bookREview: New Moon by Stephenie Mayer

Category:	Books
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author:	Stephenie Meyer

Rating: 5 Stars

Paris and Juliet. That wouldn't buy greater audience than how much Romeo and Juliet did. That wouldn't profess the meaning of true love - a kind of love that can withstand perpetual sadness. And that would never ever inch on the list of classics worth promoting despite time's rapid current.

Stephenie Meyer knows better than let Bella Swan, her heroine, bite the bait Jacob Black sent out for her while she's swimming at the middle of a sea of emotional distress in her second installment of the emerging classic, the Twilight Saga - New Moon.

New Moon is centered around the love triangle that arose between Bella, Jacob and Edward at a time when Edward decided to leave Bella for good. Edward thought this step best because he blames himself for endangering Bella's life more with him, being not human but a vampire - a bloodsucker, a cold one.

The adventure and the heart-pounding emotions Meyer placed in the narrative, the heart break a normal girl would surely feel, the longing this heartbroken fellow has for a love she aren't sure would ever come back, the disappointment this poor girl has for herself at making her friends vulnerable to the danger she should have been solely shouldering and the hate she has for herself for allowing her best friend to have hope she could someday learn to love him, packed into a conflict that offers no rational solution gives me the impression that this volume is one of the best written plot I've ever read so far.SPOILER ALERT 

The novel began with a nerve-racking scene in the Cullen's house, in a party insisted by Alice to be held as Bella turned 18. A danger magnet, as always, Bella accidentally cut her hand while opening Edward's present, releasing blood that triggered Jasper's eagerness to drink a true human's blood.

This just justified Edward's decision to better leave Bella to give her a chance of a normal human life. The Cullens fled several days after and Edward and Bella parted bitterly in a forest near Charlie's [Bella's dad] house. Before leaving, Edward took everything that would remind Bella of the Cullens. It's as if, as Edward put it, he never existed.

Sam Uley later found Bella deep into the forest at the middle of the night in a search constituted by Charlie. This made Charlie furious with Edward as he just left her daughter unprotected in the forest. Bella found later that all of the things that the Cullens would remind her was taken back by Edward.

After four months of moping, as Charlie straightly describes Bella's actions/ reactions over what happened, Bella tried to move forward. Her first attempt - an invitation with Jessica to the movie at Port Angeles - was futile.

One day, while she made her mind drift while driving, she saw two rundown motorcycles in front of the Marks' residence with a sign that tells it's for sale. It was eventually acquired by Bella for free because the boy who received her said it's more like a garbage than an item worth purchasing.

These motorcycles brightened the friendship between Jacob and Bella, which in turn helped her recover from the lifeless stupor brought about by Edward's absence. Bella asked Jacob to help her fix the motorcycles together as well as learning it to drive. That made Bella make a daily trip to La Push, a place where the Blacks live.

After some time, Bella almost accepted the fact that what she feels for Jacob is already more than friendship, though she made it clear to him when he confessed his feelings at the movie house while Mike was throwing up that she couldn't offer him anything more than friendship.

After the not very good movie night, Bella caught the stomach flu Mike also has that night. She thought Jacob also caught it, but she later found, because of impatience of not seeing Jacob for two weeks, that Jacob's scary story about werewolves were true. And that Jacob has turned into one.

She wasn't supposed to know about it as it is against the rule Sam's gang [the pack of wolves] established. But because it turned out that Bella is the main subject of Victoria, James' mate, to avenge his death she was accepted by the gang..

With that revelation, Bella was instructed to be in La Push as much as she can for the werewolves to protect her. One day, Jacob promised Bella to try "cliff jumping" as she had seen Sam's gang was doing while they [Bella and Jacob] was about to try their newly-repaired bikes.

Jacob was not able to make it on time that day because of patrolling the perimeter of La Push for Victoria. Bella, eager to hear the voice of Edward in her head, which happens almost every time she's in danger, jumped off the cliff without Jacob, aware that the weather was brewing danger.

She would have drowned had Jacob did not come to the rescue in time. Bella thought she saw some flames under the water but she later learned that it was Victoria, making it to the water now, instead in land, where vampires are best at. She also learned that Harry [Clearwater], Charlie's friend had a heart attack and that he died.

Jacob brought Bella back to Charlie's house only to be surprised by Carlisle's black Mercedes parked in front. Jacob immediately knew that a vampire is inside the house. It took some time to convince Jacob that this is not Victoria but probably one of the Cullens before he left her.

Upon opening the door, Bella was surprised to see Alice, in her marble and ever angelic face, standing at the center of their living room. She threw her hand to Alice because it proved her that what happened the year before, when she arrived in Forks wasn't just an illusion after all.

Alice was happy to see Bella alive because her reason for coming is that her visions told her that Bella was committing suicide by jumping off the cliff. Bella explained everything to her. Afterwards, she pleaded Alice to stay to cover up what she missed in the eight months of their absence.

Charlie returned home, surprised to see Alice. The next day, he went to Harry's funeral. Jacob went to visit that day but he was disappointed with the fact that the vampire hasn't departed yet.

The phone rang. Jacob thought it was Carlisle. The caller was asking for Charlie and he said he's in the funeral. Bella went furious with Jacob for not letting her answer the phone.

Alice came in with a confused and scared look. She saw Edward going to Italy, trying to provoke the Volturi kill him. They all found out that it wasn't Carlisle who called but it was Edward. Rosalie told Edward about Alice's vision about Bella and Edward tried to straightly inquire Charlie about it. Edward thus thought that Bella was dead because Charlie was at a funeral.

Alice and Bella immediately flew to Italy to stop Edward's plans. When Alice saw that the Volturi refused to accept Edward's request and instead, invited him to become one of them because of his unique talent of mind reading, Edward then decided to provoke the Volturi of killing him by exposing their kind at the height of a festival in Volterra where people would definitely be surprised by someone who looks exactly like diamonds under the afternoon sun.

Thankfully, they arrived on time. Edward at first thought that he's already dead, being together with Bella. Two Volturi guards waked him to reality. At first the three of them, Edward, Alice and Bella refused to come with them but after a guard named Jane appeared, they seemed to follow with consent. It turned out that this Jane is talented in confounding.

They were brought into Aro's audience. The Volturi wasn't about to allow Bella away with her knowledge about Vampires without making her into one, but Alice let Aro see her visions and in them, he saw Bella turning into one of them.

When they left Italy, the Cullens all brought Bella back home. Naturally, Charlie was furious, but Bella tried to calm her father no matter how much tired she was. On the way home, Bella tried not to sleep because she's afraid Edward might leave her. But upon arriving home, Edward promised her not to leave.

Edward took his word and when Bella woke up, she thought all that happened the last three days were just a dream and that she's still in that dream. Edward convinced her that she's not dreaming, but Bella claimed she don't want to believe that because it would only tear her heart if Edward leaves again.

Near the end, Bella asked the Cullens to vote for her immortality. Majority agreed on making Bella one of them. She made Carlisle promise to make her a vampire after she graduates High School. Edward was so furious that she broke something in the main living room of their house.

When Edward brought Bella back to Charlie's house, he made a deal with her. He would be the one to turn her into a vampire if she would agree to marry him as soon as possible. But Bella, thinking Charlie and Renee's reaction, disagreed on this. He then asked her to wait for five years, which lessened into one then six months if she wants him to turn her into a vampire himself.

Bella did not agree and still clung to the promise made by Carlile - to make her immortal upon her graduation which will be after several weeks.

On the next day, Charlie grounded Bella and imposed hours of Edward's visit. Little did Charlie know, Edward sneaks through Bella's window as soon as he walks out of Charlie's door.

Because of Bella's punishment, she was not allowed to go anywhere, even La push. Jacob thought Edward prohibited Bella to visit him that's why he chose to betray her with the motorcycle. Charlie went furious over the motorcycle thinking how dangerous it can be.

Jacob later found that Bella was grounded - the reason why she can't visit him. Edward grabbed the opportunity to thank Jacob for saving Bella's life when he did not. Jacob was not gratified by this but he left apologizing to Bella. The story ended with Charlie howling inside the house in fury.

bookREview: Twilight [Stephenie Meyer]

Category:	Books
Genre:	Literature & Fiction
Author: Rating	Stephenie Meyer 4 Stars

"...just because we've been... dealt with a certain hand... it doesn't mean that we can't choose to rise above - to conquer the boundaries that none of us wanted."

Thus pointed by Edward Cullen in Stephenie Meyer's heart-pounding and alluring novel that in such a short time, earned a considerable number of followers who, in turn, proved the novel's as well as the author's brilliance.

Twilight, permit me to say, is just a simple, plain yet captivating teenage love story, only spiced by the conflict that it's a kind of affair which is forbidden and naturally unacceptable in the real sense.

The way the author weaved Edward and Bella's affair is not very far from an ordinary love story scribbled by some lowly author who can be satisfied in freelance writing of cheap pocketbooks in the market. But one thing, in my view, did the trick that drew the fence separating cheap authors from this vampire story goddess. Meyer sure knows how it is to be young.

If in other novels, you would be thrilled by the unfolding of suspenseful events, Twilight, surprisingly and impressively does the complete opposite.

Twilight's popularity, in my opinion, feeds on the lines the characters throw to one another, especially those of Edward's and Bella's. Their dialogues are so passionate, so meaningful, so full of youthful energy and bravado that would keep you hanging and read in a rapid pace until you turn the succeeding pages where they would once again talk, releasing and increasing tension at the same time.

Such stance of the author to make the narratives revolve around the character's emotions expressed through impressive dialogues, I must confess, forms a large percentage of the success of book.

After I completely digested everything the book has to offer, I came to a conclusion that it's a worthy contender to the success the Harry Potter series now claims. This is my bold answer to those who outrightly compare Meyer with Rowling together with the characters they sketched. However, their approach is different. Meyer brings cliff-hangers through the lines while Rowling does the magic in the events.

I particularly liked the idea of Edward being able to read the thoughts of other people with Bella as the sole exception. I want also to give credit to Meyer's giving emphasis as to why her vampires are godlike compared to some others who portray theirs as monster-like and ghost-like.."I'm the world's best predator, aren't I? Everything about me invites you in - my voice, my face, even my smell... - mentioned by Edward in Chapter 13, "Confessions." If I am a child, I would have believed in vampires and would have been convinced by their existence because of this line.

The author ended the novel in a manner which completely satisfies her readers but which urge them to crave for more - a good way to keep them tailing for the next volumes.

Nevertheless, the first thing that urged me to give the book four stars instead of a perfect five is the introduction of the Quileutes in chapter 6, "Scary Stories," which seemed to me that the author just tried to force something out of myths and legends in such an absurd manner. It's as if the preceding chapters are all part of reality while that chapter, with no warning at all, turned that reality into fantasy haphazardly. Though it's a good entrypoint to enlighten readers about the true nature of Edward, it's just not that convincing.

But if you ask me, the long history of the Cullens, recounted by Edward on Bella's visit to his family is brilliantly narrated. If it's not for this, that four, might push backward to three.

Second, some of the sarcasms which the author used are not very universal - something which not every reader could instantly understand. Meyer probably did not, at first, consider her book to reach this fame and to spread in the unexpected corners of the world. That cultural barrier, evident particularly in the dialogues of the characters, slackened my reading pace from time to time because I first have to be certain with the meaning of the character's figurative words.

Third, and I think most influential of all, I guess I just expected too much from this book because it became the talk of every mouth I know in school, at home, my friend circle, not to mention the unparalleled media hype and the rising number of online groups that worship this series. If not for these maybe, what you see in this review is not a four but a shining five star for rating.

To end this very subjective review, it's two thumbs up for Meyer for having conceived a story which has always been explored by many a writer in history but which has never been tapped to a full blow much like she did in Twilight.

bookREview: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Category:	Books
Genre:	Literature & Fiction
Rating:	5 Stars

If you had ridden a motorcycle running at about 120 mph in a road so wide without any other vehicles around while on both sides is a majestic scenery of nature, then you'd have felt the same feeling I've felt while reading Lois Lowry's "Number the Stars."

The novel may have in no way certain relations to the aforementioned experience but "Number the Stars" is such a fast-read, a worthy one to spend the most solemn hours of the day to turn its illustrious pages and one that possess a satisfying plot that may leave you hanging for a while chapter after chapter but does not leave you waiting for a century to unfold what is supposed to be hidden. Yes, each chapter is built on a climax where readers might find it a great loss to leave it for a while.

The compelling and tear-jerking nature of this novel structured to highlight the deeper meaning of friendship, love to one's neighbor and courage at the middle of danger made me admire Lowry even more as she did in her other novel, "The Giver."

Written in a somewhat shifting first person to third person participant-observer point of view, "Number the Stars" has for its background the Nazi occupation in Denmark, during the holocaust, tackling particularly the arrest of the German soldiers of Jewish families for "relocation" in concentration camps.

The Rosens, who are Jews and who are friends with the Johansens, decided to flee from their apartment in Copenhagen because the rabbi in the morning of the Jewish New Year, announced that there will be a widespread search for Jews in Denmark to detain them in concentration camps.

Knowing this plight of the Jews, Annemarie felt that all of the Danes should guard the Jews, the same way as they guard their King, Christian X. The Rosens, that night, left Ellen, their daughter with the Johansen since it would be dangerous for the Johansens to keep and hide the three of them from the Nazis though they are willing to do so if it isn't that dangerous.

Ellen was told to pretend as one of the Johansen girls which is not that hard since she and Annemarie seem more like sisters than friends. She was told to take Annemarie's sister's name, Lise who Annemarie later found died because she was also a member of the resistance group in Denmark.

The German soldiers did sought after Jews that night and both Ellen and Annemarie felt frightened when the soldiers noticed the difference of Ellen's hair from the two other Johansen girls. Thanks to Annemarie's father's quick thinking, he took his daughter's childhood pictures and showed it to the officer. The officer tore the pictures and disappointed, left the Johansens without another word.

Inge, Annemarie's mother brought Ellen the next day to his brother's house in Gillilije together with Annemarie and Kirsti, the youngest Johansen. In Uncle Henrik's house one night, there arrived a hearse with a coffin which the girls were convinced to be Great Aunt Birte's remains. But no dead body is inside the coffin but things to keep those gathered warm for the winter. The coffin was almost opened by the questioning Nazi officer but Inge gave him a sarcastic explanation.

In the same night, the Rosens were reunited all thanks to Peter Nielsen's ingenious tactics. Peter is supposed to be wed to Lise died two weeks before the wedding.

In the same night, the Rosens as well as the other people gathered that night were secretly hidden in the boats of the fishermen for them to be smuggled to Sweden as it was free from the hands of the Germans. They were to sail the moment the sun had risen.

But there's one thing that Mr. Rosen accidentally left in Uncle Henrik's house - an important package entrusted to him by Peter to be given to Uncle Henrik. It was Annemarie who brought the package to Uncle Henrik but she stumbled upon Nazi officers with trained dogs. They managed to see the package though it was hidden in the basket Annemarie's mother prepared for her for the package to be kept in secret. But when the officers tore it open, they only saw handkerchiefs and so they allowed Annemarie to pass, already crying. The officers were unaware that the handkerchiefs have a specially-formulated powder that numbs the dog's sense of smell for a short time. And so, if Annemarie failed to give the handkerchiefs to his Uncle in time, the Rosens would have been found by the Nazis hidden in Uncle Henrik's boat during their inspection.

Two years later, the Germans retreated and the war ended. Peter was executed by the Germans after being arrested in a mission and the Jewish families returned back to their own homes. Annemarie asked her father to fix Ellen's necklace, the star of David, which was broken when Annemarie forced it off Ellen's neck during the German's search and decided to wear it until they return.

Lowry also included an after word detailing the factual basis of her novel. The title itself was taken from Psalm 147 which goes:

O praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing psalms to our God.
How pleasant to praise him.
The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem;
he gathers in the scattered sons of Israel,
It is he who heals the broken in spirit
and binds up their wounds,
he who number the stars one by one...