Eclipse

August 20, 2007
The legions of readers who are hooked on the romantic struggles of Bella and the vampire Edward will ecstatically devour this third installment of the story begun in Twilight,
but it’s unlikely to win over any newcomers. Jake, the werewolf met in New Moon
, pursues Bella with renewed vigilance. However, when repercussions from an episode in Twilight
place Bella in the mortal danger that series fans have come to expect, Jake and Edward forge an uneasy alliance. The plot patterns have begun to show here, but Meyer’s other strengths remain intact. The supernatural elements accentuate the ordinary human dramas of growing up. Jake and Edward’s competition for Bella feels particularly authentic, especially in their apparent desire to best each other as much as to win Bella. Once again the author presents teenage love as an almost inhuman force: “ would have been my soul mate still,” says Bella, “if his claim had not been overshadowed by something stronger, something so strong that it could not exist in a rational world.” According to Meyer, the fourth book should tie up at least the Edward story, if not the whole shebang. Ages 12-up.

October 1, 2007
Gr 8 Up-Picking up where "New Moon" (Little, Brown, 2006) left off, this book continues the tortured love story of a human teen and her vampire boyfriend. Having returned from a quick trip to Italy to retrieve an errant Edward, Bella finds herself severely grounded by her father and at odds with her friend Jacob, a werewolf and mortal enemy of Edward as well as being inconveniently in love with her himself. Adding to these complications are Bella's impending graduation and vampire transformation and a wild pack of vampire newborns on a killing spree. As in the two previous installments, it is Meyer's effective and intense portrayal of first love in all its urgency, passion, and confusion that drives the story along with the supernatural elements coming in a close second. For the three main characters, being in love, making a commitment, and choosing a future is literally a life-or-death situation and they constantly discuss, analyze, and describe their feelings for each other, giving readers a deep connection to them. Upping the emotional ante is an injection of heightened sexual tension and sensuality that hasn't been present in the series before. The story is slowed down in the middle by both the origin stories of the werewolves and vampires Rosalie and Jasper, and the vampire newborn subplot seems to be a convoluted add-in. However, all of these stories contribute in some way to Bella's epiphanies about her future. Meyer knows what her fans want: thrills, chills, and a lot of romance, and she delivers on all counts."Anne Rouyer, New York Public Library"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2007
It began as a simple vampire series and quickly became a megaselling publishing phenomenon; now, in the third installment, decisions about college, marriage, and, oh yeah, immortality are pressing in on heroine Bella Swan. Werewolf Jacobs declaration of love for Bella adds even more pressure (his violent kisses may trouble some readers). Acerbic humor remains a strength of Meyers storytelling, but despite the multitude of concerns, there isnt much action. The plot, which ultimately evolves into another war with the evil vampires, unfolds at a leisurely pace, slowed even more by flashbacks from prominent secondary characters. Readers familiar with Bellas favorite book, Wuthering Heights, will enjoy allusions to the classic, and the sexual tension in the previous books continues here. Bella begs to consummate her relationship with handsome vampire Edward while she is still human, but he refuses to give in until they are married; their passion remains at the kissing level. With Bellas fate still hanging in the balance as fans await the fourth and final volume, we can expect the prepub clamor over the next year to reach Harry Potterlike intensity.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)