Absolutely Brilliant ! - Rated 
OK, so it helps to have read 'Twilight' to fully understand the depths of emotions in 'New Moon'. And, as the target audience have mostly not suffered intense grief in their short lives, it's all the more important to read 'Twilight' first, or else the explanations of how Bella's feelings manifest will possibly confuse and bore inexperienced readers. This book deserves five stars because it is full of twists and turns and shocks, even if you are clever enough to see them coming, they are constant shocks for our beloved heroine. The development of Jacob's character, his life events and the characters in his life are all fascinating. It actually left me wanting Jacob to find someone who can bring him happiness, and reaffirmed that Bella and Edward belong together without a doubt. The turbulence in Jacob and Bella's relationship is introduced dazzlingly and goes onto create lots of tension-filled scenes and scenarios proving difficult for Bella to resolve. The final quarter of the book is absolutely terrifying and thank god we are given catharsis at the end when all is explained. Still, the beauty with this book is there are still rumblings of further misfortune and adventures to come. Read this. It is sooooo good! (p.s. there were rather a few typos in my copy - weird.)
Deep but still great - Rated 
i would of given this book 5 stars but i cant because to be honest about 100 pages of this made me quite depressed - it is very hard to get through but at the end you realise it is just as good as twilight - much more deep and you realise how much Bella really loves Edward and Jacob appears much more often in the story line - a must read for twilight fans of anyone else ( make you you read Twilight First)
Half fantastic read, half a chore. - Rated 
I really don't want to say what I think I have to about this book: that most of it is a waste of time.
I started reading this series because it was supposed to be the ultimate romance between an ordinary girl and a gorgeous vampire. The first book, Twilight, was exactly that. So, I was really excited about where things were going to go in New Moon. I couldn't wait to see how Bella and Edward's relationship had developed, how she fitted in with his family, and how relations were with Charlie after the end of Twilight.
And for the first fifty pages, it was great. Then Edward gets distant, and it's clear he's going to leave.... and suddenly a good half of the book really wasn't worth reading. Don't get me wrong, I love a good bit of angst. Despite that it was heart-breaking that Edward left (not to mention how he left), i was interested to see how Bella would deal with it.
BUT, the next, what, four-hundred or so pages I just. could. not. buy. Not at all. Ok, great, Bella tries to move on. Good on her. Brave of her. Strong of her. And great, she finds a friend in Jacob. Who, oh look, turns out to be a werewolf. And, even better, turns out to be the sworn enemy of vampires. Ok, I can accept that, just for the drama. What makes it so annoying is that, surprise surprise, Jacob is a little more infatuated with Bella than he should be. Jeez, why can't they just be friends and leave it at that?
I tried to have nothing against Jacob, I really did. I tried to accept him and all the time Bella spent of the reservation, but I just wasn't interested as I should have been. The entire time I was wondering what the Cullens, not just Edward, but all of them, were doing and when they'd be back.
I realise I'm probably in a minority with that, many readers seem to prefer Jacob to Edward because, as far as I can tell, he's more 'human' and he and Bella are more like equals than Bella and Edward. To me there's no contrast at all. I LIKE that Edward is all about chivalry and protectiveness, it fits. Where as Jacob... he only stands out from other teenage boys because he's a werewolf. As a friend, he's great. As a love interest, I'm sorry, I didn't realise this was 'not-another-teen-movie'. For once, give me the cliche perfect guy, not the better-matched normal one, please.
An when the Cullens FINALLY did come back in the picture, despite that it's a bit of a desperate plot line, I was completely, indescribably delighted. At last, Edward was back to show Jacob as the ordinary some-what annoying boy that he is.
And yet Jacob still didn't go away. In fact, once Edward was back, i disliked Jacob even more because he was just a little too horrible about Edward. To me, it proved that characters immaturity that he couldn't even tone down his hatred for Bella's sake, despite knowing how much she loved Edward. He really reminded me of a child who'd had its favourite toy taken away.
Even the first time I read New Moon, I was bored by the time the Cullens come back in the picture. Now, I sometimes skip out most of that middle part entirely, and it hardly detracts from the story. So, personally, despite how much I love this series and the idea of it, if I were Stephenie Meyer (and I realise plenty of fans will say thank God I'm not) I'd have written this very differently.
I'm not saying I'd want to detract from Bella and Jacob's friendship - I don't deny that he's incredibly important to her, her rock while Edward is not there), but it could have been done a lot more succinctly. Also, I'd probably have thrown in a section from Edwards perspective, just to see how tortured he was while they were appart. Not to mention it would've been nice to see a bit of perspective from the rest of the Cullens on the fact that they had to up and leave. Personally, I'd have found that a lot more interesting.
I found it disappointing if not irratating that while four hundred pages are spent on Jacob, what Edward has been doing for months is briefly mentioned in a couple paragraphs, and all the pain Bella and Edward have both been feeling for months is completely healed within a couple chapters. Um, right. Where are the emotional scars?
Essentially, if you're a Jacob fan, you'll love this book. But if you're 100% on team Edward, a lot of it will probably feel like a chore.
Twilight - Rated
After reading Twilight, i was already hooked- i bought the next two sequels and started and finished reading New Moon in a day. The sympathy you feel for Bella once Edward abandons her is great- but the fact that he's going to return, or more likely he HAS to return to just make the book what it is intended to be- a romance with Edward Cullen as the heart throb for all the readers. I'm still wondering how many of the eager fans awaiting for the movie release of New Moon will handle the majority of the storyline with out Edward Cullen (or the ridiculously good-looking Robert Pattinson). The story was still thrilling nevertheless, and i constantly felt pity for Jacob Black who would never be able to mean as much to Bella as he'd want. I'm completely addicted to the Twilight Saga now, but I am putting off reading Eclipse to keep the suspense up for myself just a little longer. I'm also widely anticipating the movie release of New Moon, as Twilight was everything I'd hoped.
Twilight and New Moon have both just enveloped me in the storyline; I feel enthralled when reading the books, I am easily able to connect with the storyline and character- a must read for anyone who wants to just escape from real-life for a day.
The Plot Thickens - Rated
I really enjoyed Twilight so much so that I went out and brought the rest of the books in the series when I was only half way through. Turns out that Twilight only just laid down the foundation for the story. In New Moon the plot definitely thickens, adding lots of twists and turns threatening not only Bella and Edward's relationship but their lives also. I can't wait to start reading Eclipse to find out what happens next! Definitely recommended to all those who enjoyed Twilight.
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