and asks Bella to go with her to rescue Edward. They arrive in the Volturi base just in time to stop Edward. However, they also come to meet the Volturi, the vampire elders or royalty who are very interested in Edward's special ability. To please them and to exchange for their safety, Edward and Alice(kind of lie) promised the Volturi that they will turn Bella into one of them. And then the star cross lovers get together again-but this is not the end of it, just the beginning. All the events have put Bella into the perspective and she finally realizes she has to make the choice-staying human or turned into a vampire. Towards the end of the book, Bella puts her mortality as a vote to the Cullens and the majority of them agreed that she should be turned (after her graduation) while Edward objects. Edward gives her an alternative proposal-if Bella can marry him(oh!!) , he will turn her himself when it's time. Storywise, the plot may not be the best among all the books in the series. However, I think this is like the calm before the storm,a transition, laying all the foundation for the third book. It is still a very good read. Although it is a vampire novel, I think this book gives a breath of fresh air, something different to the series which is great. 
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-08 08:37:05.
(Language: English)
Another HUGE win for Stephanie Meyer. A tale so entwined with magic, suspense and unrequited love. Pouring out emotion from page one to page 629. I felt like I was IN this book! That the feelings and emotions Bella and Edward exude throughout this book feel like my own. I can't quite comprehend much else. I'll finish this review later... For book 2 of the Twilight series, Meyer's took Bella in a slightly different direction. And that was Jacob. In the first couple of chapters, we see Edward and Bella at their most frail. An incident at the Cullen's while celebrating Bella's birthday, leads Edward to leave Bella and Forks altogether to "protect her" from him and his family. We get to see a destructive Bella try to pull out of a funk. Growing closer to Jacob, and learning more surreal things about this little town of just a few thousand. werewolves enter the fray, which if you're a fan of Vamps, you knew was inevitable. Jacob and Bella's relationship grows throughout, and you get a more realistic sense of love as he shows her how much he cares, from fixing up the bikes, to protecting her from Victoria to letting Bella go when he had to. All very heartbreaking. How much can one person endure? After a quick exit, with no goodbyes Alice Cullen shows up at the Swan residence prepared for the worst, a dead Bella, only to find out to her surprise... She's very much alive. But Edwards believes Bella dead, and does the unthinkable traveling to the Volturi to end his own exsistance. Bella and Alice rush to Italy to save him. Will they be in time? Will Bella and Edward reunite? Will they last? And what repercussions will each of them face when and if they return to Forks! Read it and enjoy, it's a great sequel to a fabulous story!
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-04-25 08:48:43.
(Language: English)
هي الروايه الثانيه من سلسلة الشفقادوارد وعائلته بصدد مغادرة فوركس لانه يعتقد ان حياة بيلا معرضة للخطر. وحتى مع تطور صداقة قوية مع جاكوب المستذئب . جاكوب وغيره من الذئاب في قبيلته يقوموا بحمايتها من فيكتوريا ، مصاصة الدماء التي تسعى للانتقام من صديقها جيمس الذي قتل في الجزء الأول من السلسلة. ويحدث سوء فهم ويعتقد ادوارد ان بيلا ماتت. ويقرر الانتحار في فولتيرا بإيطاليا ، لكنه بيلا توقفه بمساعدة أليس شقيقته بالتبني. ويجتمع الثلاثة مع مجموعة من السحرة مصاصي الدماء ، وقاموا بالإفراج عنه بشرط أن يقوم بتحويل بيلا إلى مصاصة دماء في المستقبل القريب ثم يتحد بيلا وإدوارد ويعودون إلى فوركس. = Is the second novel of the Twilight series Edward and his family was leaving Forex because he thought that the life of Bella is at risk. Even with the development of a strong friendship with Jacob Wolf Man. Jacob and other wolves in his tribe do to protect them from Victoria, the vampire seeking revenge for her boyfriend, James, who was killed in the first part of the string. And misunderstandings, and Edward believes that Bella is dead. And decides to commit suicide in Volterra, Italy, but Bella is not stopping with Alice of his sister by adoption. And meet with a group of three witches vampires, and they release him on condition that the transfer of Bella to a vampire in the near future and then unite Bella and Edward and return to Forks.
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Janet posted a review at 2011-08-31 09:11:03.
(Language: English)
I've had numerous people tell me, and I quote, "No Twilight fan, in their right mind, would like New Moon." I would have to strongly disagree. *SPOILER ALERT* It has heart, it has honesty, it has meat to really dig into the inner turmoil that Bella goes through without Edward. And, to me, that was Bella's finest hour. You are constantly rooting on for Bella to make it past all the depression and the sadness that is bringing her down. And (for once!) you have Bella save Edward! That's one of the greatest things in the entire series. There are so many people who think that Bella weak and that she's not self sufficient, but in reality, she a real girl who is trying to deal with the supernatural as effectively as humanly possible. Her character, in here, makes her more relateable than she ever is in Breaking Dawn. I love the gritty type of suicidal love that Bella experiences (and for that I may be a sadist) but I finally saw the extent of what she feels for Edward. So many times, I wavered, debating whether Bella loves Edward or if she love Jacob more. New Moon constantly reminds me how much there could be a balance to both; a different type of love for each. Of the series, New Moon was my absolute favorite. There is this very dark quality to it that's both intriguing and addicting. I have a feeling that the movie will not -CANNOT- do this book justice. It's one of those books that when I take a step back to analyze it, it became even more compelling than I thought was even possible for Stephanie Meyer.
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Michael posted a review at 2009-04-20 01:45:24.
(Language: English)
I enjoyed the first book in this series and so was a little surprised and even perplexed at the failure of New Moon. For a bit, I started to think that perhaps it's not possible to write a romance with a first-person narrative. Then, of course, I remembered Jane Eyre. Was there perhaps something unappetizing about the supernatural or juvenile love story? Yet both worked in Tuck Everlasting. Or was it just the continual mooning and swooning, all the throbbing veins and overwrought bosom-fanning? Of course, the reader knows going in that he's going to have to tolerate a certain number of paragraphs about topaz eyes, stone chests and chiseled lips, but the author here takes things to such extremes that you go way beyond queasy and start to feel like you've been mercilessly bludgeoned with a three-foot stick of strawberry lip gloss. The problem is basically one of proportion. Dazzled by recent literary and cinematic successes of the genre, the author has mistakenly gotten the notion that all fantasy stories are necessarily epic. But this book is primarily a love story and a love story just can't work as an epic. Love stories are always small. Most frequently they are the size of a lyric poem or a popular song. The occasional genius appears who can manage a love story for the length of an entire novel. Love stories can be successfully worked into almost any larger work as a subplot, or even serve as a jumping-off point for larger themes, as in the Divine Comedy. But the author is here trying to write a love saga. To my knowledge, this has never been achieved and it is not successful here. That's a shame, because there is much to like about this book. The storytelling is skillfully done, particularly the gradual and suspenseful revelations about the Indian characters. The supernatural world of vampires and werewolves is (to use a phrase from Tolkien, the man who made the modern genre) a successful and absorbing sub-creation. The dialog is not naturalistic, but is engaging, and so are most of the characters -- with one exception. That exception, the least developed character in the book, is Bella, the female protagonist herself. I've read an interview with the author where she stated that she was deliberately vague about her heroine, particularly about her appearance, hoping this would let readers more easily imagine themselves living Bella's exciting life and romantic encounters with the various beautiful and immortal beings she meets. No one can say the author doesn't understand her market. Her readers consist, ever more exclusively as the series progresses, of teenage girls of all ages who read the novels, not as novels but as fantasy-aids, almost as pornography. A mild, innocuous pornography to be sure, but fundamentally a pornography aimed more at inflaming passions than in engaging the imagination. If few have said so, many have thought so, and most people seem to have very realistic ideas about how the books are intended to be used. The book has fans, not readers, and even the harshest critics rarely say worse than Abraham Lincoln did when he tactfully commented about a book of his day, "People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing that they like." The Twilight series will, if it has not already, make Stephenie Meyer a very rich woman. I hope the freedom that wealth gives her will enable her to turn her talents soon to an actual novel.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-10-31 11:31:19.
(Language: English)
This 563 page book is obviously not a challenge whence it is devoured in one sitting in three and a half hours. Now if that doesn't tell you something than this will: Harry Potter was not taken in one sitting, maybe three. But this book, this fantastic, beautiful novel takes you on a ride and doesn't let go until it's over. And you just want more. New Moon, Stephenie Meyer's sequel to Twilight was just another wonderful look into the life of Isabella Swan and her fateful, undeniable love for Edward Cullen: a perfect specimen of a being... except he is, indeed, a vampire. Edward is indeed a disappearance and the charm and magic is taken away from the book for a bit. The only downfall of this novel is that there was less Edward (I am being honest here!). I don't want to give too much away because the Twilight Series is something you HAVE to experience for yourself. The most beautiful thing about Meyer's series is that while reading you seem to be dreaming, when you're done its like you're waking from a dream. The lines between the fiction and reality blurred. You wonder and hope, are vampires real!? What about the werewolves? and the love... oh the disgustingly sweet, perfect, meant-to-be love is so perfectly described in this book it gives you shivers all over. The love is so intense, so real... so ... well perfect. Pretty much Meyer's novels have all hit perfection. I CAN NOT fathom how a SEQUEL can be on par (or perhaps) surpass it's predecessor. Whichever more on the novel: Meyer's first person writing is genuine and believable. So amazingly believable, that you want to devour it again and again and again after finishing it. These novels are something to obsess over. I cannot say much since I don't want to spoil it but think of these books as the Titanic of teen fiction.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-05-16 02:50:04.
(Language: English)
if leaving is the right thing to do then I'll hurt myself to keep me from hurting you, to keep you safe. -- Edwardso is it not obvious that i really am into this vampire thing? i mean, what do you expect? i love Edward. do i have any reason not to? so the thing is, this second book is more about Jacob, the dog. yeah, for all i care, i hate that dog. he is a wolf whom Bella finds comfort when Edward left her. Jacob is a bit younger than Bella but he is way bigger than she is, because you know, wolves grow really big and huge! vampires and wolves are enemies since the ancient times and there is a pact that they follow. vampires could stay for all they want in Forks but they need to be sure they would not bite anyone. (because if you are bitten by vampires only two things would happen to you either: 1. you become a vampire yourself or 2. you die) and vampires could not set foot to La Push – the place where the wolves are.wolves, when angry could not control themselves, it takes time before they know how. they morph into dogs when they are angry or when they wanted to. when they are on their wolf form, their thoughts are read by other wolves, so there are no secrets among them. unlike vampires, they do not live for eternity but they could delay their aging. once they saw someone, they could readily tell if that's their mate or not, it is their instinct like love at first sight. but what i am thinking is that the first time Jacob sees Bella, it is not mentioned whether she is her mate or what, therefore i am assuming she is not but he is so in love with her that he insist that she loved him too. he justifies that she has not only realized it but it is what she really felt. (stupid dog, how should he know?)Bella does crazy and dangerous things because, as she hallucinates or believes, she hears Edward's voice when she does so. She dived off a cliff alone to her super depression and want of his voice – that's what i am telling you, she's so into him. Alice, having the skill to predict the future saw this fit of Bella and saw that she died upon jumping to the cliff. what she did not know is that she is saved by the dog (hate Jacob still). this happens because Alice could not see wolves when she sees the future, not sure why but that is what the book says. Alice being worried for Edward tried changing her vision but Edward heard from Rosalie that Alice said that Bella jump off a cliff. to confirm things, Edward called to Bella's house, Jacob answered the phone and told him that Charlie had gone to the funeral. Edward thought that it is Bella's funeral but it is one of Charlie's friends. he then went to Italy. so why, why, why. Italy is the place where the Volturi family of vampires reside. they are the most powerful of their kind and if you are a vampire and you want to be destroyed, provoke them -- exactly what Edward did, he went there to provoke them so that he could be destroyed because he does not want to live since Bella, as he knows, is dead -- otherwise stay away from them and do not make troubles involving their family.vampires live in discreetness and secrecy, people could not know that kind like them exist. if you are a vampire you could never expose yourself unless you want to be destroyed and be killed by a stronger vampire than yourself. remember that vampires glitter under the sun. that is what Edward had plan on doing. he would expose himself to get the Volturi's attention, to provoke them so that he may finally die.Alice knew this and sought the help of Bella. the new conflict arises from it and they made efforts to save Edward and drove all the way to Italy. they made it just in time but they are subjected to a meeting with the Volturi's family. the Volturi's want Bella dead because there should be no human who knows the secret they had. Alice justified that sooner or later they will transform Bella into a vampire but that is not enough for them. but because Bella is somehow special or has special powers (because the vampires unusual skills do not affect her at all, tried and tested!). the Volturi become convinced that they should just wait until Bella becomes one of them. they release them all and it ended with the Cullens going back to Forks again. Edward belonging to Bella. Bella to Edward (not to Jacob! ACK!)new moon is the title of this second book because in the person of Jacob, Bella sees hope and new light to her miserable state since Edward left her. new moon signifies new start, new beginnings.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-11-24 11:59:02.
(Language: English)
New Moon is simply an amazing and beautiful book. I don’t know why I loved this book more than twilight. The book unfolds a new intimate relation: a love relation that was not mutual, a relation that was sadly from one side. A relation that was based on desire, on hope, that one day Bella’s heart will bend to Jacob side. Unfortunately, Bella’s heart is not ready yet to give up Edwards’s love and is entirely loyal and exclusively devoted to Edward even when Edward already broke with Bella for unpreventable reasons. For the most first part of the book, Bella had the chance to hang out with Jacob and his friends. Sooner, she learned that Jacob is a “Werewolf ” the traditional enemy of vampires. She starts to love her friendship with Jacob and enjoys every minute with him to an extend she thought she can’t live without his existence. The both couple seems to get along easily and eventually this relation will make her choice very hard when she is later torn to choose between Jacob and Edward. In the mean time, Alice pays Bella a visit and told her that Edward is going to provoke the Volturi “the vampire kings” in Italy to kill him. Edward thought that he was the reason why Bella committed a suicide”which is not, she was saved by jacob”. Bella and Alice flew to Italy to safe Edward. Eventually Edward saw Bella and cancels his plan to provoke the Volturi. However, they were captured by the Volturi guards and one of the Volturi‘s master assure to let them live except if they work with them or convert Bella to a vampire “he foretells that Bella will have an amazing talent and ability as a vampire – like the one Edwards has: reading minds or Alice seeing the future. Being a vampire was always Bella’s dream, but Edward did not want to transform Bella to a vampire. Thus, the mystery remains covered and so many questions left over to the next book to answer “Eclipse”.
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Lee posted a review at 2009-08-30 12:31:26.
(Language: English)
twilight, vampires, werewolves) I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that this book is about what happens to Bella, the regular teenage girl protagonist of “Twilight,” when Edward, the vampire she loves desperately, leaves her. She is devastated. She is depressed. She is inconsolable. I myself had a couple of very intense relationships a little like this when I was in my twenties, and I could definitely relate to Bella’s predicament and how author Stephenie Mayer expresses it. In fact, it was so realistic that I was considering not reading any more when Bella finds a new source of comfort: her friendship with Jacob, the Native American boy she has known from childhood. Obviously, he’s not the “perfect” Edward, but Bella begins to suspect that allowing herself some small measure of happiness away from Edward would not be “selling out.” Jacob, who is 2 years younger than Bella, has his own period of painful growth to endure. Both his physical and emotional progress is laid out for the reader (eventually), as he comes to terms with the kind of adult he is becoming and tries to make peace with it. This book contains some of the history, mythology and philosophy that the first novel lacked, and it finishes with an even better and more suspenseful flourish. Some Romeo and Juliet comparison is included, which may be appropriate, if cliched, for the age of the characters. Fortunately, Bella is modern enough, and sophisticated enough, to handle the comparisons her mind insists on making without getting too sentimental about it.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-05-25 05:20:26.
(Language: English)
At last! Some plot, some action. But it's more like an exciting centre to what is otherwise an unexciting story. I could handle the inaction of the first book--I was prepared to sacrifice need of plot for a dizzying paranormal romance--but this book gave me a taste of action then took it away. As a writer who studies writing and is surrounded by writers and editors, I can't help but feel they'd agree that Stephenie Meyer needed to workshop this novel before publishing. For me the most disappointing thing she did in this one is not give me what I wanted. And what I wanted was an explosive confrontation between Bella and Edward once he comes back. He broke her heart. He almost drove her to death. She was a total wreck for months and months. And she didn't know he left to try and save her. And how did Meyer write this? As a conversation. With Bella mildly taking him back like a beaten wife, saying she can't trust he feels the same, but taking him back anyway. In real life, she would have rejected his love, for such fear it would detroy her again. She would have screamed at him 'til all their truths came out and she succumbed to him in a fiery embrace. We didn't get this. We got talk instead of action. Show, dont't tell. And never miss a bloody chance to inject tension and drama. In this book, Bella started talking out of character too. Not so much character evolution as someone who doesn't talk much shouldn't turn around and be so verbose and talkative all of a sudden. I stopped seeing the K-Stewart of the films as Bella. But aside from that, I enjoyed it. I love getting lost in the world of Forks. I enjoy the threads Meyer has woven and the complications of things to come. I get gooey whenever Edward shows Bella love. But I hope Meyer grows as a writer to stop writing passive moments where powerful ones should exist.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-07-07 10:22:01.
(Language: English)
I read New Moon for the first time in my teenage years, and I remember feeling that it was plodding and not really understanding the point. Well, I just read it again and I have to say, it is one of the best in the series for me, second only to the first novel, Twilight. New Moon is unique because it deals extensively with a problem that most authors try to avoid writing about: a rejected lover who actually cannot recover from the end of her relationship. Most writers enjoy detailing a character who is broken and then bravely decides to pick up the pieces and start rebuilding her life and even falls in love again (usually more strongly and ultimately better than the first love), but Meyer instead chooses the rare plot thread of the person whose life unravels into less than nothing in the absence of her love. I feel that Bella's reaction to Edward's abandonment is actually incredibly believable; her description of the pain is consistent with true depression and sorrow experienced in the fragile psyche and inadequate words of a young adult. Bella's confusion and panic while Edward is distancing himself from her before he leaves is very realistic to a disintegrating high school romance, as is the breakup itself. After the breakup, Bella's lack of public expression and the private torment which she tries to shield other people from having to witness is right along the lines of her reserved and fairly selfless character. Bella's dangerous adrenaline-rush-to-hear-Edward activities show just how far gone she is; she will risk her life and countless people's sorrow at her injury or death just to hear a hallucination of her love's voice. Also, her complete attachment to Jacob so soon after losing Edward exposes the flaw of her deep dependence on another person to sustain her existence, which is an interesting character trait. On the subject of Jacob vs. Edward, I believe it is actually sort of a non-subject, unfortunately. No matter how much time Bella was given to recover from Edward's abandonment, and even if he never came back, and even if she and Jake became a romantic couple, Bella would never have loved Jacob like she loved Edward. He would just have been a hollow replacement, and that would not have been fair to either of them, especially Jacob because he is a deeply good and wonderful person who deserves better than Bella. Bella truly gave her heart and life to Edward, and New Moon shows the true extent of what that means. She could not live without him. This made for a unique and very successful novel, I feel. The vote for Bella's mortality at the end was also a neat scene because it emphasized the way the Cullen family is very much a political body with alliances and face-offs and complicated internal connections. Edward for me is the least likable character, though I know many screaming teenage girl fans would disagree with me. He is temperamental, selfish, and inconsistent. He wants to "save" Bella by leaving her, yet surely he knows somewhere in that intelligent, ancient brain that that would never work; Bella loves him too much to ever move on. Yet he leaves her harshly and hurts her deeply, all supposedly to make her life easier and happier. How ridiculous. Edward spends the rest of the novel moping as he should have known he would, and when he hears the news of Bella's "death", he flies off the handle yet again instead of carefully verifying the news and endangers his whole family by plotting to provoke the Volturi. Then after Bella saves him, Edward goes right back to Forks and resumes their relationship as though nothing has happened, and without even an adequate apology to Bella for his horrendous behavior or maybe some internal thought about how he doesn't deserve her eternally forgiving love after what he's done. Edward for me is the most unappealing character in the series, but Bella's love makes him redeemable enough in the end. And Edward's renewed love and faith make Bella understandable even though she hurts quite a few people by so easily going back to him. By the end of New Moon, the reader knows unmistakably that Bella and Edward are for each other, and that their love is what sustains them, and this for me makes New Moon a successful novel.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-06 02:40:07.
(Language: English)
How exactly did this woman get away with toppling J.K. Rowling off the YA pedestal? How could people allow this to get published and sold? I understand at 18-years-old; the world seems to be coming to an end, when you lose the one you love, but Bella is not left alone to feel deal with and cope with her pain and loneness she constantly fills that void (and also uses) Jacob to make herself less numb. Meyer needs to stop pairing Bella up another male. She needs to develop and give strength and abilities to Bella. And to make her grow-up a little. Still Meyer puts her main character into bouts of stupidity and constant danger. You aren’t really left feeling sorry for Bella, since she constantly does this to herself. I tire of the savior-complex in Meyer’s stories if it isn’t Edward; it’s Jacob riding in on a white charger (or all fours). The minor and main female’s personalities and outside development amount to pretty much nothing. They don’t have anything to offer the story, besides being pliable and cleaning the house and serving their men. As shown by Emily, who seems to love to take care of her “boys” Simply enjoying slaving over a hot stove and cleaning and laundry with a man that phases into a werewolf due to huge anger issues…. Does anyone else notice the parallel’s? She already got her face multitalented due to Sam’s anger. And it isn’t even mentioned exactly how he became so angry with her there. that he had to lash out at her in general. I also didn’t like the line crossed into suicide with Bella. I found that to be such a anti-Romeo and Juliet sentiment. Which apparently Meyer is trying to pull off in this book. She’s ripping off Shakespeare and putting this melodramatic girl and boy as pale comparisons as Capulet and Montague and using Werewolf and vampires as the warring families. With Jacob as Paris. Honestly this book is badly written as is and you can’t even come up with a better idea? then just borrowing and respewing from other people’s work to build yours? Jacob Black is a little better written this time and still a stand-out character from the rest. I will give her credit for how she developed on the werewolves and their transformations. How anger triggers it rather then just a full moon. which gives them the ability to control the beast and the anger within the human.
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Jennifer posted a review at 2009-11-15 04:46:16.
(Language: English)
Reviewed by K. Osborn Sullivan for TeensReadToo.com NEW MOON is the much-anticipated sequel to last year's exceptional vampire romance, TWILIGHT. When I first got my hands on a thick copy of TWILIGHT, I ended up losing sleep for a week until I finished it. Night after night I could not put down the gripping tale of 17-year-old Isabella Swan and the family of vampires who virtually adopt her - some more willingly than others. With the thrill of TWILIGHT fresh in my mind, I eagerly plunged into NEW MOON. The story takes up several months after TWILIGHT ended. Bella has enjoyed a magical summer with her vampire love, Edward Cullen, but as she closes in on her eighteenth birthday, her own mortality weighs heavily on her. Edward will be eternally young and beautiful, while Bella is doomed to age like a normal human. In this sequel, author Stephenie Meyer starts out strong. For example, she offers some foreshadowing when Bella and Edward discuss Romeo and Juliet for a school assignment. Also, Meyer masterfully set up a potentially epic conflict that must be resolved in the next book. I'm already on the edge of my seat waiting for that one. Unfortunately, NEW MOON did not captivate me and keep me awake way too late the way its predecessor did. It was largely lacking in the two things I liked best about the first book. First, the vampiric Cullen family did not feature as prominently here. Yes, Bella managed to make other unusual friends, but these new pals were not as compelling as the eternal Cullens. The other thing I missed in NEW MOON was that it did not emphasize the heroine's stumbling, bumbling klutziness. That aspect of her character made her endearing in the first novel, but while it existed here to some degree, it did not provide the same level of comic relief that I enjoyed in TWILIGHT. Overall this felt like a more serious book. NEW MOON's rating doubtless suffered from the extraordinary expectations created by TWILIGHT. I loved NEW MOON's beginning and its end, but I only liked the middle. Despite the criticisms, this is an intriguing tale that I highly recommend. And I can't wait to see what happens next.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-02-28 01:21:16.
(Language: English)
I’m curious as to why Meyer decided to create such a weak female protagonist. While Bella may have irritated me for her clumsiness in Twilight, I was downright hoping for her demise in New Moon. It’s like Edward motivates every action and every thought of Bella’s, as if the girl needs the boy to verify her very existence. This is not a good lesson to pass on impressionable teenage girls. What happened to the “We Can Do It” and “Girl Power” attitudes? Bella is a puny excuse for a protagonist. There were parts of the book I enjoyed, such as the birthday party. Albeit Bella was irritating with her whining about turning 18—one year older than Edward, which bothers her so much although, curiously, she doesn’t seem to care that she is two years older than Jacob, her “safe harbor”—and her ungrateful attitude toward those who care about her was sickening. But what I liked about this scene was the presentation of the weaknesses of the Cullens, especially Jasper. It was interesting to see that and finally added some substance to the story. However, I do think Edward is very much bi-polar. In Twilight he was angry, rude, and emotionally abusive toward Bella. In the beginning of New Moon, during the goodbye, he is indifferent. At the end of the book, he is practically Fabio—so lovey-dovey that you wonder who the hell the real Edward is. There is no consistency at all in this character. I felt Jacob was the most intriguing of the main characters, but again Meyer cannot be consistent with character traits and personalities so she must completely change him after he undergoes “the change.” There is no trace left of that loveable Jacob. He ends up becoming more like the first Edward—the angry one. Bella is also inconsistent. In Twilight she faints at the sight/smell of someone pricking their finger, but in New Moon she gashes her forehead so much she’s bleeding all over her face and clothes and needs several stitches, and yet she laughs it off as if it’s nothing. Huh? And even though she longs to be bitten to spend an eternity with Edward, she downright refuses to honor his one request by marrying him first. Again, scratching my head on that one. What a moron. The first half of this book, minus the birthday party, is slow and there is much irrelevant material that I found myself skipping paragraphs just to get to the meat of the story. Bella is so devastated by being broken up with that she lays down in the woods and can’t get up. She is practically unconscious and the whole town must go on a search looking for her. Rock on girlfriend! *rolls eyes* Once she finally sort of comes out of her grieving (months later), she goes on a suicidal rampage—although Meyer makes it clear every other chapter or so that Bella is not suicidal. Actions speak louder than words, Ms. Meyer. Apparently Meyer lost all inspiration and about halfway through writing the book she decided to do her own version of Romeo and Juliet. It is so clear that this is her motivation that Bella assigns Jacob to the role of Paris and the climax of the novel surrounds Edward/Romeo’s suicide attempt (which follows Bella/Juliet’s suicide, of course). During the climax I had high hopes for Bella. I thought finally Meyer was going to give Bella some thick skin and SHE was going to do the saving for ONCE! Eh, it was disappointing. Bella may have literally ran into Edward, which did save him from committing a vampire version of suicide-by-cop, but for nearly the rest of the book she is so weak, “dead on her feet,” and swooning in Edward’s arms that she’s useless. The girl is a whiny emo drama queen with no self-confidence. She is utterly pathetic. It saddens me to think that girls today are looking up to this character as a role model. In my opinion, Bella may very well be THE worst female protagonist in literary history. Updated to
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-06-27 09:55:17.
(Language: English)
I couldnt wait... luckily enough I was able to get hold of a proof copy from the US so that I didnt have to wait untill March to read this gem. S. Meyer still writes with such passion and belief that it takes your breath away. She portrays heartache in such a convincing way, anyone who's ever had their heart broken will recognize the agony you can feel in the words given to us. Bella is devistated when Edward suddenly realizes he doesnt love her, and moves away with his family. Life as she knows it, the only thing keeping her alive, is suddenly ripped away from underneath her feet. She no longer knows how to stand, sleep or breathe. Edward made her one final promise, that she would never see him or the Cullens ever again. In desperation Belle discovers than when she puts herself in danger, Edward's voice is ringing out warnings in her head. And along with her best friend Jacob she takes up another extreme hobby after the other, just so she can feel normal for a little while, when Edward is talking to her inside her head. But normal is not a word used in Bella's life. Because allthough she and Jacob is becomming closer and closer, she still cant tell him about the vampire she craves, and loves.... and Jacob has some serious secrets himself. Once again danger & death is hunting Bella, only this time there is no one there to save her.... Or is there?!??? STUNNING!!!! Simply addictive. Thank goodness she's not yet done telling this story!
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-11-29 12:08:41.
(Language: English)
The Vampire mystique has always been about romance. This book attempts such, but leads a rather dull and uninteresting set of characters (minus Bella) through the wallows of teenage love. Bella, a truly interesting personality is surrounded by paper thin visions of what other people should be like (a one hundred plus year old vampire has eyes for a teenage girl??? Seriously, someone has daddy issues, apparently mental maturity is the one gift vampires do not gain with age), yet, the writing style, being first person, leaves much of the development of why the rest of this cast of characters even matter. This would be alright, if Bella had some mature depth and better insight to the people she describing. The book is lengthy for almost no real substance, not a single truly surprising moment, for Bella always seems to be just about knocked out or the events important to her life are running off in the distance. How are we suppose to appreciate her situation when we really don't know what her situation is? Moreover the value of a great book is hidden between it's words, the underlying, the theme, the point. The writing leads to no real meaning. There is no true Third act resolution, and the second act conflict is merely glossed over with a wave of the hand. What a pragmatic and polite society vampires and werewolves live in, with such defined lines and rules. Humans can't even play this nice and we're expected to believe gods would be so humble? Romeo and Juliet were both young, impetuous. They were dreamers riding the rainbow of their hearts, wielding their love like a sword. Death couldn't keep them apart, yet, even at the end of this book one lover wants something different than the other. This is hardly accepting the shield of someone and taking up their banner. Alas, we broken beings of prism light, know not the color we could be.
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Kew posted a review at 2009-06-30 01:51:11.
(Language: English)
Annoying things that didn't change from the first book? Young men being moody (doting one moment, brooding another); Bella getting into trouble needing to be saved by strong young men; Bella's horribly low self-esteem ("of course I'm not good enough for so-and-so"); Bella innocently causing a rift among family (first the Cullens, then the werewolf boys) just for being who she is; Edward being described as "perfect" "statue" "sculpture" "angel" "cold" "hard" etc. New annoying things? - Being loved by a vampire only to be closely followed by being loved by a werewolf? Sorry, that's too much for me in a span of two books, albeit thick ones. I have no problem with that happening in Buffy, but that's in no small part because at least Buffy isn't just a some whiny ragdoll who constantly needs saving. - Furthermore, once Jacob was outted as a wearwolf, he took over Edward's role as Bella's protector so seamlessly, they sounded exactly alike, in terms of actions and words spoken. Essentially, Jacob lost his unique character. There was even one scene in which Jacob and Bella were seated side by side in his car having a conversation that led to the topic of vamps, and Jacob, struggling to calm down and not puff into a wolf, asked her to talk to him about anything else, just to take his mind off a dangerously aggravating thought. Did not the EXACT thing happen with Edward in Book 1?! Is Meyer rehashing scenarios already?!! - Also, just as Edward has his own set of adjectives, we now have a separate set of adjectives to be used ad nausuem for Jacob ("beautiful" "warm" "trembling" "snarling" and so on). sigh. - And as someone pointed out to me, everyone balls their fists when they are angry. There was *really* a lot of clenching going on. - And lastly, WHY, for someone who so desperately wants to be a vampire, would Bella let marriage - such a ridiculously mortal concept in comparison to the timelessness of vampires - get in the way of her being vamped?! She wants Edward forever and vice versa anyway; how would that piece of signed paper change anything? Besides, it's not like the marriage certificate would be of any consequence in reality if she were vamped after marriage. As if they were really going to have any use for it in the distant future when they still looked like teens but the cert says they were married in some ancient time of the 21st century. Really, to strike a deal with Edward to *postpone* her vamping just so she could avoid marrying him? I don't get that. At all. Oh, and as a side note, I had been really hoping Jacob was a werebear; that would have been more interesting / original. But of course, the legend as already told in Book 1 was about wolves, not bears, so I guess that's that. Things I liked? - The 4 consecutive pages that simply said "October", "November", "December", "January" to indicate the lifeless passing of time (post breakup) - that was a good touch. - As with the first book, there were moments that made me smile. And by moments, I mean a couple of lines out of every other chapter or so. Usually, they're lines that are a little sarcastic and... more human. I particularly liked this end to Chapter 5, "Only a teenage boy would agree to this: deceiving both our parents while repairing dangerous vehicles using money meant for my college education. He didn't see anything wrong with that picture. Jacob was a gift from the gods." =) - And I actually really enjoyed reading about the period of time when Bella was enjoying herself with then-still-human Jacob. I couldn't help but think it's because Meyer writes like a teenager that the best part of the book was the normal interaction between two teens. Once the mythical creatures came back into the picture (vamp, werewolves), Meyer reverted to overusing the same adjectives over and over again. And, as I said, Jacob and Edward started to act and sound like the same person. Having not read Books 3 and 4 yet, I have to say, for the moment, I prefer Jacob Black to Edward Cullen, because the latter is becoming harder and harder (for me) to grasp as a character due to his extreme mood swings, and his cheesy lovey-dovey lines and actions juxtaposed by his supposedly dangerous image and occasional growls. Or maybe it's because my sympathy always lies with the fluffy animals. I still think Meyer doesn't write so great. Twilight is still a series of books I'll read but always be a little embarrassed to be seen reading. But I WILL read Books 3 and 4 (as long as someone has them to lend me), just so I complete the plot. (I may even watch the movie sequel just to see Jacob Black being given more plot/screen time and to see the visuals of "phasing" into a werewolf.) However, every repetition of adjective and scenario, every instant that Bella bemoans her unworthiness, will continue to make me roll my eyes.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-13 11:37:53.
(Language: English)
See previous review of "Twilight" for review standards: For the English major types: Better in some regards, but otherwise the same. Pure fluff, but fun for the teen audience it is aimed at in particular. Hey, anything to get a teenager not naturally inclined to read to read a whole novel is a good thing. Disappointed that Edward was not prominently featured and Jacob was not explored enough. Need more details on the other vampires. For parents: Still not much objectionable, but this time there was a bit of cursing. Extremely mild by today's standards (3 instances). The book does explore the difficulties of balancing friendships when different social groups collide. The major overall themes are reuniting people who love one another and friendship. A little more on God and the afterlife (nothing negative) but still not explored enough given vampire lore. For teens: The is a good book to shsow how determination to succeed in the face of many obstacles. Persistence and networking is key. WARNING: PLOT POINT - The immediacy of the loss of an intense love for someone new in those feelings is dead on in part and over-dramatized in parts - much like the fantasies we all make of our circumstances in times of crisis. I enjoyed getting to know Bella better, but she is still somewhat flat and Jacob was barely more than one-dimensional. Edward changed very little. I would still like to know the make-up of Meyer's vampires in general even though we get a slightly more than superficial look at them. I hope "Eclipse" expands on this theme. I am starting to wonder if any area will be explored in detail or if the surface story will remain all there is for the most part. I liked it slightly better than "Twilight", but not enough to increase my rating. Again, probably more fun for teenage girls than boys.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-09 02:04:20.
(Language: English)
You know how you hope an author gets better with a sequel ... 'New Moon' is a perfect example of a book that just slides by 'Twilight'. The only reason is that the book actually seemed to have a plot (miniscule, and completely contrived), but it was still horrid. Meyer's writing is full of colloquialisms, poor grammar, and honestly, anyone who is anyone knows better than to use the word humoungous in a book. Slang is a no,no. Not only does that make her look stupid, it makes her readers look stupid as well. Bella Swan is the most incredibly stupid, selfish, weak, pathetic, and completely unlikeable female lead. Her behaviour as a doormat is laughable, and sets feminism and everything feminists worked to achieve back to the 16th-17th century. Talk about getting preachy, but Meyer uses Bella's character as a way to further say 'Yes, this is the way girls are supposed to act. They're supposed to be completely dependant on their boyfriends, so that they shun everything else around them.' She could not have made it more obvious that Bella needs a man in her life to function. And guess what, when Edward leaves, she turns to Jacob. Surprise, surprise. She is now complete because she has a man in her life, and she now has an identity. Also, she is a complete doormat. Not only with Edward, but with Jacob, and Charlie as well. I seriously do not think any normal eighteen-year-old is acting 'Domestic Goddess' every day of the week. Yes, I know Charlie is busy, but Meyer further reinforces the age old stereotypical gender roles, where the woman is supposed to be a glorified housewife, while the man is the sole breadwinner. Besides the rampant sexism, the amount if racism that oozes from 'New Moon's' pages digusted me. And Meyer's blatant, shoving it down your throats intertextual references made me laugh. Meyer is also probably one of the most self-absorbed authors on the market today. Comparing Edward to famous male literary figures? Please, get over yourself. Edward is not, and never will be Romeo, Heathcliff, or whoever the hell else she decides to lump him in with. Byron created the perfect Victorian male literary model, and to compare Edward, who is abusive, manipulative, self-absorbed, and completely flat, is an insult not only to Byron, but to every other Romantic-Era, and Victorian Era literary models. Please, get your classical literature right before raping it in your horrid book.
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Sarah posted a review at 2009-07-08 05:59:58.
(Language: English)
Anger. Betrayal. Wanting to throw the book against the wall—these were all emotions I experienced while reading Meyer’s second book in the Twilight Saga. Devoted fans of the first book (like me) were horrified when we realized her plan: to have Edward make the ultimate sacrifice for Bella’s safety and in doing so, destroying every vestige of the magical fantasy world that Bella came face-to-face with in Twilight. The happiness and fluff may have been replaced by an atmosphere of melancholy and grief, but Edward and Bella’s love for each other triumphs and soars throughout the course of the book, never once wavering course. The reader has the advantage of knowing Edward’s true motives for leaving; Bella's quickness to doubt his unconditional love is heartbreaking and maddening (hence wanting to throw the book against the wall). Even when he is gone, she senses his presence through her subconscious, an experience which we discover that she is willing to go to any lengths to go through. Enter Jacob Black, Stephenie Meyer’s attempt to plausibly seal the gap in Bella’s heart in a speedy way—not to mention provide some super-exciting plot action. He’s kind, sexy, warm, and a werewolf! He’s fun to be around, and he loves Bella. In New Moon, the middle chapters devotes a majority of the time to the development of their friendship and hints to the possibility of something more between them. While Jacob says he will keep waiting in the wings, Bella feels terrible for leading him on because she knows that nothing will ever happen. One of the most heart wrenching passages occur when she realizes that even though she will never move on, she should try to give what is left of her broken self left to Jacob. New Moon begins with unspeakable loss and results in growth. It ends in a beautiful twist of passion and hope, and our lovers are reunited again…
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Danielle posted a review at 2009-02-28 03:27:06.
(Language: English)
*Spoilers Within* I liked this better than the first book... but not by much. I think the main reason I liked 'New Moon' better than its predecessor was because Edward wasn't in the majority of it. True, instead of being annoyed by his relationship with Bella, I was annoyed by Bella's inability to breathe because he wasn't around, but once she got into the whole Jacob thing, I thought it began to pick up. Although I knew vaguely about his werewolf connection, I liked the mystery and controversy surrounding the mysterious 'cult' and how that whole subplot developed. I liked the return of Laurent and how he spurred the threat of Victoria. But, of course, the series is about Edward and Bella's relationship, and he had to return in the end. Maybe it's my inner feminist that can't stand their relationship so much, but I just find it so incredibly ANNOYING and CHEESY. I'm sick of him carrying her everywhere and putting her on his back and treating her like a child. Sorry. Here is the line that I found so cheesy, I laughed out loud: "Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night...And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light"(514). Bella mentions 'Romeo and Juliet' throughout the novel. I believe this kind of line would be appropriate in the Shakespearian era, but COME ON. This is 2009, okay? So why did I read this book if I wasn't the biggest fan of 'Twilight' in the first place? Basically, once I start something (i.e. a series like this one), I feel the need to finish it. So I apologize to all the fans I piss off with this review.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-02-26 04:40:13.
(Language: English)
Maybe it’s because I’m a guy and several decades past the book’s target audience, but I find the character of Bella so annoying that I could only tolerate reading one or two chapters at a time. She stumbles. She withdraws. She has a black, empty hole in her chest (referenced ad nauseum throughout). There is absolutely no reason this story could not have been told in a third of its’ 500+ pages. The story, itself, is pretty simple. The Cullen vampire clan hosts a birthday party for Bella. The clumsy girl cuts herself which causes frenzy among the vampires. Edward decides the best way to protect Bella is for his family to leave town and remove himself from her life. “It will be as if I’d never existed,” he told Bella. Thanks, Edward. The book then crawls for hundreds of agonizing pages as Bella sinks into depression, her mood only lightening when in the presence of Jacob Black, a Native American of the Quileute tribe who, apparently like every other teen male in town, develops a crush on her. Bella strings Jacob along and engages in reckless behavior because she can hear Edward’s voice inside her head scolding her. Without giving away anything, I’ll just say that Edward returns later in the book. There are some silly comparisons to Romeo and Juliet and in standard love triangle fashion Edward and Jacob are on opposite sides with Bella in the middle playing peacemaker. Team Edward or Team Jacob fans will certainly disagree with my criticisms, but despite it all I’ll continue reading the series.
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ali posted a review at 2008-12-06 05:16:20.
(Language: English)
New Moon is simply an amazing and beautiful book. I don’t know why I loved this book more than twilight. The book unfolds a new intimate relation: a love relation that was not mutual, a relation that was sadly from one side. A relation that was based on desire, on hope, that one day Bella’s heart will bend to Jacob side. Unfortunately, Bella’s heart is not ready yet to give up Edwards’s love and is entirely loyal and exclusively devoted to Edward even when Edward already broke with Bella for unpreventable reasons. For the most first part of the book, Bella had the chance to hang out with Jacob and his friends. Sooner, she learned that Jacob is a “Werewolf ” the traditional enemy of vampires. She starts to love her friendship with Jacob and enjoys every minute with him to an extend she thought she can’t live without his existence. The both couple seems to get along easily and eventually this relation will make her choice very hard when she is later torn to choose between Jacob and Edward. In the mean time, Alice pays Bella a visit and told her that Edward is going to provoke the Volturi “the vampire kings” in Italy to kill him. Edward thought that he was the reason why Bella committed a suicide”which is not, she was saved by jacob”. Bella and Alice flew to Italy to safe Edward. Eventually Edward saw Bella and cancels his plan to provoke the Volturi. However, they were captured by the Volturi guards and one of the Volturi‘s master assure to let them live except if they work with them or convert Bella to a vampire “he foretells that Bella will have an amazing talent and ability as a vampire – like the one Edwards has: reading minds or Alice seeing the future. Being a vampire was always Bella’s dream, but Edward did not want to transform Bella to a vampire. Thus, the mystery remains covered and so many questions left over to the next book to answer “Eclipse”.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-02-19 01:15:41.
(Language: English)
This review contains spoilers. I’m curious as to why Meyer decided to create such a weak female protagonist. While Bella may have irritated me for her clumsiness in Twilight, I was downright hoping for her demise in New Moon. It’s like Edward motivates every action and every thought of Bella’s, as if the girl needs the boy to verify her very existence. This is not a good lesson to pass on impressionable teenage girls. What happened to the “We Can Do It” and “Girl Power” attitudes? Bella is a puny excuse for a protagonist. There were parts of the book I enjoyed, such as the birthday party. Albeit Bella was irritating with her whining about turning 18—one year older than Edward, which bothers her so much although, curiously, she doesn’t seem to care that she is two years older than Jacob, her “safe harbor”—and her ungrateful attitude toward those who care about her was sickening. But what I liked about this scene was the presentation of the weaknesses of the Cullens, especially Jasper. It was interesting to see that and finally added some substance to the story. However, I do think Edward is very much bi-polar. In Twilight he was angry, rude, and emotionally abusive toward Bella. In the beginning of New Moon, during the goodbye, he is indifferent. At the end of the book, he is practically Fabio—so lovey-dovey that you wonder who the hell the real Edward is. There is no consistency at all in this character. I felt Jacob was the most intriguing of the main characters, but again Meyer cannot be consistent with character traits and personalities so she must completely change him after he undergoes “the change.” There is no trace left of that loveable Jacob. He ends up becoming more like the first Edward—the angry one. Bella is also inconsistent. In Twilight she faints at the sight/smell of someone pricking their finger, but in New Moon she gashes her forehead so much she’s bleeding all over her face and clothes and needs several stitches, and yet she laughs it off as if it’s nothing. Huh? And even though she longs to be bitten to spend an eternity with Edward, she downright refuses to honor his one request by marrying him first. Again, scratching my head on that one. What a moron. The first half of this book, minus the birthday party, is slow and there is much irrelevant material that I found myself skipping paragraphs just to get to the meat of the story. Bella is so devastated by being broken up with that she lays down in the woods and can’t get up. She is practically unconscious and the whole town must go on a search looking for her. Rock on girlfriend! *rolls eyes* Once she finally sort of comes out of her grieving (months later), she goes on a suicidal rampage—although Meyer makes it clear every other chapter or so that Bella is not suicidal. Actions speak louder than words, Ms. Meyer. Apparently Meyer lost all inspiration and about halfway through writing the book she decided to do her own version of Romeo and Juliet. It is so clear that this is her motivation that Bella assigns Jacob to the role of Paris and the climax of the novel surrounds Edward/Romeo’s suicide attempt (which follows Bella/Juliet’s suicide, of course). During the climax I had high hopes for Bella. I thought finally Meyer was going to give Bella some thick skin and SHE was going to do the saving for ONCE! Eh, it was disappointing. Bella may have literally ran into Edward, which did save him from committing a vampire version of suicide-by-cop, but for nearly the rest of the book she is so weak, “dead on her feet,” and swooning in Edward’s arms that she’s useless. The girl is a whiny emo drama queen with no self-confidence. She is utterly pathetic. It saddens me to think that girls today are looking up to this character as a role model. In my opinion, Bella may very well be THE worst female protagonist in literary history.
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Emily posted a review at 2007-10-04 07:55:16.
(Language: English)
I am going to be dead honest in this review: I cannot for the life of me quite figure out why I liked this book save for one reason and one reason only. I find the characters less-than-properly complex and the plot silly and romanticizied. And yet, like so many readers, I read this with an inability to put it down and I loved every moment of it. To make myself feel better, I shall begin with the bad. Mrs. Meyer puts a lot of faith in the concept that her characters are all madly in love with each other. Honestly, I see no reason for their infatuations other than emotion. I have yet to see anything that would set off a concrete and stable relationship. It is as if they have no other reason than to live for each other. In fact, the driving force of this novel is that Bella is utterly depressed by the fact that Edward and the rest of the Cullens have left. My goodness, by her actions and the various chapters devoted only to the names of months, it's as if someone had died. She's a teenage girl, she should have the ability to eventually bounce back. Too bad she has very little personality outside her love for Edward. Then again, no one else seems to have much personality save for the rather loveable Jacob Black. And even he eventually loses it in favor of lots of teen angst. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just no longer a teenage girl. I'm sorry. But look at my rating. 4 stars is pretty decent. And I believe my first paragraph was a paradox of my critiques and my love for this book. The fact is that Mrs. Meyer has a gift with words. Her simple, hypnotic prose draws me in to the rainy, misty world of Forks with its vampires, werewolves, and beating hearts of passion. The emotion may be baseless, but it is strong, and she clearly does love her characters with the same love they feel for each other. I admit, the romance got me in the end. I also admire her way with the vampire/werewolf mythology. It might be a little sugary, but I really don't mind it because it is complex enough without going the encyclopedia route. I also liked the way she dipped, almost Anne Rice style, into the question of vampires and God. I do wish Mrs. Meyer would learn to give her characters personalities that exist without each other, but she is still getting money from me whenever she writes a book. Keep up that pretty writing and that awesome vampire/werewolf mythology.
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