Book Review: New Moon

New Moon (Twilight Saga #2)

By: Stephenie Meyer

Published By: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: September 2006

Page Count: 565

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Purchased by Reviewer

Audience: Young Adult - Paranormal

Review of Book #1: Twilight

This is another reread for me. As with Twilight, I devoured this one for the first time in November 2007. Since that first read, I have revisited this series many times. There is just something special that always calls me back. I love losing myself in Forks and La Push when real life gets too tedious or stressful.

The first time I read New Moon, I didn't appreciate it all. My anxiety was in full gear as I stressed about what would happen to Edward. Could he really be gone forever? I will admit that I even cheated and flipped ahead to read the last chapter. I had to know if Edward would return - not knowing was too much for me to handle.

Now that I know exactly how things turn out, I can read this one without stressing. I have also learned to appreciate New Moon. This novel really allows Bella to grow as a character. Her entire life revolves around Edward, but once he's gone, she has no choice but to learn to move forward. I was slightly frustrated that she turns so quickly to another guy to fill that void, but I honestly believe that for Bella her relationship with Jacob was purely plutonic. I'm not saying Jacob and Bella don't have potential - the chemistry is there - it is just impossible for her to give her heart to him when it belongs to Edward.

This novel was also difficult for me due to the limited presence of the Cullens. They are what made me love the first novel so I was saddened that they are off living their lives off the page in this one. I empathized with Bella on this topic.

In addition, I enjoyed the scenes in Volterra. They set up a nice bit of tension that will play out in future books. These were also the only vampires in the series that truly freaked me out.

My favorite part of New Moon was learning more about the wolf pack. This is really the first time where we get to spend a lot of time with the La Push characters. Sam is my favorite member of the Pack; he is complex and has a tremendous burden on his shoulders as Pack leader. 

One Last Gripe: I didn't like how Bella kept putting herself at risk to conjure Edward's voice. This seemed silly and selfish to me.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: I liked watching Jacob and Bella's friendship develop.

First Sentence: I felt like I was trapped in one of those terrifying nightmares, the one where you have to run, run till your lungs burst, but you can't make your body move fast enough.

Favorite Character: Sam

Least Favorite Character: Paul

Summary:

For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning....

Legions of readers entranced by New York Times bestseller Twilight are hungry for the continuing story of star-crossed lovers Bella and Edward. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural spin. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.