Diksia.com - If you are a fan of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, you might be wondering what to expect from the second book, New Moon.
In this article, we will give you a brief overview of the plot, the characters, the themes and the reception of this romantic fantasy novel. We will also share some interesting facts and trivia about the book and its author.
Novel Details
- Title: New Moon
- Author: Stephenie Meyer
- Genres: Young adult, romance, fantasy, vampire fiction
- Chapters: 24
- Language: English
- Publisher: Little, Brown
- Publication date: September 6, 2006
- Rating: 3.58/5 on Goodreads
- Awards: None
Synopsis
New Moon is the second book in the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. It follows the story of Bella Swan, a human girl who is in love with Edward Cullen, a vampire.
When Edward leaves her to protect her from his world, she falls into a depression and finds solace in her friendship with Jacob Black, a werewolf.
However, her life becomes complicated again when she learns that Edward is in danger and she has to choose between him and Jacob.
Plot Summary
New Moon picks up where Twilight left off. Bella Swan, a human girl, is in love with Edward Cullen, a vampire who can read minds.
They live in Forks, a small town in Washington, where Edward and his family pretend to be humans and feed on animal blood.
On Bella’s eighteenth birthday, Edward’s brother Jasper tries to attack her when he smells her blood from a paper cut. Edward feels guilty and decides to leave Bella for her own safety, telling her that he doesn’t love her anymore.
Bella is heartbroken and falls into a deep depression. She finds some comfort in her friendship with Jacob Black, a Native American boy who lives on the nearby reservation.
Jacob has a crush on Bella, but she only sees him as a friend. She also discovers that whenever she does something dangerous or reckless, she can hear Edward’s voice in her head, warning her to stop.
She becomes addicted to this sensation and starts seeking more thrill-seeking activities, such as riding a motorcycle and jumping off a cliff.
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.
It received mostly positive reviews from critics and readers, who praised Meyer’s writing style, the character development, the emotional depth and the suspenseful plot.
Some of the criticisms were directed at the slow pace of the middle section, the excessive angst and melodrama, and the unrealistic portrayal of teenage romance.
Fun Facts
Here are some interesting facts and trivia about New Moon and its author:
- Meyer wrote New Moon before Twilight was published. She said it was the hardest book to write because she had to make Bella suffer and she often cried while writing it.
- The title New Moon refers to the darkest phase of the lunar cycle, indicating that it is the darkest time of Bella’s life.
- Meyer said that New Moon is about losing true love and that each book in the series is inspired by a different literary classic. New Moon is loosely based on Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
- Meyer said that she chose Volterra as the setting for the Volturi because it is one of her favorite places in Italy and because it has a history of being associated with vampires.
- Meyer said that she based Jacob’s character on her younger brother Seth, who is also tall, muscular, friendly and funny.
- Meyer said that she listens to music while writing and that each book has its own playlist. Some of the songs that inspired New Moon are “Fix You” by Coldplay, “Hear You Me” by Jimmy Eat World, “My Immortal” by Evanescence and “Love Story” by Taylor Swift.
Conclusion
New Moon is a captivating novel that will keep you hooked until the end. It is a story of love, loss, choice and destiny that will make you laugh, cry and swoon.
If you are looking for a romantic fantasy novel that will take you on an emotional roller coaster, you should definitely give New Moon a try.
