New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

[kelby_lake]

Out of the sequels, this is the best. It's far too long but there are moments where Bella and Jacob actually have chemistry. However Bella reaches new levels of self-indulgent mourning.
Luckily Edward, the most boring piece of man-candy EVER, leaves because he thinks he will harm poor ickle Bella-Weetabix. The character is nothing but an eloquent corpse.

If you're into romance, it's the most romantic. If you prefer action, avoid.

[Joreads]

Hi Kelby

Thanks for the review. I have to say I loved this series but New Moon was my least favorite of all of the books. I like the character of Edward (actually like might not be strong enough;)) and that may have had something to do with it. Bella on the other hand drove me around the bend and back again in this book so I agree with you 100% on that.

Have you read the other novels?

Jo

[kelby_lake]

Yep, although I couldn't be bothered to finish Breaking Dawn. It was too long...

Edward is a dull character. It seems like he's been forced to like Bella, becasue seriously? Actually I don't think Edward's into girls...

[Niamh]

Same with Jo, I'm an Edward fan. Dont know how you cant see the chemistry between them Kelby. Its constant within the first book... Also same as Jo, I found New moon a bit of a let down after Twilight... because of no Edward. I suppose we all read differently and all take things differently too. One person might grasp one thing, while another grasps something else.

[kelby_lake]

Edward is merely a collection of regurgitated cliches. He appears to be an amalgam but an uninteresting one.
Chemistry should be obvious without them having to go at it all the time. Subtlety is not Meyer's strong point.

[xlxlauraxlx]

I actually found that i qute enjoyed this book and was suprised as most of my friends said it wasn't worth reading.

[Skooter]

I started the first Twilight book, but I never finished it. I didn't like Bella or Edward. Both of them seemed way too cliché and self-indulgent from my point of view :/.
Part of me wants to pick it up again so I can have a more informed opinion... Does anyone think I might start to like it better after I finish it?

[xlxlauraxlx]

Yeah, maybe. I'm not sure though, most people I know enjoyed it whilst reading it, I know I couldn't put it down. You perhaps might enjoy being able to discuss the book with people once you have finished it, perhaps thats the reason you should finish it. I know it crops up in many conversations with my friends. :)

[*Classic*Charm*]

From what I've been told and experienced, you either love it or you hate it. You may not feel any differently if you reread it, but it's always worth a shot, right??

Yeah, I really don't understand how you couldn't see the chemistry between Edward and Bella either, or that you should be able to see the chemistry "without them having to go at it all the time". They really don't go at it at all.... Sorry, Kelby, I disagree with you! I did think it was kind of unsatisfying after Twilight because Edward was gone though. Jacob really bothers me.

[Bakiryu]

Lestat > Edward

Because REAL vampires DON'T SPARKLE!

[kelby_lake]

Ooh, is that Latin I see?

Edward Cullen is just a rip-off of classic romantic heroes. It's misogynistic- women can live without men.
Edward leaves because he doesn't want to eat Bella- fair do's, but then the girl is made to mope around and is punished for befriending another man by the reader who loving Eddie is obliged to hate Jacob.

And them not going at it? Have you read the later books? They kiss on practically every page just in case we'd forgotten that they're in love, and we get an unappetising description of it. If you don't imagine yourself as Bella, you get pretty repulsed with them.

[*Classic*Charm*]

Ooh, is that Latin I see?

Edward Cullen is just a rip-off of classic romantic heroes. It's misogynistic- women can live without men.
Edward leaves because he doesn't want to eat Bella- fair do's, but then the girl is made to mope around and is punished for befriending another man by the reader who loving Eddie is obliged to hate Jacob.

And them not going at it? Have you read the later books? They kiss on practically every page just in case we'd forgotten that they're in love, and we get an unappetising description of it. If you don't imagine yourself as Bella, you get pretty repulsed with them.

Of course he is- thats why we like him so much! I don't think I'd call him misogynistic though- the book is saying that men can't live without women just as much, we just don't get that perspective. Eddie (haha) has just as hard a time about being apart as Bella does. Of course she mopes around! Wouldn't you? And it's that attachment that I think makes so many women like the series so much. I think every woman has fantasized about having that obsessive, hopeless, dangerous, perfect romance.

The reader isn't obliged to hate Jacob at all! He does have his good points, definitely, but the reason I don't like him is because he's forceful and manipulative, not because he's not Edward.

I guess that depends on your definition of "going at it";). Yeah, I guess things do get a tad more intense as things go along. I haven't read Breaking Dawn yet, though, so I can't really say about that one.

[Bakiryu]

Ooh, is that Latin I see?

Edward Cullen is just a rip-off of classic romantic heroes. It's misogynistic- women can live without men.
Edward leaves because he doesn't want to eat Bella- fair do's, but then the girl is made to mope around and is punished for befriending another man by the reader who loving Eddie is obliged to hate Jacob.

And them not going at it? Have you read the later books? They kiss on practically every page just in case we'd forgotten that they're in love, and we get an unappetising description of it. If you don't imagine yourself as Bella, you get pretty repulsed with them.

it is :D

I completely agree. Besides, for a hero Ed has almost no personality. Both he and Jake and even Bella are just cookie-cutter characters. Twilight pales in comparison with other vampire series, even Dracula was much more interesting and less weepy.

[Reread]

Bella is a wimp about everything. In New Moon, she is constantly feeling faint or nauseated. If anyone mentions the Cullens, she nearly swoons. If someone mentions Victoria she nearly vomits. The girl needs to get a grip. She completely lacks independence or bravery. Not all of it is her fault though, the men in her life not only tolerate her extreme-ness but apologize for causing it. She's just like Cathrerine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights. Any little thing sets her off and Jacob (Linton) and Edward (Heathcliff) fussing over her is doing absolutley nothing to help her learn to deal with it.

[curlyqlink]

I read Twilight, but it did not leave me eager to read the sequels. Although it's a fun read it seemed kind of padded and drawn out. Bella's potential as a character is exhausted about a third of the way in to the novel; after that, her characterization gets repetitious. (She's a klutz. She trips over her feet. She trips in the woods. If she tries to dance... you guessed it... she trips.) Edward is kept a mystery for as long as possible, but when the mystery is revealed, there just isn't a whole lot there. He's a love-object, strong and moody and with pretty eyes.

Twilight is a long novel, and yet all the peripheral characters are barely penciled in. The father, for example. I suppose fleshing out these characters-- all the other vampires, for example-- could be grist for Stephanie Meyer's mill. But unless they are better characterized than Bella and Edward, I'm not interested.

[kelby_lake]

She's made the flaw which every writer as a child made. You want to make a big town or city, and so it has to have a population. Therefore you create characters purely to populate or just as a friend for so-and-so, without them having any personality.

[*Classic*Charm*]

Okay, Kelby, I retract my statement about Edward and Bella not going at it, now that I've read Breaking Dawn...oh my. This book is meant for kids how old?

[Niamh]

Its for young adults 15/16+ but unfortunately a lot of booksellers have put it in the kids section, something that i had rectified in work.

[kelby_lake]

It's sort of young adult age group, though read by younger people and adults.

[*Classic*Charm*]

Is it not a touch explicit for that age group? Maybe I'm old now (haha) but I don't remember reading that when I was that young...maybe I'm wrong.

[Joreads]

Okay, Kelby, I retract my statement about Edward and Bella not going at it, now that I've read Breaking Dawn...oh my. This book is meant for kids how old?


She certainly doesn't hold back in BD does she:D

[1n50mn14]

I can't make my opinion about the Stephanie Meyer books strongly enough.
>.<
Trash! Trash! Trash! Trash! Trash!
Was that strong enough?
No characters whatsoever, they've got no depth, I have to agree with the previous statement of 'cookie cutter characters'. Give the teens better fiction. Please.

[*Classic*Charm*]

Give the teens better fiction. Please.

Oh it's there, if they want to read it! They just...don't. This is just easier.

[kelby_lake]

I just felt embarrassed for Meyer. If this is what she dreams about at night...