New Moon

New Moon (Twilight #2) by Stephenie Meyer (2006)

new moon

YA Fiction | Paranormal Romance

Blurb:

“I knew we were both in mortal danger. Still, in that instant, I felt well. Whole. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, the blood pulsing hot and fast through my veins again. My lungs filled deep with the sweet scent that came off his skin. It was like there had never been any hole in my chest. I was perfect – not healed, but as if there had never been a wound in the first place.”
–Goodreads

How to write a review on the Twilight Saga…that is the question. Honestly, I suppose I shall have to write a two-part review for each book in the series: a) How I felt when I first read the books at age 14 and b) How I felt when I re-read them at age 18. Yes. Yes that shall be my format for the following four Twilight Saga book reviews. Now let’s proceed.

Book One: TWILIGHT

pooled ink Review:

AGE 14: No Edward! How could you leave Bella??? How could you?! I literally hurled my copy of New Moon across my bedroom when I read this part. No joke. I was so upset and furious and disappointed in Mr. Perfect. But then I got to know Jacob and I realized that he’s a really great person. But then…No Jacob! How could you leave Bella??? How could you?! Once again life was crumbling in this supposedly perfect Twilight world but then phew! Jacob had a good reason. Then Edward had a “good” reason…no Edward was being ridiculous, sorry dude. And this whole time Bella is going crazy and basically acting totally suicidal and I felt so conflicted because on one hand no guy should have that much power over you especially not when you’ve basically just met, I mean come on. But at the same time I sympathized because I had fallen in love with Edward too and he was supposed to be Mr. Happily-Ever-After and yet here he was letting us all down and confirming our fears that we were indeed unworthy, unattractive, and just all around not good enough to ever actually land a Prince Charming. …But then in the end it all worked out so huzzah.

Oh and in this book we get to learn about werewolves, spend time fixing motorcycles, and getting to know Jacob Black, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Jacob is the best friend Bella needs and I really love their vibe and just watching them be there for each other. (As much as I love Jacob, I’m Team Edward all the way for Bella. Ugh love-triangles are so messy!)

We also learn about the Volturi, an ancient Italian group of vampires who are essentially vampire royalty. It was both fascinating and horrifying.

There’s definitely a lot more action in this book…well…in the last third of the book anyway. The entire first third, or maybe even the first half is painted pretty gray as Bella works through her post-breakup depression.

AGE 18: No Bella! How could you be so ridiculous and stupid and pathetic???? How could you?! Yeah. My sympathy for Bella lasted only the first and maybe the second reading of this book. But definitely by round three I had no sorrow for her. I had nothing but eye-rolling annoyance. Sure she was heartbroken and stuff but her behavior was still the definition of pathetic and stupid. Okay fine the way Edward basically “White Fang-ed” her is brutal and that would totally crush me too so I know I’m being too harsh on her which is easy to do since she’s a book character and not me. Regardless, Bella Swan is not a healthy person (which at least she is fully aware of). If this is how the first guy she dates affects her then she really needs to go to counseling or something. And it’s true, when you go through a heartbreak or meltdown or whatever she experienced it’s super important to have a support group but not only did she keep her problems from them but she basically live-version un-friended them. Thank goodness for the persistent Jacob Black!

Sure maybe she couldn’t tell her friends about Edward being a vampire (and personally being torn away from a whole secret paranormal world would be tough for me) but she could tell them how badly it hurt her that he left (which is the main thing anyway). As far as they all know Edward and Bella were dating but then he and his family moved to Alaska or something. He left. She sad. They can figure out that much. Honestly the vampire part isn’t near so important as the fact that he left. And that’s something she for sure could have talked about. I just feel like this whole book is a dramatic manual on what NOT to do when a guy breaks up with you. DON’T GO FREAKNG COMATOSE. YOU DATED HIM FOR ONLY A FEW MONTHS. YOU’RE IN FREAKING HIGH SCHOOL. STOP IT. She needed a support system, not intense moping and suicidal impulses, and the fact that this was never really delved into or corrected is an issue for me.

I think this book holds the record for the number of times I call Bella an idiot. But what do I know? I’ve never had an impossible handsome guy fall in love with me, show me a whole world I didn’t even know existed, then toss me aside “for my own good” (that’s another bullsh*t rant I could go on) so maybe I’m just being a jerk. I just wish the book addressed how wrongly she dealt with things and that her friends (more than just Jacob who had a crush on her) had come to her and really helped her move on rather than give some half-assed attempts then abandoning her to her silent misery (then again what can we really expect from high school teens?). This break-up could have been used as a character building moment so that when she and Edward reunited she’d be stronger and more self-aware, self-assured, and though love him with all her heart she wouldn’t need him to define her. Instead she cried, she almost died, and then she went right back to her obsessive relationship with the guy who hurt her in the first place.

Honestly, while a part of me enjoys re-reading Twilight from time to time, I never go back to the rest of the series. Even though I loved the idea of werewolves and getting to spend more time with Jacob, and the idea of the Volturi was pretty cool, I really loathe love-triangles and I really can’t stand Bella’s decision-making in this book.

…I like the book covers though. I mean, they’re pretty cool. I like how they’re simple but significant…but that doesn’t forgive the content.

Cheers.

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