"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." - Amazon
Title: New Moon
Series: The Twilight Saga
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Release Date: August 21st 2006
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 563
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Sub-Genre(s): Romance/Fantasy
Read: During 2007
Rating: ❤❤❤❤
Where to Buy: Amazon | B&N

Where do I start... I guess it would be that it took me over 7 months to finish this one. It was one of those books that I started reading, then put it down and didn't pick up till sometime late 2007, early 2008. But I flew through it like a race horse. Reasons being was that I could at that point in my life put myself in Bella's shoes, having to deal with my own horrible heart break that resembled her's as well. He may have not been a vampire, but none the less it was a pretty big deal.

I think being able to connect to her more in this book, than in 'Twilight' was crucial. The 1st book in a series always is a make or break, but the sophomore year (ie - the 2nd book) can lift the book higher into the stratosphere or send it into a black hole of shame. New Moon didn't, but it didn't do the same as the first book either. This can happen, but I think it had to do more so with how well a reader could relate to the story and the characters.

Overall, it was a great read. I wouldn't call it my favorite, but I wouldn't shove it away in a box just yet. It does look pretty on my book shelf.