New Moon: The Twilight Saga, Book 2
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that, while very mild by the standards of its genre, this is a vampire romance, so there is talk about blood and romantic kissing.
Families who read this book could discuss the view of vampirism here. It sounds like a one-way ticket to superhero powers -- what's the downside? Why is Edward reluctant to let Bella become one? Why, aside from her love for Edward, might Bella want it? Also, Bella's misery and self-destructive behaviors after Edward leaves are pretty over the top. How can one deal with the end of a relationship without falling apart?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
If the plot summary sounds a little silly to you, that's because ... well, it is. But it's terrifically readable silliness, which is a good thing, since NEW MOON is even longer than Twilight, its way-overlong predecessor. It also has lots more action and plot, though not until Bella mopes around, pining after Edward for 200 pages.
Fans of the first novel may be disappointed that Edward is hardly in this one at all, and that it focuses on the flatter personality of Bella. But author Stephenie Meyer does pining as well as she did true love in the first book: it's exaggerated but very engrossing -- at least until you put down the book and stop to think about what you've been reading. But the target audience, teen girls, won't mind. Romantic misery has its appeal, and this author does it better than most, all the while keeping the objectionable content low and the suspense and excitement rolling.
From The Book
Beyond the shock, there was also pain. I'd tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. Only now did I feel the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow.
Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm -- into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires.
Plot Summary:
In this sequel to Twilight, Bella reluctantly attends a birthday party in her honor given by her beloved Edward's vampire family, the Cullens. But when she accidentally gets a paper cut and members of the family have to be forcibly restrained, Edward decides that he is simply too dangerous to her, and that the only solution is to leave her.
With the Cullens gone, Bella sinks into abject misery and depression for months. Her only solace is her growing friendship with Jacob. She also discovers that when she does risky and dangerous things she can hear Edward's voice in her head, so she takes up motorcycling and cliff diving. But Jacob is going through some horrifying changes of his own, and Bella is being stalked by another vampire out for revenge against Edward.
Related Books:
Other Books in This Series:
Twilight
Eclipse
More Teen Vampires:
Thirsty by M. T. Anderson
A Living Nightmare: Cirque Du Freak: The Saga of Darren Shan, Book 1 by Darren Shan
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
Related Web Sites:
Author's site
Official site
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Sexual ContentSome passionate kissing. |
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ViolenceThreats, and implied offstage deaths. |
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Social BehaviorBella engages in reckless and dangerous behavior. |
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CommercialismCar brands. Fast food. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoA mention of selling meth. |
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