New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer

I had to take a break from reading the Twilight series in order to fulfill some book club and reading challenge obligations, so I picked up New Moon the first chance I got.

And I have to say, I had a really hard time getting into it.

In the first fifty pages, Bella turns 18, has a birthday party at the Cullens', and then something happens at said party that causes them to leave the town of Forks. Bella is absolutely devastated that her Edward had to leave, and is in a catatonic state for a long time. She finally starts to snap out of it once she starts spending time with Jacob Black, the son of an old friend of her father's.

Bella starts spending time with Jacob because she believes that she needs to do something rebellious in order to help her get over Edward. She sees that a neighbor is giving away a couple of old motorcycles and decides to obtain them. She meets up with Jacob, and the two make a deal: he'll restore the bikes for free, as well as give her riding lessons, in exchange for her bankrolling the restoration costs.

As he restores the bikes, Bella's friendship with Jacob deepens, and she starts to heal. Yet one day Jacob stops returning her calls and is reluctant to spend time with her. Bella confronts him, and Jacob reminds her of a story that he once told her about his ancestors. Long story short, Bella figures out that Jacob is a werewolf--and learns that he is a member of a pack that lives on his reservation.

Werewolves are also natural enemies of vampires. There is, please pardon the expression, bad blood between the Cullens and the Blacks.

In the meantime, Bella soon learns that she is being hunted by another vampire--Victoria, mate of James, who--SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET READ TWILIGHT--witnessed James' death at Edward's hands during Twilight's climax. And now Victoria is out for revenge.

Additionally, something else happens to Bella that prompts the Cullens to return to her life. I won't tell you what it is, but if you've read Twilight, you know that the consequences are rather complicated.

I'm really glad I was able to finish New Moon, because I really didn't like the first 100 pages. I thought Bella was just very whiny and was harping too much over Edward's loss. The novel picks up once she realizes that Jacob is a werewolf, and after Victoria re-enters the picture. New Moon, I believe, is the book that sets in place the crucial plot elements for Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I haven't started Eclipse yet, but I am intrigued and eager to see what happens.

Finally, thanks to all of those who kept encouraging me to keep plugging at this one. I'll be honest with you: I almost gave up. I'm glad I stuck with it.

This is the latest entry in my 2009 100+ Reading Challenge, my 2009 Read Your Own Books Challenge, and my 2009 2nds Challenge. As always, click on the buttons in the right sidebar for all of my archived lists!