New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Little, Brown and Company, New York: 2006
ISBN: 0316160199


Plot Summary:
This is the second book in the Twilight series. Everything is great when the book begins. Bella and Edward are in love, though Bella is upset that Edward's sister Alice is planning a big birthday party for her. At the party, with Edward's vampire family, Bella cuts herself on glass, sending Edward's brother Jasper into a frenzy. This terrifies Edward and suddenly the whole family is gone. Bella is devastated. She is almost comatose at the loss of Edward.

Eventually she decides to renew her friendship with Jacob Black. She lures him back by having him fix up a pair of motorcycles she buys on impulse. Bella believes she can still hear and feel Edward when she does something dangerous. Then she learns that Jacob is a werewolf. Can life get any more strange?

When Edward is told that Bella is dead, he decides to kill himself. This is extremely difficult for a vampire who is already dead, but he believes that the powerful Volturi clan in Italy will kill him if he reveals himself in front of everyone. At the last minute, Bella rushes to his side and after some tense moment with the Volturi, they return to Forks. The Cullens then vote to turn Bella into a vampire (against Edward's wishes).

Critical Evaluation:
This was definitely no Twilight. I was bored through most of the book. Reading about Bella's relationship with Jacob was like having to go to the prom with your cousin at the last minute because your real date did not show up. I was also not thrilled with Bella's reaction to Edward leaving. She almost cannot live without a man. It is only because of Jacob that she comes out of her pathetic state. The action at the end with Bella and Alice racing to Italy to stop Edward was very exciting, but it came so late, that less determined readers might have put down the book already.

Reader’s Annotation:
The love of her life has left her, can a werewolf ever replace a vampire?


Information about the Author:
Stephanie Meyer is a mother of three boys who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. She was named "Author of the Year" by USA Today in 2008.


Genre: Fantasy, romance

Curriculum ties: none

Booktalking Ideas:
I would talk about the emotions Bella is going through after Edward leaves her. Is she really hearing his voice? I'd talk about her friendship with Jacob and her determination to become a vampire even though he is against it.


Reading Level/Interest Age:
This book is for readers 14 and up.


Challenge Issues:
Since this book has with vampire and werewolf characters, I'm sure it would be challenged as dealing in the occult. I would explain the library's selection policy and give the challenger a complaint form to fill out.


Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because I loved Twilight and was hoping for more of the same.