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3.16 AVERAGE
3.16 AVERAGE
this book has four arcs:
Edward's disappearance arc: 2 stars.
I genuinely felt more pressed over the fact they forced her to celebrate her birthday when she didn't want to over the near-death experience Bella had. I get her. If my boyfriend's adopted brother tried to kill me at my unwanted birthday party I didn't want to go to, I genuinely wouldn't care.
Also Edward's break up was SO AWFUL??? I hate that dude and I also felt depressed after what he told her. People don't get Bella's reaction but I would also react that way if a man breaks up with me a week after my birthday and then steals my shit (I know he didn't but FUCK that man infuriates me).
Jacob's pre-lycanthropy nice guy arc: 4 stars.
Because Jacob is actually a nice guy, and other than Bella's obsessive need to hallucinate her ex-boyfriend, this part feels like a romance book, unlike any other part. For this part only, I don my "Team Jacob" shirt proudly. I would complain about Bella's really bad and failure-filled attempts to friendzone Jacob, but to be fair she's depressed as shit and is actively trying to put herself in harms way so I feel as if there are more important things in her actions that should be treated.
Jacob's post-lycanthropy "nice guy" arc: 3 stars.
(another potential title: vampirism gives you depression, lycanthropy gives you anger issues)
If Jacob was a teen in the 2020s... man. This part is just so boring. I don't care for am Edward 2.0 but with a new reason to fear him fucking killing Bella. I take off my "Team Jacob" shirt in shame and burn it on the pyre. Bella should no go out with any man. She should go to therapy.
Edward's return arc: 2 stars.
Edward just brings low scores wherever he goes. I don't even want to talk about this part of the book because while reading it I just felt as if I'm reading a horror book, not "New Moon, part two of the Twilight Saga".
Just make Bella a vampire for god's sake. Just do it. Please.
And you know, I could calculate the average, but I am going to give this book a one star. The reason? Bella should've slapped Jacob and Edward. Once, at least. And since it didn't happen, this book is basically worthless.
Edit: eclipse was so bad, this book gets an upgrade to 2 stars.
Edward's disappearance arc: 2 stars.
I genuinely felt more pressed over the fact they forced her to celebrate her birthday when she didn't want to over the near-death experience Bella had. I get her. If my boyfriend's adopted brother tried to kill me at my unwanted birthday party I didn't want to go to, I genuinely wouldn't care.
Also Edward's break up was SO AWFUL??? I hate that dude and I also felt depressed after what he told her. People don't get Bella's reaction but I would also react that way if a man breaks up with me a week after my birthday and then steals my shit (I know he didn't but FUCK that man infuriates me).
Jacob's pre-lycanthropy nice guy arc: 4 stars.
Because Jacob is actually a nice guy, and other than Bella's obsessive need to hallucinate her ex-boyfriend, this part feels like a romance book, unlike any other part. For this part only, I don my "Team Jacob" shirt proudly. I would complain about Bella's really bad and failure-filled attempts to friendzone Jacob, but to be fair she's depressed as shit and is actively trying to put herself in harms way so I feel as if there are more important things in her actions that should be treated.
Jacob's post-lycanthropy "nice guy" arc: 3 stars.
(another potential title: vampirism gives you depression, lycanthropy gives you anger issues)
If Jacob was a teen in the 2020s... man. This part is just so boring. I don't care for am Edward 2.0 but with a new reason to fear him fucking killing Bella. I take off my "Team Jacob" shirt in shame and burn it on the pyre. Bella should no go out with any man. She should go to therapy.
Edward's return arc: 2 stars.
Edward just brings low scores wherever he goes. I don't even want to talk about this part of the book because while reading it I just felt as if I'm reading a horror book, not "New Moon, part two of the Twilight Saga".
Just make Bella a vampire for god's sake. Just do it. Please.
And you know, I could calculate the average, but I am going to give this book a one star. The reason? Bella should've slapped Jacob and Edward. Once, at least. And since it didn't happen, this book is basically worthless.
Edit: eclipse was so bad, this book gets an upgrade to 2 stars.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
I totally thought I was Team Jacob for most of the book, but Edward won me over again in the end. The best part was definitely when they went to Italy, and I hope they have more werewolf stuff in the next one because it seemed like a lot of those story lines kind of fizzled toward the end.
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While I can see that the first book is entertaining - Emo-Bella is just unbearable.
I'm continuing my reread of this series (see my other review on book 1) because I'm apparently into torturing myself.
Let's set aside the obvious issue with this book--how Edward's leaving broke Bella and turned her into a miserable zombie for four months--and how anti-feminist it is. I'm not even going to address it (This is a lie).
I know people love the misery of others, it makes for a compelling read. But the whole plot of this one is so weird and bad and nonsensical.
Her boyfriend breaks up with her and vanishes, so Bella starts risking her life and safety in order to hallucinate his voice a few times. She makes friends with a werewolf who has a crush on her, and she considers, briefly, if she should date him even though she has no romantic feelings for him. Oh and then she -yet again- is the only one who can save her boyfriend, despite being completely normal, boring, and bad at everything. The plot in this one is... nonexistent. Bella diving off a cliff is the most interesting part of this book.
Okay, I lied. I have to address the anti-feminism of these books. I will even give it a little bit of credit because yes, when this book was published in the early/mid 2000s, the culture was a little bit different, and I'm pretty sure the author comes from a conservative, religious background. You can tell in all of these books. Her attitudes towards women are problematic at the very least.
- Everything is Bella's fault. You could argue that's just her anxiety manifesting as guilt/shame, which would be valid, except that even things that are Edward's fault are also Bella's. The male characters can do no wrong. They're constantly described as perfect, beautiful, no mistakes (except Jasper, kind of? But even then, he just kind of vanishes conveniently and is never seen again). Bella is constantly taking on blame for the actions of males around her because she's weak, clumsy, bad, etc.
- The female characters are catty, gossipy, illogical, and unsupportive. Most of the story's negative situations happen because of female characters.
- Bella's role is to cook and clean for her bachelor dad. She does this willingly and eagerly, even through her depression.
- Bella is "hollowed out" and empty without her man. She sees no real hope or purpose in her future.
- The male characters kind of fight over Bella like a piece of meat and she just goes with it, trying to pacify all parties even though she has no interest in either. The way this is handled is so uncomfortable.
Again, I'm sorry, but the entire premise of this book makes me angry. The fact that she just kind of dies after Edward leaves and there's nothing redeemable about her life afterward is just so mind-numbingly stupid. Is this what we're trying to teach young girls?
The last thing I'll address is regarding mental health. The portrayals of neurodivergence, depression, and anxiety here are ... certainly attempted. The most realistic parts are the unintentional ones, which has its own implications (I say this as someone with ADHD, anxiety, and ASD). But not once does anyone ever offer to help or support her. Regardless of the cause of her depression, everyone sees how miserable Bella is and does nothing. School counselors existed in 2006. I know, I was there. There's one mention near the end where her father says "I thought I was going to have to hospitalize her," but that's not the only way to get people help. And I know, some people will say "that's not the point of the book" or "it would make a bad story if Bella was just fine after Edward left her, it's supposed to be devastating" - it's bad THIS way. It could only get better.
If this story had been: Edward leaves, Bella gets depressed but gets help and makes friends with werewolves and falls for one, it would be a better story. The love triangle attempt would have been more compelling. Instead, it reads as though Bella's just shifted her anxious attachment to someone who has feelings for her, and she can't ever reciprocate because there will only ever be ONE man for her. There's no real conflict, no real triangle, no decision to make. She already made it, apparently the moment Edward paid her any real attention. * aggressive eye roll*
If reading complicated characters with mental illness is what you enjoy, go read Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series. Please.
Let's set aside the obvious issue with this book--how Edward's leaving broke Bella and turned her into a miserable zombie for four months--and how anti-feminist it is. I'm not even going to address it (This is a lie).
I know people love the misery of others, it makes for a compelling read. But the whole plot of this one is so weird and bad and nonsensical.
Her boyfriend breaks up with her and vanishes, so Bella starts risking her life and safety in order to hallucinate his voice a few times. She makes friends with a werewolf who has a crush on her, and she considers, briefly, if she should date him even though she has no romantic feelings for him. Oh and then she -yet again- is the only one who can save her boyfriend, despite being completely normal, boring, and bad at everything. The plot in this one is... nonexistent. Bella diving off a cliff is the most interesting part of this book.
Okay, I lied. I have to address the anti-feminism of these books. I will even give it a little bit of credit because yes, when this book was published in the early/mid 2000s, the culture was a little bit different, and I'm pretty sure the author comes from a conservative, religious background. You can tell in all of these books. Her attitudes towards women are problematic at the very least.
- Everything is Bella's fault. You could argue that's just her anxiety manifesting as guilt/shame, which would be valid, except that even things that are Edward's fault are also Bella's. The male characters can do no wrong. They're constantly described as perfect, beautiful, no mistakes (except Jasper, kind of? But even then, he just kind of vanishes conveniently and is never seen again). Bella is constantly taking on blame for the actions of males around her because she's weak, clumsy, bad, etc.
- The female characters are catty, gossipy, illogical, and unsupportive. Most of the story's negative situations happen because of female characters.
- Bella's role is to cook and clean for her bachelor dad. She does this willingly and eagerly, even through her depression.
- Bella is "hollowed out" and empty without her man. She sees no real hope or purpose in her future.
- The male characters kind of fight over Bella like a piece of meat and she just goes with it, trying to pacify all parties even though she has no interest in either. The way this is handled is so uncomfortable.
Again, I'm sorry, but the entire premise of this book makes me angry. The fact that she just kind of dies after Edward leaves and there's nothing redeemable about her life afterward is just so mind-numbingly stupid. Is this what we're trying to teach young girls?
The last thing I'll address is regarding mental health. The portrayals of neurodivergence, depression, and anxiety here are ... certainly attempted. The most realistic parts are the unintentional ones, which has its own implications (I say this as someone with ADHD, anxiety, and ASD). But not once does anyone ever offer to help or support her. Regardless of the cause of her depression, everyone sees how miserable Bella is and does nothing. School counselors existed in 2006. I know, I was there. There's one mention near the end where her father says "I thought I was going to have to hospitalize her," but that's not the only way to get people help. And I know, some people will say "that's not the point of the book" or "it would make a bad story if Bella was just fine after Edward left her, it's supposed to be devastating" - it's bad THIS way. It could only get better.
If this story had been: Edward leaves, Bella gets depressed but gets help and makes friends with werewolves and falls for one, it would be a better story. The love triangle attempt would have been more compelling. Instead, it reads as though Bella's just shifted her anxious attachment to someone who has feelings for her, and she can't ever reciprocate because there will only ever be ONE man for her. There's no real conflict, no real triangle, no decision to make. She already made it, apparently the moment Edward paid her any real attention. * aggressive eye roll*
If reading complicated characters with mental illness is what you enjoy, go read Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series. Please.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This could be my favorite of the 'Twilight' books, though I'm not sure why...maybe it's because Edward annoys me a lot in the other three books, and he is absent for long stretches of 'New Moon'. Or maybe because I prefer Jacob to Edward, and he is featured much more prominently in this book than in any of the others in the series. Anyway, if Meyer really had to write a whole series about vampire love in the first place, this one is better than the first book.