Index
21st Century
The Future
World Travel
Destinations
Reviews
Books & Film
Dreamscapes
Original Fiction
Opinion & Lifestyle
Politics & Living
Film Space
Movies in depth
Kid's Books
Reviews & stories









The International Writers Magazine
:
Book Review

New Moon by Stepahnie Meyer
Hardcover: 576 pages
Publisher: ATOM April 2007
ISBN-10: 1904233864
ISBN-13: 978-1904233862
Nicole Foulger review


Stephenie Meyer loses none of the drama in New Moon the sequel to the breathtaking Twilight. We enter back into the mind and life of ordinary teen Bella who has the most extraordinary boyfriend-Edward Cullen, a Vampire. Meyer still writes with stunning refinement that really puts you into Bella’s head and lets you feel the emotions that course through her. I was just as anguished as Bella is when Edward leaves her following a horrible incident on Bella’s birthday where she is confronted with the reality of the danger of dating a vampire-she can’t so much as graze herself in the presence of his family without being plunged into danger.
Part of me felt for Edward who must have been leaving for what he thinks is Bella’s own good but Meyer makes sure to leave the small niggling doubt in your mind that says he isn’t coming back. What follows is a series of pages that have the months October to January written on them-a clever and unusual device to show the passing of time since Edward’s departure and the dulling and effect it has had on Bella’s mind. She is simply numb without him there and I found myself understanding and feeling the grief of her loss.

I have to admit that it didn’t take long however for me to get annoyed with her. Without Edward, Bella is a different person, a weak person. Whether or not this was the impression Meyer wanted to give I don’t know but Bella is so hideously dependant on Edward she can hardly function without him. I found myself almost shouting at the pages "Pull yourself together girl!" Meyer certainly shows just how compelling and wonderful Edwards character is through the hole left by his departure; perfectly displaying vampires in a sinisterly romantic way. So what does that leave us with? A broken and devastated young girl who doesn’t think she can possibly go on without the love of a boy. Not much drama in that I have to say but a hell of a lot of depression.

Bella finds her solace in her old friend Jacob Black. But there is something odd about Jacob and the reader is thrown into a wonderful guessing game. Finally! Some drama and intrigue to break the numbness! Is Jacob really a werewolf and what are the strange hallucinations Bella is experiencing involving Edward-is he really watching over her from afar? Meyer weaves a wonderful mystery where the reader is not sure whether Bella and Jacob will become an item, whether there are werewolves in Forks as well as Vampires and whether or not Edward will be coming back.

Just as Jacob is revealed as a Werewolf, just as we think things are coming right for Bella once more her life is thrown back into turmoil. Edward is in trouble and Bella will have to choose between her friend and the vampire she loves. Werewolves and Vampires are, of course, sworn enemies. Cleverly the reader is also forced to make a choice-we can either succumb to the hypnotic attraction that is Edward or we can hope Bella will stay with loyal and dependable Jacob. The drama picks up dramatically after what is perhaps a rather long mid-section of the book devoted to Bella’s grief and pain.

I won’t spoil the ending because if you’ve read Twilight you really should read this. Meyer continues to enthral the reader by adding Werewolves into fray. We are still left wanting more, we are still disappointed that Bella is not yet aloud to become a vampire and Meyer leaves tantalisingly loose ends that are begging to be tied up in third instalment.

The criticism? Bella’s need for a man. I’m afraid that the message being sent out to young girls is that you have to have a boyfriend to be happy and that the pain of heartbreak is completely unbearable. Yes, Bella comes out of her depression-if very slowly. But only because Jacob wades in to save her. Perhaps the story would not have worked if Bella was stronger in herself but it is a shame that she isn’t a little more able to take care of herself. How can she possibly survive the instincts of the vampire’s she wants to become and that she finds so repelling if she was to become one when she can hardly survive without someone to save her as a human?

© Nicole Foulger July 2007
nicolefoulger@hotmail.com

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Nicole Foulger

A gripping romantic vampire story with bite...


More Reviews

Home

© Hackwriters 1999-2007 all rights reserved - all comments are the writers' own responsibiltiy - no liability accepted by hackwriters.com or affiliates.