Twilight: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer | Book Reviews

Continuing the story of Edward and Bella in this second book of the Twilight saga, we start with an impasse that Bella and Edward have reached: should Bella leave the human world and become what Edward is, as she wants to or not? While the couple is debating the issue through their rainy routine of the days brightened by their almost always being together and in security of their own love and happiness, Bella is in dread of her approaching birthday and becoming “technically” older than Edward.

The birthday party thrown by Edward’s sister Alice turns out to be an unforeseen disaster with Bella accidentally getting a paper-cut while unwrapping her gifts. This leads to sudden loss in control by Jasper (Alice’s mate and Edward’s brother) with end results of the destruction of some furniture and Bella receiving injuries on her arm. This is Edward’s worst fear come true: Bella getting hurt by what he is. And in a fit of thoughtfulness and consideration, he decides to leave Bella, so she could have a chance at normal life, lying in the process that he does not want her any more.

And suddenly, Bella’s life becomes a night of new moon, where she wanders about like a moon herself whose planet has been destroyed in a cataclysmic event and she is clinging with all her might to continue in the orbit around nothing. Months pass, but Bella’s pain and misery continues, the loss of Edward making her feel like her heart has been carved through with a hole. Her days are reduced to the numbness of not feeling anything around her and her nights are lost in a green maze of recurring nightmares.

Bella’s father decides to send her to her mother, out of Forks, so that she can forget Edward and start afresh. But she refuses and in order to appease him tries to go out with a girl friend, Jessica. On this trip, she goes through a déjà vu experience and discovers that when she is in danger, she can have hallucinations about Edward. So, in quest of the danger and adrenalin, she approaches Jacob, son of her father’s friend and an unqualified teenager mechanic with a project of repairing two bikes that she has saved from junkyard.

Jacob is a perpetually happy and warm person, who becomes Bella’s best friend in no time. Jacob loves her dearly and Bella loves him too but as a best of friends or family. Her life becomes bearable in presence of Jacob but just as she has started recovering, Jacob suddenly starts avoiding Bella. And once again, Bella is thrown into the mystical world where she discovers that more than one mythical stories of this land are true. Her best friend has ceased to be human and become something more, a werewolf. He is now part of a protective “pack” of quiluete tribe who has sworn to save people from vampires. How does Bella react to it? Has she lost her best friend?

Meanwhile, James’ mate Victoria is after Bella’s life and is killing people around in her efforts to reach Bella. Alone and desolate, Bella goes for cliff diving, almost getting killed by the strong sea currents in the process. Alice, who has an ability to see visions of the future, sees this and comes to visit Bella. But, by a channel of miscommunication, Edward is also informed that Bella is dead. He decides to go to Italy, to provoke the most dangerous vampires in the world called the Volturi and get himself killed, too. There is only one chance that he can be saved, if he sees Bella alive.

What does Bella do? Does she go with Alice to Italy to save the man who left her to misery and pain? Does she find love again? What are the Volturi and what would they do when they discover that Bella knows their secret? And what happens to Jacob and his love for Bella?

The movie “Twilight: New Moon” continues from where the first movie ended, with Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black to complete the trio of the main cast. The movie has bit of a more action with some vampire fighting which is not there in the book. But, the storyline is more or less preserved.

Once again, a must read and a must watch, to remind you the impossibility and difficulties of recovering from the loss of the true love when you find it and the knack of the life to stump you with things and events you never imagined even in your most bizarre dreams…..