New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

(608 pages)

"I stuck my finger under the edge of the paper and jerked it under the tape. 'Shoot,' I muttered when the paper sliced my finger. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then. 'No!' Edward roared ...Dazed and disorientated, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm - and into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires." 

For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of an evil vampire but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realise their troubles may just be beginning ... 

I thought that this was a wonderfully written book with the relationships jumping off the page. Although seemingly Bella couldn't cope without her relationship with Edward, I think that every teenage girl has felt this type of angst at some point or another. 

The main attraction for me is the intensity of al the relationships whether it be between Edward & Bella, Bella & Jacob, Bella & Charlie or the complex Culens. Once this is combined with the emotional turmoils brought on be the emergence of Jacob's alter ego and the threat of the Volturi leaves us with an amazing almost cliffhanger and wanting more... 

Eclipse here I come :)

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

(464 pages)
5 stars

When 17 year old Isabella Swan moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father she expects that her new life will be as dull as the town. But in spite of her awkward manner and low expectations, she finds that her new classmates are drawn to this pale, dark-haired new girl in town. But not, it seems, the Cullen family. These five adopted brothers and sisters obviously prefer their own company and will make no exception for Bella. Bella is convinced that Edward Cullen in particular hates her, but she feels a strange attraction to him, although his hostility makes her feel almost physically ill. He seems determined to push her away until, that is, he saves her life from an out of control car. Bella will soon discover that there is a very good reason for Edward's coldness. He, and his family, are vampires and he knows how dangerous it is for others to get too close.

I only started reading this because I had heard there was a movie being made of it, and I prefer reading a book before I see the movie. I was expecting soppy mush, but that is not what I got, meaning that I was pleasantly surprised.

Whilst there was a lot of romance, and a bit of soppiness, there was also a significant amount of teenage angs and vampireyness (the part i was looking forward to). A nice slow moving wenthralling novel, with an intriguing collection of characters, built up gradually to an explosive crescendo foloowing the arrival of James and his 'coven'. I convince myself I knew how it was going to end, but I was wring, which again made me happy.

I enjoyed it so much I went and bought the rest of the series and I am now reading part 2 - New Moon.

A must for all romantics with a taste for the vampiric :)