Jenny-fa

Well, S-chan, this review is for you… I was formerly disinclined to offer my opinions about this novel, since I know you would be waiting for a chance to attack my anti-Bella views. But, being the benevolent (and rational) person I am, I decided in the end that strangulation at the hands of S-chan over a measly juvenile novel… well, just wasn't worth it.

At any rate, here is my very objective and unbiased review of New Moon, sequel to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight.

New Moon continues Meyer's bestselling vampire romance Twilight, of which you can see I had reviewed in my previous post. The story begins, interestingly enough, with a nightmare of the protagonist Isabella Swan depicting her fears of growing older, and soon thereafter, the reader is introduced to Bella's vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen. All is pretty much hunky-dory until a close shave with one of Edward's thirsty brothers prompts him to leave the town of Forks along with his family, leaving a grief-stricken Bella behind.

The dedicated Edward fan's reaction, I imagine, would be a howl of agony, and something along the lines of "What? Edward's gone???"

And my reaction? A chuckle, and "Now, that's more like it."

Don't get me wrong, though; although I've repeatedly expressed my animosity towards Bella, I was still in many ways saddened by Edward's departure. Well, in a small way. Still, I was glad of it in the long run, primarily because his absence forced the author to develop and reveal some new facets of Bella's character. And, yes, I did enjoy watching her suffer. Sorry, S-chan… it slipped my mind to address this earlier.

Also, in Edward's place, a fascinating new development occurs: the blossoming friendship of Bella and an Indian boy named Jacob Black!

Unlike some readers who may despise Jacob for stealing the spotlight, I enjoyed his character very much; in fact, I found him to be very likeable and refreshingly human. In addition, the introduction of another major player breathed some life into the plot overall, and added another important side of the vampire story (including a surprising turn that would have been surprising had S-chan kept mum about the outcome).

In all, the novel was noticeably lengthier than its predecessor, and I thought the romance was comparatively weak. But the darker tone and the new transpirations make up for everything, despite the abrupt return to sappiness when the two lovers reunite near the conclusion.

Furthermore, there were several details in New Moon I found to be frankly hilarious, including Bella's hallucinations and the unknown object that Edward breaks in the vampires' living room. I even laughed aloud on more than one occasion.

And that being said, go out, buy the book (like a complete softie), and waste two or more days of your time immersing yourself in this wonderful fantasy romance.

Finally, for those rabid fans, Stephenie Meyer's official New Moon site should be worth a visit.