I am one of those people, once I start reading a series of books I am compelled to finish it. This may also go along with the review I started with the first Twilight book. So I picked up and read New Moon, the second book in the Twilight Saga, and the next come to the big screen. It is once again, a decent young adult book. Once you get into the story it might capture you for the long run.

The story starts where the first book left off, no time gap, and no missing back story. I liked that fact, but it would have driven me insane if I had to wait that year between books during the original printing. It would be as bad for me as it is waiting for the now third book in the Inheritance Cycle.

For the next few moths Bella and Edward are inseparable, until an incident on her birthday. After almost getting killed by Edward’s family, he decides they should leave. He tells her that he is no longer in love with her, and she needs to move on with her life. Then came the 4 most annoying pages I have seen in a book, they just list the months as they pass, one month per page.

This illustrates one of the key complaints that most parents have about the books. It shows how obsessed Bella is with Edward. Se basically spends the next four months in a depressive state, separating herself from the world. It does not tell you everything her father did to try and help her until much later in the book. When I was first reading the next few chapters, I was thinking “Where is her father for all this?” But I felt better when I got to the part in the book that explained those four months, and what happened during them.

The next few chapters are spent with her slowly rejoining the world of the living, mostly by doing what is call Stupid and Dangerous things, to include riding a motorcycle. I myself have nothing against motorcycles; if my 18 year old Daughter wanted to have a motorcycle I might work with her on getting one and learning to ride it. I would rather her come to me with that then go to a friend. Besides, she is 18 and can do what she wants anyway. Sure, we can all have the “While your in MY house”, but will it really stop them?

Bella discovered that an adrenaline rush would cause a delusion of Edward’s voice. From that point on she spends the main story trying everything she could think of to get that rush. She started hanging out with Jacob Black, the boy who told her what Edward was, getting him to fix a motorcycle and teach her to ride it. She slowly starts to fall in love with him. Not the same as with Edward, but is anything ever the same as your first love.

As she begins to accept this love, Jacob becomes distant, and begins to avoid her. She starts to fall as she did when Edward left her. The story spends a lot of time exaggerating the emotional swings of most teenagers. Bella has what you might call and addictive personality, she becomes attached to things and people to the point that she feels as if she can’t live with out them. This Speaks to the fact that she is coming from a broken home and never really had any security in her life up to this point. This is an aspect that I like about the story, but may be one that is putting off many of the other parents.

Once she discovers that Jacob is a werewolf, their relationship picks up better than before. But she finds herself forcibly separated from him while he protects her. During this time, to get one of her delusions, she jumps off a cliff into the ocean, almost killing herself. This is one point here I would hope that my children have better sense that do what they see others doing. She is saved by Jacob, but Allis, Edward’s sister, had a vision of Bella dieing, and rushes to try and save her.

Over all, entire book flows rather slowly, not one I can see being made into a movie as is. I have a feeling that there will be many of the same story flow modifications to the movie as there were for Twilight. I am looking forward to seeing this once it comes out on DVD; I never go to the movies any more. I am also looking forward to reading the next book in the saga, but I can’t bring myself to pay $8 when I got the other two for $5 each. I will have to keep my eye out for the $5 printing while I am shopping over the next few weeks.

Until then, I am reading the Hardy Boys, thinking about reading them as bedtime stories to the girls.

Check out the other Twilight posts I have:
Twilight – is it appropriate for young Ladies?

For more of what dads with daughters have to say about Twilight check these links:

The Bloggers:

Ron Mattocks of Clark Kent’s Lunchbox — “Twilight” For Girls? Dad Bloggers Share Their Thoughts

Justin Howefitz of Howefitz blog – Twilight: One Father’s Ramblings On A Phenomenon

Ciara of Ciara’s Ramblings and What not –Is it safe? Twilight and Teens

Joe Schatz of Joeprah — A Dad of Daughters on the Twilight Phenomenon

National Fatherhood Examiner (still Joe Schatz) — Dad and Mom Bloggers react to “New Moon” & “Twilight” series

So, what are your thoughts? Has the book been brought up as an issue in your house? How about the movie? Is there any reason to censor this book from kids, or do you think it is appropriate for most kids?

Tags: book, dad blogs, movies, new moon, reading, Review, Twilight