New Moon

Beautiful, mesmerizing tale of true love!!!

This was my third re-reading of the novel, which is the second one in Meyer's beloved series. I read it as avidly as I did the first two times! I know there will be future re-readings, as well. I had not posted a review of the book before because so much has been said about it, in other reviews -- on Goodreads, Amazon, and countless blogs, although not everyone likes this book, (nor do they like the entire series). Still, I felt it was time for me to post my thoughts about this installment in the Saga, since I have embarked on a third reading of all four books. This is a very bittersweet novel, due to the introduction of the love triangle of Bella, Edward, and Jacob. In the first novel, Twilight, the intense relationship of Bella and Edward was the main focus throughout. In this one, Jacob makes it clear to Bella that he has fallen in love with her, even as he realizes she only considers him her best friend. The story opens with a deceptively happy event -- Bella's eighteenth birthday. Bella is hypersensitive about celebrating this event, because Edward is eternally seventeen, of course, and she has been pleading with him, since the first book, to make her a vampire so that she can be as young-looking as he is, forever. She's terrified of growing old and being mistaken for his grandmother in the future. Not to be deterred by Bella's reluctance to acknowledge the big day, the irrepressible Alice plans a party for her. And this is where the novel's emotionally-wrenching, unexpected plot twist takes place....At the party, Bella cuts herself when opening her birthday card, and Jasper, suddenly crazy with bloodlust, attempts to attack her. Although the other Cullens do restrain him, Edward makes a fateful decision -- to leave Bella, for her own good. He doesn't want to place her in any more danger because of his vampire nature, and also wants her to have a chance at a normal human life. After Edward tells Bella he no longer wants her, abandoning her in the forest near...