Shoot, I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut.It all happened very quickly then.Edward threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table...I tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. I felt th...moreShoot, I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut.It all happened very quickly then.Edward threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table...I tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. I felt the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow. Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm-into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires.Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.(less)
Hardcover, 563 pages
Published
September 6th 2006
by Little, Brown and Company
(first published January 1st 2006)
Keep in mind that though this review is about to wheel off into an angry rant, this book is good. The series is addictive. And as I said previously about Stephanie Meyer, if you want to cease brain function for a few hours, she's your girl.
The beginning is slow, the middle is gold, the end is lacking. The blank pages to represent months passed in zombie-depression, great idea.
Now, my problem. My problem is not so much with the story as it is perhaps with the idea behi...moreKeep in mind that though this review is about to wheel off into an angry rant, this book is good. The series is addictive. And as I said previously about Stephanie Meyer, if you want to cease brain function for a few hours, she's your girl.
The beginning is slow, the middle is gold, the end is lacking. The blank pages to represent months passed in zombie-depression, great idea.
Now, my problem. My problem is not so much with the story as it is perhaps with the idea behind the story and thus, the author herself.
It all starts with Romeo and Juliet. Stupid kids. Yes, yes, the great tragedy of love. Please note the word tragedy came before the word love. Because without the tragedy there would be no story. What would the story be otherwise? I'm not going to presume to rewrite Shakespeare (at least not for the hypothetical purposes of illustrating a point in this review).
I will say, that I find it sad and unfortunate that Meyers insists on her characters not only admiring Romeo and Juliet (not the play, but the hormone-addled teenagers who committed suicide rather than take a minute to think it through), but specifically referencing the star-crossed lovers in near direct comparison to her protagonist and the lover-vamp. (Her main character also can be caught reading Jane Austen, but more on that later).
My point? Impossible love is a great story. No doubt. And Meyer's characters, the human girl and the vampire (um, Buffy and Angel anyone?) are certainly in an impossible situation. Great, perfect, wonderful.
The difficulty? No where to go. That's what makes Romeo and Juliet a tragedy. That's why Buffy and Angel never got back together. What choices has she left us? Either the human becomes a vampire or the vampire (in what would be a HUGE cheat) becomes human again. So? Make the human a vamp, right? Problem solved. Well, despite the flippancy with which so many of Meyer's characters approach this option, to do so would be a tragedy of sorts. Because in effect, it would be suicide, a life ended to be with the man she loves so senselessly that it makes you wonder how she could admire Jane Austen at all.
Yes, Jane Austen writes about love, but take a look at "Sense and Sensibility". Jane Austen recognizes that love is more complex than the simple lust of it (while Romeo and Juliet barely get a chance to blink before they marry, screw and die-much like the carrion flies Romeo references. . .) Strength of character, not the sweaty passion, conquers all. Clear conscience and unerring moral fortitude conquers class-differences, social stigmas and familial disapproval. And so, they all get to live happily ever after.
This is your dilemma Stephanie Meyers. You've laid the groundwork, not for a Jane Austen like happy-ending despite the odds, but a Shakespearian tragedy that will not only leave the audience sobbing, but foaming mad. Frankly, the readers of today don't want a tragedy (for the most part), they get that enough every day. They want the happy ending. I want the happy ending and what would that be in this situation?
As far as I can see there is no way to have a true happy ending. Either you make a living girl a vampire. Or you pull out the deus ex machina and make the vampire a human. Neither option will be unsullied enough to be fully satisfactory.
Personally, I would rather see the girl become a vampire, though I wish the character would take it a little more seriously than she has. Because my sense of fairness would be violated if the vamp miraculously becomes a human. But no matter how it ends, I fear I will be disappointed, as the endings of both books have been so thoroughly let-downs I cannot imagine the author has it in her mind to tack a new course at this point.
How do I have the audacity to be so critical? Have I written a New York Times Bestseller? Two, three?
Recommended to Denys L.H. by:
a really big douchebag
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.You may have heard me rant about the previous novel Twilight. I decided to read the sequel, just to see if it will get better.
Boy, was I wrong.
First off, we began with Bella Swan bitching about how old she's getting, because Edward stays 17 forever, and since her birthday is coming up, she'll be one year older than her perfect lover. Um... older than him? Looks-wise, yes, but these dumbasses don't realize is that he's 100 YEARS OLDER THAN HER! WHAT THE HELL IS HE EVEN DOI...moreYou may have heard me rant about the previous novel Twilight. I decided to read the sequel, just to see if it will get better.
Boy, was I wrong.
First off, we began with Bella Swan bitching about how old she's getting, because Edward stays 17 forever, and since her birthday is coming up, she'll be one year older than her perfect lover. Um... older than him? Looks-wise, yes, but these dumbasses don't realize is that he's 100 YEARS OLDER THAN HER! WHAT THE HELL IS HE EVEN DOING IN HIGH SCHOOL IN THE FIRST PLACE? What really makes me annoyed with this couple was the fact they were comparing their relationship with Romeo and Juliet. It's nowhere even close to that because you two have no reason for loving each other! (On a side note, Romeo and Juliet have no reason for loving each other, but they had a lesson in the story. They die anyways)
Anyways, they have a party and things get a little out of control when Bella cuts herself (unintentionally) and Jasper can't control his vampire needs. Edward realizes he needs to protect Bella, and in order to do that, he must go away with his family. In order to pull an irritating fan girlfriend off your back is to hurt them really badly. And that's what he does.
Bella decides that without Edward, she has no reason to live anymore, even though she unexplainably can hear him inside her mind. What a baby. Luckily, Jacob saves her from attempted suicide as I'm guessing, and starts hanging out with her. At this point in the story, I'm starting to hate Jacob a little less and begun to eventually like him, because he's more of an original character than Edward. He makes mistakes, unlike Edward. He has more of a potential and realistic relationship with Bella. To top it all off, he's a werewolf and vampires so happen to be his worst enemy.
However, things start to get more complicated in the story. When Bella figured out Edward was going to Italy to ask this vampire family to kill him because he thought Bella is dead from some misinterpretation. Being the piss off as she is, she immediately pushes Jacob aside and her developing feelings and travels to Italy to stop Edward. In the end, they're together. They don't need anyone else, only each other to survive. Fucking lunatics.
I hate Edward now. He's just too unoriginal for me. Fan girls (including Bella) only love him because he's the hottest thing since ipods. They love an image of their boy dreams, but they hate the character that's actually more human than Edward, the sex god? What's the world coming to these days? I swear Jacob needs to get out of that retarded novel before Stephanie Meyer comes up with a way to make everyone have a reason to hate him. Good job, babe, good job.(less)
When she was 12 me and my daughter Georgia went to see Twilight. After the movie I asked her what she thought.
"THAT WAS THE BEST MOVIE EVER" she said. And she went to see it three more times, with people other than me.
So she bought the book and read it in about four hours. I asked her what she thought.
"THAT WAS THE BEST BOOK EVER" she said.
Then we got the dvd of the movie and she watched it again.
"THAT WAS...more When she was 12 me and my daughter Georgia went to see Twilight. After the movie I asked her what she thought.
"THAT WAS THE BEST MOVIE EVER" she said. And she went to see it three more times, with people other than me.
So she bought the book and read it in about four hours. I asked her what she thought.
"THAT WAS THE BEST BOOK EVER" she said.
Then we got the dvd of the movie and she watched it again.
"THAT WAS THE WORST MOVIE EVER" she said. I was surprised but she explained - "Bella is stupid, Edward is stupid, nothing looks right, they miss out all the important stuff, it's so bad, it's so so so bad"
Then she read all the other Twilight books in like four hours.
"NEW MOON IS THE WORST BOOK EVER FOR 200 PAGES AND THEN IT'S THE BEST BOOK EVER" she said. By now she was 13.
A week ago she said
"NEW MOON IS COMING OUT SOON, I'M SO EXCITED, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT, CAN WE GO ON THE VERY FIRST DAY PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE"
and I said "But you think Twilight The Movie is stupid".
"Yes, it is stupid" she said "and I can't WAIT to see how bad New Moon is!"
Critics.
***
ps : Now (aged 13) she's going to see the new Robert Pattinson movie Remember Me. I assume that's because he's so hideous and such a bad actor
oh, hai, just me here, reading new moon on my nook simple touch...
this twilight craze... the books are not as bad as the haters say they are, but they are also nowhere near as good as lovers of this series believe. this installment was just kind of... bland. despite my reading it on the fine e-ink technology of the new nook.
she did one thing right - one wonderful thing. i assume it is too late to actually "spoil" anything in the bellaverse, so i ...moreoh, hai, just me here, reading new moon on my nook simple touch...
this twilight craze... the books are not as bad as the haters say they are, but they are also nowhere near as good as lovers of this series believe. this installment was just kind of... bland. despite my reading it on the fine e-ink technology of the new nook.
she did one thing right - one wonderful thing. i assume it is too late to actually "spoil" anything in the bellaverse, so i am just going to barrel ahead - but when edward leaves bella in the woods. that moment - when she just loses her mind and her desolation and her emptiness and her self-destructive impulses shoot straight to the surface. it was pretty well-done. because let's face it, we have all been left behind by someone we are still in love with. even me. wonderful, wonderful me.
and having recently rewatched my favorite movie, head-on, i have to point out the best scene in it, and how it mirrors this book. this is a spoiler for head on. which you should all watch. and be gutted. (view spoiler)[so that scene where sibel is in instanbul and she gets harassed outside the bar by those four guys? and she just attacks them - that headlong run into destruction because you don't want to have to kill yourself, but you are not opposed to someone else doing it for you. and each time she gets up after being beaten down you can tell she is happier and happier with that gleam of defiance because she feels like she deserves this punishment, and she is hoping it will end in her own obliteration so she canget some peace from her misery. that is the best part in any movie anywhere, and a feeling very close to my heart. of being unmoored and not caring what happens to the physical body because the emotional part is dead. (hide spoiler)]
that is the kind of heartbreak bella has here and lord, do i get that impulse. and bella keeps it up the whole book - testing the boundaries of her own mortality to get that rush of maybe-edward each time she is close to death. and that's pretty ballsy for teen fiction.
but i don't know how many near-death experiences one girl has to have in order to become interesting. this book was fine, but mostly just one-note. she misses edward and likes but doesn't like-like jacob. for nearly four hundred pages. but my, how slender four hundred pages can be on the new nook!
so - yeah - i am reading on a freaking robot. i was forced to borrow one from work so that i could get on board with the emerging technology. did i do all right, john petrie?? are you proud of my commitment to excellence?? do you see i read a whole book on a machine?? a book that i read for the express purpose of getting to eclipse so i can be a completist in my reading books that are "based" on wuthering heights quest?? and no one looking at me knew what i was reading. the freedom from shame was well worth it...
nook. lightweight. tiny. capacious. good for hiding your books from nosy subway riders. may contain traces of new moon...(less)
SandyI don't know about reading this book, Karen, but I might have to put "Head-on" on my Netflix queue....
Aug 22, 2011 06:33am
karenoh good lord, please do! seriously - you will not regret it. and it makes me shy that you are only reading my reviews for the stephenie meyer catalog....moreoh good lord, please do! seriously - you will not regret it. and it makes me shy that you are only reading my reviews for the stephenie meyer catalog...
I READ REAL BOOKS, TOO, I SWEAR!!!(less)
Aug 22, 2011 06:57am
Earlier this year, I foolishly lent my copy of Twilight to Cate across the road. She liked it. Then, when she got a place at college last month, we thought we'd give her something as a congratulations-and-going-away present. It was so logical to buy a copy of New Moon.
Cate zipped through it quickly, and dropped off her copy before leaving so that I could read it too. How could I possibly say anything except thank you?
Earlier this year, I foolishly lent my copy of Twilight to Cate across the road. She liked it. Then, when she got a place at college last month, we thought we'd give her something as a congratulations-and-going-away present. It was so logical to buy a copy of New Moon.
Cate zipped through it quickly, and dropped off her copy before leaving so that I could read it too. How could I possibly say anything except thank you?
Well... look on the bright side. I've heard so much about this book, and I suppose it is interesting to see what people are talking about. But, Jesus Christ, Bella is eighteen and she's already obsessing about getting old. She keeps hassling Edward to turn her into a vampire so that she can stay young and pretty for ever. There is some chance that this will result in her losing her immortal soul, but hey, seems worth the risk.
I suppose future ages may consider that this says something about early 21st century Western society. You don't exactly have to overexert your mind to come up with interpretations in that direction.
_____________________________________
So here's a thought that occurred to me this morning, which I'm surprised to find hasn't already been discussed to death by hardcore Twilight fans. Bella is a bright girl who gets mostly As and Bs at school, so why hasn't she stopped even for a second to consider the physics of vampires? To start with, where do they get their energy from? They don't really eat, they don't really drink, and they don't even need to breathe. Yet they're incredibly strong and fast. OK, they claim they need blood every now and then. But not, apparently, very often, and how could they possibly get this amount of energy from the occasional liter of blood?
Then they're hard, "like marble". In fact, if they didn't claim to be vampires, would we even think of calling them that? They certainly seem to be a lot more like humanoid robots. And if you just follow up that hypothesis for a moment, several things fall into place. Their blood must surely be full of those little nanobots that are going to be the Next Big Thing. When a vampire bites a human, the nanobots get into the victim's bloodstream and start restructuring him from the inside out, replacing all the soft animal tissue with something far more durable.
That no doubt includes the brain too; they probably scan it and then map the structure onto software, a trick that's been standard in SF for several decades now. No wonder the "vampires" can think so uncannily fast. But if your brain has been scanned, destroyed, and turned into software, are you still the same person? You can see why Edward is warning Bella that she might lose her soul. It's a bit like turning an LP into a CD, a process that several of my classical musician friends describe in exactly those words.
And, going back to where we came in, where is their energy coming from? Those nanobots must have their own power source too. I must admit that I don't know what it is. The fact that "vampires" don't seem to need any kind of material inputs suggests it's not chemical; nuclear seems more likely. Maybe they have some kind of catalyzed cold fusion, or it could be a post-quantum force that we haven't discovered yet. After all, we're way overdue for the coming revolution in physics.
Also, where did the nanobots come from, and why are "vampires" unhappy to be out in open sunlight? I can only see one sensible answer. They can't have been created by humans. "Vampires" have been around a long time, and human technology was primitive when they first appeared. They must be from elsewhere, which in practice means from another solar system. Probably they were originally created thousands of light-years from here, and have been drifting slowly on the cosmic currents for millennia. Well, if their normal habitat is deep interstellar space, no wonder they're scared of sunlight. They wouldn't normally be this close to a star; they're not designed for it at all.
And here's the thing that surprised me most. In fact, the story isn't irrelevant or far-fetched. If people like Ray Kurzweil are right, it's tackling what could soon be a major issue. According to Kurzweil, the Singularity is supposed to arrive this century, and those nanobots will be a reality. Millions of people will have to make exactly the moral choice that Bella has to make in the book. Are you going to stay human, or allow yourself to be transformed into a godlike and near-immortal being, which might however not actually be you any more?
It's interesting that the books are appearing when they are, and present such a compelling emotional case for allowing yourself to be infected by nanobots. If you like conspiracy theories, feel free to speculate some more here.
_____________________________________
I'm doing my best to like this book. I mean, hating it would hardly be a challenge, would it? But every now and then, I get a passage like this one:
I'd been broken beyond repair.
But I needed Jacob now, needed him like a drug. I'd used him as a crutch for too long, and I was in deeper than I'd planned to go with anyone again.
Aaarrrrgh!!!
_____________________________________
Having now reached the end, I must admit that I enjoyed New Moon more than I'd expected. Of course, there are some problems, starting with the fact that Stephenie Meyer can't write to save her life. But by making it a first-person narrative told by the shy, clumsy Bella, she has found an ingenious way to get around that. Bella's endearing klutziness is just a metaphor for her even more serious problems as a writer. As she keeps telling us, every time she walks across a room she wonders if she'll trip over her feet and end up in hospital; similar remarks apply to her ability to string together an eight word declarative sentence. But she's stylistically consistent, and after a while I found myself accepting her. This just happens to be her voice, even though it's not a very good one.
I also thought that she was a seriously unreliable narrator. Not about factual events; to start off with, she doesn't seem to be imaginative enough to make anything up. When it comes to telling us about her feelings, however, I found it hard to believe her, and presenting everything as a mass of regurgitated romantic clichés is an effective way to show us how poorly she understands herself. We hear over and over again that she loves Edward, and only thinks of Jacob as a friend. But we also hear that Edward feels hard and cold to the touch. I couldn't help thinking of the wonderful scene in Mean Girls where Rachel McAdams's Cool Mom insists on giving Lindsay Lohan a silicone-enhanced hug; I'm sure that Bella often winces in just the same way when Edward hugs her, though she doesn't allow herself to notice it. In contrast, Jacob is warm and alive, and she genuinely likes holding his hand and feeling him put his arm around her. There are several scenes when she nearly kisses him, knowing full well what that will lead to. It's clear that she wants to, and the excuses she makes to herself about him just being an unsatisfactory substitute for Edward are laughably unconvincing.
I found the opposition between Edward and Jacob the heart of the book, and after a while I decided that the author was presenting something interesting and essentially honest. The tricky thing is that she's subverted the vampire symbol. Usually, vampires represent the young girl's simultaneous dread and fascination in the face of sex. But Edward isn't very sexy. We're always being told that he looks like an angel, and indeed there does seem to be an angelic purity about him. I find it much more plausible that he's representing religion, and when you think of him in those terms several other things come into focus. As Richard Dawkins keeps telling us, a religion is a kind of virus, which infected parties want to spread as quickly as possible; well, vampirism is rather like that too. And Bella is very conflicted in her feelings about vampires. She loves the Cullens, "her family", but she is well aware that most vampires are monsters. If you're brought up in a cult-like religion, that's not a bad metaphor. All other religions are evil and wrong; your own religion is the one exception to the rule.
As everyone knows, Stephenie Meyer is a committed Mormon. It doesn't seem far-fetched to claim that Bella's feelings about vampires mirror the author's feelings about her religion, which among other things is very down on premarital sex. And that's where the werewolves come in; they represent the normal sexual feelings that most young Mormon girls are taught to deny. The tension between these two conflicting attractions is what gives New Moon its undeniable force, and I found the story credible at an emotional level. I can readily believe that it's just like that to be a eighteen year old Mormon girl with a healthy sexual appetite, and I feel I understand their plight better after having read this book. Well done, Stephenie!
Stephen King once said, "Stephenie Meyer can't write worth a darn. She's not very good."
I couldn't agree more, Stephen. With that, we shall kick this off with a joke:
I'm sorry folks. I just could not get through this shit book another time. However, since I've already read it a few times, I feel ...moreStephen King once said, "Stephenie Meyer can't write worth a darn. She's not very good."
I couldn't agree more, Stephen. With that, we shall kick this off with a joke:
I'm sorry folks. I just could not get through this shit book another time. However, since I've already read it a few times, I feel extremely confident in skipping to the review. But first, can someone please explain to me why this book is 563 pages?! Seriously, how is it possible a book with almost no plot can be so long? When I first read New Moon back in 2008, I didn't like it. In fact I'm not even sure why it had three stars because I remember being super frustrated. Even though Edward and Bella's relationship deeply disturbs my soul, Bella is so incredibly boring without him. I'm not even sure how Stephenie Meyer managed 563 pages. Truly, I'm amazed because I can sum up New Moon in one big picture:
But let's get on with it, I'll go into some detail for ya.
The book starts off on Bella's 18th birthday, a day she has been dreading for months only because in her mind she will be one year older than Edward. So, she makes a huge production about people not celebrating her birthday, but the Cullens ignore her and Alice plans a party. Before Edward forces her to attend they watch Romeo and Juliet (the book's supposed theme) and they have merry little conversation about Edward's contingency plans once Bella dies. Now, let's not forget they've only been dating for a few months. Yet, here they are making out and talking about killing themselves in the event of the other's death. How romantic. Don't even ask me the logic behind how they can even kiss when his teeth are supposed to be "venom coated." Stephenie Meyer gives some bull shit excuse she must have learned from ass-grab 101. But I digress...
Finally, they make it to the birthday party. Bella gets a paper cut and Jasper almost single-handedly ends this series on page 29.
Unfortunately, to my dismay his attempt was foiled by Edward. Eddie pushes Bella out the way and she crashes into the glass plates, slashing up her arm. Pause, let's think about that scene a bit: Who's bright idea was it to have glass plates? With a human. In a room full of vampires. That drink blood. Isn't Alice psychic? Why didn't she see Bella cutting her finger on the wrapping paper? Wait, don't think about that because if you spend all your time contemplating the stupidity, we'll never get through this review.
Obviously, Eddie is not happy with the events that went down at his place and Bella further irritates him by apologizing for...wait for it...being human. Bella, you know you've been hanging out with mythical creatures too much when you start thinking your humanity isn't normal. But anyway, Eddie does what any loving boyfriend would do after their girlfriend is attack by their brother: he ignores her. And because Eddie is "Alpha Male Edward" and Bella is "Submissive Mary Sue Bella," she doesn't confront him about it. Instead, she waits for him to be ready. On the third day of ignoring her, he drags he into the words and chucks up the deuces. The exchange goes a little like this:
Alpha Male Edward tells Submissive Mary Sue Bella firmly, "No, I don't want you to come. You're no good for me." And she pretty much agrees realizing how much of a waste of space she is. Then Edward just pours salt all over her open wound and tells her:
"Don't do anything reckless or stupid," he ordered, no longer detached. "Do you understand what I'm saying?...I'm thinking of Charlie, of course. He needs you. Take care of yourself--for him."
I nodded helplessly.
Wow. Relly? You're just going to let him order you around like that? How about you look after yourself FOR YOU first, everyone else second? Awesome Bells. Can I call you Bells? Not only do you have ZERO self-preservation skills, but also no self-confidence. Just awesome. There's only about a million or so girls looking up to you as a role model. No pressure to be a strong female character. You could have walked away from this with grace, but no, instead all your dignity flies out the window when you pull a bitch move and run after Edward through the woods.
Then, she defaults back to "Fuck my life" mode and slips into a depression for four fucking months. I find it kind of funny her depression was longer than their actual relationship. Heh. But this wasn't just any depression, it was some serious shit.
I always had nightmares now, every night. Not nightmares really, not in the plural, because it was always the same nightmare. You'd think I'd get bored after so many months, grow immune to it.
Or how about this:
Even my outsides looked different--my face sallow, white except for the purple circles the nightmares had left under my eyes. My eyes were dark enough against my pallid skin that--if I were beautiful and seen from a distance--I might even pass for a vampire now.
Once again I find myself asking the question: Where are her parents?! Why did Charlie let this go on for FOUR months?! She should have been in counseling or something. But Meyer thinks she can just pacify readers by Renee sending a random e-mail here and there or Charlie just suggesting she seek help, only to be shot down by Bella. Fail. So much fail.
All that considered, that's not even the biggest problem I have with this book. Bella soon figures out she can conjure up hallucinations of Edward if she does something reckless or suicidal. This is where Jake comes into play. Bella uses Jake (like everyone else) to get what she wants by asking him to fix up two motorcycles she found and giving her riding lessons. She figures it will be the perfect thing to help her see more of Edward. I suppose she simply forgot how big of a klutz she is and once the bikes are fixed the lessons commence. The first time she gets on she falls off and Jake (the only one with common sense) thinks they should call it a day before she gets hurt. But Bella thinks this is BK and she can have it her way, and gets back on the bike.
Chick has gone batshit crazy and she promptly busts her ass. But she doesn't care because her mission was a success! She got to see and hear Edward! Her next brilliant idea is to throw herself off a cliff during high tide. The first time I read this I was secretly hoping she would drown, but the other two books already were published, so it was a hopeless wish. Oh and I almost forgot to mention the actual plot. LOL. Funny how that happens when there isn't one, huh? LOL. The She-vamp, Victoria, is scoping out the area trying to get to Bella. But her part is VERY small in this book (like the plot), so we don't really need to talk about her. I suppose the wolf pack is worth mentioning: They're pretty much a bunch of wannabe werewolves that run around with their shirts off.
That's all you really need to know about them.
So, finally Alice shows up in chapter 18 because she thought Bella was trying to commit suicide (close enough Alice). And through a nice little exchange of "he said, she said" BS, Edward is off to Italy to kill himself. This causes Bella to go into "hero" mode and race to Italy and save Edward. I really don't care enough to give my thoughts on the race to Italy. That entire part was rushed and anti-climatic. There isn't even a fight scene. Instead here is a timeline courtesy of Reasoning with Vampires (Thanks for the link Cait and Jen!):
Anyway, they get back to good old Forks and Bella composes a vote on everyone's thoughts of her joining team undead. Edward is at a steady "no" along with Rosalie. But everyone else says, "Hell yes!" Like becoming a vampire is a party or something. Funny thing is when Bella asks Jasper he goes:
And she's all:
Hmm, yeah, that's not weird at all. Not the least bit creepy.
In the last few pages Edward and Jake have a little pissing contest and Edward proposes to Bella. The End. Yawn. Thank God it's over.
Now where's my fuckin' chocolate?
***BONUS***
Oh, yeah, bonus time. 'Cause what's a review without one?
Quick! If I were to light Edward on fire what would he become?
Bella Swan's relationship with her hot vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen is heating up when her characteristic clumsiness messes everything up again at her vampire-thrown birthday party. In typical Bella style, she gives herself a paper cut and Edward has to literally throw himself in front of her to keep her from being dinner for six hungry vampires. That's the last straw for Edward, and he and his entire family pick up and leave to prevent any more harm from coming to Bella on their tab. Bella i...moreBella Swan's relationship with her hot vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen is heating up when her characteristic clumsiness messes everything up again at her vampire-thrown birthday party. In typical Bella style, she gives herself a paper cut and Edward has to literally throw himself in front of her to keep her from being dinner for six hungry vampires. That's the last straw for Edward, and he and his entire family pick up and leave to prevent any more harm from coming to Bella on their tab. Bella is, of course, inconsolable, and walks through life like a lovesick zombie - until she renews her friendship with local boy Jacob Black. Jacob is a good friend - and more importantly, he helps Bella fix up two motorcycles and teaches her to ride them. Bella's friendship with Jacob - and the adrenaline rush that the motorcycles bring - sustains her, until she discovers a dangerous truth about the identity of Jacob and his friends - they are a pack of young werewolves. And even worse, they have been working to protect her from a vicious vampire who has it in for Bella.
After the horrible drudge that was Twilight, New Moon was a pleasant surprise. At least, part of it was, if you can get past Bella's melodramatic, lovesick, woe-is-me-I-am-the-center-of-the-universe depression. I was actually starting to enjoy Bella's somewhat odd relationship with Jacob, and the book in general, which kind of surprised me - until Edward showed up again. Then, the writing dissolved once again to "I love you more, shmoopy." "No, I love you more." and I lost patience once again. That's the problem with this book. The shmoopy, syrupy, unexplainededly irritating Romeo-and-Juliet True Love that Edward and Bella share. I like Bella with Alice. I like Bella with Carlisle and Esme. I like Bella with Jacob. I can't stand Bella with Edward. And let me rephrase that. There is nothing likeable about Bella as a character - she is a complete and total MarySue. Jacob is goodhearted and clever and interesting, and I have no trouble understanding why Bella is drawn to him. But why is Jacob drawn to Bella? There seems to be no reason I can understand. And most laughable of all is Bella's desperate urge to become a vampire herself. Especially at the end, when Edward asks her to marry him first, and she balks. She's afraid of commitment, but not of being turned into a vampire so she can stay with him always? Give me a break.(less)
Recommends it for: Idiots and pre-teen girls who have never been kissed.
Recommended to Nicole by:
My inner child who has been thoroughly beaten and put to bed wit
Uhg. I read Twilight and was sorely disappointed in it, but I had heard through a series of acquaintances that this one was better--that it introduced werewolves and slightly healthier relationships.
I was deceived.
It was awful--not as bad as its predecessor, but still pretty bad. Right off the bat Bella is crying about how she hates her birthday and dreads aging and wants little to do with her birthday. This was a annoying to read through because I kept thinking to mysel...moreUhg. I read Twilight and was sorely disappointed in it, but I had heard through a series of acquaintances that this one was better--that it introduced werewolves and slightly healthier relationships.
I was deceived.
It was awful--not as bad as its predecessor, but still pretty bad. Right off the bat Bella is crying about how she hates her birthday and dreads aging and wants little to do with her birthday. This was a annoying to read through because I kept thinking to myself, "What teenage girl thinks this way?" Perhaps they do, but when I was a teen, I could only think of how awesome I was going to be when I got older and had more experiences.
Skip to the party. She cuts herself and a unicorn cries, she is suddenly alone on the forest floor. Her life is over now that Edward gone. For the next hundred pages or so we enter DIARY MODE, complete with day-to-day updates on how she is truly dead inside. I found myself skimming though this sickeningly pitiful section like it was a high school biology book till I got to some substance.
ENTER: JACOB (STAGE RIGHT)
A more interesting character with [short term] goals and a little bit more of a personality. Still devoid of any mannerisms, as are ALL the personnel of this series, but he's at least more dynamic. I liked him, but it was painful to see that Bella really only used him for her next "hallucination" fix. She rambles on and on for hundreds of pages talking so much about the "hole in her chest" and how it burned and itched and stung and pussed and--well, showed all the good symptoms of a bad STD--that the plot seemed to vanish beneath her pained musings and constant reminders of Edward.
The story continues along at the pace of a bike going uphill with square tires till--BAM--werewolves. This was nifty to me, having always liked werewolves with self-control and a purpose, but Meyer had no better way to describe them then "exploding." Every werewolf exploded, all the time, over nothing. It was boring at best, and even though this is painted on the walls from the first book, and used as a tool to beat you with during the introduction of Sam and his "cult," Bella is still oblivious. Once she finally realizes what’s going on, she is unphased (I guess we should have expected as much) and uninterested.
An interesting aside to this "section" of the book: They actually introduce a character that is NOT beautiful, godlike, stunning or otherwise perfect. Emily, the wife of Sam, has a horrific scar pattern stretching across her face and down her arm. "Sucks to be her," we are left to assume because she is immediately dismissed as an unimportant character and forgot about; which leads me to the last "section" of the book.
Here is where I got angry at the book. I'm not sure I've ever felt angry at a book before I read this last part. Bella is tired of waiting for her wolf-protector and decides to go cliff diving (as previously mentioned in the beginning of the book). As you might have guessed, she yet again fails miserably and nearly drowns, only to be saved yet again, but not before seeing VICTORIA--the shadowy plot device that has been loosely keeping this story together.
At this time I was thinking, "Ooooh! Finally! No more diary! We might actually have some conflict to gnaw on!"
::anger flares::
Like a stereotypical sad-teenage-boy-that-needs-to-cut-himself-for-attention, Edward runs off to Italy to kill himself. This is where I imagine Meyer had hit writers block, and decided to get her computer chair wet again by gushing over the painfully gross relationship that Bella and Edward share. She kicks Jacob and her father aside like used rags, and jet-sets out to Italy (to an airport where apparently there is no immigrations office to herd you along for a few hours getting injected, inspected, detected, infected, neglected, selected and all kinds of crazy stuff), to save Edward.
One hundred pages of overdramatic swooning and crashing and hissing leads to Bella being exposed to the ugly side of vampire-lifestyle and the ultimatum that she has to become one or die. This was boring at best, with four chapters of frustrating mushy googly eyes and epiphanies that the condescending git, Edward, loves the paper-thin floozy Bella and she settles in for a marriage and a blood stained picket fence in Meyer's dress-up-game of angles and demons.(less)
Recommends it for: The fans and romance obssessed teen girls
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.Not as good as Twilight having chosen to abandon EVERY element that made it so great but still manages to keep this book afloat with the new mystery and dangers.
Edward leaving wasn't surprising, he kept thinking about it before when Bella was in the hospital and it was a drama and angst inducing twist- it was bound to happen in due time. I just can't believe Bella's self esteem went from feeling occasional envy and remorse due to Edward's perfection to not considering herself worthy ...moreNot as good as Twilight having chosen to abandon EVERY element that made it so great but still manages to keep this book afloat with the new mystery and dangers.
Edward leaving wasn't surprising, he kept thinking about it before when Bella was in the hospital and it was a drama and angst inducing twist- it was bound to happen in due time. I just can't believe Bella's self esteem went from feeling occasional envy and remorse due to Edward's perfection to not considering herself worthy of him and constantly reminding herself how unworthy she is- she couldn't consider him lying to her at all! Hey, Meyer, where did the observant, sarcastic Bella go that we grew to know and love? Because this spineless, pathetic shell can't be true- I thought Bella was smarter than that. I actually googled "psychotic" and found "psychotic depression", the symptoms being: suicidal thoughts (Ed's voice itself could qualify), suicide attempts (all of her attempts to hear Ed's voice), audio and or visual hallucination (Ed's voice again and her vision of him before passing out in the ocean), not feeling as you once did when well (hole in chest), aggression (well, she couldn't bring herself to be mad at Edward, even if she forgave him and understood his actions, her subconscious should still be mad), frustration (perhaps her visits to the Cullen home and meadow), and feelings of hopelessness (the entire book, from being upset to aging at the beginning to her woes of the Volturi and Jake at the end). Great, we got ourselves a crazy person (no offense to those actually afflicted with this). Sheesh Bella, get back your old spine then fix it so you can stop embarrassing teenage girls. At least Bella is now certain that Edward loves her.
I know many fans were upset at Edward's scarce appearances and even more upset and even mad with Jake taking his place. Now, I like Jake, he's fun, sweet, loyal, has a temper, fixes automobiles- wait, that's- that's a personality I spy. Whodathunkit. Besides Alice and Carlisle, none of the other characters have displayed a prominent hobby that they do on a regular basis for fun rather than as part of the plot. Though not nearly as perfect as Edward, Jake offers a sorely needed element to Bella's tale: humanity. Jake is a human with all its flaws and gifts- he jokes, he mocks, he fixes motorcycles, he fears, and he loves. Of course is not only human. I just don't understand why he loves Bella, Meyer actually gives a brief second person POV to help us better understand Jake, the only thing it did was make me question his love for Bella even more. She offers him nothing besides a free motorcycle. Poor Jake, forced to love Bella for the sake of plot.
I suspected werewolves when Jake mentioned wolves being sacred to the Quileutes back in Twilight not too mention being Native American with the skin walker legend- it wasn't very surprising (that and I read werewolves in that copyright page). The werewolves added a very homey, nature sort of feel to the story which I enjoyed, I think I would like a tale of Native American werewolf teenage boys more than the Cullens. Though the fact that only boys are werewolves only added more fuel to my fire of "The Twilight Saga is Misogynistic". You can deny it all you like Stephenie Meyer but Alice nor Jane- only two pros- is enough to fight back the tides supporting this. If you're so "anti-human" then why are all the women so desperate, bitter, and clingy, huh?
The Volturi. Now this was cool. It made the dull middle all worth it here. Aro was fun (the only one to be), Jane was too happy-to-serve-and-hurt-people-while-creepily-smiling, you know, those little girls who won't stop creepily smiling, they annoy me. Sadly, the Volturi are basically, your typical baddies who dress in black, act intimidating, and set a time line to force someone's hand and create more drama and tension. Their role as secret keepers makes them unique but... Why must the vampires remain secret from humans? Unlike your typical vampire, Meyer's are not vulnerable to ANYTHING besides another vampire and werewolves and even then they can survive that unless all parts of the torn apart vampire are burned. Why hide? Bad Meyer, she made such an interesting group yet has no good reason for them to exist.
Victoria... geez, why does her desire to kill Bella for vengeance only strengthen my idea that the universe revolves around Bella? It can't be because the Cullens, James, the Volturi, Forks High, and the werewolves are all either out to get her, romantically pursue her, worship her, or protect her when she doesn't deserve it.
Meyer's writing is nothing special but it made Twilight magical and actually made my heart race in the meadow; it possessed a simple and descriptive prose that definitely helped me envision the setting. New Moon's was not as magical but it was still descriptive (certainly better than the robotic Eclipse). The pacing is also strange- Meyer merely wrote the months' names on the pages to show how detached Bella was from her "hopeless" life and then taking so long to tell us of her bonding with Jake. Interesting and effective but dull and slow nonetheless.
My biggest gripe with New Moon is how Bella never grew as a human. She spent all her time holding onto Edward- who DUMPED her- and then clinging to Jake as a life support, then of course abandoning Jake to save her love and then clinging to him even more desperately then Jake. I can pity her but only when Edward (and the other Cullens) return does Bella return to normal. It was pathetic and sickening. Damn it Bella, you're a human girl, ACT LIKE ONE! Another grip is how New Moon turned into a love triangle (or will turn since that action takes place in the sequel). Meyer has stated that Twilight was meant to be a stand alone novel and it certainly shows. We came for Bella and Edward and now we have this love triangle which I cannot understand. Bella becomes absolutely pathetic and whiny, Jake's love goes unexplained and serves as nothing more than like Paris in Romeo & Juliet, and Edward is seen so seldom it threw the story off balance. The werewolves provided a nature, family, real horror feel, so I enjoyed the book more than an average Edward fan. But trust me reader, it only gets worse! Prepare yourself for Eclipse which spends the majority of its incredible length too strengthening Bella and Jake and leaving Bella and Edward in the "Too Be Developed if Ever" category. Just stop here for nothing more than a supremely lame love triangle of inexplicable absurdities awaits you- and bad writing.(less)
Recommends it for: anybody except feminists, girls, and the emotionally secure
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.I can't even.... wow. Is anyone else completely aghast that this dreck saw a printing press not to mention became a wildly popular series?
I thought I was being hard on Twilight when I criticized it for portraying a relationship so ill-advised and unhealthy and then romanticizing that relationship to young people as if people didn't already make enough bad decisions. I thought maybe now that Book 1 was done the series would take a nice turn.
Enter: New Moon. Exit: Shred ...moreI can't even.... wow. Is anyone else completely aghast that this dreck saw a printing press not to mention became a wildly popular series?
I thought I was being hard on Twilight when I criticized it for portraying a relationship so ill-advised and unhealthy and then romanticizing that relationship to young people as if people didn't already make enough bad decisions. I thought maybe now that Book 1 was done the series would take a nice turn.
Enter: New Moon. Exit: Shred of decency.
Were it simply a problem of the weakly-developed characters, confused and uneven plotline, hundreds of pages of cloying depression (only to be replaced by cloying sentimentality later on), and an appalling and unsubtle parallel to Romeo and Juliet, this novel would simply be mediocre teen fare.
But then we must consider the problem of Bella: whiny, needy, and sullen, blindly devoting herself to a partner that constantly patronizes, criticizes, and subjugates her only for him to leave so she can spend the next 8 months in a state of emotional vacancy so acute that she forgets everything else in her life that a girl can be happy about. Bella is only complete--and she says this herself--when her man is by her side. And apparently, according to Meyer at least, this is ok. It's ok to create a character so bereft of purpose, self-assurance, and identity that she can't live without a relationship based on nothing substantial, just beauty, lust, and exoticism.
And it's ok for her to experience no emotional maturity whatsoever because in the end, her lover comes back spewing the same gushy nonsense as before while still lording it over her and flying into rages when he doesn't get his way.
The only compelling character in this story was Jacob. That is... until he became a werewolf and became as cardboard and unappealing as the rest of the cast. The irrational hatred between vampires and werewolves gets played off as instinctual, but it has all the logic of bigotry, and that these characters do nothing to try overcoming it is yet another way in which they are immature and non-self-examining.
Due to the audience for which this intended, I have to say that New Moon and the Twilight Saga as a whole are not just poor, they're damaging.
And don't even get me started on the "epiphany" of p. 527. We were expected to believe Bella thought Edward had ceased to love her even though an autistic housefly could see it was nowhere near true?
Reviewed for THC Reviews Twilight was a grand romance which frequently left me smiling, but New Moon takes on a bittersweet, angst-filled and edgy tone in this continuing dramatic saga of teen love between a vampire and a human. The book gets off to a rather explosive start, but rapidly turns to heavy sorrow when Edward make a fateful decision concerning Bella's safety. Following his decision, Edward is off the canvas for about the next two-thirds of the book, as is the entire Cullen family...moreReviewed for THC Reviews Twilight was a grand romance which frequently left me smiling, but New Moon takes on a bittersweet, angst-filled and edgy tone in this continuing dramatic saga of teen love between a vampire and a human. The book gets off to a rather explosive start, but rapidly turns to heavy sorrow when Edward make a fateful decision concerning Bella's safety. Following his decision, Edward is off the canvas for about the next two-thirds of the book, as is the entire Cullen family. During this time, the story is very reminiscent of Twilight in that it moves at a languid but steady pace while extensive character and relationship development occurs. The fall-out to Bella's psyche from Edward's choice is heart-wrenching to read. Stephenie Meyer is so good at writing Bella's agony, that I felt like my own heart had been ripped to shreds. Then a newfound depth in her friendship with Jacob Black, seems to be Bella's saving grace, bringing some sense of peace to her otherwise chaotic life. Still, danger lurks everywhere, bringing a certain level of suspense to the story, which then escalates into a taut thriller when an unfortunate misunderstanding places Alice and Bella in a race against time to save Edward from certain death. With so much going on, New Moon was yet another installment in the Twilight series that was extremely difficult to put down.
I can't help but continue to enjoy the characters in this series. I still like Bella very much, but I found myself wishing that she would have a little more confidence in Edward's love for her. After the beauty of their romance in Twilight, it was hard for me to understand how she couldn't, but ultimately, it seemed that her feelings of inadequacy – of not measuring up to a spectacular creature like Edward – simply got the best of her. Thankfully she did have an epiphany before the end, so hopefully will be beyond that stage by the next book. Bella also has a tendency to think of everyone else first (except when she's being reckless), which can be a very good trait, but also left me thinking that it might be nice if she took care of herself once in a while too. While Bella is still an accident-prone magnet for danger, I missed her endearing awkward clumsiness. Instead she is now living on the edge and seeking out the danger. It was also very difficult to read about her severe depression without being dragged down a bit myself. Edward is still the same thoughtful and loving hero I adored in Twilight though his absence for much of the story, left a huge hole, which was a major point of the story that I though the author conveyed magnificently. One of my favorite things about Edward is his wry, teasing sense of humor, but the tone of New Moon is so serious, it didn't allow for many of these moments to shine through. In Edward's absence, Bella develops a deep friendship with Jacob Black, who ends up being much more than she at first thought he was. Jacob also essentially becomes a second hero and the third point in a love triangle. While Bella never really feels more for Jacob than friendship or brotherly love, Jacob does fall for Bella. Jacob and Edward have very different personalities, but Jacob is such a wonderful character, I couldn't help but adore him too. While I don't think that his happily-ever-after does or should lie with Bella, I do hope he gets one eventually. These three characters have completely engrossed my attention, and I can't wait to see what develops next for them.
The secondary characters were wonderful as well. It was nice to see Charlie finally taking charge and acting more like a father. Most of the Cullens didn't play very big roles in this story, with the one exception being Alice. Because of her visions, she is an intriguing character who I hope will be front and center throughout the series, as I really like her breezy manner and no-nonsense attitude. New Moon also fills in a couple of the missing pieces of her human past. Although Carlisle only appears in a couple of scenes, he also fills in some missing pieces about himself and Edward. New Moon introduces Sam Uley and a “gang” of Native American teens who are far more than they seem to be on the surface and who play key roles in Jacob's life. Billy, Jacob's father, is also present, but doesn't take on a particularly strong role. Readers are also introduced to the Volturi, a group of vampires who live in Italy and are basically vampire royalty. They are at once both fascinating and monstrous creatures, and unlike the Cullens are extremely dangerous, posing yet another threat to Bella's existence. Overall, I thought the story had a varied and colorful character palette.
As with Twilight, New Moon did not contain any explicit elements – no sex, only a dozen or so mild profanities, and minimal violence. There is a scene though, in which a group of humans become unwitting prey for a group of blood-thirsty vampires. It does takes place in the background and is not played out explicitly, so whether or not it is disturbing for readers, would depend more on the individual's imagination and sensitivity level. I happen to have a very vivid imagination, so it did make me a tad squeamish. The story also contains several mature thematic elements, such as severe depression, discussion of and a near attempt of suicide, deliberately reckless behavior, and stealing cars (though for a good reason). There are also racial tensions between two classes of supernatural beings, which includes some derogatory name-calling. In addition, depending on the reader's point of view, it may seem that Edward and Bella's love for one another borders on obsession. Even I admit, that if these characters were real and normal, I would have been telling them to go get therapy and quick.;-) I've read enough paranormal romances though, to know that the bond that is shared by supernatural creatures and their mates is stronger, deeper and more permanent than most human bonds. It's just that in this particular story that bond gets a rather heavy treatment owing, in my opinion, to it's highly character-driven nature and emotional intensity. I still think that most mature teens should be able to handle all the complex subject matter, but all these elements would make great points of discussion for parents and educators.
In spite of the serious and sometimes even depressing overtones of the narrative, I found New Moon to be yet another fascinating read. I really enjoy stories that include some sort of spiritual element, and New Moon has one in the form of an ongoing debate over whether there is an afterlife for vampires or whether they truly are the eternal damned. I love stories that make me think and there is so much more going on beneath the surface in this one (even outside the spiritual thread), that I can't seem to help pondering it even after turning the final page. New Moon has earned a place on my keeper shelf right next to it's predecessor, Twilight, and I'll be eagerly looking forward to reading Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, the final two installments in the Twilight series, as well. Ms. Meyer is also planning a re-write of Twilight from Edward's perspective titled Midnight Sun. With two-for-two, Stephenie Meyer definitely deserves a place among my favorite authors. I will be very interested in reading The Host and seeing what other tales might be created from her fertile imagination.(less)
I am totally insane. Even though I totally dissed Twilight in this blog, I have an obsession with series and read New Moon.
Why do I intentionally put myself through such dreck?
New Moon is only a slight improvement over Twilight. The book has two things going for it:
First, I had no expectations going in. I already knew it would be a poorly-written romance—and Meyer did not disappoint.
Second, Bella, our heroine, and Edward, her prince, are separated ...moreI am totally insane. Even though I totally dissed Twilight in this blog, I have an obsession with series and read New Moon.
Why do I intentionally put myself through such dreck?
New Moon is only a slight improvement over Twilight. The book has two things going for it:
First, I had no expectations going in. I already knew it would be a poorly-written romance—and Meyer did not disappoint.
Second, Bella, our heroine, and Edward, her prince, are separated throughout much of the novel. Though many readers were probably distressed by this turn of events, I was delighted. If they aren’t near each other, Bella and Edward can’t do any of their disgusting, gut-wrenching touching. Blech.
In one way, though, the book is more painful than Twilight because Bella now has two admirers. And, truth be told, there is very little to admire in Bella. She is one of the weakest females in print. She spends her life moping and fainting. Why would one, let alone two, hot guys like her? (Obviously, Meyer is experiencing some wish fulfillment here.)
Meyer, much like Rowling (who she is now erroneously being compared to), desperately needs a more forceful editor. New Moon is over 500 pages long and very little happens in those pages. I often found my mind—and my eye—wandering because she fills the book with meaningless fluff and repetitions. She obviously needs to read Richard Lanham’s Revising Prose again and start cutting out the lard.
Unfortunately, the series has the same addictive properties for me as Days of Our Lives and Passions. The soap operas are absolute drivel, but I just have to know what happens next (and check out that hottie Elvis, Junior).
Unfortunately, I do want to know what happens next in Meyer’s series, and I am even contemplating doing the unthinkable: buying Eclipse. Shoot me now. (less)
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.Few people mention that Meyer is a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints. I say this not to judge her or color someone's opinion of her, but to throw into perspective her possible motivations behind the plot for this book, namely the religious dialogue and the "together forever" aspect of Edward's and Bella's relationship.
Two people in love being together for eternity is a touchstone of the Mormon faith, which is what we see in Edward and Bella: they are meant for one ...moreFew people mention that Meyer is a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints. I say this not to judge her or color someone's opinion of her, but to throw into perspective her possible motivations behind the plot for this book, namely the religious dialogue and the "together forever" aspect of Edward's and Bella's relationship.
Two people in love being together for eternity is a touchstone of the Mormon faith, which is what we see in Edward and Bella: they are meant for one another, no question about it. Up until this point in the series, they have been destined for one another on a fate level, not a religious one.
None of the characters in the books really express a preference toward any particular religion, and there are no hallmarks to impress upon us that anyone is Catholic, or Lutheran, or Mormon, or any other faith. The discussion is about souls, and whether or not vampires go to Heaven after they are removed from their existence--ie, after they're crumbled up into tiny bits of rock and set on fire because they can apparently reassemble themselves like Paladins.
And Edward, with his Edwardian (har har) sensibilities, can't imagine a scenario with him winding up in front of old Peter and the Gates. So he is refusing! Staunchly! To allow Bella to become a vampire! Or even to be near him and madly in love with him! Because that is so wrong and he would be putting her pure and wonderful and probably tasty soul in danger. So he takes off with little to no explanation except that he is fickle and does not love her anymore. While we the audience see this as an obvious bluff (not in the least because Meyer hits us over the head with "clues" that Edward doesn't really mean any of his protestations), Bella in her warped mind cannot, and so spends the months after his little jaunt mourning the loss of her beloved.
And we get four simple pages with months written on them, representing a loss of time and showing us how devastating it's all been for her. But what happens after that is what nullifies the impact of those four almost-blank pages/months. Bella goes on throughout the rest of the book holding her arms over her chest because there is a giant gaping metaphorical hole in her spirit. The impact of this is greatly lessened after we have to hear about it for a good hundred pages, and Meyer probably could have done much better if she had employed a less-obvious tactic. Bella going about her business as though absolutely nothing was wrong with everyone else around her tiptoeing gently around the eggshells of Edward would have been an interesting touch.
There are certain aspects of this book that make it almost as compelling as Twilight, such as Bella's propensity toward danger just so that she can hallucinate that Edward is yelling at her to stop. But like an addictive drug, it wears off, and she is left trying to pick up the pieces by forming a stronger relationship with Jacob Black and all the secrets behind his Native American tribe. Meyer tries to tempt Bella and the reader into swaying their loyalties for Edward by making Jacob oh-so attractive and present in a time of need, but it just doesn't work. Meyer herself can't understand why people just don't seem to like the poor kid, but it's hard to love a replacement as much as the original, and the attempted contrast between dark and light, cold and heat, or Romeo to Paris fizzles out.
The best part of the book, unfortunately, comes saddled with all manner of improbabilities: namely the sudden flight to Italy, the stealing of an extremely expensive and conveniently fast and stylish car, and turn-around sudden flight back to Washington state. If Bella spent the entire book hugging a psychological/spiritual hole in her middle, the idea that she was able to instantly forgive Edward for the last tortuous seven months (and 200 pages) and withstand being awake for two 12-hour flights, not to mention being tormented by ancient vampires, it's a miracle she hasn't been committed.
That having been said, the scene in the piazza is some of the best you can get out of Edward and Bella. What's too bad is that it only comes after eons of sludge-y character development and bad attempts at forming a "difficult decision" between which boy (and which mythical creature) Bella will wind up with, and then follows with a punch-drunk "family vote" on whether or not Bella will join the coven's ranks.
It's plot-driven and you're compelled to read, but be aware that this novel contains little of mysterious Edward. That, I think, is its greatest shortcoming.(less)
I admit I put off reading this second book in the Twilight series, for a few reasons. Maybe my love for Twilight would turn out to be a fluke. I had watched the movie recently, so it would feel like a rerun. I wasn’t ready to dive back into the series. Well, I finally manned up and read New Moon this week. I can honestly say this is one of my favorite books of all time.
Many bad things have been said about Ms. Meyer’s writing. I don’t agree with any of it. Ms. Meyer has proven to ...moreI admit I put off reading this second book in the Twilight series, for a few reasons. Maybe my love for Twilight would turn out to be a fluke. I had watched the movie recently, so it would feel like a rerun. I wasn’t ready to dive back into the series. Well, I finally manned up and read New Moon this week. I can honestly say this is one of my favorite books of all time.
Many bad things have been said about Ms. Meyer’s writing. I don’t agree with any of it. Ms. Meyer has proven to me that she can write books that I can admire and enjoy, and that I can appreciate from an artistic and literary standpoint. She brings the story to vivid life, and pulls me right into the action. She knows how to make me feel. For me, it’s not a good sign when I read a book and I feel detached, bored, withdrawn. I want to be involved in a story that I read for pleasure, which is 95% of the time I spend reading. When I read Twilight, I couldn’t get over the awe and joy I felt as I discovered the world of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. The beauty of their love story. I didn’t think this book could top that feeling. Surprisingly, it did. Ms. Meyer took the story that much deeper for me with New Moon.
I have actually read few writers that have such a gift for illustrating and bringing emotions to live. Showing the complexity of relationships, how they all come to matter and play a part of our emotional landscape. The pain that Bella feels when Edward leaves….I felt it acutely. I felt like my heart was breaking along with Bella’s. I felt angry at Edward. I was so mad I wanted to slap him. But, I also felt that same love for Edward I felt when I read Twilight. I could understand why he left, not possibly knowing that his leaving could never be the best thing for Bella. With this couple, as with my favorites in literature, you can see how mutual, how all-consuming their love for each other is. Some might call it self-destructive. But emotions don’t follow the rules. Even when people try to control them, they still manifest in other ways. Especially those that are so powerful, like the love these two people shared.
When it came to Bella’s recovery (at least partial), I thought it was so well-written as Ms. Meyer showed Bella picking herself up from the abyss that Edward and the Cullens’ departure had thrown her into. The way that Ms. Meyer showed the first four months was so beautifully evocative and yet so basic, it was that much more effective. Just each month written on a individual page. Nothing else. That’s how it was for Bella. She couldn’t stop living, not knowing what that would do to her parents. So she existed. Nothing more. After that, there was her developing relationship with Jacob Black. Again, there was so much skill in describing how Bella becomes friends with Jake. I love how Jake is described as Bella’s sun. Her love for him that is more than just a friend, like a brother, but deeper. I know that if there was no Edward Cullen, then maybe Jake could have been Bella’s true love. But in the world where Edward existed, there was no substitute. I thought that the book would be boring without Edward, but it was far from that. I found that I loved this book even though he wasn’t technically there, except for his voice in Bella’s head. That voice that came around to warn Bella when she was in trouble. Yet at the same time, Jake had the power to hold the pain from Edward’s leaving at bay. When he would smile his sweet smile, and shine his light on Bella. Even though Jake was like a crutch that held a crippled Bella on her feet, I didn’t feel like she used Jake and gave nothing in return. Her friendship also helped him. She stood up for him and cared about him, bringing something to his life as well.
I love Bella as a character. She’s a good person, very caring, but also stubborn as a mule. I like how she is shown to be imperfect, but more than willing to examine her actions and her motives to see if she is doing what she feels is right. Yes, Bella did some immature things, but what do humans do when they are hurting? I think that considering the circumstances she went through, I don’t find fault with Bella. I think Bella might come off wrong on first glance to the casual observer. Like she is in her own little world, selfish and self-absorbed. The way I read her is what I’ve seen in people in real life like Bella. She’s one of those people whose capacity for love is all consuming. She has to hold herself at a distance or lose herself. Because some people don’t understand how deep she commits herself to others. It totally makes sense why she falls apart when Edward leaves, and then when Jake pushes her away because of what is going on with him. The fact that I respected Bella so much is why I loved this book passionately, even though my favorite character is hardly even in the book. It also testifies to Ms. Meyer’s skill at writing. Her characters keep me invested, the way they interact with each other, creating the fabric of this book, a beautifully-woven creation that sucked me in too deep to let go until I was done. I love my dad, but Charlie would be a great dad for any girl. He makes this book series special to me, just for his small parts in the books. He’s adorable!
Silly me. I didn’t expect to enjoy Jake’s story and the wolves as much as I did. I’m silly because I love werewolf stories. I’m silly because I was completely wrong. The wolf pack aspect was very interesting. I felt so much for Jake, how he was confused and at sea; how he truly believed that the wolf that had awakened in him made him bad. I was glad that he had Bella to help him see that the wolf was a beautiful thing, part of who he was. Part of why she loved him, and like she loved Edward even with his being a vampire, she would continue to love him, even as a wolf. I have to say that although Edward is still my favorite, I adore Jake tremendously. I could see what a special, sweet guy he was, how hard he tried to do what was right, and the control that he mustered when it was clear how much his ‘gift’ made control very difficult for him. I just love how he is described. He is like sunshine to Edward’s moon. So yes, I am a Jacob fan now, and well as loving his pack brothers and Emily.
Even though there is not a lot of action in this book, it still kept me riveted. I appreciated how the menace of the Volturi came off so clearly, even with very little onscreen violence. The contrast between the Cullens and the Volturi was beautifully, clearly rendered. How the Cullens had chosen the connection between them, the capacity to love over the bloodlust, even if it was terribly hard at times. This helped me to see that Edward’s motives were truly good, even if they seemed foolhardy. Once that was clear, and seeing his pain, how leaving Bella had destroyed him, I couldn’t stay mad at him. I love Edward way too much. I also adore the Cullens, especially Alice and Carlisle.
I honestly feel that this series shows a deep kind of love that I haven’t seen in all my twenty-plus years of romance reading. It’s not just boy-girl romance, either. It shows a deep, powerful romantic love, but also the love of friendship, the bonds of family (not merely by blood, but by choice), and how they all come together, serving as our greatest weaknesses, but also our greatest strengths. That’s the duality of human nature. Funny how I can learn this lesson from a book about vampires and werewolves, and a human girl caught between them. I can hardly describe how much I love this book! I’m done trying..for now! (less)
Alice Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Thanks, Ladies.
AH, I thought I'd be that way, but I wasn't. I was captivated, ev...moreLady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Thanks, Ladies.
AH, I thought I'd be that way, but I wasn't. I was captivated, even with the lack of Edward."
So was I even tho I like them both very much. But I am mainly Team Bella. Going to Forks very soon! Can't wait. Today we saw Little Red Riding Hood at the theater....the wolf is a werewolf. I give it 5 stars.(less)
Mar 21, 2011 09:21pm
Rachelawesome review like always :)
Mar 23, 2011 08:51am
I’ll be honest, my first impressions after finishing this the other morning was that it suffered due to a lack of Edward - having grown rather attached to him in Twilight having him disappear for the majority of this book was a let down. I understand his reasons for leaving and knew that he was coming back but as a series based around his and Bella’s relationship, not having him present undermined the story somewhat. The only times I was truly at peace with the story was when Edward was around –...moreI’ll be honest, my first impressions after finishing this the other morning was that it suffered due to a lack of Edward - having grown rather attached to him in Twilight having him disappear for the majority of this book was a let down. I understand his reasons for leaving and knew that he was coming back but as a series based around his and Bella’s relationship, not having him present undermined the story somewhat. The only times I was truly at peace with the story was when Edward was around – the rest of the time I was engaged but on edge.
Furthermore I did feel that the plot was lacking here as well, it never really seemed to go anywhere. For me the ending seemed rushed, I was waiting for something else, something more significant to happen. Much like in Twilight Mayer writes in a way that has you racing towards the end from the first description of a crisis however, here the ending seemed to drop off – the adrenaline rush you expected never really materialised to the same extent as in Twilight. In this sense the book really did suffer from second-story syndrome - much like in Chamber of Secrets, The Two Towers and The Amber Spyglass the scene setting obviously intended for Eclipse meant that there was never any chance for the story to establish itself as a stand alone.
However, I don’t mean to pass the whole thing off as dead weight. I enjoyed the opening of the story – everything in Twilight was so theoretical it was interesting to see the realities of living with vampires – the danger became real and tangible this way. It was also interesting to realise Edward’s religious affiliations: "Edward's with me up to a point. God and heaven exist. . . and so does hell. But he doesn't believe there is an afterlife for our kind." Carlisle's voice was very soft; he stared out the big window over the sink, into the darkness. "You see, he thinks we've lost our souls." As a book presented from Bella’s point of view you automatically empathise with here way of thinking but by having Edward’s feeling aired by a third party the tables turn slightly.
I liked the development of Jacob’s character, although I’ll be honest there’s something about him that isn’t *right*. Maybe it’s just because everything’s being set up to form a massive love triangle of doom which will no doubt dominate Eclipse but I think it could be something more than that. First impressions of him are that he’s very self-absorbed and that’s one quality that I hate.
Along that vein I can see why people ship Jacob/Bella but I don’t. Not at all. Maybe it’s because I have a thing for Edward, maybe it’s just because I’m a sucker for canon. But for me Edward/Bella sticks much better. Quite frankly how can you resist: "Which is tempting you more, my blood or my body?' I challenged.
"It's a tie."
I can’t say that the ending – agreeing to transform Bella and Edward’s insistence upon marriage – surprised me completely, it all seemed quite appropriate but I don’t think it’ll be acted upon in Eclipse, as Bella sums up in the Epilogue there are too many unresolved human issues to deal with before then. Plus, the love triangle of doom will need to rear its ugly head and have shipper wars dividing fandom.
So, overall it was an entertaining read which I enjoyed but did not live up to its predecessor and which will hopefully be bettered exponentially in Eclipse.(less)
I think I read Twilight during 2008, and I was really, really frustrated with it. That’s why I still haven’t read New Moon. But then, I've read other horrible books, and I've survived, so how bad can this be, right?
It can’t be that bad.
So I got my chocolate, got the book, got comfy, and started reading.
New Moon: The Zombification of Bella Swan.
This is the story of Bella, Jacob, and Edward. ...moreThere are spoilers coming...
I think I read Twilight during 2008, and I was really, really frustrated with it. That’s why I still haven’t read New Moon. But then, I've read other horrible books, and I've survived, so how bad can this be, right?
It can’t be that bad.
So I got my chocolate, got the book, got comfy, and started reading.
New Moon: The Zombification of Bella Swan.
This is the story of Bella, Jacob, and Edward.
We all know Bella Swan, the miserable whiny girl living in Forks, the rainiest little place in the world. In this book, her sparkly little Edward decides to pack his bags and leave all of sudden, saying he doesn’t want to be with her anymore.
He leaves Bella in a forest, under a new moon, and she stays there, in shock, unable to move...
And she turns into a zombie.
Now, I don’t read much about zombies, so I don’t know exactly how it happened, but I do have some theories.
Remember when James bit her hand? I think the poison from that was left dormant in her palm, and with Edward Cullen around, the man who pulled out the venom, it didn’t do much because it was scared of his presence. However, that poison or venom wasn’t enough to turn Bella into a vampire, so instead, it turns her into a zombie when Edward leaves. As the name of the book shows, the new moon played a huge part in this process.
Lying under a new moon for so long, and with Edward Cullen gone, the poison activates, and starts taking control of Bella’s body.
She even gets a hole in her chest. That hole is there because Edward Cullen leaves – and we know that it was Eddie who pulled out the poison, right? And it was his presence that made the poison stay in Belly’s palm, right? So, now that Edward is gone, the poison travels to Bella’s chest, and it starts to burn a hole there. The hole is so painful, that Bella needs to clutch her chest to keep it in place.
It’s serious stuff, and nobody knows about it.
Otherwise, why else would Bella not remember 4 months of her life? That’s all because of the zombification process. Poor Bella doesn’t give up though. She knows that it’s Edward’s fault and she decides to find a way to bring him back.
The last thing Edward tells Bella is that she should keep herself safe. It’s easy for that moron to say, not knowing what he caused her. Bella fights the zombie part of her body, and decides to go see Jacob.
As we all know – I mean, siriusly, who doesn’t? – that Jacob Black is a dogshapeshifter werewolf. You all know the deal about new moons and werewolves, right? No, no, not full moons – that’s ... uh... well, you know stories get misquoted by old grannies all the time, and they change through the ages. It’s during new moons that werewolves turn into werewolves.
Anyways, Jacob Black doesn’t actually turn into a werewolf during a new moon or a full moon – but, they do have the power to minimize the effect of the poison in a person’s body. See, it all makes sense. New moon, full moon, werewolves, wolves, Jacob, zombies – It’s all connected. Bella figures that out, and to find a way to get rid of the zombie inside her, she hangs around Jacob, who also makes the hole in her chest less painful.
She doesn’t forget about Edward though, and she needs revenge. So she puts herself in danger by riding motorcycles and jumping off cliffs in order to alert Edward in some way.
Her genius plan works, and Alice the future seer thinks that Bella committed suicide.
Now, here’s the thing. You all know those Volturi, right? They’re the ones who want Alice and Edward on their side. It was actually them. It’s all their fault, because they’re the bad guys. The Volturi were told by Victoria that Edward and Alice are like, super strong, so the Volturi wanted to find a way to get them on their side. They sent that one dude, who can... um... what was it? Make a person not feel anything? Alex? Okay, they had sent Alex to make Edward not feel anything, so then he had no feelings towards Bella – which is why he left. Alice is a little smarter, because she can tell the future, so she went off with Jasper. However, when she sees Bella commit suicide, she hurries off to tell Edward – I mean, you can’t ignore a relationship of six months years, right?
When Edward hears that, the effects of Alex’s magic wear off, and he realizes that he had loved Bella all along, and that it was the Volturi’s fault that he left her. He decides to beat the crap out of them.
He can’t do that by himself though, and he wouldn’t listen to Alice, so Alice rushes to Forks, to warn Bella.
When Bella finds out that the Volturi and Victoria were behind the whole mess, she decides to go along with Alice to help Edward out. Alice phones up the rest of her family, and they prepare themselves. Jacob doesn’t want Bella to leave, and he’s not very fond of vampires. He also knows that it’s possible Bella could get killed. He decides to go help the Cullen family, because then he would at least get to kill some vampires.
They have to take planes to Italy, but after that, the Cullen family make their way down to Volterra with their insane speed, and Jacob morphs into a wolf and carries Bella with him. They arrive in less than five minutes, and an epic battle ensues.
Ah, who am I kidding? I lied. None of this happens. Well, okay, some of it does... but... I don’t want to talk about that right now.
New Moon reads like a troubled teenager’s diary. A very depressed teenager’s diary. A teenager who has been through many traumatic experiences, a teenager who has a very deep past, or doesn’t have a home, or has lost someone precious, either to war, disease, or simply lost everything that was ever his or hers.
Bella is none of those. She has her friends, she has her family, she has a very peaceful neighborhood, she has food on her plate, she has a house to live in, she has clothes to wear – she has everything that a person needs to be alive.
No, Edward doesn’t count. It's been long since I read Twilight, but if I remember right, they knew each other for about six months. Just that one person doesn’t become everything in that short amount of time. Even if it was one year – I don’t care. If Edward was the only thing she ever knew, then yes, it would be a little more acceptable. Why is a teenager who has everything she needs so damn depressed? If this was about Bella getting better, finding a way to get over Edward, it still would’ve been okay. But as soon as she feels better, she goes back and punishes herself.
Seriously.
What was wrong with S. Meyer? Has she been through something traumatic in her life that no one knows about? Is this her way of talking about it, by putting her pain into a character who simply lost a sparkly man she’d known for six months? Has anyone suggested S. Meyer see a psychologist?
Really.
Go back to your copy of New Moon and take a look at some of those sentences. They’re so dark, you’d think there’s something really serious going on, or going to happen soon, but all you get is that? Bella’s loss of her boyfriend?
It doesn’t even fit her personality. She hates herself! She thinks she doesn’t deserve Edward. So now that the moron actually left her, she’s sad?
“Edward, I’m the worst person you could ever find stumbling across this planet, but I love you, and even though you deserve better than me – no, you most definitely deserve someone better than me, I want you to love me. No! I don’t believe you! You don’t love me, but please don’t leave me! I love you, Edward!”
This isn’t an exact quote, but that’s practically how Bella feels. WTF? How does that make any sense? HOW?
Now, there are books where the characters are so stupid and dumb, you want to reach in and strangle them. Then there are books where the characters are so stupid and dumb, you don’t take anything of what they say seriously. You can easily tune them out.
But then there are characters who tell you they’re stupid, who know they’re stupid, but still go on saying deep shit like the world hasn’t treated anyone worse than them.
Bella alone I can handle. I can tune out her stupid thoughts, I can laugh at her dumb Romeo and Juliet comparison, but Bella with people, friends, and around her family... good lord.
She’s such a bitch to everyone, but she still expects others to treat her like she’s the queen of the world. And when they don’t, when they give her exactly what she deserves, she says it’s not fair. IT’S NOT FAIR!
Bella, you miserable piece of shit, you don’t make the rules in Charlie’s house. You don’t befriend someone just so they can distract you from other things, and when you treat someone with disrespect, when you ditch in the middle of a movie that you suggested in the first place, you give them a damn apology. People aren’t just there for you, you need to be there for them as well. You DO NOT take advantage of them and then toss them away. And don't you dare tell me I'm being unfair!
☞Proud☜ ☺✌Bookworm☮♪Palice wrote: "☺✌Proud☮♥ wrote: "ur artwork is awesome, and ur review is hilarious!! great job! =D"
Thanks, Proud! I'm glad yo...morePalice wrote: "☺✌Proud☮♥ wrote: "ur artwork is awesome, and ur review is hilarious!! great job! =D"
Thanks, Proud! I'm glad you found it hilarious :-)"
I think you should read Eclipse, just to remind the world how awful it is. And to enlighten people with your genius ;D(less)
Dec 26, 2011 08:45am
Palice Parrot Pepperthe scarecrow wrote: "It was only when I saw that second picture that I realized Bella's initials are an acronym for bullshit. Thank you for enli...morethe scarecrow wrote: "It was only when I saw that second picture that I realized Bella's initials are an acronym for bullshit. Thank you for enlightening me. <3"
YES! Someone noticed! Thank you for noticing! <3
☞Proud☜ wrote: "I think you should read Eclipse, just to re..."
I will, sometime next year! :-)(less)
updated
Dec 26, 2011 11:13am
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.(Eclipse spoilers also)
At the beginning of New Moon, the relationship between Bella and Edward is extremely unhealthy.
Edward HATES himself. He refers to himself over and over as a monster and truly believes that Bella's life is worse off now that he is involved in it. He has tried to keep distance from her for her own good, but he was too drawn to her, and too selfish to stay away. They fall love and can't bear to be apart, however, he never gets over believing that he is a hor...more(Eclipse spoilers also)
At the beginning of New Moon, the relationship between Bella and Edward is extremely unhealthy.
Edward HATES himself. He refers to himself over and over as a monster and truly believes that Bella's life is worse off now that he is involved in it. He has tried to keep distance from her for her own good, but he was too drawn to her, and too selfish to stay away. They fall love and can't bear to be apart, however, he never gets over believing that he is a horrific creature who is making Bella's life worse by existing. Edward is appalled with himself and sickened that he keeps putting the girl he loves in the face of death, and he can't reconcile his desire to keep her safe and his knowledge that his place in her life will keep putting her in danger. Edward can never fully commit to loving Bella if he is always thinking he is no good for her, he is making her unsafe, or her life would be better off without him in it.
Bella, in turn, does not think she is worthy of Edward. She easily believes him when he leaves because she has been expecting it, in the back of her mind, all along. She mentions time and again when she looks at Edward that she can't believe this perfect creature is here for her, is in love with her. At the beginning of New Moon, even after six months of being his girlfriend, she "still couldn't believe that [she] deserved this degree of good fortune." She thinks over and over that their relationship is off balance because he is so beautiful and smart and strong and she brings nothing to the table. She can't accept the fact that Edward loves her because she can't understand how or why he possibly could.
Neither one feels he or she is good enough for the other, and neither one can understand why the other feels that way. This is not a healthy way to develop a relationship.
So, Edward decides to leave Bella, to make it "as if he never existed," thinking it will be the best thing for her. He thinks if he removes the danger from her life she will be able to live as a normal human and have the life he feels she should have. Edward is very all-or-nothing, so he truly sees this as the only option for Bella to stay safe and, eventually, be happy. Edward honestly thinks she will get over it. He has been able to hear the thoughts of human teenagers for almost 100 years. He knows what they think when they think they are in love and that, although it is hard for them at the time, they get over it eventually and move on. He can't help but assume that Bella's feelings for him are the same as these other teenagers. As much as he loves her, he does not think that her feelings even come close to matching his, and honestly thinks she will forget about him and move on eventually, which he feels would be the absolute best thing for her. When he removes himself from the picture, she will be able to live a normal life, with a normal man. He has no idea that his leaving will have such a profound effect on her because, due to the fact that he can't read her mind, he does not fully comprehend the depth of her feelings for him, and he naively assumes that her feelings are like those of any human teenager.
When he leaves, he knows HE will suffer greatly, but he truly thinks he is the only one who will suffer. He knows that his existence will never be the same without Bella, and that he will spend the rest of his days feeling incomplete and depressed. However, because he is sure she will get over it, he leaves her anyway, knowing that he will never recover. This is such a selfless move. He is willing to damn himself to an eternity of suffering because he feels it is better for Bella, even knowing he will be in pain every second. What he does not realize, what he does not factor into his decision, is the depth of Bella's love for him. He does not see himself as she sees him, as the other half of what makes her whole. He only sees himself as something terrible that is ruining her life. He does not know the impact he has made on her, does not take his influence on her into consideration, and has no way to even understand or predict the amount of pain she will go through without him.
As Bella goes through life without Edward, she compares her emotions to "waves of pain" that "reared high and washed over my head, pulling me under," and from which she is not able to resurface. She struggles through every day, feeling literally torn apart from the inside without him. Surely, if he knew that his absence would cause her more pain than his presence ever did, he would not have left her the way he did, but he didn't have the proper frame of reference, and could not have predicted this reaction. As she tries to work through her pain, she turns to Jacob and, without even realizing it, she falls in love with him. It's not unnatural to fall for the person who is there for you as you attempt to piece your life back together after a trauma. Jake is exactly this for Bella. He listens, he's quiet when she wants him to be, he's supportive and happy and friendly. As she says, he is her sun, helping her to get light and warmth to that place in her that is submerged in water. Despite herself, she lets him in, and, as she is just about to make the decision to try to move on, to try to find happiness elsewhere, even though she knows it will never be a fraction of the happiness she had with Edward, the phone rings, and her life is changed again.
Falling for Jacob does more than just lead to the Eclipse love triangle. By developing such intense feelings for him, Bella is able to make an educated choice about whom and what she really wants. Because Edward has left, and because she lives without him, she knows what her life is like without Edward and realizes that she really CAN'T live without him. She thinks of this when making her decision in Eclipse, wondering "if I would have wavered, if I hadn't lost Edward once. If I didn't know what it was like to live without him. I wasn't sure. That knowledge was so deep a part of me, I couldn't imagine how I would feel without it." If Edward hadn't left, and Bella hadn't felt that physical pain every day from the hole in her chest, felt the ache and the loss of her one true love, she might have considered a life with Jacob. Truthfully, Jacob is a very good option for her. The love she develops for him is natural and easy, and it feels good and makes her feel good. Her love for Edward is tumultuous and dangerous and intense, and the feelings involved are to such extremes, but she realizes when he is gone that that's what she wants and that's what she needs. At the end of Eclipse, she chooses Edward, which is not a choice she could have made as easily had she not lived through the pain of being without him.
Bella is actually able to prove the depth of her love for Edward by going to Italy to save him, even though she thinks he will still leave her again. What a sacrifice this is for Bella, though she hardly even gives it any thought, thinking only that seeing him after missing him so desperately, and then having him leave her again "was the price I had to pay to save his life. I would pay it." Her love for Edward is that ingrained in her; if he is in trouble, she will do anything to save him, even if it could mean death to her, and even though she is convinced that he doesn't want her and doesn't love her. Just like the selfless act Edward performs at the beginning of the novel, this is a selfless act on her part. In her eyes, she has absolutely nothing to gain. The only thing she thinks is that it is quite possible that she will die in her attempt, but she does it anyway, to save his life. His existence, whether he loves her or not, is worth this much to her, is worth her own life, and she is able to show this to him through her rescue. Through this unselfish action of Bella's, Edward is finally able to see his own inherent goodness through her eyes. He's able to see how much she truly loves him, and see how she sees him – not as a monster, but as someone completely worthy of her love.
In turn, by staying with her and explaining why he did what he had done and what he has been through when he was away, he is able to prove to her how much she loves him. She finally has her epiphany. She sees what he went through for her, and that he truly, unselfishly thought he was doing what was best for her. Bella is also able to see that Edward has flaws. Until this point, she has really thought of Edward as being perfect. Flawless. She's finally able to see that he is not perfect, and that he has some major character flaws, such as being irrational, driven to extremes, over-emotional, and over-protective. By becoming aware of these flaws, and really seeing the impact they can have on her, she is able to see him more as a real "person" (for lack of a better word, and less as a fantasy man she is dating in some dream world. His flaws, which she has had a hard time seeing until this point, because she has been so blinded by his amazing qualities, make him more accessible, more normal, and Bella is more able to see the hows and the whys of his love for her. This helps her accept herself as a worthy candidate for his affection.
Therefore, although it is terrible and heartbreaking for everyone involved, Edward's leaving Bella in New Moon only serves to make their relationship stronger. It does not go at all as Edward planned, and it causes both of them a tremendous amount of pain. However, actions speak so much louder than words, and no amount of I love yous could have made their relationship equitable, or make them see the goodness that the other one sees. So, as horrible as it is for everyone, Edward leaving ends up being a very good thing for his relationship with Bella. It is heartbreaking, but sometimes heartbreak is exactly what is needed to build a solid and healthy relationship…a relationship that can stand the test of time.(less)
The first thing I'll tell you is that Stephanie Meyer knows her way around lyrical prose. She finds the balance between sensual and realistic, modern day language. Unlike say, Anne Rice, who bores me to tears with her page-long sensual odes to, say, cement walls and turgid baby nipples. Meyer doesn't so much turn a phrase, no; she lays it gently on it's back and rubs it's tummy until it purrs.
When I landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. I didn't see it as an omen -- just unavoidable....moreThe first thing I'll tell you is that Stephanie Meyer knows her way around lyrical prose. She finds the balance between sensual and realistic, modern day language. Unlike say, Anne Rice, who bores me to tears with her page-long sensual odes to, say, cement walls and turgid baby nipples. Meyer doesn't so much turn a phrase, no; she lays it gently on it's back and rubs it's tummy until it purrs.
When I landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. I didn't see it as an omen -- just unavoidable. I'd already said my goodbyes to the sun.
So the first book had conflict, love and sensual embraces that can go no further. I liked it because I like Bella. She is funny and accident prone. In true Mary Sue fashion, despite her "ordinary" looks, every carnivorous boy within sniffing distance acts as though she bathed in meat. Edward is not my favorite character. He's gorgeous, melodramatic and just a touch creepy in the 'I lay awake all night and watch you sleep' sort.
In "New Moon" after a horrible incident, Edward breaks up with Bella and leaves town. She collapses. I don't mean she falls down. I mean she has a total emotional breakdown.This is where my problem with the book starts. Early on, the author captures the exquisite pain of loss. At first, you ache for Bella, then you get annoyed at Bella, then you want to kill Bella. About 380 pages of ACHING EMPTINESS and HOLE IN THE HEART THAT WILL NEVER HEAL and SCREAMING NIGHTMARES OF EDWARD LEAVING, WHY GOD WHYYYYYY? It becomes interminable. I kept hoping that the book would find Bella learning that she is capable of taking care of herself without Edward and that she can be a whole person without him. It is a wasted hope. Without Edward, Bella has no more personality. She becomes a turnip. He sucks the soul out of her and turns her into vegetable matter.
Bella spends most of the book angst-ing over her pain and using her friend Jacob. He is funny and they actually have fun scenes together. Sadly, she calls him her "safe harbor" while she pines for her pasty, Emo Romeo. She is just biding her time until the glistening, fanged wonder boy gets his head out of his ass and comes home.
The readers are supposed to buy Bella and Edward as star-crossed lovers. We don't go on a journey that makes us root for their love. Superficial and jarringly automatic, he loves her smell, she loves his beauty. They don't earn their relationship and there's no REAL conflict because the author has crammed it down your throat that they are meant to be together. You never doubt that poor, besotted Bella will choose Edward because she has no identity of her own.
I find this whole thing very problematic because it is a YA book. This is not a healthy book for teenagers to read. This is not for young teenagers, unless you are willing to have some real conversations about self-hood, identity and what real loving relationships are like.
Oh and the "plot twist"... ugh. Without giving away the cliched secret of LAUREL K HAMILTON proportions, I have to say, this book was predictable. It didn't hint, it beat you upside the head. You can only be concerned that Bella is mentally retarded because you figure it out 150 pages before she does.
Despite my hatred, Stephanie Meyer did wow me again with more of her lyrical prose.
The smile broke across his face the way the sunrise set the clouds on fire.
Gorgeous.
I still hate the book but damn that's pretty. An entire book written like that would be cliche and difficult to take seriously, but in small doses, it's incredibly effective. If Stephenie Meyer could write a book with a heroine who didn't set my teeth on edge, I'd be shouting her praises from every rooftop.(less)
I liked about 80% of this book. Liked as in actually sort of kind of enjoyed it. I mean, yeah, it was still redundant and Bella was still pathetic, but I like Jacob, and I actually liked the werewolf storyline. It's too bad that Bella and Edward aren't broken up for the rest of the series. Or that they aren't, you know, murdered and put out of their own misery. Alas, Edward comes back and INSTANTLY the novel goes from pretty decent to MOTHERFUCKING ...more...what is there to even say?
I liked about 80% of this book. Liked as in actually sort of kind of enjoyed it. I mean, yeah, it was still redundant and Bella was still pathetic, but I like Jacob, and I actually liked the werewolf storyline. It's too bad that Bella and Edward aren't broken up for the rest of the series. Or that they aren't, you know, murdered and put out of their own misery. Alas, Edward comes back and INSTANTLY the novel goes from pretty decent to MOTHERFUCKING RIDICULOUS. This was definitely an improvement from the Twilight, but it's hard to say you "liked" a book when it ends and all you want to do is grab the main character by the neck and throw her around. Here are just a few of my problems with New Moon:
01) After realizing that the group of people she just passed by (and can now hear screaming) are being MURDERED, Bella comments, "I knew it was stupid to react like this. Who knew how much time I had to look at this face? He was saved, and I was saved, and he could leave me as soon as we were free. To have my eyes so filled with tears that I could not see his features clearly was wasteful -- insanity." ...wtf? That may be the only truly SANE reaction she has to ANYTHING. People just DIED, woman! It's okay to be upset. Edward's face actually isn't more important than that. I'm convinced she is in fact mentally ill.
02) She's a shitty ass friend. 'Nough said. Jacob dun need that.
03) She'd let Edward turn her into a vampire in a heartbeat, but is afraid of what her mother would say if she MARRIED him. Uh...!??!?! I almost lost my shit reading that part.
04) Honestly, I don't know how she wasn't suicidal before she met Edward. He's her only interest. What did she do before she met him?
I think they need to carry the Romeo & Juliet comparison out completely. I won't be satisfied until both of these idiots are dead and gone. I hope that's how Breaking Dawn ends, but, Lawd help me, I may have to read to find out.(less)
BrendaLOL, I loved your review! I couldn't stand Bella in this book either, gag. And I too, almost lost it when she freaked about him asking her to marry hi...moreLOL, I loved your review! I couldn't stand Bella in this book either, gag. And I too, almost lost it when she freaked about him asking her to marry him. Give me a f*cking break. She wants eternity but not marriage that's too scary. Apparently she doesn't actually know what true love is then, does she?(less)
Jun 03, 2010 12:07pm
KellyI agree! But I really like number 4...you know if Bella had a backstory or a reason for leaving Arizona, like,she was mentally I'll and depressed and ...moreI agree! But I really like number 4...you know if Bella had a backstory or a reason for leaving Arizona, like,she was mentally I'll and depressed and after nearly killing herself decides making herself more isolated and depressed will help her mental issues...it would explain ALOT.(less)
Jul 27, 2010 07:50pm
New Moon Little, Brown and Co.
Stephenie Meyer 2006, 576pp, $19.99
ISBN-13 9780316160193
Brilliantly written, New Moon, the sequel to Twilight, is a more compelling and modern version of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. This book is about forbidden love between a human and a vampire. The type of true love that isn't found in many teenage novels today. But the kind that little girls drea...moreNew Moon Little, Brown and Co.
Stephenie Meyer 2006, 576pp, $19.99
ISBN-13 9780316160193
Brilliantly written, New Moon, the sequel to Twilight, is a more compelling and modern version of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. This book is about forbidden love between a human and a vampire. The type of true love that isn't found in many teenage novels today. But the kind that little girls dream about after watching Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, pure and innocent. This is the kind of indefinable love that will keep the reader's eyes glued to the book until the very end.
Bella has just turned eighteen and has already been introduced to the face of death. Therefore, Edward decides to leave her in order to keep her safe. Not only is Edward gone, so is a chunk of Bella's heart. For months Bella acts as if she is on autopilot, lifeless. Meaningless, days come and days go. Until she meets Jacob,a werewolf. Warm and full of life, Jacob becomes the new sun that Bella orbits around. However, at the end of the book Edward returns leaving Bella to choose between best friend and boyfriend, werewolf or vampire. Her decision can cause a war between these two "unusual" families and will leave the reader crying out for the next book, Eclipse.
When I was reading this book I was in my own world. A world with a hot boyfriend who has super speed and super hearing, and a best friend who can turn into a werewolf. I was living in a small town called Forks, small but magical. I was separated from the busy streets of Manhattan until I read the last page. Then reality sunk in, first in small drops, then in a powerful tidal wave. Therefore, every girl should read this addicting novel because they will be light years away from disappointment.(less)
Pawelgood connections to other texts. The entire review brings you into the book making you want to read it.
Mar 25, 2008 04:25pm
DanWow...seriously a great review. Way better than mine. I find it funny how a lot of books that are mainly love story always refer back to Romeo and Jul...moreWow...seriously a great review. Way better than mine. I find it funny how a lot of books that are mainly love story always refer back to Romeo and Juliet. But anyway, i really liked your ending paragraph as if you were the chracter yourself in the book, it gives the reader a little taste of what the book is about as well as what they would feel when they're reading it. My favorite line in your review is "Then reality sunk in, first in small drops, then in a powerful tidal wave" making it seem it is a book that you wouldn't want to part with as though when you were reading it, you were in a trance. Overall, Great review...tsch seriously should've asked suggestions or pointers from you...or michelle lol(less)
Mar 26, 2008 05:18pm
I know a couple of things about love. I know that when you meet the truelove, you “just know” because it’s like you walked with that person once upon a dream. Out to dinner one time, I overheard a man at another table describing this perfectly. He said, “I was at a bar the other night, and I looked across the room and suddenly saw this girl. I felt like I had seen her before, but I couldn’t think where I might have met her, so I thought I was probably in love. You know, like they say, ‘The ...moreI know a couple of things about love. I know that when you meet the truelove, you “just know” because it’s like you walked with that person once upon a dream. Out to dinner one time, I overheard a man at another table describing this perfectly. He said, “I was at a bar the other night, and I looked across the room and suddenly saw this girl. I felt like I had seen her before, but I couldn’t think where I might have met her, so I thought I was probably in love. You know, like they say, ‘The first time I saw her, I felt like I had seen her before.’ Then, while I was looking at her, my mouth started to water. So, I thought that’s probably what it’s like when you fall in love – your body just reacts to the other person. Then, I realized that she’s the girl who serves me at Taco Bell.” That’s pretty much the story of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan as they walk on the scene in New Moon. The problem is, to continue the Taco Bell metaphor, Edward and his family are, like, ravenous fans of Mexican food. They’re like high college kids. And Bella’s not the girl who serves the tacos, she is the taco. You can see how that would be a problem.
I also know that it’s statistically proven that once a girl falls in love, if she’s ever away from the boy she loves, she goes into a coma. Traditionally, this used to happen because of the evil fairy who put a spell on the girl. Nowadays, it happens because of psychology, but this all becomes an argument in semantics, and who wants to have the dark fairy/brain waves fight again? Not me. Some go with faith and some with evidence, but let’s still be friends.
What I’m trying to say is that New Moon is an American girl reinvention of Sleeping Beauty. (Not American Girl with a capital ‘G’ – that would be way too creepy for me. This is just a vampire/warewolf story, don’t worry.) It’s American girl in the sense that instead of helpful, matronly fairies (so retro-Euro) our heroine in New Moon finds some smokin’ hot Native American boys to keep her company while she’s away from her truelove. Also, instead of baking a silly cake, they build a motorcycle – less tasty, but way more badass (in theory, if not execution). Otherwise, the stories are basically the same. They are especially similar in that the villains, not the heroes, are the stars of the show. The Bellrora (Aurella?) character is stupid, jumping off cliffs with no cliff-jumping training and climbing all through the castle to prick her finger on the only spinning-wheel needle around. You have to want to slap this girl. The villains, on the other hand, have pizzazz. Maleficent is the reason to watch Sleeping Beauty just as the Volturi are the only thing that make New Moon readable. Actually, these stories are not just read/watchable, I even really like both of them because of the villains.
The major technical place where the Twilight Saga went wrong, to my mind, was in staying with the Edward/Bella love story, which was mostly drained of any blood (bah dum tsss) in the first book. The more I got to know these characters, the more I realized that I didn’t much care for them in the first place, which is too bad because I would rather think I like them. It would have been easier to do so if Bella had undied in the first book, and Meyer moved on to tell the love stories of the other vamps in the Cullen club in the rest of the books. The thing I like the most about Meyer, however, is that she’s not ever crafting a story, she’s always just telling you what happened to her bf’s in fantasy land. She is so in love with Bella and Edward that she had to continue with their story. This has its obvious downsides technically, but it also has the major upside that nothing seriously bad ever happens to a Meyer character. Drama, sure, but no real tragedy. I hope she continues with this M.O. in the future because if you know that’s the kind of story you’re getting into, it makes for a really relaxing read. And it comes as naturally to her as perpetual frustration does to Joss Whedon or gettin in ur revew an makin ur awgumentz does to an LOLcat. I can appreciate all of them. I really hate it when I feel that an author ruins a character’s life just to prove something to the literati, and because a sad ending would be so unnatural to Meyer, I hope she doesn’t sell out.
So, there are these things I know about love from Disney and Stephenie Meyer (to recap: love at first sight, coma), but there are other things I don’t understand about love. For example, I don’t know why what I know about love would sound like a good idea to anyone. This plays out within the New Moon story in a way that is beautiful and even slightly profound, though almost certainly unintentional. The Twilight Saga is all about addiction and abstinence. Edward was unborn into his addiction to blood. Most vampires are so consumed by their desire for blood that they lose all control over their bodies when they smell it. Meyer venerates the Cullens for resisting human blood, in contrast, and clearly endorses their abstinence. Everything about Bella’s passion for Edward, however, has the same markings of crazy as the vampires’ blood addiction. She even loses it when he kisses her in the same way Meyer describes the vampires frenzying for blood. Without Edward, Bella basically dies. Meyer does not characterize Bella’s obsession as the evil addiction that highlights the Cullens’ good abstinence, though.
She probably doesn’t make the open distinction because it is a genuine inconsistency in the theme of the story, but I think it is less revealing of a flaw in Meyer’s writing than a true contradiction in American values. Don’t do drugs, kids, but when you meet your soul mate you will know because of the intoxicated feeling, and the best thing you can do is give up everything and live happily ever after. Maybe the idea is that drugs are a bad substitution for the natural high of intimacy. I’m not even scare quoting “intimacy” because I really do think the idea I’m talking about is sharing everything, not just sex. It seems to me, though, that both drugs and intimacy are a bad substitute for being an actual person. I’ve had friends who successfully avoid themselves by being obsessed with weed, and I’ve had friends who avoid themselves by being obsessed with their significant other. It honestly doesn’t look that different to me, and both end up being at the same time extreme and boring to be around.
The “happily ever after” message admittedly creeps me out a little bit. I appreciate how awkwardly it works out in New Moon, though. I’m not going to claim that Meyer’s satirical skills are what make this series a pretty wonderful satire on American culture, but nevertheless I do think it is one. I actually think it is a more successful satire for its lack of self-awareness and defenses. People react in disproportionate anger to it because of what it reinforces in our values, not because of stilted dialog and the anachronistic use of the Discman. While many of us grew up with different ideas about spirituality or politics, most of us have the commonality of knowing from Disney, our true cultural parent, that a girl sleeps until her truelove battles through the traps of evil to find her and give her love’s true kiss. I don’t think it’s bad for that idea to be out there, and I think Meyer mixes it up in a nice way by having the girls save the day once this book actually starts to get good. I don’t like or agree with the idea, though, and I regret most of the ways that I have let ideas like that influence my own life. I don’t like the idea that these stories encourage kids to think that love should look like addiction, but I also hope that reading a story won’t force kids to become co-dependent.
I guess I feel about Disney, and The Saga as its awkward stepsister, like that quote Augustine is attributed with having said, “The Church is a whore, but she’s my mother.” It’s probably possible to say that of anything deeply cultural that we struggle with but ultimately feel connected to. It has that level of, “I can say what I want about my family, but you’d better watch your mouth,” but also an acknowledgment that we can honor our roots and disagree with them at the same time. Sleeping Beauty isn’t a future that I embrace, but it is a past that I feel tender about. There is something so certain and easy about true love’s kiss that it is comforting, even though ultimately I think I prefer the brutal unpredictability of life. Less anemic. I don’t like for books to imitate life, though. There’s enough of reality everywhere without books forcing it on us. I like for books to be action-packed, hilarious, and melodramatic. It is nice when books can achieve some kind of insight into life even if the story is far removed from reality, but I don’t need that. I’m happy with crazy villains and unintentional satire, but if I read this again I plan to skip the boring part where Bella is sleepwalking. Sleeping Beauty is a more successful story in that Aurora knew to find a bed with a nice canopy and leave the action to the other characters.(less)
I just added one more star to this book series for being strangely addictive... this book is better than the fist, introducing the more likeable Jacob and getting Edward out of the picture for a while.
From my teacherly perspective there are (at least) two questionable aspects of the madly popular Twilight series -
First of all, it portrays Quileute Indians in a strange, potentially fetishist way. It's written by a White woman who transf...more*** contains spoilers ***
I just added one more star to this book series for being strangely addictive... this book is better than the fist, introducing the more likeable Jacob and getting Edward out of the picture for a while.
From my teacherly perspective there are (at least) two questionable aspects of the madly popular Twilight series -
First of all, it portrays Quileute Indians in a strange, potentially fetishist way. It's written by a White woman who transforms these Native American youth into werewolf heroes, they inherit this ancient ability to transform and become these protectors. However, the portrayal seems generally respectful, not everyone is White, and Myers still uses the perspective of Bella, the White heroine. I would like to hear some Quileute perspectives on this, and I can't find any on the web. Myers did say that she worked with the Quileute. Basically, despite intentions I have problems with the "animalistic" characterization. Admittedly the book objectifies everyone, but I consider it somewhat less harmful to objectify White people.
The other strange thing about Twilight series is how Edward is over 100 years old and madly in love with an 18 year old girl. I didn't realize this when I bought the book for my young friend. After we both read it, she had to explain to me why that makes perfect sense: He was so depressed about being a vampire that he "didn't age mentally." Ok, so I definitely see why young people would think this was reasonable... but as an adult I find it creepy. After all, I wouldn't consider falling in love with an 18 year old and I'm nowhere near 100.
OK, I think my real problem with this age factor is that it emphasizes Edward's physical appearance over everything else. The author advances this assumption that because his body hasn't aged, it's completely reasonable to consider him 18 years old. Sometimes in the books this is very clear... like it doesn't matter at all that he's lived 100 years (or close to it). Because he LOOKS 18 he is. And I find that disgusting. I was sort of glad he was out of the picture in this book. I mean, he's also cold and bloodless - the kissing, it's gross. In general, Edward disgusts and repulses me, but this may add to his appeal.
I think the movie is out, or will be out soon. This book has so many fangirls - does it have fanboys?? - and I'm not sure what it gives of value except for being addictive and unusual (oh, and local for us northwesterners). Mostly, I think it's very superficial, with all its emphasis on the Cullens' superficial beauty. There's nothing to like about Edward as I've read it. Yeah, mostly I don't like the values in this book though I read it. I might have not shared it with my 12 year old friend if I read it first. Then again... it has brought her great pleasure, not everything must be so Substantial.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.I returned Twilight by Stephenie Meyer to my student on Monday and, two periods later, she was back in my classroom with the sequel, New Moon. Was it waiting in her locker for me? I told her I wouldn't get anything done. I didn't. And here I am.
New Moon wasn't nearly as good as Twilight. And yet I still read it in two (working) days. So I guess I can't complain. I'm afraid, even though the stuff I'm writing about happens within the first third of the book, that my review might...moreI returned Twilight by Stephenie Meyer to my student on Monday and, two periods later, she was back in my classroom with the sequel, New Moon. Was it waiting in her locker for me? I told her I wouldn't get anything done. I didn't. And here I am.
New Moon wasn't nearly as good as Twilight. And yet I still read it in two (working) days. So I guess I can't complain. I'm afraid, even though the stuff I'm writing about happens within the first third of the book, that my review might be too spoilerie, so I'm putting it under a cut.
There were two main reasons why New Moon wasn't as good as Twilight. The first: Meyer's writing just wasn't as good. The gradual, unforced exposition that I admired in her first book was absent in her second. Having told Bella and Edward's story already, she seemed eager to get through the review of it and move on to spinning her new tale. While ingenious writers like J.K. Rowling leave out much of the review, relying on their readers' competence and memory, and then reinsert reminders of important clues throughout plot development, Meyer kind of did a The Babysitter's Club style recap. Just instead of directly narrating about how Claudia wasn't good at school but was the artistic, junk-food eating one, she was droning on about how Edward was shockingly handsome and had to live in the Pacific Northwest because if he came out in the daytime...
The second (and I fear the more pertinent) reason why New Moon wasn't as good was because Edward was gone for about four-hundred pages of it. (I hate to admit that perhaps Meyer's writing did not get worse in New Moon. Maybe it was just more noticeable without Edward's enchantments.) And the reader just had to sit around watching Bella mope and attempt to rebound with a new male lead who happens to be *gasp* a werewolf. While Bella's slow realization of Edward's identity in Twilight was enjoyable and allowed for fantastic moments of dramatic irony, her slow realization of Jacob's identity as a werewolf in New Moon was just exhausting. "Why did it take so long?! " the reader wondered, wanting to pound Bella's tearful face into the wall.
The second supernatural being was a little much for me. I can accept a semi-realistic novel with vampires. But with vampires and werewolves? I think it was just asking too much. Jacob (the werewolf)'s character did, however, allow Meyer to play with the traditional two suitor novel in fun ways. Bella's two suitors, a vampire and a werewolf, are natural enemies. Meyer tends to overemphasize the dichotomy in my opinion--Edward is unnaturally cold, Jacob is unnaturally warm; Edward pale, Jacob tan; Edward is painfully secretive about his emotions, Jacob could emotionally explode resulting in great pain... Though somewhat forced at times, it was still a really fun distortion of the traditional plot structure.
Though I criticize it, I have to be honest. I enjoyed New Moon. I was addicted, again. I cried, again. (More than last time.) For the most part, Meyer worked her magic, again. And if I give back this book and get the next two periods later, I'm going to start it almost immediately and finish it just as quickly. Because they're fun to read.(less)
Claciei agree with your review. however after seeing the movie & then reading new moon for the second time i appreciated jacob a lot more the second time a...morei agree with your review. however after seeing the movie & then reading new moon for the second time i appreciated jacob a lot more the second time around. I was so close to being "team jacob" i felt like i was cheating on edward. i just wanted to mention that when you said a second supernatural character was almost too much for you (the werewolves). after i read the twilight series, i was addicted to vampires so i moved on to other vampire series & i realized that vampires, werewolves, & other supernatural creatures (faeries, shapeshifters, zombies, etc...) just sort of go together, so for stephenie meyer to included them in her version of a vampire tale wasn't surprising. keep the good reviews coming. :)(less)
Mar 12, 2010 11:30am
I have a slightly different take on the absent-Edward aspect. I remember feeling relieved that ...moreM.R. - Another interesting review from you.
I have a slightly different take on the absent-Edward aspect. I remember feeling relieved that Edward wasn’t around, as indeed I had feared that the whole Edward/Bella intense thing was going to get stagnant. (I did look forward to him coming back though.) I found the scene where Bella is distraught in the woods after Edward has left, deliciously heart wrenching (that is IF one has permitted oneself to buy fully into the intensity of their love – which I had most willingly) I feel this forced separation allowed Bella to take a step back from her blinding feelings for Edward and evaluate them – a well needed pause to catch her breath before getting deeper into the relationship. She needed to bring the focus back to herself a bit instead of being just about him. (That’s my non-teen age speaking.) I ended up even enjoying the time alone with Bella and found her more interesting than I had expected.
I completely agree that the talk of Edward’s and Jacob’s differences felt too much. It even made me think it was leading up to something – a clue to something else, but it wasn’t.
And like you, I felt the introduction of a werewolf killed the realism for me a bit. (Did I just use the word “realism” in reference to a book about a teenage vampire??) I’d been willing to buy into the vampire scenario but werewolves too? Was it becoming a bit too BUFFY-esque? However, I got over that speed bump pretty quick and enthusiastically kept turning pages. On the whole, I found this book very entertaining.(Additional comments in my review)
I enjoy your reviews. Please keep them coming.(less)
Mar 06, 2011 10:36am
I was in junior high. It was mid-winter, a little snow on the ground, the sky still black as I waited at the bus stop at 5:30 in the morning. The streets were silent; I didn’t live in a very busy neighborhood, and the cars passing by that early were few. I didn’t think twice about the white truck until it had rolled to a stop in the street right beside the large rock I was sitting on as I waited for my bus.
He wasn’t stopping because of a stop sign; there wasn’t one. He wasn’t sto...moreI was in junior high. It was mid-winter, a little snow on the ground, the sky still black as I waited at the bus stop at 5:30 in the morning. The streets were silent; I didn’t live in a very busy neighborhood, and the cars passing by that early were few. I didn’t think twice about the white truck until it had rolled to a stop in the street right beside the large rock I was sitting on as I waited for my bus.
He wasn’t stopping because of a stop sign; there wasn’t one. He wasn’t stopping to dig around for another CD, to finish shoving a pop tart in his mouth, to light a cigarette. He was stopping to stare out his open window at me.
I waited for him to pull off. I waited for him to look away. When he didn’t and the seconds stretched longer, I thought about the distance to my house, the difficulty of running in boots. I wondered if, like a big dog or a mountain lion, running was likely to provoke him. I still remember his white beard, the way his ball cap hid his eyes. The thick arm that sat on the car door.
Then, he drove away, and he never bothered me again.
I’m going through this to remind you of something that it’s easy to forget when you’re online, crafting an identity that’s somewhat unique from your real personality, interacting with little icons that have real people behind them, and most of those people are thousands of miles away. Weirdos are still out there, and weirdos are still interested in you.
I know what you’re thinking: you’ve got one hundred reasons why you won't attract stalkers. Your profile picture isn’t even a picture of you; it’s a little boy holding a hand grenade. And you've given yourself the false name Esteban when your real name is Loretta. Besides, you’ve got weird hair. And you aren’t as young as you used to be. DOESN’T MATTER. That’s why we call them weirdos.
Twilight and its numerous, equally masturbatory sequels, chronicle the story of an old-ass man who is obsessed with a high school girl. He watches her while she sleeps without her knowing. He believes he knows what’s best for her and manipulates her. His name is Lord Voldemort, and he’s a real douchebag.
But, of course, that’s my opinion, as a guy. Let me rephrase: as an adult male who is mature enough to have a relationship where both of us make decisions and discuss conflicts and don’t need to manipulate each other to reach resolutions. (Well, other than little manipulations, like “forgetting” to take the recycling until the other person finally takes it, or being “too tired” to take the dog out. Those don’t count.)
I’m not trying to shame anyone for getting some romantic bow-chicka-wow-wow out of Twilight. My point here, really, is not about Twilight itself as much as it’s about being vigilant. Keep thinking about how much information you’re offering to whatever white trucks are lurking out there in the wires.
With that, I’m going to turn this review over to Meredith. Here's Meredith's review of Twilight, minus the specific names of individuals involved.
++++++
Okay, that (one star) rating is a lie. Twilight rox. But you know what does not rock? Real-life Twilight experiences. Twilight tells the basic creepy-old-man-stalks-young-girl story. You know the one. He woos her by being vaguely threatening and manipulative. She sees his condescension as the patient musings of a wiser soul. It’s fun in a book, but when you see it in real life, walk the other direction. In my experience, it is possible for creepy stalkers to come around almost anywhere, and the internet is no exception.
So, maybe it's time for a reminder to TAKE BACK THE INTERNET. It recently came to my attention that a member of goodreads has been accused of using this website and others to harass people. His goodreads username is HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED. I confronted him about the accusations, and I now am choosing to block him because I want the threads on my reviews to be safe places for people to say what they want without exposing themselves to harassment.
At the end of this review, I’m copying my posts to HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED and his response, so feel free to skip them if you’ve already read them. The gist is that I believe there can be reasonable explanations to accusations, especially accusations made on the internet, but maybe in any venue. I gave HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED opportunity to give reasonable explanation, with the understanding that I would take his silence as admission of guilt. He decided to stay silent.
But, here’s the thing. It’s no joke to accuse someone of stalking and harassment. I think that stalking and harassment are signs of insanity. But I also think that making false accusations is a sign of insanity. Being harassed and stalked is a really stressful, sometimes dangerous, experience and making false or flippant accusations about serious issues like that is disrespectful to people who truly have had those experiences. I am personally offended that people make false accusations, but I know it happens. I have experienced situations where even (former) friends of mine have made false, self-serving accusations of rape, molestation, and harassment. That is to say that I do not take the fact that I’m posting this lightly at all. Also, HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED has done nothing to me personally.
What I mean to say is that we can all lynch THE GUY and pretend that it solves a problem, but it really doesn’t. I don’t want to get lecturey on you, but I think that, especially for people who are the typical targets of stalkers (young women), but really for everyone, it is important to be aware and smart and even suspicious. But it is not important to be afraid. Don’t give your address to people you don’t know. And don’t think that a compliment is always what it seems. Sometimes compliments are manipulation. If someone makes you uncomfortable or seems suspicious, don’t be afraid to tell them that. Don’t feel pressured to keep yourself in an uncomfortable situation or to talk to people who skeeze you out. You don’t have to be scared, just remove yourself from the situation. If a friend tells you to watch out for someone, give that advice a chance. I know it’s obvious to say, but I like being reminded every once in a while that you can’t control other people’s actions, but you can control your own. The more you hide from someone offensive or disrespectful - the more you fear that person - the more power that person has. But you still have to be aware of your surroundings and aware of danger
As an example, I’ll tell you a story of one time when I wasn’t smart and didn’t remove myself from a situation. This is a pretty specific situation, and it takes place in Ukraine, but I really think things like it could happen anywhere.
My friend, Vanessa, lived in the middle of the country, and I was going to visit her. We met in Kyiv to take the bus back to her city. The bus we got on was old and rickety and packed with families. The only available seat was right in the front. We were exhausted and Vanessa fell asleep against the window. The bus driver kept looking at us in the rear-view mirror, but I didn’t think anything of it because we were American and got stared at all the time. He must have been going about thirty miles an hour the entire way there because I think we got in about two hours after we were supposed to. Vanessa told the driver, in Ukrainian, where to drop us off, but he drove right past the stop down to the regular station. We got out at the station and Vanessa was pissed. It was really late, and it would have been easy for them to let us off at her stop, but now we would have to walk a couple of miles with all of our junk. She had just woken up, too. We had both been sleeping off and on.
We got out of the bus to get our luggage, and as we were grumbling and trying to find our bags, the driver’s assistant came up to us and explained that they were actually going to let everyone off and drive us BACK to her stop. Oh! We slapped our foreheads. That makes so much more sense. We got back into the bus. (NEVER GET BACK INTO AN EMPTY BUS. Duh.) We were really tired, so that’s some excuse, but not much. Anyway, the driver’s assistant got behind the wheel, and took off in the opposite direction of the town. So, there we are, driving out in the middle of the country (but really the middle of nowhere because there aren’t even houses or lights or anything) with these two old, creepy Ukrainian guys.
Vanessa was freaking out a little bit, and started gathering weapons around her. She had her keys out and some kind of antenna from the dashboard. I don’t remember what else, but that is exactly what you should do if you find yourself in a situation like that. Self-defense 101. The driver, now freed from his driving responsibilities, sat across from me and asked us what was basically the Ukrainian for “do you girls like to party?” We quickly answered “no.” He told us that he had a stash of vodka stored in the back of the bus for just such an occasion. He slid his hand over onto my leg. Vanessa immediately slapped it off. You could see the gears in our brains turning. What if we were murdered, there in the Ukrainian countryside, and just left out to rot? What if we escaped, but spent days wandering in circles in the empty fields and eventually died of thirst? Could we jump from a moving bus? Why did we get back on the fucking bus in the first place?
Then, after about ten or fifteen minutes, they pulled up to a gas station – in the middle of friggin’ nowhere, mind you – got gas, and headed back to town. We were fine. We were shaken, and it wasn’t a safe situation, but we were fine.
What I’m telling you is this: it’s not your fault if you are the victim of unwanted attention, but there are a lot of things you can do to be smart and safe. Take a self-defense class. Be honest with other people. Listen to your instincts. Block people on the internet if they are making you uncomfortable. Don’t harass people yourself, but if you’re uncomfortable, be smart. Learn from your mistakes. Don't go places or get into cars with people you have a bad feeling about.
Twilight is fun. I’m the first to admit it. But in real life Edward is just an old, bossy man with a thirst for blood. That’s not romantic. It’s gross.
So, here’s what I’d like you to do if you’ve read this far in this uber-long review. I got some PMs from people who were interested in keeping our internet community safe. I know people are really smart around here anyway, but some of us were concerned about stalkers targeting the younger internet users. If you want to, my thought was that you could post a review of your own with your own advice about what to do in a stalking or other uncomfortable situation. It doesn’t have to be directed specifically at girls or written by a girl. I know a lot of the men on here feel strongly about this issue as well. I thought it made sense to post this on a Twilight review, since stalking is an issue in the book, so feel free to do the same. And you are welcome to just copy this review and post it on your own, adding your own story, keeping it the same, editing whatever you want. If you write on a different site, do something there. If you know a younger girl on here, and you don’t want to post a review, maybe send her a message and remind her to watch out for creeps. (but don’t be creepy when you do that.)
I’m a big fan of the Take Back the Night movement, but I don’t think the night is the only thing that shouldn’t be dominated by fear. I don't know if we did actually give the internet away, like we gave away the night, and if now it's assumed to be a dangerous place that people go to at their own peril. If we gave it away, let's take it back. </rant>
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MichaelWhen I have the chance (I feel like I've been saying that a lot lately), I'll put a picture of Athena up here so you can see how damned goofy she is. ...moreWhen I have the chance (I feel like I've been saying that a lot lately), I'll put a picture of Athena up here so you can see how damned goofy she is. In the meantime, allah akbar. Was that you as a small person?(less)
Oct 06, 2010 11:50am
So, I found myself strangely addicted to the crack that is the Twilight saga. I know it’s not good for me, like binging on a quart of ice cream, but I couldn’t put this book down. Even at the times I wanted to hurl it across the room because I was so angry at the characters I was riveted in disbelief. I enjoyed the end of this book even less than the first.
Whiny Bella gets old quick. She starts off this book upset that she is a year older than her dazzling immortal Edward who was 17...moreSo, I found myself strangely addicted to the crack that is the Twilight saga. I know it’s not good for me, like binging on a quart of ice cream, but I couldn’t put this book down. Even at the times I wanted to hurl it across the room because I was so angry at the characters I was riveted in disbelief. I enjoyed the end of this book even less than the first.
Whiny Bella gets old quick. She starts off this book upset that she is a year older than her dazzling immortal Edward who was 17 back in 1908 when he became a vampire. She is so upset that she doesn’t want to be reminded by celebrating her birthday, but of course, Alice, Edward’s sister, always gets her way when it comes to parties and the Cullens throw her one anyway. However, this party goes horribly awry as Bella is injured while Edward attempts to protect her from his brother who wants to eat her. (Guess she smells good to him, too.)
Now having proof they are a danger to her, the Cullens leave Bella behind, but not before Edward fills her head with lies that he is over her and extracts a promise from Bella to not do anything stupid that would put her in harm’s way, for Charlie's sake of course.
So begins her emotional breakdown as she lives the next few months as a shell of a human being. She is nothing without her man and all his sparkly hawtness. That is all he has going for him…his looks. This is one of the main themes I hate about this novel and the whole Bella and Edward relationship. This girl, who is supposed to be smart and mature (though I beg to differ) cannot seem to fathom a life without her dazzling, perfect Edward. But all he offers her is his perfectly angelic good looks. Can we say shallow, Bella? (Oh, okay he does play piano.) And does the fact that Bella is nothing without her man remind you of a certain someone from the first book that set Bella off to Forks in the first place? That’s right her mom Rene. So why is it we should sympathize with Bella for leaving her mom, when her relationship with Edward isn’t very different from Rene’s relationship with Phil?
Well, after receiving an ultimatum from her father, Bella gives herself a kick in the pants and tries to live her life somewhat like a normal teenager. That’s where the story of Jacob and Bella starts. Now I love Jacob. He’s expressive, he has a hobby, and he hangs out with his friends doing normal teenage stuff. He has a personality and he's a werewolf! I have nothing against Jacob liking Bella as a friend but falling for her over motorcycles seems a reach to me. She was so obviously using him. I wanted him to slap her and tell her to get real. I wanted her to realize what she had been missing when she was being with Edward – a life. Even though, I knew Edward’s return was inevitable, I thought it would have added a nice complexity to have him return to a Bella who did get on with her life and realize things weren’t so bad after all (she toys with this idea for like, two seconds). Then he would have to work on getting her back and not with promises of sex (she could get that from Jacob) and immortality. But instead, Bella jumps off a cliff and Edward goes all emo and decides to kill himself.
As much as I liked Jacob, I missed the Cullens and was glad they were back. However, when Edward returned I quickly grew annoyed with him. Edward is just creepy. I know he is suppose to be so good-looking (because Bella won’t shut up about it), but what is so attractive about someone who is hard as stone, ice cold to the touch and whose lips are like marble? I guess Bella would get just as hot kissing Michael Angelo’s David. At least a statue wouldn’t try to control her every move. Or throw a tantrum when he doesn’t get his way. So Bella is left running off to Italy to save his life and her fate at becoming a vampire is sealed. Now her selfish dream will be realized and she can leave her family and friends behind. Hurrah!
At the end of the book, we are back to where we started, Bella wanting to be with Edward forever because he’s so “Sparkly”. He still thinks she smells good. You would think with all that time away from her he would have realized what he was missing-nothing. Even Bella says at the beginning of the book, “I’m really not that interesting.” The least Meyer could have done was created some reasons as to why Edward can’t live without her - and not because she smells good! That reason makes as much sense to me as a kid who is allergic to chocolate not wanting to share the candy he can’t eat because he knows it tastes so good.
I read this in 7 totally engrossing hours, staying up till 2am to finish it - hence I now feel a bit wrecked, both emotionally and physically. New Moon was absolutely heart-wrenching (you can tell I invest heavily in these books can't you?!). But I was physically unable to put it down, and only just managed it for toilet breaks.
It's Bella's 18th birthday and a simple paper cut as she opens her presents leads Edward's brother Jasper to almost kill her - to keep her safe, Edward decide...moreI read this in 7 totally engrossing hours, staying up till 2am to finish it - hence I now feel a bit wrecked, both emotionally and physically. New Moon was absolutely heart-wrenching (you can tell I invest heavily in these books can't you?!). But I was physically unable to put it down, and only just managed it for toilet breaks.
It's Bella's 18th birthday and a simple paper cut as she opens her presents leads Edward's brother Jasper to almost kill her - to keep her safe, Edward decides to sever ties with her, convincing her that the Cullen family must move on - must leave Forks - and so must she.
She does not take it well. After a week of being catatoinc and several months of going through the motions like a depressed zombie she discovers that if she does something reckless and her adrenaline gets going, she hears Edward's voice talking to her in her head. And so, in order to hear it again, she enlists the help of her friend from the reservation, Jacob Black, into restoring an old motorbike and teaching her how to ride it.
Jacob is the only one able to block out the pain of Edward's absence, so Bella starts spending a lot of time with him. When he suddenly breaks contact with her, she's determined to see him again. Which is when she discovers that the old tribal legends are not just superstitions: he's become a werewolf, a protector of the people - from the vampiric Cullen family, against which they have deep enmity. Only the treaty between them keeps them from attacking Edward and his family.
The pack of 5 werewolfs - all young men from the reservation - are on the track of a pair of vampires who are hunting for Bella and manage to kill one, Laurent. Victoria is still on the loose. Meanwhile, despite the danger, Bella is still doing what she can to hear Edward's voice again. So she decides to cliff-dive, which works, but she nearly drowns.
Edward's sister Alice, who sees the future, thinks she sees Bella die - and so rushes back to Forks. Unfortunately, his other sister Rosalie, who has never liked Bella, tells Edward what Alice saw - and when Edward calls the house asking for Bella's dad, Jacob tells him he's at the funeral, neglecting to say whose funeral. And so Alice sees Edward rushing to Italy to do whatever it takes for the ancient, royal vampire family in residence there, to kill him. Alice and Bella must race against time to prevent it.
There are several references to Romeo and Juliet in this one that make me a little nervous. If this trilogy has a sad ending I will be very upset! I felt so much for Bella, her pain was so believable, her yearning so bitter, I felt like I was going through the same thing. The scenes where she hears Edward's voice in head, warning her, advising, pleading with her not to do something reckless, often had me laughing with exuberant relief - the sound of his voice had just as much an effect on me, it seemed. And even though I was quite sure she would rescue him in time, like Bella I was never quite sure whether he would stay, or leave again.
All in all I am getting just a little bit too wound up in this story, but I can't help it and there's one more left which I have already started and almost dread finishing. My hope is that Bella will get her wish and be turned into a vampire, so that they can stay together. I have my fingers crossed, but that's why the references to Romeo and Juliet make me so anxious, as if Meyer is setting up for a tragic ending after so much love and loss.(less)
AubbieI'm hoping that a matinee about a week after release will be quieter ... The previews ARE great. Let me know what you think of the movie when you see ...moreI'm hoping that a matinee about a week after release will be quieter ... The previews ARE great. Let me know what you think of the movie when you see it, I will do that same.(less)
Nov 28, 2008 08:41am
Edward : Tak pernah terpikirkan olehku /Untuk tinggalkan engkau seperti ini
Tak terbayangkan jikaku beranjak pergi /Betapa hancur dan harunya hidupmu
Sebenarnya ku tak ingin berada disini /Di tempat jauh yang sepi memisahkan kita
Kuberharap semuanya pasti akan berbeda /Meski tak mungkin menumbuhkan jiwa itu lagi
(Rapuh-Padi)
Bella : Seribu tanya sesak di dada/Haruskah bimbang meraja
Lelah tepis harapanku/Sendiri mencari ba...more#2010-68#
Edward : Tak pernah terpikirkan olehku /Untuk tinggalkan engkau seperti ini
Tak terbayangkan jikaku beranjak pergi /Betapa hancur dan harunya hidupmu
Sebenarnya ku tak ingin berada disini /Di tempat jauh yang sepi memisahkan kita
Kuberharap semuanya pasti akan berbeda /Meski tak mungkin menumbuhkan jiwa itu lagi
(Rapuh-Padi)
Bella : Seribu tanya sesak di dada/Haruskah bimbang meraja
Lelah tepis harapanku/Sendiri mencari bayangmu
Kutunggu dirimu/Selalu kutunggu
Walaupun kutahu/Kau jauh .. kutahu .. kau jauh
(Jauh-Cokelat)
Jacob : Hidupku tanpa cintamu/Bagai malam tanpa bintang
Cintaku tanpa sambutmu/Bagai panas tanpa hujan
Jiwaku berbisik lirih/Ku harus milikimu
Aku bisa membuatmu jatuh cinta kepadaku/Meski kau tak cinta... kepadaku
Beri sedikit waktu biar cinta datang/Karena telah terbiasa
(Risalah Hati – Dewa)
Sejauh ini, buku yang saya baca ketika berangkat dan pergi karaoke ini, berada dalam alur-alur yang lambat. Apalagi sepeninggal Edward. Runtutan ceritanya di awal, kisah-kisah jalan-jalannya dengan Jacob, tidak membuat antusias untuk penasaran apa yang terjadi. Mungkin karena sudah banyak spoiler kiri kanan sehingga saya tidak tegang dan penasaran lagi ketika Jacob menghilang.
Ok, apakah buku ini menjawab pertanyaan saya di review buku pertama?
Who is Bella Swan? What is her destiny?
Jadi apa arti semua itu bagiku?
Aku tahu jawaban pertanyaan itu. Berarti ada yang benar-benar tidak beres denganku. Bagaimana bisa hidupku dipenuhi karakter dari film-film horor? Bagaimana mungkin aku bisa begitu peduli pada mereka sehingga hatiku terasa seperti direnggutkan dari dadaku setiap kali mereka pergi mengikuti jalan hidup mistis mereka? (h.314)
Maaf, Twihard, saya harus tertawa di sini. Tentu saja saya bilang, koq bisa-bisanya ya takdirmu seperti itu, Bella. Meskipun demikian tetap saja saya berpikir ala teori konspirasi, kira-kira apa sih yang bikin Bella digila-gilai oleh dua jenis makhluk jadi-jadian ini? Apakah Bella adalah pembawa takdir atau sejenisnya sehingga harus dilindungi mati-matian?
Sebagai cerita love hurt story, cerita ini biasa saja, cenderung berlebihan, walaupun wajar untuk anak 17 tahun yang ditinggalkan cinta pertamanya. Patah hati, mengurung diri, menjalani kehidupan dengan kosong, hingga berbulan-bulan, sampai menarik diri dari kehidupan sehari-hari. Pasti kepergian Edward telah meninggalkan luka yang begitu dalam. Pastilah orang sekitarnya gemes banget ngeliat tingkah Bella yang sedih terus-terusan.
Dan seperti diketahui, patah hati hanya bisa diobati dengan melupakan (yah, bagaimanapun ini sulit sekali) atau jatuh cinta lagi. Salah satu terapi persahabatan Bella dengan Jacob ternyata berhasil, di mana ia sebenarnya kehilangan pelindung, dan Jacob pas sekali memasuki tempat lowong yang ditinggalkan Edward. Benar, kenangan menyeruak kapan saja, terutama di saat sendirian. Tapi di saat kau bersama teman-teman yang membawa kebahagiaan terkadang kenangan indah namun hilang itu mudah dilupakan.
Sebagai cerita vampir, hanya sedikit diceritakan di sini, lumayan gagal sih. Memang ada cerita soal bagaimana vampir mati di tangan Volturi, dan kekuatan-kekuatan tersembunyi mereka, bagaimana mereka makan. Tapi hanya sebagian kecil, hanya merupakan rangkaian cerita saja. Justru Victoria, yang jelas-jelas sepanjang cerita mengincar Bella, terasa hanya sekelebatan-sekelebatan saja sebagai pembunuh di hutan. Kenapa si Victoria ini nggak pernah berhasil mendekati Bella satu kali pun, padahal dia kan vampir yang cukup kuat juga. Tidak ada penokohan Victoria yang jelas di sini. Sama sekali nggak ada adegan tegangnya.
Sebagai cerita serigala jadi-jadian, eksplorasinya bagus. Diceritakan dengan rinci awal-awal perubahan Jacob, sifat-sifat tak terkendali, perubahan ukuran tubuh, kebiasaan berkelahi, sampai konsekuensi yang mungkin terjadi apabila berdekatan dengan serigala. Dijelaskan bahwa mereka bisa berubah jadi serigala apabila emosinya sedang meledak, dan berpotensi melukai orang-orang yang ada di sekitarnya. Bisa dibilang, karena perubahan Jacob inilah yang menguatkan karakter kawanan serigala ini. Sehingga dapat diketahui dengan jelas bagaimana masa puber seseorang yang memiliki gen serigala dapat dilewati, bersama kawanannya ataupun sendirian.
Ditambahkan juga bahwa serigala dapat membunuh vampir dengan mudahnya, sayang proses matinya Laurent tidak dijelaskan, hanya digiring pergi lalu tahu-tahu diceritakan mati. Satu lagi penghindaran konflik berdarah di sini.
Sebagai love story, pertemuan kembali Edward dan Bella terasa bagai adegan film. Scene demi scene mengalir, ada ketegangan yang dirasa, sampai akhirnya mereka bertemu kembali di Italia. Dramatis, mungkin yang ingin dicapai oleh cerita ini. Sangat mudah ditebak bahwa Bella akan berhasil menahan Edward bunuh diri. Jujur saja, saya menikmati adegan-adegan di sini.
Sebenarnya ratingnya tidak bisa setinggi yang pertama, tapi untuk bisa dibilang it’s ok juga lebih. Thanks for werewolf story, you'd saved it.
Kembali, ini kisah cinta benar. Menghadirkan ending yang romantis selalu dicari-cari. Pertemuan Bella dan Edward, permusuhan Jacob dan Edward, aroma kecemburuan satu sama lain, sampai kegalakan ayah Bella.
Cinta itu tak masuk akal, aku mengingatkan diri sendiri. Semakin kau mencintai seseorang, semakin pikiranmu menjadi tidak rasional. (h.362) (less)
Recommends it for: Anyone interested in commiting suicide. There are a few good tips in here.
I did not think when I finished the first book, that it could get any worse. How very wrong I was.
The book opens with the single humorous line in the entire 563 pages, “Well, Gran, you might have noticed that my boyfriend glitters. It’s just something he does in the sun. Don’t worry about it…” Yes, sadly, that is as funny as the book gets. Bella’s complaining (omg, really?) about turning a year older. Which means she will… still be infinitely younger than Edward? All right, all right...moreI did not think when I finished the first book, that it could get any worse. How very wrong I was.
The book opens with the single humorous line in the entire 563 pages, “Well, Gran, you might have noticed that my boyfriend glitters. It’s just something he does in the sun. Don’t worry about it…” Yes, sadly, that is as funny as the book gets. Bella’s complaining (omg, really?) about turning a year older. Which means she will… still be infinitely younger than Edward? All right, all right, she knows eventually, if she doesn’t hurry up and become immortal soon, there will be a very big difference between the way Edward looks and the way she looks. Oh noez.
Party scene. Bella falls over and cuts herself (the over-exaggerated clumsiness shtick is getting old, Meyer), and the vampires vacate the premises because Miss Swan’s blood just smells so darn delicious. The result? Edward comes to the conclusion he must leave her forever, and a few pages later, Bella Swan is curled up in the fetal position in the rain in the middle of a forest and spends the next few months living as a zombie.
Note: The next few chapters happen to be blank, and are probably the most enjoyable in the entire book.
After a painfully long period of aching emptiness, screaming nightmares (what the fuck? Who has screaming nightmares after being dumped?), crippling sensations of being punched in the chest and ragged, bloody, throbbing holes in the heart, Bella does something she should have done 359 pages ago and throws herself off a cliff. Unfortunately, because there are so many god damned heroes in this book, she is saved by Jacob Black, the boy she has been using to fix up her motorcycle so she can cause grief to her poor father (whom I actually love and feel sincere pity for), who hasn’t actually done anything wrong except for verbally kicking her butt by telling her to STFU AND MOVE ON WITH YOUR GOD DAMN LIFE.
So Bella survives, except miscommunication ensues, and Bella ends up finding out that Edward’s going to off himself because he thinks Bella’s dead. Because that’s not selfish.
One plane trip to Italy later and Bella comes face to face with Edward for the first time since this wretched book began, and instead of bowling him over, kicking his head in, and throwing various verbal assaults at him for being such an idiot, as I would have done, Bella flings herself into his arms and doesn’t let go for a very, very long time. So the twist was… Bella saves Edward’s life? Wow. Bravo, Stephenie Meyer.
We can only hope that somewhere in the next two books, the vampires finally succumb to the delicious scent of Isabella Swan’s blood, eat her, and put everyone out of their misery.(less)
I was born in Connecticut in 1973, during a brief blip in my family's otherwise western U.S. existence. We were settled in Phoenix by the time I was four, and I think of myself as a native. The unusual spelling of my name was a gift from my father, Stephen (+ ie = me). Though I have had my name spelled wrong on pretty much everything my entire life long, I must admit that it makes it easier to goo...moreI was born in Connecticut in 1973, during a brief blip in my family's otherwise western U.S. existence. We were settled in Phoenix by the time I was four, and I think of myself as a native. The unusual spelling of my name was a gift from my father, Stephen (+ ie = me). Though I have had my name spelled wrong on pretty much everything my entire life long, I must admit that it makes it easier to google myself now.
I filled the "Jan Brady" spot in my family-the second of three girls. Unlike the Brady's, none of my three brothers are steps, and all of them are younger than all the girls. I went to high school in Scottsdale, Arizona, the kind of place where every fall a few girls would come back to school with new noses and there were Porsches in the student lot (for the record, I have my original nose, and never had a car until after I was in my twenties). I was awarded a National Merit Scholarship, and I used it to pay my way to Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. I majored in English, but concentrated on literature rather than creative writing, mostly because I didn't consider reading books "work" (as long as I was going to be doing something anyway, I might as well get course credit for it, right?).
I met my husband, Pancho (his real name is Christiaan), when I was four, but we were never anywhere close to being childhood sweethearts. In fact, though we saw each other at least weekly through church activities, I can't recall a single instance when we so much as greeted each other with a friendly wave, let alone exchanged actual words. This may have been for the best, because when we did eventually get around to exchanging words, sixteen years after our first meeting, it only took nine months from the first "hello" to the wedding. Of course, we were able to skip over a lot of the getting to know you parts (many of our conversations would go something like this: "This one time, when I was ten, I broke my hand at a party when-" "Yeah, I know what happened. I was there, remember?") We've been married for ten and a half years now, and have three beautiful, brilliant, wonderful boys who often remind me chimpanzees on crack. I can't write without music, and my biggest muse is, ironically enough, the band Muse. My other favorite sources of inspiration are Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Coldplay, The All American Rejects, Travis, The Strokes, Brand New, U2, Kasabian, Jimmy Eat World, and Weezer, to mention a few.(less)
“Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars, points of light and reason. ...And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. 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. I couldn’t see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason, for anything.”
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1,798 people liked it
“Forbidden to remember, terrified to forget; it was a hard line to walk.”
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Jan 11, 2012 08:39pm
Jan 17, 2012 06:24am