Eclipse Book Review

In Eclipse, the third installment in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, Isabella “Bella” Swan must choose between her lover, the vampire Edward Cullen, and her good friend, the werewolf Jacob Black. Since vampires and werewolves have been natural enemies for centuries, Bella knows that her decision is extremely important, as her choice may spark a war between these two immortal families. While Bella is being forced to make her fateful decision, Victoria, a lethal vampire who is focused on avenging her mate’s death is once again on the move. She has assembled an army of newborn vampires who are on a feeding frenzy in Seattle and ready to start a war with the Cullen family and Bella at any moment. In this epic novel, the worst enemies must join forces to protect Bella from Victoria’s wrath as she closes in with her deadly army.
Although I loved all of the books in the Twilight series, Eclipse is my favorite book by far. This book is definitely worth reading. Stephanie Meyer uses a lot of diverse figurative language and literary techniques. She is so descriptive that the reader can even sense the feelings emanating from the characters. She uses great imagery that places the reader right inside the scene. In particular, Stephenie Meyer uses simile, metaphor, and hyperbole so that the reader can really appreciate what she means. An example of the effective imagery and utilization of simile can be found in the climax of the story when Edward is fighting Victoria: “She wheeled and flew toward the refuge of the forest like an arrow from a bow. But Edward was faster – a bullet from a gun. He caught her unprotected back at the edge of the trees and, with one last, simple step, the dance was over” (553). I really like her diction because it contributes to the building of suspense. I like how she describes the fight that is going on in the clearing with the Cullens and the werewolves against the army of newborn vampires. Instead of telling us what is going on, she uses Edward’s ability to read minds to describe the fight. We have to guess what is going on by what he is saying and by what Bella is interpreting. This book is so fascinating that when I picked it up and started to read, stopping felt like one of the most difficult things in my life! Eclipse left me captivated. I was literally sitting on the edge of the couch, wanting more.
Stephenie Meyer does a phenomenal job in writing Eclipse as well as the other books in the Twilight series. I highly recommend this novel as do many others. It has even received recognition as a #1 bestseller in the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal. Readers who have read Twilight and New Moon will definitely fall in love with the third book, which lays the foundation for the actions in the final novel.