Legions of readers entranced by the New York Times best-seller 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. Short-link Link Embed. Share from cover. Share from page:. Title availability. Contributors OverDrive, Inc. Details Publication. New York : Little, Brown and Co.
Full details Full details of this title, opens an overlay. From the community What did you think about this title? 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. 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 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.
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. 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! Aug 03, Scott rated it did not like it 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 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 I can't even 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 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.
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? This book failed. I'm sorry. View all 17 comments. Apr 02, Kai added it Shelves: owned , finished-series. I love every single book and it's kind of hard for me to pick a favourite. This one, however, is probably my least favourite.
Not for obvious reasons, though. Most people complain about how nothing really happens, how Bella is mainly depressed and moping and boring. To be honest, this is my favourite part in this book. It's the perfect rainy autumn day read. When you're feeling down and annoyed, this book wraps you in a blanket and comforts you. Bella's numbness and depression, Fork's atmosphere, Jacob's warmth, all of that soothes your - or well at least my - soul and lets you sulk a little and enjoy the silence.
I could do without the action, though. I don't need the big drama at the end of every Twilight book. I'm happy just reading about Bella's thoughts and inner conflicts, about her life in Forks, her friends and the Cullens. That's enough for me. Find more of my books on Instagram Shelves: part-of-a-series , desert-island-keepers , suicidal-hero , reading , favorites , im-jealous-of-this-heroine , angsty-read , young-adult , heroine-i-adore , werewolf.
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. 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 has proven to me that she can I admit I put off reading this second book in the Twilight series, for a few reasons.
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. The beauty of their love story. Surprisingly, it did. 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 angry at Edward. I was so mad I wanted to slap him. 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. 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. 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. 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. Her love for him that is more than just a friend, like a brother, but deeper. 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. That voice that came around to warn Bella when she was in trouble. When he would smile his sweet smile, and shine his light on Bella. 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. 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 Bella might come off wrong on first glance to the casual observer. Like she is in her own little world, selfish and self-absorbed. She has to hold herself at a distance or lose herself. 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. 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.
Silly me. 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 just love how he is described. 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. I love Edward way too much.
I also adore the Cullens, especially Alice and Carlisle. 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. 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! View all 53 comments. Aug 17, Lucy rated it did not like it Shelves: teen , trashy. 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 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.
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. That's the problem with this book. 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. View all 28 comments. Twilight: 1. Is this what we're supposed to be teaching our teenage daughters?
Apparently Ms. Meyer believes that: 1. Moping for 4 straight months over a goddamned boy is okay, and even though you'll make people worried and your friends may stop talking to you, hey! Becoming another boy's friend solely to use him to make yourself feel better and to try and fill that "void" the other boy left, without any regard for his feelings and how your actions might affect him is definitely okay because hey! Even though he doesn't know. But that's okay. Cause you know.
And you'll tell him. Okay never. Hopping on a plane to another fucking continent is definitely the best decision you could make when your twoo wuv is in danger of killing himself, even though he's immortal. With no regard to your father. Who literally just came back from his friend's funeral. Nah, don't think about Dad. He's probably not that worried. Cause Daddy, I love him! You're supposed to be selfish because you're in love! I'm not even going to try to explain this one. It's literally the whole book.
I'm just so utterly disgusted by what I just read, and I can't believe I managed to stomach it all. Bella is so incredibly weak as a protagonist, girl, woman, character, whatever. Just the way she treats everyone is extremely self-centered--from her father to her friends to Jacob--and it made me furious.
But it's okay because "she's in pain. A boy broke your heart? I'm sorry, honey, but you'll eventually get over it because you're a strong woman who doesn't need to rely on other people for your own happiness.
Get out there and make your own. Without a goddamned boy. Do you really have nothing else in your life worth living for? View all 12 comments. Shelves: desert-island-keepers , young-adult-fiction , read , read , paranormal-romance.
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. Duri 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.
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. Format ebook. ISBN Series Twilight Saga. Author Stephenie Meyer. Release 08 August
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