Eclipse

Title: Eclipse (Twilight Saga #3)
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown
Year: June 2008(Paperback)
Price: RM39.90
Pages: 629

Ok, so this post should be posted like, a month or two ago. So that's why I'm still expecting my copy of Breaking Dawn (read the last sentence of this post). Enjoy. Oh yes and if you want to read my review for the first 2 sequels, click here: #1:Twilight; #2: NewMoon.

I still don’t get what the pictures in the first two books are trying to symbolize. Especially the second one, since Wikipedia also said that it brings no specific meaning relating to the book. But the third volume with the ribbon picture being torn into two portions—well that is to show the choice Bella has to make between two people. Jacob Black or Edward? Eclipse unravels it.

The fight is still on. Victoria, James’ vampire mate, is still trying to take her revenge towards Bella (Victoria didn’t even show up in New Moon, she was just mentioned). After provoking The Volturi, a vampire royal family, it became harder for Bella as they are trying to get Bella to become one of them. The situation worsened with the misunderstanding between vampires and werewolves, both are number one enemy to each other. Bella also found that she loves Jacob Black too—what would she do? Choosing to love between a vampire and a wolf-boy is definitely difficult. The army of dangerous and thirsty newborn vampires is coming, would the Cullens defeat them in order to save Bella?

The number of pages is increasing. But the story is not very much developed. No, what I mean is it is very slow developed. I wonder if this how the romance novels work out. I understand about Bella, a girl, the heroine of the story trying to convey her emotions in detail, but sometimes it’s a bit long and boring (My friend even says that you are like reading someone's blog or something..and I realise that its true!). I am hoping that the final book in this series, which has the most number of pages—which is 754—to be more suspenseful and thrilling. Well it must be me, not liking romance books. Or is it?

Apparently, Eclipse is better than book two, thanks for that fact. But somehow I still find Twilight as the best book in this saga. Eclipse’s climax point is very much interrupted by Alice’s vision, which already knows the newborn attacks’ direction and all; it is better when Alice don’t have that power. It would be more dramatic and full of surprises. Besides, I feel (sometimes) Jacob is a nuisance trying to get Bella’s attention, but then I think he is much cooler for a couple to Bella rather than Edward. So that means sometimes Edward is better, and sometimes it’s Jacob. Hmm am I biased, or what?

Well, hopefully Breaking Dawn could bring me much more excitement than Twilight. Hey, it’s the final book! What do you expect?

New Moon

Title: New Moon (Twilight Saga #2)
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown
Year: May 2008(Paperback)
Price: RM39.50
Pages: 563

See my review for Twilight Saga #1: Twilight here.

Yes guys, this is a sequel. For Twilight—obviously. You definitely know when you see the cover. The font, black background, plus a little red element in the cover illustration. But of course you know it from looking to the author’s name below the picture there.

Still remember the prom night when Bella said to Edward that she was ready to be a vampire? And Edward rejected the decision. Realizing that Bella would be risked to death with the Cullens living around her, the family decided to leave. Bella was left lifeless and soulless, trying to forget about the Cullens’ existence.

But a meeting with one of the three nomadic vampires last year (in Twilight) in the meadow led to a disastrous turn in Bella’s current life. It becomes complex when Jacob Black came into Bella’s life—bringing a new happiness during Edward’s absence. But still, the Cullens’ flee has left a big impact on Bella—especially Edward—and a tragedy befalls her. Edward, learning this news, decided to end his life. What happens next?

Personally I love Twilight more than its successor. New Moon is quite monotonous, and not action-packed at all. Having vampires tailing you is much more suspenseful (Twilight) than to stop your boyfriend from committing suicide (New Moon). And Victoria, she was trying to attack, as she is the antagonist in this book, but she was just mentioned, trying to break the defense from the werewolves to approach Bella. Thus some reviewers even rated this book C+, a bit higher maybe a B. Bella also shows so much weakness and sounded so ‘uncool’ without Edward and Alice, I almost fell asleep through the 563 pages of this novel. Read for yourself, and you’ll understand what I’m saying. I myself would give this a C, maybe even worse, D. Sigh.

How about sinking your teeth in Eclipse? Probably it’s better. If you’re curious about what I would say about the third book, well, wait until next time.

Twilight

Title: Twilight (Twilight Saga #1)

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Little, Brown

Year: September 2006 (Paperback)

Price: RM27.50

Pages: 498

About the book: When you discovered that the person you fell in love is an immortal vampire, what would you do? Would you sacrifice your mortality to become a part of it? Or would you just run to a safe place and be oblivious?

Thus Bella Swan, falling in love with a 108-year-old vampire Edward Cullen, wanted to be one too.

And knowing that vampires exist in this very world is not a good thing. Remember that, guys.

My thoughts: Twilight is a romance-fantasy novel, first in the Twilight series about human-vampire love. Well, when you read what the publisher got to say about this book, it stated: Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight is a love story with bite. And I can assure you that’s quite true (but not the seductive part—I didn't feel seduced pun). For the suspenseful part, it seems the climax works. Mainly I would prefer just plain fantasy with a little bit of lovey-dovey in it, sure; and obviously romance is not my favourite, but the thing is, this book sure is good, lookin through both aspects. Yes, it has romance element in it, since it’s a romance novel, but then the plot and storyline is very well-written, thus making my perception of romance novels a bit less pessimistic. Besides that, I also like reading about the vampires. Meyer let them look like what we always see on tv but she tried not to make them exactly the same. Such as the vampires hates cross, it does not apply for Twilight's bloodsuckers. Then I thought vamps drank human blood, but Cullens do not. They drank animals'. Guess what Meyer call them? Vegetarian. Lol, seriously, that is funny-lah! Wonder if she considered the word herbivore? Haha.
However, though the book is good, I am not very excited about first-person perspective. Because the story must revolves only around one character at a time. This happens in Twilight and the other three books. Maybe Breaking Dawn, the last volume, can be an exception as it contains first-person perspective from two characters—Jacob Black and Bella Swan—hence provided more happenings. But all in all, Twilight is still an exceptional novel, a good debut from Meyer. Nonetheless Meyer wrote the first-person-perspective-storytelling in control, so I guess that’s my own problem for not liking how the story is told.

Though Bella is the main protagonists, I honestly love Alice Cullen more. She is absolutely adorable in this series! Well, maybe in Twilight, this 'adopted' sister of Edward still looks mysterious and a bit creepy, but then—in later sequels—when Bella start to hang out with her, look how it turned out! Alice is truly the centre of attention to me more than Bella is. I was disappointed in New Moon and Breaking Dawn to see that there were many events left without her. But then I realise, yeah, Bella's the main character. Alice couldn't be more popular than she is, right? Oh well.

Ah, the epilogue—how would Bella decide in the end? What would she choose, her family, or eternity? What an ending! Loved this one. The sequel comes with the title New Moon.

P/S: I like this book's cover! The publisher sure did a great job.

My suggestion: A good read for fantasy lovers, and romance too. Well, the story sure gave me some moments of surprises and suspense. All in all, I would give this novel 7.5 out of 10. Plus watch out for the movie—it's coming this December!