marcelabecerra's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
albonk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
exlibrisbitsy's review against another edition
1.0
After reading Twilight I honestly though the series could not possibly get any worse. We already had anti-feminist and misogynistic overtones, we already had a shallow and petty plot surrounding a shallow and petty character. A mammoth of a book had been built glorifying two teenage lovers utterly convinced that no one had loved as they loved before or would since. The worst is past. I didn’t think it would get better but I didn’t think it could get any worse either. I was wrong.
Warning: Contains Spoilers
In New Moon Edward decides for the both of them that he is too dangerous to be around Bella and so gets up and leaves. Bella has a complete and total nervous break down. She shuts off completely for a span of several months. She has defined herself solely through her relationship with Edward, without him she literally cannot function as a human being. This time phase is shown by simply turning pages with nothing but the name of the month on them. There is literally nothing more to write. Until Bella comes back to life and with only one main impetus powering that change, martyrdom. Her father offers to send her back to her mother and then offer to have her see "a shrink". Instead of doing either of these things she promises to get more involved with life, knowing it is a lie. Instead of actually seeking out healing she deliberately retards any growth she might have gotten from the experience out of some sort of martyr complex. Throughout the book I wasn't sure who she was trying to punish, Edward or herself.
This especially came home to me when she started becoming suicidal. She thinks she hears Edwards voice speaking to her and warning her not to do things when she is about to do something that might result in death. As a result she seeks out deadly and dangerous things to do, riding motorcycles, walking in seedy neighborhoods, even diving off of a cliff. She swears its not because she wants to die but that because it is the only time she can be close to Edward and hear his voice. In the end when she asks Edward about it he shrugs his shoulders at her, he had no idea what she was talking about. Bella really had entered a state of psychosis in a world where "forever love" turned out to be as temporary as teen love usually is. She couldn't handle reality. Luckily for Bella she doesn't ever have to face it permanently, or else this would be a really short series with a very early grave for a girl that refuses to grow up and take responsibility for herself.
The one good thing in the book was Bella's budding friendship with Jacob. I assumed that the relationship between Edward and Bella was so unrealistic because the author could not portray a real relationship in writing. This turned out not to be true. Jacob and Bella's relationship was built slowly through friendship, common interests and mutual faith and trust. Straight up until Jacob became a werewolf their relationship was natural, healthy and Bella actually started to heal in spite of herself and if it hadn't been for meddling vampires might have become a woman in an equal relationship, instead of a child in a controlling one. Alas.
After Jacob becomes a werewolf things change and take a dangerous turn and, finally, the book picks up and finishes at a much faster pace than the slow and dragging beginning. By the end Edward is back and he forces Bella to sever her relationship with Jacob. You can explain it away all you like, but in the end that is exactly what happened.
And so, the ending is here, the lovers are back together, they are going to love each other "forever" as they have been saying they would since about half way through Twilight. But then, things take a turn I didn't expect. Edward proposes marriage, and Bella turns him down. She wants love "forever" because no one has loved as she loves, no one deserves love like Edward deserves love. She wants to become immortal and love him forever. But she doesn't want to do so as his wife. Because her parents got divorced. So marriage is icky. What a complete and total child. I told you it got worse.
Warning: Contains Spoilers
In New Moon Edward decides for the both of them that he is too dangerous to be around Bella and so gets up and leaves. Bella has a complete and total nervous break down. She shuts off completely for a span of several months. She has defined herself solely through her relationship with Edward, without him she literally cannot function as a human being. This time phase is shown by simply turning pages with nothing but the name of the month on them. There is literally nothing more to write. Until Bella comes back to life and with only one main impetus powering that change, martyrdom. Her father offers to send her back to her mother and then offer to have her see "a shrink". Instead of doing either of these things she promises to get more involved with life, knowing it is a lie. Instead of actually seeking out healing she deliberately retards any growth she might have gotten from the experience out of some sort of martyr complex. Throughout the book I wasn't sure who she was trying to punish, Edward or herself.
This especially came home to me when she started becoming suicidal. She thinks she hears Edwards voice speaking to her and warning her not to do things when she is about to do something that might result in death. As a result she seeks out deadly and dangerous things to do, riding motorcycles, walking in seedy neighborhoods, even diving off of a cliff. She swears its not because she wants to die but that because it is the only time she can be close to Edward and hear his voice. In the end when she asks Edward about it he shrugs his shoulders at her, he had no idea what she was talking about. Bella really had entered a state of psychosis in a world where "forever love" turned out to be as temporary as teen love usually is. She couldn't handle reality. Luckily for Bella she doesn't ever have to face it permanently, or else this would be a really short series with a very early grave for a girl that refuses to grow up and take responsibility for herself.
The one good thing in the book was Bella's budding friendship with Jacob. I assumed that the relationship between Edward and Bella was so unrealistic because the author could not portray a real relationship in writing. This turned out not to be true. Jacob and Bella's relationship was built slowly through friendship, common interests and mutual faith and trust. Straight up until Jacob became a werewolf their relationship was natural, healthy and Bella actually started to heal in spite of herself and if it hadn't been for meddling vampires might have become a woman in an equal relationship, instead of a child in a controlling one. Alas.
After Jacob becomes a werewolf things change and take a dangerous turn and, finally, the book picks up and finishes at a much faster pace than the slow and dragging beginning. By the end Edward is back and he forces Bella to sever her relationship with Jacob. You can explain it away all you like, but in the end that is exactly what happened.
And so, the ending is here, the lovers are back together, they are going to love each other "forever" as they have been saying they would since about half way through Twilight. But then, things take a turn I didn't expect. Edward proposes marriage, and Bella turns him down. She wants love "forever" because no one has loved as she loves, no one deserves love like Edward deserves love. She wants to become immortal and love him forever. But she doesn't want to do so as his wife. Because her parents got divorced. So marriage is icky. What a complete and total child. I told you it got worse.
easytocrash's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.25
accordingtoemma's review against another edition
3.0
3.75*****
I just didn’t enjoy this one was much as the first. I almost gave it 4 stars, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I wish it had been a little bit more creative than just a parallel to Romeo and Juliet.
I loved the more Jake that we got, but I wish...I don’t know. More folklore, more something to the whole werewolf thing. I really enjoyed the glimpse into his brotherhood that we got. Meeting the new characters was really cool.
I wish the whole Volturi thing had been fleshed out more, as well. Understood more about them. And some explanation. The whole tourist/people eating thing...didn’t make sense to me. It was stated earlier that they bring food in from far places. But like, that whole huge group? Wouldn’t someone notice it? Also—I know that Edward did it to save her, but like. It was a little much just for that simple explanation. I felt like I needed more of a reason. I don’t know, maybe that’s just me. AND. Why did his whole family have to move?? Like he wasn’t even staying with them anyway. His reasons for leaving were just his-it was pointless for his family to go away, too.
There were too many loose ends, too many unanswered questions for me to award a full 4 stars. But it was better than just 3 stars. I love these characters. On my way to watch the film, and then off to Eclipse!
I just didn’t enjoy this one was much as the first. I almost gave it 4 stars, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I wish it had been a little bit more creative than just a parallel to Romeo and Juliet.
I loved the more Jake that we got, but I wish...I don’t know. More folklore, more something to the whole werewolf thing. I really enjoyed the glimpse into his brotherhood that we got. Meeting the new characters was really cool.
I wish the whole Volturi thing had been fleshed out more, as well. Understood more about them. And some explanation. The whole tourist/people eating thing...didn’t make sense to me. It was stated earlier that they bring food in from far places. But like, that whole huge group? Wouldn’t someone notice it? Also—I know that Edward did it to save her, but like. It was a little much just for that simple explanation. I felt like I needed more of a reason. I don’t know, maybe that’s just me. AND. Why did his whole family have to move?? Like he wasn’t even staying with them anyway. His reasons for leaving were just his-it was pointless for his family to go away, too.
There were too many loose ends, too many unanswered questions for me to award a full 4 stars. But it was better than just 3 stars. I love these characters. On my way to watch the film, and then off to Eclipse!
versmonesprit's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I don’t think Twilight is a masterpiece either, but I found New Moon truly terrible for a few reasons — the main one being the toxicity.
New Moon doesn’t have what makes Twilight a fun read: an atmosphere. Whereas lush forest descriptions make Twilight “a vibe,” New Moon has none of it. It mainly raises a lot of mental health issues, without addressing them properly at all. It is emotional not because it deals with these issues properly, but because your heart constantly breaks for Bella.
But also you can’t help but be mad at her at times because she’s an adult in this book, and almost never acts like one. It’s also creepy that she as an adult allows Jacob as a minor to act on his crush on her. Which is ‘funny,’ considering Edward does pretty much the same to Bella.
And there’s the main problem: just how toxic the Cullens are. I cannot deal with the emotional manipulation.
I also hate how the Quileute boys are literally made into wild beasts incapable of controlling their rage, to the point they physically hurt their significant others. Funny, because that’s also Edward.
New Moon doesn’t have what makes Twilight a fun read: an atmosphere. Whereas lush forest descriptions make Twilight “a vibe,” New Moon has none of it. It mainly raises a lot of mental health issues, without addressing them properly at all. It is emotional not because it deals with these issues properly, but because your heart constantly breaks for Bella.
But also you can’t help but be mad at her at times because she’s an adult in this book, and almost never acts like one. It’s also creepy that she as an adult allows Jacob as a minor to act on his crush on her. Which is ‘funny,’ considering Edward does pretty much the same to Bella.
And there’s the main problem: just how toxic the Cullens are. I cannot deal with the emotional manipulation.
I also hate how the Quileute boys are literally made into wild beasts incapable of controlling their rage, to the point they physically hurt their significant others. Funny, because that’s also Edward.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
talmahdi's review
2.0
One of the most boring books ever. I hated it and it took me forever to finish reading it. I dislike Jacob no I hate him actually.