Review by orionmerlin - New Moon

orionmerlin 's review for:

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

1.75

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Characters – 4/10

The characters in New Moon felt largely one-dimensional, with Bella Swan being the biggest offender. Her complete emotional collapse after Edward’s departure was not just frustrating—it was exhausting. She lacked agency, spending the majority of the book in a state of lifeless self-pity, and her recklessness felt less like genuine grief and more like melodrama for melodrama’s sake. Edward’s absence stripped the book of one of its only compelling dynamics, and Jacob, while providing some relief, ultimately existed to serve as a placeholder for Edward rather than being developed as a character in his own right. The secondary characters—Charlie, Alice, and even the new werewolf pack—had moments of intrigue, but they were underutilized or reduced to plot devices rather than fleshed-out individuals. Their potential was wasted in favor of Bella’s relentless, tedious internal suffering.

Atmosphere/Setting – 5/10

While Meyer managed to maintain the moody, misty atmosphere of Forks, the setting alone couldn’t salvage the novel’s lifeless energy. The book leaned too heavily into the suffocating dreariness of Bella’s perspective, making entire sections of the story feel like wading through a swamp of gloom with no respite. When the story finally shifted to Italy, there was a brief burst of tension and intrigue, but the change was too little, too late. The Volturi’s lair was a compelling setting, but it lacked the detail and menace needed to make it truly memorable. Instead of fully immersing me in a rich world, New Moon felt stuck in a suffocating haze of sorrow that became more monotonous than atmospheric.

Writing Style – 4/10

Meyer’s writing was serviceable, but it suffered from excessive repetition and melodramatic narration. Bella’s thoughts circled the same misery for pages on end, and the prose often felt self-indulgent rather than emotionally impactful. The infamous “blank pages” meant to symbolize Bella’s emptiness were less poetic and more of an eye-roll-worthy gimmick. Dialogue between characters was passable at best, but at its worst, it was stilted and unnatural. The balance between narration and action was completely off—far too much of the novel was spent inside Bella’s head, where nothing of interest happened. The writing lacked variety and nuance, dragging the reader through a narrative that felt more like an extended diary entry than an engaging novel.

Plot – 3/10

The plot of New Moon was weak, bogged down by Bella’s excessive wallowing and an overreliance on emotional manipulation rather than genuine storytelling. The pacing was abysmal—the first half of the novel was an unbearable slog through Bella’s self-inflicted misery, and the second half rushed to introduce the Volturi in a desperate attempt to inject excitement. The idea that Bella could only feel “alive” by putting herself in danger was not only tiresome but concerning, sending a deeply unhealthy message about love and self-worth. The entire climax—Edward's suicidal attempt in Volterra—felt forced and melodramatic, banking on contrived tension rather than an organic buildup of stakes. Nothing about the storyline was surprising or particularly engaging; it was predictable, overlong, and ultimately unsatisfying.

Intrigue – 3/10

New Moon was a chore to get through. The overwhelming misery made it hard to stay engaged, and with Edward gone for most of the book, there was little tension or excitement to drive the story forward. The subplot with Jacob and the werewolves provided a brief spark of interest, but it wasn’t enough to carry the weight of Bella’s relentless self-pity. There was no real mystery, no compelling conflict to keep me invested. I found myself pushing through just to reach the end, not because I was eager to see what happened next, but because I wanted to be done with it. The few moments of intrigue, such as the revelation of the Volturi’s existence, were too brief and underdeveloped to leave a lasting impact.

Logic/Relationships – 3/10

The logic of New Moon was deeply flawed, particularly in its handling of relationships. Bella’s dependence on Edward wasn’t just obsessive—it was borderline pathological. Her complete loss of identity in his absence was framed as romantic rather than troubling, and her relationship with Jacob was little more than a consolation prize. The way Jacob was built up only to be discarded when Edward returned made their dynamic feel manipulative rather than meaningful. Edward’s decision to leave in the first place, supposedly for Bella’s own good, felt contrived and senseless, and the lengths he went to in order to end his own life upon believing she was dead were absurdly overdramatic. The rules of the supernatural world, particularly concerning the Volturi and the werewolves, felt inconsistent and underexplained. Instead of world-building that made sense, the book relied on vague, hand-wavy mythology that lacked depth.

Enjoyment – 3/10

Reading New Moon felt like trudging through emotional quicksand. The novel took itself far too seriously, mistaking excessive angst for depth. I didn’t enjoy watching Bella throw herself into danger just to hear Edward’s imaginary voice, nor did I find any satisfaction in the forced, hollow resolution at the end. The lack of meaningful plot progression made the entire book feel like a tedious placeholder, existing solely to stretch the love triangle into a longer conflict rather than telling a compelling story. Even moments of potential excitement, like the encounter with the Volturi, were too rushed to be fulfilling. While Twilight had an addictive, guilty-pleasure quality to it, New Moon was just exhausting.

Content Warnings