New Moon

 

Book Series: Twilight
Title:             New Moon
Author:         Stephenie Meyer
Publisher:     Little, Brown and Company
Publishing date: 2006
Pages:           563
Number of Chapters: 24
This volume spans about seven months September to...just after spring break???

Preface

The first-person narrative speaker describes a nightmare: a dream-like experience we've all had of desperately wanting to run but unable to. A large crowd in a blindingly sunny square over which a clock tower looms. The crowd prevents the narrator from progressing any faster. The enemy is everywhere in this place. They are surrounded. We are told Alice had foreseen this-the narrator's desperate attempt to save a life, maybe even two, from death. And it must be done before the bell tolls...(except the theme of this book is Romeo and Juliet not Hemingway!)

Chapter 1   Party

And from one dream to another, Bella is face to face with her Grandma Marie who passed on six years ago. Grandma hasn't changed a bit in Bella's memory-wrinkled, kindly face, white hair. She smiles pleasantly at our heroine just as Edward steps into the frame and puts his arm around Bella who is trying not to panic at what Grandma, standing directly in front of her, might be thinking of her undead boyfriend. Grandma's face looks equally worried. Bella lifts her hand. Grandma does the same. Fingers touch glass. With a terrifying jolt, Bella realizes she is looking AT HERSELF in the mirror. The elderly cougar with the hot, young boyfriend who kisses her geriatric wrinkled cheek...is HER!!! ("Harold and Maude" anyone?) Edward smiles and whispers softly, "Happy birthday." 

Bella wakes with a gasp. Today is September 13 and she is eighteen years old today but compared to Edward's eternal youth, she might as well be 83. She gets ready for school, examining her ivory complexion and glowing teenage healthy skin for any signs of the wrinkles she saw in her dream/nightmare. She is getting older. (The horror!) And something must be done, soon before she "outgrows" her perfect boyfriend. Summer vacation was the most wonderful time she'd ever had in her life, but now school is back in session and she is a senior and not getting any younger.

Driving her '53 Chevy truck and parking it in the school parking lot, Bella's dismay only escalates as she is greeted enthusiastically by Alice who is about to thrust a small, silver wrapped package at her but Bella refuses it, begging Alice to keep her voice down before the whole school learns what day it is. She wants NO special attention today. Edward is also here. 

Alice happily informs Bella she will be opening a new digital camera and a scrapbook later from her parents and she already arranged for Bella to get today off so she can attend the party Alice is throwing for her at the Cullen residence tonight. Bella groans but Edward steps up beside her, taking her hand. He is a good distraction as she gets lost in his topaz eyes, his icy skin is smooth and hard as marble. How could she stay angry at Alice for long? Edward runs a hand through his tousled bronze hair and Alice's laugh is like a wind chime as they tease her about her insistence in not wanting any fuss made over her today-except Bella is also insisting that she should get her own way in everything today. 

The school day passes as normal, unlike in the first book, Edward pulled strings this year and used his dazzling charm so they have ALL their classes together as well as seating arrangements. Nobody looks twice at them anymore and their couple status is solid. Even Mike Newton no longer gives them the evil eye. 

Bella ponders her current life. Edward is richer than Midas yet Bella absolutely refuses to let him pay for anything. Her own parents do well enough. Her mother raised her on a kindergarten teacher's salary and Charlie's modest income as Forks chief of police pays the bills. Nevertheless, fiercely independent Bella took a part time job at Newtons Outdoor Sporting Goods store so she could pay her own way for Plan B College as Edward is urging Bella to follow. Bella, on the other hand, will continue to hold out for Plan A-become a vampire and never have any problems at all!

At lunchtime, Bella, Alice and Edward are now included at Mike and Jessica's table along with all the old gang from the last book. It is awkward with Bella acting as mediator for on sunny days when the two Cullens miss school the conversation easily reaches out to Bella and she is one of them. Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper all "graduated" and are pretending to be off somewhere at Ivy League universities or taking a Grand Tour of Europe. We get no further details about this lunchroom scene.

School ends and Edward concedes to let Bella drive her truck who smirks and eyerolls at her boyfriend for not letting her out of his sight today in case she finds a way to get out of Alice's party. She's coming. Edward also annoys Bella with his comments about the crappy radio in her ancient truck. 

Before they go into Bella's house to watch a movie, Edward takes her face in his hands to try and kiss her bad mood away. It works. Bella responds with equal passion-tells us Edward has "razor sharp venom-coated teeth" They go inside to snuggle on the living room couch and watch the 1960s version of "Romeo and Juliet" as part of an English assignment which hardly feels like homework to Bella. She LOVES this play (As of 2020, this really is the best movie version too!) Edward dutifully passes her tissues, whispers Romeo's lines in her ear, plays with her hair and traces patterns on her arm with his freezing cold finger as they watch the movie.

This is where the main theme of this book is revealed, as well as the foreshadowing as Edward critiques Romeo's lame character traits. Now if HE were Romeo and his only choice if his Bella were to die and leave him all alone in this cruel world he would then go to Italy and provoke the Volturi, the only creatures on earth with the power to enforce "vampire corporal punishment" he explains to Bella (see p. 340-Aro, Marcus and Caius were named for her in "Twilight" but the word "Volturi" was not) 

Learning what these "vampire police Volturi" are capable of, Bella is appalled, shocked. NEVER say that, she cries, and don't you DARE ever go through with such a vampire suicide threat! She shudders. Edward just shrugs. No worries, he intends to be her protector and savior for the rest of her natural life. Bella questions his motives. Her self-esteem issues are always getting in the way of their relationship.

Charlie enters with pizza and tosses Bella's present-the camera-her way so she can take lots of pictures at the party tonight to send to her mom. As for him, the World Series playoffs will be taking up most of his time for the next month starting tonight. Have fun kids and say hi to Alice for me. Bella reflects how Alice can now wrap Charlie around her little finger, she was such a big help to them both acting as Bella's CNA during her convalescence helping Bella shower and so forth sparing Charlie the horrific awkwardness of the task. But the ride over to the other house is again filled with tension in the car as the tired old argument is trotted out again. 

Bella: *pouting* "When are you guys gonna make me a vampire? That's all I want for my birthday. I'll never ask for another present again as long as I live."

Edward: *Growl* Bella WILL live to experience one or two more birthdays-if he has anything to say about it!

Which he doesn't, Bella reminds him as they enter the house and Bella almost faints at how Alice really did go all out with decorations: including a glass table set up in the Grand Room with a large pink cake, a stack of plates (for who??) and a pile of silver-wrapped presents. Everyone is all dressed up and smiling. Even Rosalie is on her best behavior-tolerating Bella's presence instead of just glaring at Bella like she did throughout "Twilight." Bella accepts her first gift which turns out to be an empty car stereo box. Bella grins in spite of herself at the thoughtful gift-Emmett is outside right now installing it in her truck for her and everyone hears his booming laugh as Bella calls out her thanks. 

As she slides her finger under the wrapping of her second gift, Bella sucks in air as she gets a paper cut. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't be such a big deal but Jasper, whose struggle to stay on the "vegan wagon" has not gotten any easier after Arizona, lets out a ravenous hiss and attacks. Edward retaliates by accidently flinging Bella right into the glass table before Jasper can attack. The table shatters and Bella tumbles to the floor, her arm now punctured by glass shards-oozing with fresh blood. Disoriented, amidst the snarls coming from Edward and Jasper's wrestling match, Bella remembers she is in a room filled with hungry vampires...

Chapter 2     Stiches

Carlisle immediately takes control of the awkward situation, ordering everyone out. Esme holds her nose, apologizes and follows her other children out. Alice fashions a tourniquet from a torn scrap of the tablecloth and hands it to Carlisle. Edward carries Bella into the kitchen and seats her on a chair at that table. Both Bella and Carlisle urge Edward to go find and talk to Jasper-he's done enough playing the hero this evening. Alice gives Bella a tiny apologetic smile and slips out, unable to handle the delicious smell of her blood any longer. Bella understands. 

She sure knows how to clear a room she jokes to Carlisle and they have a very nice chat here as he gently cleans and picks out the glass shards from her arm before sewing her up, all under the anesthetic shot he gave her. Thanks to a few hundred years of practice he has become all but immune to the scent of human blood and (as Edward already explained in "Twilight") finds a great deal of peace knowing his enhanced abilities allow him to truly make a difference on this earth despite the less-than-ideal circumstances that led him to his life's calling. 

Bella feels she didn't really get the whole story of how Carlisle and Edward first met and what inspired Carlisle to pick him as the first human companion to make the change. The last thing she expected was for the subject to turn to religion but it does as Carlisle explains the deep-seated faith he's always had in the existence of God while Edward lost whatever religious background he might have had after he was turned. Carlisle regrets that. Bella reflects to herself that Charlie considers himself a Lutheran even though he never attends any Sunday meetings preferring to spend time in the great outdoors on his day off while her Mom tried out a few different churches but thanks to her short attention span they never stuck.

Carlisle admits his doubts if his kind qualify for salvation but he holds onto that hope which Bella admires. Edward doesn't believe their kind go anywhere after "death" in fact he doesn't even believe they have a soul. They are damned and that's all there is to it. Carlisle disagrees. Edward has a soul and his admirable character traits are such that he's pretty certain SOME kind of heaven exists out there for his favorite "oldest" son. Bella agrees for heaven would never be heaven without her Edward there with her but, Carlisle points out, who is she to judge on where Edward's soul goes after this life? Bella frowns, seeing his point. Yet, she wants to join them, become one of them...and possibly lose her soul in the process. That's why Edward is so dead set against her being turned. 

You see, it was his dying mother's wish, with her green eyes and bronze colored hair, that Carlisle save her son from death. Her name was Elizabeth Mason. Her family had already lost Edward senior to the pandemic but Bella is too busy mentally picturing her Edward with green eyes! 

Carlisle continues his story. He arrived at the Chicago hospital to work his usual night shift, hating the fact he must keep up appearances and couldn't be here saving lives 24/7. Making his rounds, he checked in on his favorite patients-Elizabeth and her dying son-for he knew they were slipping away fast. It was as if the woman KNEW his secret as her fever-hot hand clasped his in a desperate grip. She insisted he save her son by whatever power necessary that she knew he had, "Save him!" she demanded. Carlisle promised and the woman promptly died. Nobody even noticed him stealing Edward out the back door of the hospital, after he wheeled Mom's body to the morgue. He knew nobody would miss the boy. Carrying Edward over the rooftops back to his dwelling, he made the change biting Edward in the same places he himself had been bitten which he now realizes were unnecessary but he had no other guide (Only in "Midnight Sun" are we told exactly where Carlisle was bitten).

Edward appears and Carlisle's fascinating tale comes to an abrupt end. Time for Bella to go home he'll go rob Alice's closet for some clean clothes for her to change into. Bella remembers her shoulder is still covered with pink frosting and cake crumbs from her fall. Carlisle helps Bella stand up and they return to the front room where Esme is just finishing mopping the floors with straight bleach. The smell, like the rubbing alcohol Carlisle used during the "operation" at the kitchen table, burns Bella's nose. Her arm now sports a long, white bandage which is easily hidden under a new, long sleeved blouse very similar in color to the damaged one. Typical male, Bella knows Charlie will never even notice.

The ride home in Bella's truck is even worse than the drive to the party. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. The new stereo in the dashboard with a big red bow is never turned on. Bella knows Edward is ready to explode, he's that upset over what happened. She meekly tries to reassure him it was all her fault and she's not mad at any of the Cullens for the accident. Edward reminds her none of this would've happened if she'd been out with Mike Newton tonight. Bella says a bad word at the mention of Mike's name. Why is Edward even bringing him up? She's NEVER been interested in Newton! They pull up at the house. Bella takes her two other silver wrapped presents, the ones she never got a chance to open, and makes Edward promise to stay with her tonight. He sighs and gives her a quick kiss on the lips, he'll meet her in her room as soon as she reports to Charlie. Bella also bought herself some new pajamas to replace the holey sweats she used to wear to bed now that she has a "chaste" bed partner to impress. She brushes her teeth, washes her face with one hand and skips into her room for the absolute best, favorite time, of her day.

Edward is waiting for her on the bed. Bella climbs into his lap and he opens the long sliver present for her which turns out to be a piece of paper detailing an all-expenses-paid free trip to Jacksonville, Florida for two to be used at their earliest convenience which they won't use until the next book. Bella is thrilled. Any gift that involves Edward is all she really wants anyway! The second present is from Edward himself and, as promised, it didn't cost him a dime. It is a personal CD recording of him at the piano playing all her favorite songs. "Bella's Lullaby" is the first on the track. Tears fill her eyes. Thinking she's in pain from her arm, Edward gets her some Tylenol and tucks her into bed, lying on top of the covers so she won't get chilled snuggling next to him. He kisses her and she responds-her hands just as tangled in his hair as his in hers and the kiss grows more urgent as if Edward is trying to tell her something. He finally breaks away and urges Bella to go to sleep which is not hard for her to do. It's been a very long, exhausting day. (And two very long chapters!)

Chapter 3   The End     (I'm gonna finish this in Word, easier to access, then I'll copy/paste here)