Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer

The chance to read Eclipse left me almost hesitant, knowing that this would be the last book I'd read about Edward and Bella - and possibly by Stephenie Meyer - but I decided to go ahead and read it; mostly because I was DYING to find out if she changes. I waited my time to read the book and even gave up my spot on the list so Dee Dee could read it - like I mentioned before I was in the middle of a couple of books, so I didn't mind. But just a day later, she came back to me and said, "I'm done! I couldn't put it down!" Having read the first two I knew that was possible - actually, more impossible NOT to believe it - and prepared myself for the worst: a day full of reading and shirking everything else.

At the end of the second book, you are so relieved that Edward and Bella are together again, after an agonizing 300 hundred or so pages of being apart. But now there is some new information in the mix, and this information carries into the third book, being: Jacob is Bella's best friend, Jacob cares for Bella, and Jacob is a werewolf. All very important factors when it comes to throwing Bella's life for a loop (which ALWAYS happens, of course).

As we all know, werewolves and vampires hate each other. But can they work together? Jacob and Edward do not like each other, understandably, and for more reasons than stem from the traditional. The tragic and obvious love triangle come into play and it tears Bella apart. She finds herself wanting to serve two masters and love two men, but she cannot.

This book was good. Not as good as the first, nor as good as the second (which was not as good as the first either). There is a lot of lore that is told and lots of small detail that is not fully explained, which makes it a bit confusing. She tells stories half way and connects them to things that happened in the first book. The problem with that is that they are BRIEFLY mentioned in the first book and she expects that you will remember them, even though so much has happened. Sometimes, it becomes so confusing that you almost feel you are reading the books out of turn and you have no idea what is going on.

There is a time when she is sitting with the werewolf tribe and they are telling tales. The old man - Billy - is the Eldest so he is sharing. There are two problems with this scene: one, that they are giving so much detail in the folklore that it makes it hard to follow, as well as be interested in. Second, she tells it in such a way that a 16 or 17 year old would talk, not the way a folk tale or an elder would speak, almost child like. This was frustrating when you are trying to get into the stories and you feel like you could tell it better yourself - and you don't know the story!

While I would say that I enjoyed this book -I read it in one day, and slacked off at work- a day of reading does not a good book make. I would say this is my least favorite story from her, although it did answer questions and make you love Edward even more than you already do. He really proves himself here, and shows that he is definitely more mature than Jacob is - Jacob uses Trickery to get what he wants from Bella, Edward just lets her decide and waits patiently for her to make her choice. Definitely shows her how much he loves her and you root for him thru the whole book (the author makes you believe that Bella could POSSIBLY choose Jacob).

We will be anxiously awaiting the next book!

Good Reading!