Meanwhile, Edward believes that Bella is dead after hearing a false rumor from his sister Alice. He decides to kill himself by exposing himself to the Volturi, a powerful coven of vampires who rule over the vampire world.
Alice sees his plan in a vision and rushes to Forks to find Bella. She tells Bella what Edward is about to do and they fly to Italy to stop him. They manage to reach him just in time and convince him that Bella is alive.
However, the Volturi are not pleased with their interference and demand that Bella be turned into a vampire or killed. Edward agrees to change her himself, but only after she graduates from high school.
Bella is overjoyed to have Edward back in her life, but she also feels guilty for hurting Jacob, who has revealed himself to be a werewolf and an enemy of vampires. She is torn between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob.
She also has to deal with the consequences of her actions, such as lying to her father and endangering her life. She still wants to become a vampire, but Edward is reluctant to take away her humanity.
Main Characters
- Bella Swan: The protagonist and narrator of the novel. She is an ordinary human girl who falls in love with a vampire. She is loyal, brave, stubborn and selfless. She suffers from low self-esteem and doesn’t think she deserves Edward’s love.
- Edward Cullen: The deuteragonist and Bella’s love interest. He is a 108-year-old vampire who looks like a 17-year-old boy. He is beautiful, intelligent, charming and protective. He can read minds except for Bella’s. He loves Bella more than anything but thinks he is endangering her by being with her.
- Jacob Black: The tritagonist and Bella’s best friend. He is a 16-year-old Native American boy who belongs to the Quileute tribe. He is warm, friendly, funny and loyal. He has a crush on Bella but respects her choice to be with Edward. He can transform into a werewolf and has an innate hatred for vampires.
- Alice Cullen: Edward’s adoptive sister and Bella’s friend. She is a petite vampire who can see the future based on people’s decisions. She is bubbly, optimistic and fashionable. She helps Bella save Edward from the Volturi.
- The Volturi: The antagonists of the novel. They are a coven of ancient vampires who live in Volterra, Italy. They enforce the laws of the vampire world and punish those who break them. They are led by three brothers: Aro, Caius and Marcus.
Themes
Some of the major themes explored in New Moon are:
- Loss: The novel deals with the pain of losing someone you love and how it affects your life. Bella experiences this when Edward leaves her and she feels like she has lost everything that matters to her.
- Choice: The novel also explores the concept of choice and how it shapes your destiny. Bella has to make several choices throughout the story, such as whether to follow Edward or stay with Jacob, whether to become a vampire or remain human, whether to lie or tell the truth, etc. Each choice has its own consequences and implications for her future.
- Love: The novel also portrays different kinds of love and how they can be both a blessing and a curse. Bella loves Edward with a passion that transcends life and death, but she also suffers from his absence and his reluctance to change her. She loves Jacob as a friend, but she also hurts him by choosing Edward over him. She loves her father, but she also lies to him and puts him in danger.
Reception
New Moon was a commercial and critical success. It was the best-selling book of 2009 and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. It has been translated into 38 languages and adapted into a film in 2009.
