The TWILIGHT Saga phenomenon - my chronicles - Part II b

Book 2 - NEW MOON

Before even seeing the movie, I knew there was a Team Edward debate going on, but I assumed the rival would be another vampire so I wasn't sure who this newcomer could be. However, I did a quick Google search and found out it's Team Jacob. Aha; so it's Vampire vs. (Were)wolf then, eh? Interesting.

In borrowing the next book from my friend (as I was still not committed to shelling out my own money for all this), I got the lowdown that if I were pro-Team Edward, which I already knew I would be, I might not find NEW MOON to be as interesting. I'm grateful she kept from revealing any major spoilers as I usually hate any information - so much so that I don't even read episode descriptions before watching a TV show.

So the good and the bad about NEW MOON (spoiler heavy, of course):

I liked the idea that we are reminded that Bella IS in danger even from the Cullens since they are vampires, after all. We knew there was a reason Jasper's "newness" to the family was emphasized. I liked the fact that even a tiny paper cut from Bella could incite such a frenzy from someone on the verge of falling off the wagon.

I didn't agree with the Cullens moving away, especially Edward, to leave Bella alone for her own protection. Hmm, with Victoria out there, did they really think she wouldn't be around after they killed her companion? But, I guess we need a plot device so Bella can create a bond with Jacob who becomes Edward's rival and so we can be introduced to the wolfpack.* So there you have it.

I enjoyed the way in which Jacob really did impact Bella's life by providing the comfort she needed to come back from her devastation of losing Edward. And Meyer's style of describing Jacob made him appealing, which would explain the formation of Team Jacob. But seriously, anyone reading the book can tell that Bella's one true love is Edward.

I didn't like the lack of Edward being in most of the book, but again, I get why she did it - I just don't agree with the method. The question is, how do you make this work for the movie? You can't keep Robert Pattinson out of this picture without incurring the wrath of millions of young girls world wide!

My hopes for the film are:
- Focus on the beginning and the end of the book which would mean more Edward time.
- Condense the Bella and Jacob sequences into the most meaningful moments they share - no need to linger on the small stuff - we get it - they get along and he is saving her from herself.
- Show us what Edward is doing on his own while away from Bella. He explains it later anyway, so why not give us the visuals?
I think these plot points would be good enough to keep me satisfied.

I'm not all that concerned about Chris Weitz having been chosen as the director for this book. I think he's got a good sense of how teens interact (AMERICAN PIE) so this could be good direction for the characters, which would be a vast improvement from Hardwicke. Granted, I didn't see THE GOLDEN COMPASS so who knows? Maybe he started sliding down the spiral of suckiness, but I think that movie was a hopeless case anyway based on the bad CG as evidenced by the trailers.

Keeping my fingers crossed and the date open for NEW MOON's release later this year.

*I use the term wolfpack instead of werewolves because the books do point out there is a difference between the two and that there are werewolves in the TWILIGHT universe, so it's only fair to call the Quileute boys by what they are.