New Moon (edit title)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis

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Summary

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Cast of Characters

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• Bella Swan: is a clumsy, accident-prone teenage girl who moves from Phoenix, Arizona, to Forks, Washington, to live with her father, Charlie. Though many boys are attracted to her when she arrives, she falls in love with Edward Cullen, a mysterious boy she discovers to be a vampire. Bella falls into a depression and is comforted by her friend, Jacob Black. She comes to love Jacob as well, though not as deeply as she loves Edward.
• Edward Cullen: was born on June 20, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois, and is frozen in his 17-year-old body. While dying of the Spanish influenza, he was changed into a vampire by Dr. Carlisle Cullen after Edward's mother, Elizabeth, begged him to save Edward as her dying wish. Edward only drinks animal blood and has the special ability to read minds, with the exception of Bella Swan's. He falls in love with Bella soon after she arrives in Forks. Edward knows that he could kill Bella easily.
• Jacob Black: is Bella's best friend. He is a Quileute Native American. In Twilight, Jacob plays a minor role, being a forgotten childhood friend of Bella. In an attempt to learn more about Cullens, Bella flirts with Jacob, and he tells her tribe legends about them being "the cold ones", or vampires.
• Charlie Swan: is Bella Swan's father and works as a police officer in Forks. His hobbies include fishing with Harry Clearwater and Billy Black, as well as watching various sports on TV. Charlie married Bella's mother, Renée, just after they both graduated high school, and they soon had Bella. Renée divorced Charlie not long after and moved to Phoenix, Arizona with Bella. Bella later mentions that Charlie still has not quite gotten over her mother. He became accustomed to living alone, except when Bella visited him in the summer. When Bella is seventeen, she moves to Forks to live with him after her mother remarries. Initially, Charlie accepts Edward as his daughter's boyfriend, but after the events of New Moon he blames Edward for Bella's deep depression after he left her. Charlie is grateful to Jacob Black for his friendship with Bella during that difficult time, and he makes it clear that he'd rather Bella choose Jacob over Edward.
• Billy Black: is Jacob Black's father, born and raised in La Push, and an elder of the Quileute tribe. He is described as being heavyset, having a wrinkled face and russet skin, and having black hair and black eyes. His other family members include his two daughters, Rachel and Rebecca, and his deceased wife, Sarah. Billy Black is directly descended from the last chief of the Quileute tribe, Ephraim Black, who was his grandfather. Among Billy's best friends in Forks is Bella Swan's father, Charlie Swan. Billy, who is crippled from diabetes and confined to a wheelchair, sells his truck to Charlie to give to Bella. At the end of Twilight, he employed Jacob to persuade Bella to break up with Edward Cullen. He becomes a semi-regular character throughout the remaining series.
• Alice Cullen: is the adopted daughter of Carlisle and Esme, adoptive sister of Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett, and mate of Jasper. Alice is described as being petite and pixie-like, with a graceful gait and hair that is short, spiky, and black. Her special ability is to see the future, an enhanced version of her ability to have premonitions as a human. However, her ability is limited; she is only able to see the outcome of a decision once it is made. Due to this, decisions made in the spur of the moment can not be foreseen. Alice can see futures involving humans and vampires. Alice is portrayed as being bubbly and optimistic, and loves and cares for Bella like a sister. She is also close to her brother Edward, and enjoys shopping, make-overs, and throwing parties. Alice's early history is vague, as she remembers nothing about her human life and woke up alone as a vampire. It is eventually revealed that she was born around 1901 in Biloxi, Mississippi, and was committed to an asylum because she had premonitions. Alice was transformed by an old vampire who worked at the asylum to protect her from James, a tracker vampire who was hunting her. Throughout Twilight, Alice uses her ability to see the future and help Bella when she is in danger. The two soon become friends, loving each other like sisters.
• Rosalie Hale: is the adopted daughter of Esme and Carlisle, adoptive sister of Edward, Alice, and Jasper, and mate of Emmett. Her physical age is 18, and she was born in 1915 in Rochester, New York, as the daughter of a banker. Rosalie is described as being the most beautiful person in the world, even for a vampire; she is tall, statuesque, and has long, wavy blonde hair. As a human, Rosalie was described as a woman who had beauty, elegance, class, and eyes resembling violets. Royce King II took an interest in her and soon the two became engaged. Rosalie was extremely envious of her good friend Vera and her baby boy and, while on a visit, noticed that she did not share the same relationship with Royce as Vera did with her husband. Dismissing it, Rosalie later walked home and met an intoxicated Royce and his friends. Royce bragged about his fiancée's beauty, leading to her being beaten, presumably raped, and left to die. Carlisle, coming across her, decided to change her into a vampire. After her transformation, she tortured and killed those who had beaten her, including Royce, but did not drink their blood. When Rosalie first appears in Twilight she is mean to Bella, jealous of her humanity, and not wanting Bella to choose a life as a vampire. Rosalie is vain, self-centered, and wishes to be human and have children, so much so that she would give up her immortality and beauty for it.
• Emmett Cullen: is Rosalie's mate, Carlisle and Esme's adopted son, and Edward, Alice, and Jasper's adoptive brother. Emmett is described as being tall, burly, extremely muscular, and, to most humans, the most intimidating of his adoptive siblings. He has slightly curly dark hair and dimpled cheeks. Emmett was 20 and living in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in 1935 when he was mauled by a bear. The injuries from the attack were severe and he was found by Rosalie, who had been hunting in the area at the time. Rosalie, who was reminded of her friend's baby having the same curls, dimples, and innocent appearance, carried him over a hundred miles to Appalachia where Carlisle Cullen was, asking him to spare Emmett's life by turning him into a vampire. Emmett joined Carlisle's coven, but initially had trouble adjusting to the family's diet of animal blood. In Twilight, Emmett is at first wary of Bella, but eventually warms up to her. He often teases her for her clumsiness and constant blushing.
• Jasper Hale: is the adopted son of Carlisle and Esme, adoptive brother of Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie, and mate of Alice - he takes the name Hale to pass as Rosalie's sibling. He was born in Texas and joined the Confederate States Army in 1861 to serve in the Civil War. Due to his extremely charismatic personality, he ascended through the ranks quickly. Jasper was turned into a vampire in 1863 by a vampire named Maria when he was 20 years old. As a vampire, he gained the ability to manipulate the emotions of those around him. Recognizing his high rank in the army, Maria decided to change him into a vampire to help her claim territory in Monterrey. Jasper's responsibility was to train young vampires and then kill them when they were no longer useful (about a year after their transformation- when their strength began to fade). After about a century of this, he grew weary of the lifestyle and joined an old friend, Peter, and his mate Charlotte. Jasper left the two eventually, not wanting to feed on humans because he could feel his prey's emotions as they died. Alice, foreseeing that they would be together, met him in a half-empty diner in Philadelphia, and together they sought out the Cullen family. Due to his past, where he was able to feed on humans whenever he chose, Jasper lacks strong self-control. He is described as tall with honey blond hair, and is muscular but lean. His body is covered with crescent-shaped scars, after the many years of fighting and training newborn vampires. In Twilight, Jasper accompanies Alice and Bella when they are hiding from James. He uses his ability to calm Bella when she is stressed or afraid.
• Dr. Carlisle Cullen: is Esme's husband and Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper's adoptive father. At his physical age is 23, Carlisle is described to look like a model; he has blond hair, and is slender but muscular. Carlisle theorizes that when a human is turned into a vampire, they will have an enhanced ability from their previous life. He believes he brought compassion from his human life. Carlisle has had centuries to perfect his medicinal talents, therefore making him an excellent doctor. Unlike most vampires, he is not at all tempted by the scent of human blood, due to the over 300 years he has spent holding back his temptations. Carlisle Cullen was the son of an Anglican pastor, born in 1640s London, England, during a time of religious upheaval. His father and other pastors hunted creatures such as witches, werewolves, and vampires, often mistaking humans for them. As his father grew older, Carlisle assumed his role. One night, he was attacked by a vampire and left to die on the streets. Knowing he would be rejected by society, he hid himself and silently endured the painful transformation, emerging as a vampire. Horrified by what he had become, he tried killing himself many different ways, but all failed due to his power. One night, unable to endure hunger any longer, he fed on some passing deer. Subsequently realizing he could avoid feeding on humans, he committed himself to resisting his blood lust and to becoming a doctor. For a short time, Carlisle lived with the Volturi, though he eventually left and traveled to the New World. While treating patients with the Spanish Influenza, he met an ill woman who begged him to save her dying son, Edward. Out of loneliness, Carlisle transformed Edward into a vampire, and Edward became his companion. Soon after, in 1921, Carlisle moved to Wisconsin where he treated Esme after her failed suicide attempt brought on by her infant son's death. Carlisle felt compelled to save her and transformed her into a vampire, subsequently falling in love with her, and later marrying her. Carlisle then transformed Rosalie Hale and Emmett. After Carlisle changed Emmett, Carlisle and his family moved to Hoquiam, Washington. Between the Cullens' first and second stay in Forks, Alice and Jasper joined his coven as well, having found Carlisle on their own. Throughout the Twilight saga, Carlisle works as a doctor, acting as the coven leader.
• Esme Cullen: is Carlisle Cullen's wife and the adoptive mother of Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper. She enjoys restoring old houses and her physical age is 26. She has no special power, but has a strong ability to love passionately. Esme is described as having caramel-colored hair; she also has a heart-shaped face with dimples, and her figure is slender, but rounded and soft. Esme was born in 1895 in Columbus, Ohio, where she was treated at the age of 16 by Carlisle after breaking her leg when climbing a tree. She married Charles Evenson, but was abused by him. After finding out she was pregnant, she ran away and gave birth to a son, who subsequently died a few days later. Grief-stricken by his death, Esme attempted to kill herself by jumping off a cliff. Presumed dead, she was brought to a morgue. Carlisle, who remembered treating her years before, was able to sense her heartbeat and transformed her into a vampire. Esme fell in love and married Carlisle soon after. She loves her adoptive children as much as she did her own son, but still grieves that she is unable to bear children. Esme treats Bella as her own daughter, comforting her after several traumatic events
• Jane: Jane is very dark and sadistic. She is easily angered when her powers fail, and has a very deep and strong hatred for Bella after their first meeting in New Moon. She appears to worship Aro as she is very happy to be in his presence. She enjoys her powers, and the respect and fear that comes from her having them, and never wastes an opportunity to use them in her position on the guard. Jane is known throughout the vampire world, along with her twin, Alec, for her ability. Jane has the ability to create an illusion of pain on her victims. When Jane inflicts torture on her victim, it physically does nothing to them, as Jane only has the ability to trick the mind into thinking there is pain. She can control how much pain she inflicts on her victim. The pain that Jane inflicts is described as being like "burning" inside of the victim. Her ability is considererd strong enough to incapacitate someone into a helpless target. But she can only use her powers on the one object of her focus, not a mass of people like Alec.
• Laurent: A dark-haired, olive-toned vampire, Laurent is a member of James' coven in Twilight. When James and Victoria choose to track and murder Bella, Laurent leaves them and travels to Denali, Alaska, hoping to find solace among a coven of "vegetarian" vampires. However, he never adopts their strict diet of drinking animal blood, and "cheats" by occasionally feeding on humans. During this stay he takes a special liking to a vampire named Irina, though the infatuation is not strong enough to keep him there.
• Victoria: A red-haired, cat-like vampire, Victoria is originally a member of James' coven. She plays a small role in the first book assisting James, her lover and coven leader, in hunting Bella Swan. After James is killed, she decides to exact revenge on Edward Cullen by plotting to kill his partner, Bella.
• Felix: Bella describes him as "very big, tall, and thick", and that his size reminds her of Emmett Cullen. He is described as having an olive complexion which looks odd combined with his chalky skin. He also has short, cropped, black hair. He is not gifted, unlike most of the Volturi. It is assumed that he is kept in the guard because of his immense strength. He also is thought to be a fighter.
• Marcus: Since his mate's death, Marcus has sunk in to a extreme state of depression and apathy and is barely alive even by Vampire standards. His state of mind seems to have been made worse by the fact that Aro had Chelsea force him to feel loyalty to the Volturi and it has resulted in him being locked in a permanent state of grief-related apathy. During the meeting to discuss the Cullen situation in New Moon he barely adknowledges the proceedings and hardly speaks, just sits staring off in an almost bored manner. Despite this he does become animate in the presence of people with strong emotional ties like Bella and Edward and defends them on several occasions during encounters with the Volturri possibly because their love reminds him of the love he once had with his mate. Marcus has the ability to recognize relationships and manipulate them.
• Caius: is one of the three leaders of the Volturi. Caius has very pale skin that is almost translucent. It is described as being similar to onion skin. His hair is shoulder length, and white. It is very close to his skin tone. His eyes are red due to the fact that he drinks human blood as opposed to animal blood. He is the only leader that has no power.
• Demetri: Demetri is a tracker a million times more talented than James and Alistair. He is an immense threat towards the Cullens' survival in Breaking Dawn, as he could trace any of them (except Bella) if they managed to escape during the confrontation with the Volturi over Renesmee Cullen. He is the best known vampire tracker.
• Alec: has an extremely powerful gift which is equally powerful as his twin Jane's. He has the ability to cut off a person's senses. He can make them blind, deaf, and numb to any feeling if he wishes to. When he uses his gift, it appears in the form of a shimmering hazy mist. Unlike Jane's power, Alec can cut off a multiple number of people's senses. Also, Jane's power works immediately while Alec's takes time to creep up. Alec is described as having pale skin, blood-red eyes, and he has dark brown hair. He is just as small as Jane is in height, as he was changed when he was very young, Alec is described as angelic and beautiful.
• Aro: is described as having almost translucent skin, and it is repeatedly compared to onion skin throughout the series. His hair is very long and jet black. When he moves, it appears as though he's floating. His eyes are a milky red color that has a tendency to unsettle people. As the apparent leader of the Volturi, Aro is exceptionally talented. Being vampiric, Aro is blessed with superhuman strength and speed, vastly enhanced senses and immortality. Aro also possesses the supernatural ability to read minds; his ability is far more powerful than Edward Cullen's because he is capable of hearing every thought a person has ever had. However, his powers are limited since he requires physical contact and cannot read minds from a distance.
• Sam Uley: is the leader of a group of boys at La Push . His father, Joshua Uley, abandoned him and his mother when he was very young and thus Sam was forced to assume much adult responsibility at an early age.
• Embry Call: is another one of Jacob's best friends. Embry calls Bella Swan "vampire girl" because she hangs out with the Cullen family. His mother was a woman of the Makah tribe, not the Quileutes. He is the half-brother of either Quil Ateara, Jacob Black, or Sam Uley.

Memorable Quotes

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• “Once you cared about a person, it was impossible to be logical about them anymore.”

  Bella Swan

• “I wished I could feel numb again, but I couldn’t remember how I’d managed it before.”

  Bella Swan

• “Who would want to ride a motorcycle here? It would be like taking a sixty-mile-per-hour bath.”

  Bella Swan

• “It took less than half a second for me to realize that, as long as I was truly insane now, I might as well enjoy the delusions while they were pleasant.”

  Bella Swan

• “Yeah, I’ll always be your friend. No matter what you love.”

  Jacob Black

• “Who’s afraid of the big, bad wolf?”

  Jacob Black

• “Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars—points of light and reason… And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn’t see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything.”

  Edward Cullen

• “The fairy tale was back on. Prince returned, bad spell broken. I wasn’t sure exactly what to do about the leftover, unresolved character. Where was his happily ever after?”

  Bella Swan

• “He was my own personal sun.”

  Bella Swan

• “Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me.”

  Bella Swan

• “It didn't feel like the pain had weakened over time, rather that I'd grown strong enough to bear it.”

  Bella Swan
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First Sentence

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Table of Contents

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Glossary

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• Volturi: A powerful group of vampires that live in a castle in Volterra, Italy. They are the closest thing the vampire world has to royalty.
• Quileute: A Native American tribe of the Northwest, most members live on a reservation not far from Forks.

Errata

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Series

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This is book 2 in the Twilight Saga series.

Authors & Contributors

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1. Stephenie Meyer (Author)

Awards

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More Books Like This

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Books with Additional Background Information

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Books That Influenced This Book

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Books Influenced by This Book

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