Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
At this point, I’ve read a lot of criticism about The Twilight Saga. In fact, I’m inclined to agree with some of it – the writing is, at times (and more often than I’d like to admit), amateurish, the dialogue implausible, Bella is a bit too eager to give up everything she knows for a sexy undead boy (here is a lively discussion that attempts to refute the critics and that illustrates the scary awesome devotion of hardcore Twilight fans). But I’m now three books deep in the series, and my love for the story and the characters has continued to grow. It’s an addiction that I can’t and won’t shake.
After the events that transpired in New Moon, Bella and Edward are back to being sickeningly sweet to and contentedly intoxicated with each other’s presence. Such intense and protective love cannot be sustained, however, if Edward didn’t feel that he has to save Bella all the time, so it doesn’t take long before their blissful bubble is burst. Victoria, a non-vegetarian vampire introduced in Twilight, is intent on murdering Bella to avenge the death of her mate, James. Also paying particular attention to Bella’s mortality are the Volturi, the vampire royal family, who have decreed that Bella must be killed or turned due to her intimacy with the Cullens.
In addition to these threats, Bella and Edward also have to deal with the (mostly) unwelcome amorous intentions of Jacob, the lovelorn werewolf. Like Edward, Jacob has sworn to protect Bella, and he does so with the help of his werewolf family. Jacob, however, is not entirely altruistic, as he is continuously attempting to come between Bella and Edward. When he realizes that, despite his best efforts, Bella is still adamant on marrying Edward and becoming a vampire, the uneasy truce between the two men in Bella’s life dissolves completely, but not before Bella is saved, naturally. As if you expected anything less.
The flaws in the first two books of The Twilight Saga still remain in Eclipse. In an effort to generate suspense, Ms. Meyer ends up introducing far too many twisted, convoluted plots. The werewolf origin story is detailed here; while interesting, it slows down the rest of the story. Bella’s inner turmoil regarding Jacob and Edward rings false, as does Edward’s seemingly endless patience for Jacob and Bella’s constant flirting. (Yes, it was flirting, and Bella totally lead Jacob on.)
Stephenie Meyer, however, makes up for these flaws by delving into new and deeper territory. Yes, Bella is as whiny as ever and Edward is dazzling as always, but Ms. Meyer also addresses the increasingly darker path that these two lovers have chosen. Bella is forced to confront her choice to become a vampire, contemplating the effects of her eventual immortality on her parents and on her friendship with Jacob. Ms. Meyer also addresses the very real and often awkward issue of teen hormones; this makes for quite a few tender and amusing (as well as cringe-worthy) moments. Casting a broader look at these issues and often-neglected characters helped Eclipse make The Twilight Saga a much richer, more complex story, and I’m eagerly looking forward to reading how it all ends when Breaking Dawn is released.
