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ladybanecourt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
✨3.5/5✨
I'm not going to lie, this book would have been a four-star for me if it hadn't been for Jacob's assaults on Bella and the manipulation he did to her. The book was action packed and got me hooked, but unfortunately yeah those happened.
I'm not going to lie, this book would have been a four-star for me if it hadn't been for
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
sweetchocolatez's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Torture, Gaslighting, Child death, Murder, Blood, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
counciloffrogs's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Eclipse is a great example of what not to do when writing a book. It had plot holes, small loose ends never tied up, flat characters (ie. Bella is a clumsy pushover romantic and that’s it. I just described her whole character. It never develops further), and redundant beyond redundant writing. (Really, don’t need to hear about how large Jacob is every. Damn. Time. We see him.) Even goes as far as to use an actual slur in the epilogue.
As a sexual assault survivor, it’s a wonderful example of how once you’re in that situation it’s incredibly hard to leave because you want to excuse their actions against you and in some cases others around you are excusing their actions as well.
However, the part that is beyond triggering is how this whole series is treated as a love triangle. Bella is actively in danger and not only do the characters brush over it, the entire fan base does too. I mean honestly, at one point Jacob says about assaulting and coercing Bella, word for word, “I knew you’d forgive me and I’m glad I did it. I’d do it again.” WHAT THE FUCK. How does anyone get through this series rooting for him and not screaming at Bella to press charges!
Did I hate eclipse? Yes. Do I recommend it to anyone ever? No. Did I struggle to keep picking it up? Yes. But was I also hanging on every last word and struggling to put it down when I did pick it up? Absolutely.
As a sexual assault survivor, it’s a wonderful example of how once you’re in that situation it’s incredibly hard to leave because you want to excuse their actions against you and in some cases others around you are excusing their actions as well.
However, the part that is beyond triggering is how this whole series is treated as a love triangle. Bella is actively in danger and not only do the characters brush over it, the entire fan base does too.
Did I hate eclipse? Yes. Do I recommend it to anyone ever? No. Did I struggle to keep picking it up? Yes. But was I also hanging on every last word and struggling to put it down when I did pick it up? Absolutely.
Something about how much I hate this book is so irresistibly, irritatingly good. Like somehow in writing like an absolute buffoon who’s never been in a healthy relationship, Meyer stumbled into writing the one YA series that doesn’t read like it infantilizes it’s audience. Did I have to skim passages because it was too detailed and too much actual assault being brushed off as boys being boys? Yes, but I never once had to skim as I cringed at a grown adult misunderstanding the dynamics and dialogue of a teenage relationship as badly as most of the writers in this entire genre. It’s awful and I can’t stand it but god I want to read more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror
Minor: Blood and Ableism
Dear god if you’re a s/a survivor don’t do this to yourselfashleylowry's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Self harm
directorpurry's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
CW: discussion of rape, child grooming, nonconsensual touching/kissing, suicide as a threat
Note: Basically all of my update notes are geared towards the reader I was in middle school. I know I took a lot of things to heart that I shouldn't have, and I'm glad I've grown out of most of them, but I wish she could have read some of these thoughts just the same...
Despite everything Edward has ever done wrong, by Eclipse he's really stopped being too manipulative and he never touches Bella without her permission.
JACOB, meanwhile...
I really dislike Jacob in this book. He makes quite cruel choices and on multiple occasions he kisses Bella without consent. He manipulates her with the threat of suicide, so even saying she wanted to kiss him was not exactly freely-given consent... (Maybe SM should watch that mandatory sexual assault video series I had to watch before starting grad school - I feel like there are a couple of loose concepts she missed.)
Edit Aug 2021: But even if Bella DOES love him, she doesn't owe him a relationship! Like, Edward aside, that's kind of the worst part - this expectation that she WILL act on her feelings.
I think I take so much of this to heart because I've been in a weird situation before where the heart/brain connection wasn't quite there yet for me and I was kissed when I wasn't expecting it. Even though we dated for a while shortly after that, I still feel extremely uncomfortable and sometimes even upset remembering that evening. It doesn't matter if you love someone, being kissed without consent is bad, bad, bad.
I keep trying to see Rosalie as something other than a mouthpiece, but I really can't. Aside from her wicked, badass revenge, she's so... gross. She's perfectly aware how vain she is, but she doesn't do anything to curb it. Most of her energy goes into being upset over her lack of a baby. It's very uncomfortable and I genuinely see myself as a far opposite of Rosalie.
Edit Aug 2021: There's also such conflagration between romantic and familial love. Like, a romantic, loving relationship that doesn't result in children isn't "half" - it's a whole thing in itself. While you, personally, may feel unfulfilled without children, that in no way lessens the legitimacy of your relationship.
(mostly joking but) Honestly, it's SUCH an insult to Emmett, he doesn't deserve this kind of treatment!!!
Leah is extremely poorly treated by both the cast and SM. It's worse in Breaking Dawn, but she's just kind of thrown into this to make more points about having kids...
Edit Aug 2021: There's just so much girl-on-girl hate there, it makes me so sad....
And don't even get me started on Imprinting! It's literally the grossest thing I've ever heard of and I hate it! Borrowing my friend's words: "It's normalizing grooming." These grown-ass men should in no way be allowed to look at a literal child and say, "Yep, that's the one. I'm going to wait for her to grow up and then I will marry her." It's such a horrific imbalance of power; this man you've known for your entire life saying to you one day that he's been madly in love with you for almost two decades, please marry him.
Definitely showing some Mormon bias out here... SpoilerIt did make me wonder, though - there's a bit in Midnight Sun where Edward chomps down on a pedophile - called by name. I'm curious if this is in response to arguments against the Imprinting concept? Obviously I know she still full-heartedly supports her weird story choices, but...
I'd be lying, though, if I didn't say I enjoy this book, lol. Mostly for Edward. I love Edward in this; now that he's finally not trying to leave Bella, now that he understands what a dumbass move that is, he's very fun. His personality grows more in this book than the rest of the series (Midnight Sun aside, obviously.)
Note: Basically all of my update notes are geared towards the reader I was in middle school. I know I took a lot of things to heart that I shouldn't have, and I'm glad I've grown out of most of them, but I wish she could have read some of these thoughts just the same...
Despite everything Edward has ever done wrong, by Eclipse he's really stopped being too manipulative and he never touches Bella without her permission.
JACOB, meanwhile...
I really dislike Jacob in this book. He makes quite cruel choices and on multiple occasions he kisses Bella without consent. He manipulates her with the threat of suicide, so even saying she wanted to kiss him was not exactly freely-given consent... (Maybe SM should watch that mandatory sexual assault video series I had to watch before starting grad school - I feel like there are a couple of loose concepts she missed.)
Edit Aug 2021: But even if Bella DOES love him, she doesn't owe him a relationship! Like, Edward aside, that's kind of the worst part - this expectation that she WILL act on her feelings.
I think I take so much of this to heart because I've been in a weird situation before where the heart/brain connection wasn't quite there yet for me and I was kissed when I wasn't expecting it. Even though we dated for a while shortly after that, I still feel extremely uncomfortable and sometimes even upset remembering that evening. It doesn't matter if you love someone, being kissed without consent is bad, bad, bad.
I keep trying to see Rosalie as something other than a mouthpiece, but I really can't. Aside from her wicked, badass revenge, she's so... gross. She's perfectly aware how vain she is, but she doesn't do anything to curb it. Most of her energy goes into being upset over her lack of a baby. It's very uncomfortable and I genuinely see myself as a far opposite of Rosalie.
Edit Aug 2021: There's also such conflagration between romantic and familial love. Like, a romantic, loving relationship that doesn't result in children isn't "half" - it's a whole thing in itself. While you, personally, may feel unfulfilled without children, that in no way lessens the legitimacy of your relationship.
(mostly joking but) Honestly, it's SUCH an insult to Emmett, he doesn't deserve this kind of treatment!!!
Leah is extremely poorly treated by both the cast and SM. It's worse in Breaking Dawn, but she's just kind of thrown into this to make more points about having kids...
Edit Aug 2021: There's just so much girl-on-girl hate there, it makes me so sad....
And don't even get me started on Imprinting! It's literally the grossest thing I've ever heard of and I hate it! Borrowing my friend's words: "It's normalizing grooming." These grown-ass men should in no way be allowed to look at a literal child and say, "Yep, that's the one. I'm going to wait for her to grow up and then I will marry her." It's such a horrific imbalance of power; this man you've known for your entire life saying to you one day that he's been madly in love with you for almost two decades, please marry him.
Definitely showing some Mormon bias out here... SpoilerIt did make me wonder, though - there's a bit in Midnight Sun where Edward chomps down on a pedophile - called by name. I'm curious if this is in response to arguments against the Imprinting concept? Obviously I know she still full-heartedly supports her weird story choices, but...
I'd be lying, though, if I didn't say I enjoy this book, lol. Mostly for Edward. I love Edward in this; now that he's finally not trying to leave Bella, now that he understands what a dumbass move that is, he's very fun. His personality grows more in this book than the rest of the series (Midnight Sun aside, obviously.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Sexism, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Suicide, Infertility, Sexual violence, Rape, and War
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