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blues's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Ho trovato alcune parti del libro un po' ripetitive, sia nella trama sia nel modo stesso in cui erano scritte. Nel complesso però il libro mi è piaciuto e l'ho trovato piuttosto scorrevole. In generale mi è piaciuto il modo dell'autrice di descrivere i sentimenti e i dubbi di Bella, anche se alcune volte erano probabilmente troppo drammaticità (anche se la drammaticità di bella è sempre stata presente anche nei libri precedenti quindi non è esattamente una sorpresa). Continuerò sicuramente la serie leggendo anche il prossimo libro.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Murder, and Sexual content
Minor: Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, and Vomit
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 yourselfmoth_meg's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Something keeps drawing me back to this series. Reading the Twilight Saga reminds me that there are so many different ways to enjoy books, and a star rating representing quality is really just one small piece of that experience. This is a two-star book, but a 5-star experience in terms of discourse, lore, and community.
The way this book bounces between being seemingly self-aware and then completely unhinged is so strange and weirdly entertaining to me. I love the random (and fleeting) moments of clarity where a character will say something completely rational.
Take this good advice from Charlie:
The way this book bounces between being seemingly self-aware and then completely unhinged is so strange and weirdly entertaining to me. I love the random (and fleeting) moments of clarity where a character will say something completely rational.
Take this good advice from Charlie:
“I don’t think you should dump all your other friends for your boyfriend Bella…it’s not nice, and I think your life would be better balanced if you kept some other people in it”
Of course, she doesn't listen.
Or this hot take on Wuthering Heights from Edward:
Or this hot take on Wuthering Heights from Edward:
"I don’t understand why you like it, the characters are ghastly people who ruin each others’ lives”
The book is quoted frequently and romanticized throughout the book after this.
Bella can be genuinely insightful and funny one moment, then completely irrational and obsessive the next. Although her inner monologue about Edward can be cringe-inducing, I still think she’s a likable character. Maybe i’m just charmed by Kristen Stewart.
I love to read Bella as an unreliable narrator, or Edward as the villain. But at the end of the day, Meyer has made it clear that was not her intention with the books. Somehow the true entertainment value of the twilight saga comes from the readers- the "Twilight Renaissance" has encouraged readers to take the books less seriously and laugh when they’re comically bad, but also to look more deeply into what’s there, finding unexpected characters to love (Charlie) and to hate (Edward).
Twilight has become a piece of media that people love to hate, and as far as I can tell, Meyer has handled that gracefully. Regardless of why people gravitate to this series, it’s impressive that she created something that SO many people have been drawn into.
<b>Moral of the story: I don’t love Twilight, but I sure do love talking about it.</b>
Now for some actual complaining...
This has been my most frustrating experience with the Twilight Saga yet. The first problem I have with this book is the narrative surrounding consent and coercion. The way these topics are handled does not sit right with me.
From the start of the series, these books have romanticized a very imbalanced power dynamic. Eclipse takes this a step further on all fronts, showcasing Edward's hold over Bella by having him literally kidnap her and hold her in his family's house against her will as well as emphasizing the fact that he tracks her every move . Yes, Bella is in danger for the majority of the book, but her desires for privacy and agency should still be respected. It's disturbing to read how she tolerates and rationalizes this abusive behavior. I would have loved to see Bella stand up for herself and hold her ground just once instead of melting as soon as she remembers how pretty Edward is.
Even worse, both Edward and Jacob are incredibly manipulative of Bella in this book.Edward pressures Bella into accepting his marriage proposal using every tactic he can think of, including expressing his belief that if they were to have sex before being married, she would be damned . These implications regarding premarital sex and virtue are extremely uncomfortable, especially in the context of the rest of the story. You would think a book that tackles the topic of sexual assault of varying types through Rosalie and Bella's experiences would at least attempt to add some nuance before implying that sex before marriage sends you straight to hell .
And then there's Jacob. The love triangle (an already tired trope) is executed horribly. We know what Bella's decision will be from the beginning, there is no suspense, no tension.The moment Bella realizes that she "loves" Jacob, she has already let him go. Not to mention the fact that Meyer absolutely destroys his character on the way to Bella's realization. Jacob threatening to kill himself in order to manipulate Bella into agreeing to kiss him is beyond immoral and completely goes against everything that was appealing about his character to begin with. Jacob's main function in the story is to serve as a foil to Edward and embody the human life that Bella is choosing to leave behind. He sees and treats Bella as an equal rather than "protecting" (i.e. controlling) her as Edward does. At least he *did* until this book. Truly disappointing in terms of both characterization and plot development.
I would have much less of an issue with the inclusion of these plot points in the book if they had actual consequences. Rather, all characters are quick to forgive, which both minimizes and normalizes this shitty behavior.
I am fascinated by the way that Meyer includes so many plot points and characters that could be incredibly dynamic, then chooses to skate past them without diving deeper into what could've been very interesting arcs. Tell me more about the Cullens and their backstories! The glimpse into Rosalie's past life is one of the highlights of this book, and I gladly would've read more chapters devoted to her story. Bloody revenge in a wedding dress! Give me more of that story PLEASE . And to double down on my previous point, I would've loved for Bella to have been able to talk with Rosalie about the broken boundaries in her own life. Maybe they could've bonded. Maybe they would've teamed up to teach Jacob a lesson.
A central narrative through the book is that of the "third wife", a Quileute woman who sacrificed herself to save her husband and sons as they battled a vampire. [Sidebar: let's not forget that the Quileutes are real people and have <a href=https://studybreaks.com/thoughts/twilight-quileute-tribe/>faced real consequences</a> as a result of the Twilight series.] This story feels a bit like Chekhov's gun, it's referenced so many times that we know Bella is going to commit a similar act. When this moment finally comes, it feels incredibly anticlimactic.Not only does this moment take place away from the larger battle (which we don't even get to see), but it is revealed that Bella's risk was completely unnecessary. She cuts her arm to distract the vampire-fighting the young werewolf Seth, but Edward tells her later that Seth was only pretending to struggle, and that he was only thrown off by her attempt to help him. And just like that, Bella's act of bravery is trivialized.
Stephanie Meyer left me wanting much more in terms of plot, character development, and excitement. I knew not to expect much from this book since Eclipse is also my least favorite of the Twilight movies. Will my curiosity (and critical streak) be strong enough to push me through Breaking Dawn? I'm not sure yet, but I suspect it won't be too long until I'm tempted to see demon baby Renesme in her literary form...
Bella can be genuinely insightful and funny one moment, then completely irrational and obsessive the next. Although her inner monologue about Edward can be cringe-inducing, I still think she’s a likable character. Maybe i’m just charmed by Kristen Stewart.
I love to read Bella as an unreliable narrator, or Edward as the villain. But at the end of the day, Meyer has made it clear that was not her intention with the books. Somehow the true entertainment value of the twilight saga comes from the readers- the "Twilight Renaissance" has encouraged readers to take the books less seriously and laugh when they’re comically bad, but also to look more deeply into what’s there, finding unexpected characters to love (Charlie) and to hate (Edward).
Twilight has become a piece of media that people love to hate, and as far as I can tell, Meyer has handled that gracefully. Regardless of why people gravitate to this series, it’s impressive that she created something that SO many people have been drawn into.
<b>Moral of the story: I don’t love Twilight, but I sure do love talking about it.</b>
Now for some actual complaining...
This has been my most frustrating experience with the Twilight Saga yet. The first problem I have with this book is the narrative surrounding consent and coercion. The way these topics are handled does not sit right with me.
From the start of the series, these books have romanticized a very imbalanced power dynamic. Eclipse takes this a step further on all fronts
Even worse, both Edward and Jacob are incredibly manipulative of Bella in this book.
And then there's Jacob. The love triangle (an already tired trope) is executed horribly. We know what Bella's decision will be from the beginning, there is no suspense, no tension.
I would have much less of an issue with the inclusion of these plot points in the book if they had actual consequences. Rather, all characters are quick to forgive, which both minimizes and normalizes this shitty behavior.
I am fascinated by the way that Meyer includes so many plot points and characters that could be incredibly dynamic, then chooses to skate past them without diving deeper into what could've been very interesting arcs. Tell me more about the Cullens and their backstories! The glimpse into Rosalie's past life is one of the highlights of this book, and I gladly would've read more chapters devoted to her story
A central narrative through the book is that of the "third wife", a Quileute woman who sacrificed herself to save her husband and sons as they battled a vampire. [Sidebar: let's not forget that the Quileutes are real people and have <a href=https://studybreaks.com/thoughts/twilight-quileute-tribe/>faced real consequences</a> as a result of the Twilight series.] This story feels a bit like Chekhov's gun, it's referenced so many times that we know Bella is going to commit a similar act. When this moment finally comes, it feels incredibly anticlimactic.
Stephanie Meyer left me wanting much more in terms of plot, character development, and excitement. I knew not to expect much from this book since Eclipse is also my least favorite of the Twilight movies. Will my curiosity (and critical streak) be strong enough to push me through Breaking Dawn? I'm not sure yet, but I suspect it won't be too long until I'm tempted to see demon baby Renesme in her literary form...
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual assault
linnylionheart's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexual content and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual violence, Torture, Rape, Sexual harassment, Death, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
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
merah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Infidelity and Self harm
Minor: Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
jjpope's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence
jazzjhg's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
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