Eclipse Review

I started reading the "Bella Luna" series right after the last Harry Potter book came out.  A message board affiliated with Borders bookstores was discussing the merits of this series written by Stephenie Meyer and questioning whether it could be the next Harry Potter.  Well it's not, but it's a darn good series.

The first two books in the series are Twilight and New Moon (see my reviews of both) which introduced Bella Swan - a normal teenager in the Seattle area who falls in love with a boy (Edward Cullen) who turns out to be a vampire.  After a near vampire disaster in New Moon, Edward and the Cullens move away from Bella so she will not be so much of a temptation and to prevent her from getting hurt.  She befriends a local boy, Jacob Black, who helps bring her out of her depression and back to life.  The only problem is that Jacob is a werewolf; the worst enemy of vampires.  What's more, Jacob has fallen in love with Bella.

In Eclipse, the third and most recent book in the series, Bella is once again in danger.  Mysterious killings are occurring in the Seattle area and a psycho vampire is still pursuing her to seek revenge.  As if all this wasn't enough to freak out any normal teenager, Bella finds herself in a position where she must choose between Jacob and her beloved Edward.  The Cullen family had agreed to change Bella after her high school graduation but this decision is now hanging wide open as Bella is is having second thoughts about becoming a vampire at all.

In order to become immortal along with Edward and his family Bella would have to turn her back on her family who still are unaware that the Cullens are vampires.  She is concerned about whether she will still be the same old Bella if she will have a strong blood lust that will result in her killing humans.  It's a lot to think about; choosing between your best friend who is a werewolf and your boyfriend who is a vampire.

The heart of Eclipse involves many different aspects for all of the main characters.  It is Bella struggling with her desire to become immortal and the potential effects of that, her having to choose between Edward and Jacob, Edward proposing marriage before he will change her, Jacob always after her to choose him, dealing with her dad, dealing with school, and thinking about the psycho vampires who are constantly hunting her.

For Edward the story revolves around Bella.  She wants him (in more carnal ways than in either of the 2 previous books), he wants her, but he knows that Jacob wants her as well.  Edward knows that she loves him but still worries that Jacob will win her over.  Jacob's story is much the same as Edward's as they are both vying for her.

The sticky part comes in where the wolves and the vampires team up to protect Bella in an attempt to wipe out the band of vampires that are relentlessly pursuing her.  It is unheard of for these enemies to work with one another, to have anything to do with one another, but they agree to do so out of love for Bella.

Although I didn't like Eclipse as much as the first 2 books, it was good.  Bella was kind of whiny and defenseless in this book (and that's getting a bit old) and continues to place herself in danger even when Edward specifically asks her not to do so.  I find myself genuinely caring about Bella and the other characters.  Now that Bella is nearly 19 years old and has graduated from high school, she is wanting to pursue a more physical relationship with Edward. While it is very carefully written and no sexual actually takes place, the subject came up in what is considered a young adult book, so parents should be advised.  There was a slow part in the middle of the book but when it got down to the action and the battle with the vampires it sucked me right in again and I'm looking forward to reading the next book when it comes out next spring.  I HAVE to find out if Bella changes over, if she and Edward get married, and what becomes of Jacob.