New Moon

July 17, 2006
Fans of Meyer's debut novel, Twilight
, may be disappointed in this second book in a planned trilogy. It begins with a bang, on Bella's 18th birthday, when Edward Cullen sweeps her off to his unorthodox family home (in the first book readers learn that the Cullens are vampires who hunt animals rather than humans) for a birthday celebration. But when Bella unwraps a gift and gets a paper cut, her drops of blood set off a chaos that culminates in the Cullens leaving town. Edward exits on page 73, and does not reappear for nearly 400 pages, except for his voice in Bella's head when she embarks on dangerous adventures, such as motorcycle riding and cliff diving. Instead, this book focuses on Jake, her friend from La Push, who has some unusual traits of his own. A Quileute legend that he confides in Bella in the first book comes to the fore here (and ties in with the title), and Bella is tracked down by the "bad" vampires from the first book, who seek revenge for Edward's murder of their friend James. Long stretches in the book may make readers feel as if they're treading water, but the pace quickens when Alice Cullen sees a vision of Bella cliff diving and mistakes it for suicide. Edward then heads to the all-powerful Volturi vampires in Italy, seeking his own death. Will Bella get to Italy in time to save Edward? Will she remain human? Meyer answers the first question but leaves the second for the third novel. Ages 12-up.

December 11, 2006
Not since TV's Buffy "the Vampire Slayer" Summers battled demons in the halls of Sunnydale High has a teenager faced the number of monsters that Bella Swan does in Meyer's melodramatic sequel to Twilight
. Bella's vampire boyfriend Edward and his unusual clan are joined by an ancient pack of werewolves—also with connections to Bella—in a story that's got romance, adventure, thrills and even a quick detour to Italy. Thanks to Kadushin's (who also read Twilight
) consistently smooth delivery and her plausibility as a teen navigating heartbreak, hormones and confusion, listeners are likely to hang on for the many fever-pitch moments of suspense here, even if the lengthy tale could have used some pruning. Ages 12-up.

August 1, 2006
Gr 9 Up -Recovered from the vampire attack that hospitalized her in the conclusion of "Twilight" (Little, Brown, 2005), Bella celebrates her birthday with her boyfriend Edward and his family, a unique clan of vampires that has sworn off human blood. But the celebration abruptly ends when the teen accidentally cuts her arm on broken glass. The sight and smell of her blood trickling away forces the Cullen family to retreat lest they be tempted to make a meal of her. After all is mended, Edward, realizing the danger that he and his family create for Bella, sees no option for her safety but to leave. Mourning his departure, she slips into a downward spiral of depression that penetrates and lingers over her every step. Vampire fans will appreciate the subsequently dour mood that permeates the novel, and it -s not until Bella befriends Jacob, a sophomore from her school with a penchant for motorcycles, that both the pace and her disposition begin to take off. Their adventures are wild, dare-devilish, and teeter on the brink of romance, but memories of Edward pervade Bella -s emotions, and soon their fun quickly morphs into danger, especially when she uncovers the true identities of Jacob and his pack of friends. Less streamlined than "Twilight" yet just as exciting, "New Moon" will more than feed the bloodthirsty hankerings of fans of the first volume and leave them breathless for the third." -Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2006
Gr. 8-11. "Which is tempting you more, my blood or my body?" Things are heating up between Bella Swan and her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen, in this sequel to the immensely popular " Twilight "(2005). Then Bella is injured at her birthday party, and the Cullens' reaction to her blood sends Edward's family packing. Bella is inconsolable until she discovers that reckless behavior allows her to hear Edward's warning voice in her head. To keep him close, she decides to live as dangerously as possible, acquiring two motorcycles and developing a close friendship with Jacob, who helps her rebuild them. Romantics will miss Edward's presence, but the suspense created by a pack of werewolves bent on protecting Bella from a vindictive vampire will keep them occupied until the lovers can be reunited. The writing is a bit melodramatic, but readers won't care. Bella's dismay at being ordinary (after all, she's only human) will strike a chord even among girls who have no desire to be immortal, and like the vampires who watch Bella bleed with "fevered eyes," teens will relish this new adventure and hunger for more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2007
To protect his girlfriend, Bella, vampire Edward leaves town. As a result, a broken-hearted Bella deepens her friendship with the earthier Jacob--who turns out to be a werewolf. Bella is little more than a passive stand-in for fantasy-happy readers, but the grandiose emotional arc begun in [cf2]Twilight[cf1] continues to entice, and Jacob's character development sets up a promising triangle.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)