Goodreads | New Moon (Book 2)

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Sick And Tired	19	1 day ago, 04:50PM

Saya rated it:

01/23/08

Read in October, 2006

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 o...more 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 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

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Mskunz rated it:

02/18/08

bookshelves: have-read

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 another,...more 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 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

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Izlinda rated it:

05/04/08

bookshelves: romance, supernatural, teen-angst-growing-up, young-adult

Read in May, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I finished this rather long book into the wee hours of Sunday, with a break in the middle for a movie.

I like the formatting in this book. It's separated into months, and when Edward's family goes hungry/crazy when Bella accidentally gets a paper cut and they decide to leave Forks, several months are depicted with nothing written, to depict Bella's anguish and numbness. Edward's goodbye message to her was very harsh and he told her he didn't love, didn't want her and she believes him and esse...more I finished this rather long book into the wee hours of Sunday, with a break in the middle for a movie.

I like the formatting in this book. It's separated into months, and when Edward's family goes hungry/crazy when Bella accidentally gets a paper cut and they decide to leave Forks, several months are depicted with nothing written, to depict Bella's anguish and numbness. Edward's goodbye message to her was very harsh and he told her he didn't love, didn't want her and she believes him and essentially becomes a zombie.

Bella's thoughts regarding her friendship/relationship seems very realistic to me. Such as whether or not going from friendship to something more, which Jacob wants, is something she wants to. Whether or not this will help her heal the "hole" in her heart/chest. Whether or not she'll be using Jacob if she agrees to try for something more, even though she will tell Jacob everything and make sure he understands she can't give him what she gave Edward, though she's pretty certain he would agree and dismiss her reservations. How she has clung onto Jacob to make her feel alive and is worried she's using his as a crutch.

It gets all messy when Alice returns with news about Edward's attempt to get himself killed by the Volturi ("royalty" in the vampire world) after mistakenly believing Bella is dead. Bella's antics at danger, in order to hear Edward's "voice" warning her, and her addiction to the delusions is a little eye-rolling. Alice apparently saw her jumping off the cliff and couldn't see Jacob rescue her. Why? Because Jacob's become a werewolf, one of the natural enemies of the vampire.

So of course Bella runs off to rescue Edward and show him she is alive, despite the fact that her father is at a funeral for his close friend. How more contrived can timing be in a book?? And she meets the Volturi and they make threats that she has to become a vampire since as a human she knows too much. That's great; she also has another vampire wanting to kill her since Edward killed this vampire's mate in the last book.

Essentially everything falls apart for Bella at the end, except that Edward has come back to Forks, as with the rest of his family. Her friendship with Jacob is shot to pieces since she's associating with the Cullens and in love with one of them, she's grounded and pissed off her dad, and has death threats on her. But no, she's able to survive this all because Edward's back and Dr. Carlisle promised to make her a vampire sometime after graduation.

As Edward's disbelief shows near the end, how could Bella believe so easily he didn't love her, want her? She thought it was reasonable, given she wasn't "good enough" for Edward and his perfect vampiric personality and looks. *snorts* If she can be so easily affected by what Edward does/says and how the relationship is going, I don't think she's strong enough to stand on her own feet (as she proved, moping and going into danger to hear her delusions) and a bit of wanting in a partner for Edward. Yes, he takes on a lot more guilt than he needs to, but he has a lot more confidence in himself than she seems to. (Or at least he should. He's about one hundred years old and so Bella shouldn't grumble about turning 18 at the beginning of the book. She might look older than him, if she continues to be human, but couldn't she believe him when he says he'll still love her regardless? Apparently not, if she so easily believed he didn't want her anymore when he left.)

This book also dragged on a bit when Bella gets the idea of buying a motorcycle to increase the danger in her life. It's good Meyer wants to be expansive in her exploration of how Bella develops and her wild plans, but I don't think that length was really necessary. In contrast to that, the climax of going to Italy to rescue Edward and the talks afterwards and returning to the US are very short. I suppose that's where the third book comes in... I would have appreciated some balance though. In the end, it seems that while Bella is a little more forceful and firm with her father and with Edward, somewhat, she falls back slightly into "Edward's here, everything peachy-keen." Yes, she's worried about how to repair her friendship with Jacob though Jake and Edward both won't allow it, but her attitude just rubs me wrong.

I suppose I'm a cynic sometimes about relationships and love. I used to be idealistic for sure but my expectations from all the romance novels I used to read got crushed by real-life situations. Ah, oh well!

That said, I will be reading the next book....less

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Amanda rated it:

04/11/08

Read in January, 2008

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 Meyers, 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-drepression, great idea.

Now, my problem. My problem is not so much with the story as it is perhaps with the idea behind the story a...more

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Hna rated it:

08/10/07

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: Teenage Girls, Hopeless Romantics

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 arou...more 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 – 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. (PS. Edward Cullen = my fictional boyfriend!)...less

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Melissa rated it:

01/24/08

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Melissa by: Student

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, ...more 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 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

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Kari rated it:

03/21/08

recommended to Kari by: Bookstore lady

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 fo a while.

There are (at least) two very strange/bad things about 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 tran...more 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 fo a while.

There are (at least) two very strange/bad things about 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. What I CAN find is (the now very wealthy) Myers explaining that she researched the legends of the tribe - it's unclear whether she talked with/collaborated with them, however. Basically, I find it questionable because it objectifies Jacob, making the Native American half-wolf. 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 me.

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.

...less

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Anne rated it:

01/14/08

bookshelves: fantasy, read2008

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Anne by: a desire to read the entire series...grr.
recommends it for: none. Finish on Twilight's happy note.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

After reading Twilight, this book was a let-down; hopefully, with the end of the series nearing, I won't regret going past Twilight.

The characters and plot drastically changed by page 100 and nothing else happened until half-way through the book:

Bella became more unbelievable than ever. As said by another reviewer, she is a "simpering female". I recognise that her way of dealing with her loss is by numbness; this does not excuse the fact that she begins to heal her "hole&q...more After reading Twilight, this book was a let-down; hopefully, with the end of the series nearing, I won't regret going past Twilight.

The characters and plot drastically changed by page 100 and nothing else happened until half-way through the book:

Bella became more unbelievable than ever. As said by another reviewer, she is a "simpering female". I recognise that her way of dealing with her loss is by numbness; this does not excuse the fact that she begins to heal her "hole" with a formerly minor character; if she truely loved Edward and was truely broken by his departure, why would she want to spend time with anyone else? especially when the other person in company began to form stronger feelings about her? She may love them both--differently--but a hole that was carved and hurt for so long (eh, months) could not be healed if her hurt is so true.

Maybe I just need a boyfriend. I guess I can't really..."get it".

The characters I did like in this book were the werewolves. Jacob, being too "special" with his powers (Gary-Stu?) was not a particular favorite, though I did enjoy reading about Sam and Emily. Paul is another cookie-cutter temper-tantrum teen, but Embry and Quil (not yet a wolf) were sweet and clever.

Again, I did not enjoy reading 200 pages about numbness and motorcycles. You're crazy, Bella: we get it. After page 84, there was not plot until Victoria was discovered and Jacob turned into a giant dog. Even then it was weak, but finally got a huge jump when Edward unexpectedly tried to kill himself...and then it stopped again with a "cliff hanger" (oh, no! my dad hates me!). If I wanted to read about absolutely very little happening in a long amount of pages (and time), I would have read The Book Thief (Markus Zusak; five stars) again. And I would have enjoyed it more. MUCH more. There's my pimp of the day: go read The Book Thief.

Honestly, I'm not sure how to sum up my feelings for this book. In hindsight I would have been happy with somebody just explaining to me what happened in the book between passing period (kind of like how I keep up on Stargate: Atlantis). The series started out good, and FAILED (kind of like Indiana Jones 2).

The question is: Will Eclispe bring the love back, as The Return of the Jedi or The Last Crusade did? (Let's not mention SG:A here...Sorry, guys. It sucks without Torri.)

Unless Eclipse and the newest book turn out well, I will advise everyone to be satisfied with the Twilight ending and just see Robert Pattinson in the movie....less

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Stefanie rated it:

03/19/08

bookshelves: 2008-reads

Read in March, 2008

Did you like this book? Why or why not? I found the book very interesting and intriguing! I read vampire novels a lot in my last years of highschool and first years of university but outgrew it somewhat. Or at least thought that I did, lol. This book really brought me back to that fascination :) I loved the relationship between bella and edward - even though it was so unbelieveable it was incredibly real and intense. The way that they met and formed their relationship seemed so much like any oth...more Did you like this book? Why or why not? I found the book very interesting and intriguing! I read vampire novels a lot in my last years of highschool and first years of university but outgrew it somewhat. Or at least thought that I did, lol. This book really brought me back to that fascination :) I loved the relationship between bella and edward - even though it was so unbelieveable it was incredibly real and intense. The way that they met and formed their relationship seemed so much like any other high school relationship.

What didn't you like about the book? Why? I think that the only aspect that I didn't like about the book in theory was the vampires - it is so hard to make vampires believeable and not super cliche (because anyone who writes about vampires after Anne Rice started comes across as, intentionally or not, being super gimmicky. Heck, even Anne Rice comes across as that!). To her credit though Meyers did pull it off pretty successfully.

How did you feel about the relationship between Bella and Edward? Were you able to connect to their relationship? Was it believable? Like I stated before, their relationship was so believeable except with one little quirk. I felt though that whereas a normal relationship might have some sort of sexual activities involved their relationship doesn't. I love the depth of his love for her and how that relationship is mirrored in both Emmett and Rosaline and Carlisle and Esme.

Why do you think it is that Edward doesn't want Bella to become a vampire? Do you think he will give in eventually? I think that he feels that she will lose an essential part of herself if she becomes a vampire. I also think, like bel_auteur thought, that part of their relationship is the strict boundaries that they have to keep between themselves because of her alluring scent. (that sounds so naughty, Alluring Scent, LOL). I think that in the final book (coming out in the summer) she will become a vampire at the very end.

What did you think about the ending? Did it wrap up the story well? What would you have changed about it? I think that the ending wrapped up satisfactorily. It left a lot of possibility for the author to explore in their future relationships.

What was your favorite part of this book? The scene in the forest when he shows her what he looks like in the sunlight - it was so touching and moving. I felt like I could feel the pain of his struggle to not consume her and to control his cravings and urges.

Will you read the sequel, New Moon? It came in the mail today and I am about 1/3 of the way through :D It is radically different and the tone of the book is incredibly macabre. That said, I am absolutely engrossed in the story of Bella and Edward....less

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Denys L.H. rated it:

03/13/08

recommended to Denys L.H. by: a really big douchebag
recommends it for: douchebags

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 DOING IN HIGH SCHOO...more 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 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!

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 heard 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

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Jessica rated it:

03/20/08

Read in August, 2007

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 l...more

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Sapote3 added it

02/27/08

recommends it for: trainwreck watchers

Again: I hated these books. Skip on by.

Unfortunately, someone has reined in Mrs. Meyer's florid prose, which means that the characters and plotline come to the forefront. I am going to assume that you, review-reader, are not itching to read this and summarize the plot:

Bella is in love with the vampire Edward, who hangs around high schools even though he's hundreds of years old. Edward likes to do things like take Bella for long rides in his car, and sit across from her bed watching her ...more Again: I hated these books. Skip on by.

Unfortunately, someone has reined in Mrs. Meyer's florid prose, which means that the characters and plotline come to the forefront. I am going to assume that you, review-reader, are not itching to read this and summarize the plot:

Bella is in love with the vampire Edward, who hangs around high schools even though he's hundreds of years old. Edward likes to do things like take Bella for long rides in his car, and sit across from her bed watching her sleep all night. At the beginning of this book, Edward tells Bella that he has made elaborate plans to kill himself if they are parted.

Then he leaves.

Bella manifests little or no connection to anyone besides Edward* in these books. Her interactions with other people her age are perfunctory, and the narration establishes again and again that she only tries to make friends with her peers because it's less complicated than avoiding them. Her mother is uselessly "eccentric" and needs to be cared for; Bella's father is largely absent, and Bella is the one who does the cooking and cleaning. Bella's relationship with Edward has further isolated her - since she has to keep secrets on behalf of her boyfriend, she has shrunk from any social connection outside of his "family". At no point does Bella show any sign of having a particularly resilient or self-sufficient personality; when Edward leaves, she essentially crumbles.

But he's not left completely! No, after planting the idea that parting is worse than death, he begins to speak in her mind every time she does something particularly self-destructive. While his overt message is to stop doing what she's doing, these messages act as a spur for Bella to pursue ever more self-destructive behavior in a desperate effort to get Edward back.

Finally, she jumps off a cliff.
She doesn't die, and in fact, she ends up having to engage in a transatlantic race against time to prove to Edward that she really is there for him. This ends with Bella having to promise to become a vampire to escape with her life.

This is all in the text. No matter how many times Bella tries to insist that she has free will, or that it's actually really romantic, it reads like psychological horror. If you really want gut-clenching creepiness, proceed to Book 3.

*Bella does make one genuine friend in this whole series, Jacob, who is actually vaguely likable. If you get attached to Jacob as he is in Book 2, don't read book 3....less

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Ukrainer rated it:

09/03/07

Read in August, 2007

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 throughout much of the novel. ...more

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Amber rated it:

11/16/07

Read in November, 2007

11/13/2007 - I started last night and read for 2 hours straight with another 1 hour spread over the evening before I settled in. Just as good as TWILIGHT, I can't wait to see how the story progresses. I have to comment on the story as I read so if you want to read this trilogy and don't want to know anything about the story - don't read past the **SPOILER** line. More updates soon!

11/15/07 - yeah I finished this book in three days, but really 2 with work and stuff (god if I could just read ...more

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Katharhino rated it:

03/25/08

bookshelves: fantasy, romance

Read in March, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I’m not sure how to rate this, because it was both more complex and less organized than Twilight. I liked it both more and less. I think I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt (being the middle book of a trilogy after all) and go with four stars.

As the story started I was rolling my eyes and not really getting into it so much. I am not an angst person and furthermore nobly giving someone up in order to protect them is both unrealistic and a huge cliché. And in books it never works becaus...more I’m not sure how to rate this, because it was both more complex and less organized than Twilight. I liked it both more and less. I think I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt (being the middle book of a trilogy after all) and go with four stars.

As the story started I was rolling my eyes and not really getting into it so much. I am not an angst person and furthermore nobly giving someone up in order to protect them is both unrealistic and a huge cliché. And in books it never works because they always either get back together or tragically die of a broken heart. However, the story started to improve once Jacob re-entered it.

I loved the Jacob/Bella dynamic. Now, don’t get me wrong, Edward is teh hawtstuff and I can appreciate the romance as much as anyone, but like the noble-sacrifice thing it’s all very melodramatic. I much prefer a developing-friendship romance to a destiny-fate-and-love-at-first-sight kind of romance; and aside from personal preference a gradually developing romance is much more realistic and interesting than a sudden one. As an author it would be very difficult to deal with a sudden-fate romance and still make it interesting, which is why you end up inserting silly angst.

But I digress. Anyway, I really sympathized with Jacob and thought their relationship was believable and well-written. So the switch back to melodrama was rather sudden for me, even though it’s comparatively good melodrama. I mean that Meyer retains a sense of humor and proportion even when writing about vampires committing suicide for LUV. I do think she’s a pretty good writer, on the whole, but I think the Edward/Bella thing can easily get out of control and exceed the boundaries of a good plot.

Still, because of the combination of elements I felt rather ambiguous about the book as a whole. I wanted to love the Edward portions because they’re romantic and fun, but couldn’t help feeling that the Jacob sections were much better.

Also, what I said before about getting annoyed with endless arguments over whether Bella should be human. ...less

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Jennifer rated it:

05/10/08

bookshelves: trt-reviews

Reviewed by K. Osborn Sullivan for TeensReadToo.com

NEW MOON is the much-anticipated sequel to last year's exceptional vampire romance, TWILIGHT. When I first got my hands on a thick copy of TWILIGHT, I ended up losing sleep for a week until I finished it. Night after night I could not put down the gripping tale of 17-year-old Isabella Swan and the family of vampires who virtually adopt her - some more willingly than others.

With the thrill of TWILIGHT fresh in my mind, I eagerly plunged ...more Reviewed by K. Osborn Sullivan for TeensReadToo.com

NEW MOON is the much-anticipated sequel to last year's exceptional vampire romance, TWILIGHT. When I first got my hands on a thick copy of TWILIGHT, I ended up losing sleep for a week until I finished it. Night after night I could not put down the gripping tale of 17-year-old Isabella Swan and the family of vampires who virtually adopt her - some more willingly than others.

With the thrill of TWILIGHT fresh in my mind, I eagerly plunged into NEW MOON. The story takes up several months after TWILIGHT ended. Bella has enjoyed a magical summer with her vampire love, Edward Cullen, but as she closes in on her eighteenth birthday, her own mortality weighs heavily on her. Edward will be eternally young and beautiful, while Bella is doomed to age like a normal human.

In this sequel, author Stephenie Meyer starts out strong. For example, she offers some foreshadowing when Bella and Edward discuss Romeo and Juliet for a school assignment. Also, Meyer masterfully set up a potentially epic conflict that must be resolved in the next book. I'm already on the edge of my seat waiting for that one.

Unfortunately, NEW MOON did not captivate me and keep me awake way too late the way its predecessor did. It was largely lacking in the two things I liked best about the first book. First, the vampiric Cullen family did not feature as prominently here. Yes, Bella managed to make other unusual friends, but these new pals were not as compelling as the eternal Cullens.

The other thing I missed in NEW MOON was that it did not emphasize the heroine's stumbling, bumbling klutziness. That aspect of her character made her endearing in the first novel, but while it existed here to some degree, it did not provide the same level of comic relief that I enjoyed in TWILIGHT. Overall this felt like a more serious book.

NEW MOON's rating doubtless suffered from the extraordinary expectations created by TWILIGHT. I loved NEW MOON's beginning and its end, but I only liked the middle. Despite the criticisms, this is an intriguing tale that I highly recommend. And I can't wait to see what happens next. ...less

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