New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer, is the second novel in the Twilight series. The upcoming motion picture of the novel is widely anticipated, with previews causing great excitement amongst Twilight fans. Whilst the series was written for a teenage audience, its appeal has spread to readers from all age groups.

The novel starts on a tragic note, when an incident at Bella's birthday party leads Edward, her vampire boyfriend, to the decision to leave her for her own safety. Bella's world falls apart, and for months she spends the days going through the motions, whilst at night she is haunted by nightmares.

Life starts looking up for her a bit when she enters a friendship with Jacob, a boy from the Quileute tribe. When she is with him she can smile again, she finds she doesn't hurt so much, and it's nice to have someone who's there for her and to feel normal once more.

However, Bella's life is not destined to be normal, and there's more to Jacob than meets the eye. On top of that, the chase is still on, with something seeking revenge and determined to get to her.

All that stands between her and tragedy are the wolves... and a race to Italy is all that stands between Edward and the Volturi, an ancient, lethal, all-powerful group of vampires.

In this second novel, it's sometimes difficult to like Bella. She makes some silly decisions, and she can come across as rather selfish. Then again, this is due to the skill of Stephenie Meyer, who is excellent at creating believable characters. Bella is a teenage girl with a broken heart, and sometimes she doesn't behave in a rational manner. This makes her come across as realistic, and ultimately the reader will care about what happens to her.

Jacob is a welcome addition to the plot. A minor character in Twilight, he's brought to the forefront and with him comes a storyline filled with myth and legend.

Whilst the first novel was all about an unlikely romance, New Moon brings depth to the series. The personal development of the characters seems natural, and the plot needed strengthening, which Meyer managed very well through the introduction of the Quileute tribe.

I would recommend this novel for readers of 13 and older. The book contains some tension and a small measure of violence. Some parts are quite intense, and may not be suitable for a younger audience.