The preface of the novel begins in the same way as the previous novels. Bella Swan is once again in a largely undescribed life and death situation.

Chapter one begins with a note from Jake to Bella. It explains that he misses her as well, but that this changes nothing between them. Charlie still wants nothing to do with Edward, attempting to show with every word and gesture that the vampire is unwelcome in the house. Seattle is revealed to be plagued by a string of unsolved murders. Charlie ‘un-grounds’ Bella, but on the condition that she spend more time with her friends, especially Jacob, and not just Edward. Edward and Bella continue filling out their college applications, while Bella explains to Edward her desire to see Jacob again. Edward refuses explaining that werewolves are “unstable” and that those who associate with them often get hurt. Meanwhile, Alice has a vision that Victoria, the vampire that is hunting Bella, is back in town, so Edward, keeping this knowledge from Bella, talks Charlie into letting them take a weekend trip to Florida to see Bella’s mother. When they return, Jacob confronts Edward as to why he is keeping Victoria’s return a secret form Bella, also discussing the treaty’s bounds as the Cullens crossed the territorial line while chasing Victoria into werewolf territory. Edward explains to Bella that he took her away from Forks as an attempt to keep her safe. Jacob and Bella reconcile to Edward’s disapproval, however, he assures Bella that the only reason he doesn’t want her seeing Jacob is because werewolves can be dangerous.

Bella insists that Jacob and the rest of the pack are safe and that Jacob would never harm her. Edward finally agrees with her and willingly takes her, on occasion, to the border (the area where the pact between the Quileutes and the Cullens was made, and where both can travel freely), where Jacob picks her up and takes her to his house. During one of these visits, Jacob clarifies his emotions toward Bella; he reveals that he loves her and forcefully kisses her, much to her displeasure. She reacts by punching him as hard as she can, succeding only in breaking her hand as werewolves are almost as durable as vampires.

Edward threatens Jacob when Bella is brought back home. Jacob clarifies what occurs, and they make a treaty and promise to work together. Later that night after Jacob leaves, Bella agrees to marry Edward on one condition: that he sleep with her before their marriage. Edward initially refuses, explaining to Bella that he could very well kill her. He eventually agrees that he is willing to try in the future as long as they are already married, however. Bella expresses the worry of what other people will think if she gets married so early, as she remembers the problems that marrying fresh out of high school caused her mother. She realizes that spending the rest of eternity with Edward is more important to her than anything else, however, and when Edward formally proposes to her, she accepts. She is still reluctant to the marriage and engagement as a whole, however; she refuses to wear the engagement ring, which belonged to Edward’s mother.

Bella discovers that a vampire has taken things from her room for the purpose of using her scent to locate her. Meanwhile, the Cullens realize that there is a coven of newborn vampires committing the murders in Seattle. Bella soon makes the connection between both incidents, and realizes that the new vampires are being led by Victoria. Alice foresees a battle between Victoria’s coven and the joined forces of the werewolves and the Cullens.

Edward and Bella camp up in the mountains, where they are joined by Jacob and Seth- a younger member of the pack- in wait of the war. Bella and Edward use Bella’s scent to set a trap for the newborns to follow, which will lead them to face the Cullens and the werewolves. Bella succumbs to the numbing cold at the top of the mountain where they are staying, and Jacob, with the intention of taunting Edward, slips into Bella’s sleeping bag in order to keep her warm (a werewolve’s normal core body temperature is 10 degrees above that of a human). Feigning sleep, she hears a conversation between Edward and Jacob, in which Jacob openly confesses his feelings for Bella to Edward. And Edward admits that Jacob can give Bella some things that he, Edward, can’t. The two of them come to an understanding.

In the morning, Edward and Bella begin talking about their engagement; they hear a howl of pain, and Bella realize that it is Jacob, who had been listening in to their conversation. He runs away before Bella can reach him, and so she asks Edward to go after him. When they come back, Edward gives them some space to talk. Jacob threatens to join the fight and get himself killed; when Bella begs him not to, he insists that she ask him to kiss her so he won’t kill himself (later on, it is revealed that he had tricked her into believing he would). She does so, and she realizes that she is in love with Jacob after they kiss, but is not in love with him the same way she is with Edward.

When Edward returns, he admits that he overheard everything and that he’s not angry at her for loving- and kissing- Jacob; this makes Bella feel guilty. As the two stay at the camp with Seth, Victoria attacks with her newborns. The other werewolves and Cullen family make short work of her inexperienced army, but Victoria goes around the battle completely. She soon arrives to confront Bella and Edward, along with one of her newborns named Riley, whom Edward recognizes. Edward tries to talk Riley out of fighting for Victoria, and almost succeeds, but at the last second, Victoria bolster’s Riley’s faith in her, and he refuses to back down. A fight breaks out, and in the end Seth (in his wolf form) kills Riley with Edward’s help, and Edward destroys Victoria.

The Cullens, as well as the pack, are unharmed during the fight; but it turns out that Jacob was injured when Leah Clearwater (one of the werewolves) tried to take on one of the newborns alone. Jacob stopped the vampire from killing her, but the entire right side of his body was crushed in the process. Carlisle assures Bella that he is healing and that no permanent damage was done. The Volturi arrive to clean up the war, but they are too late. They remind Edward of the agreement they had to change Bella into a vampire, to which Alice replies that the date has been set.

Bella goes to visit Jacob, who is on the mend. After talking, they admit that they love each other, but Bella insists that she cannot live without Edward. However, Jacob tells her that if she ever changes her mind, he will always be there for her.

Edward places the engagement ring back on Bella’s finger, as she no longer fears what others think. Bella agrees to let Alice plan her wedding and asks her to be the maid of honor. She also tells Edward that it is time for them to tell Charlie about the engagement.

The epilogue is from Jacob’s perspective. He receives an invitation to Bella and Edward’s wedding, and feels angry now that it is clear Bella will go through with “killing herself.” He also finds a letter from Edward within the invitation; Edward tells Jacob that he doesn’t have to come to the wedding if he doesn’t want to, and thanks him for all he’s done for Bella. The letter only angers Jacob further. Ignoring the questions and pleas of the pack, he changes into his wolf form and runs off, wanting nothing more than to “leave Jacob Black behind.” He decides that he is no longer hurt that Bella would choose Edward over him; however, he questions how things would be between them once Bella becomes a vampire.

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 Twilightplace 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: “[He] 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. (Aug.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up -In Stephenie Meyer’s sequel (Little, Brown, 2006) to New Moon (Little, Brown, 2006) and the third title in her popular vampire series, Edward and Bella are back and the sexual tension between them has grown even stronger as Bella prepares to graduate from high school and enter into her new life as a vampire. But what about her longtime close friend Jacob (a werewolf)? How can she choose between him and Edward, and what will happen if, and when, she does? Ilyana Kadushin skillfully brings Bella to life, sharing her struggle to decide between her love for Edward and her friendship for Jacob, while striving to maintain the peace between the vampire Cullens and the werewolf Blacks. The narration easily distinguishes between characters. Fans of Meyer’s previous titles will enjoy this one and eagerly await the release of Midnight Sun .-Cindy Lombardo, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews
It’s the countdown to graduation and immortality for Bella, since the events of New Moon (2006) have convinced boyfriend Edward to let her join him in vampirism. While Bella desires only to leave this mortal coil, Edward wants her to try college and marriage first. Bella knows that becoming a vampire will forever sever her ties to best friend Jake, who’s a werewolf and therefore an ancient racial enemy of all things vampiric. Luckily-and predictably-a gathering of bloodthirsty, vengeful vampires is headed straight for Bella. To protect her, the vegetarians of Edward’s vamp coven need to stop trading racial epithets with the werewolves and work with them, instead. Bella wants the villains to be defeated so she can return to her everyday life of high school, anticipating immortality and fighting Edward’s determination to avoid premarital sex. Unsettling racially charged characterizations are offset by messages of overcoming difference and working together. Fans of Bella’s angst-drenched love triangle will gobble this entry up, and the open-ended conclusion paves the way for Jake’s story to come. (Fantasy. YA)

Stephenie Meyers Soundtrack:

• Mexican Standoff – Elbow
• Hamburg Song – Keane
• Clocks – Coldplay
• The Small Print – Muse
• Stab My Back – The All-American Rejects
• Overweight [edited] – Blue October
• Mr. Brightside – The Killers
• Newborn – Muse
• Love Me Like You – The Magic Numbers
• Vindicated – Dashboard Confessional
• Hysteria – Muse
• Uninvited – Alanis Morissette
• Yes Please – Muse
• Infra-Read – Placebo
• The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot – Brand New
• Luv – Travis
• Blackout – Muse
• It’s A Disaster – Ok Go

• *This Is How I Disappear – My Chemical Romance
• *Sleep – My Chemical Romance
• *Falling Away With You – Muse
• *Accident & Emergency – Patrick Wolf
• *The Well and the Lighthouse – Arcade Fire

*I couldn’t make up my mind about the last song on the playlist, so pick your favorite of these five!