Saturday 17 December 2016

Chapter-by-Chapter: New Moon, Epilogue

Since I wanted to get this book finished before Christmas, and there's only the Epilogue left to go, I figured I might as well go ahead and get the last bit of this book done today.

So let's get on with the very end of New Moon. Epilogue: Treaty.

What Happens?

Everything is getting back to normal. Then Jacob goes and tells tales on Bella and she's going to be in a lot of trouble with Charlie.

Thoughts as I read:

You'll be grateful to know that everything goes pretty much back to normal:

Almost everything was back to normal - the good, pre-zombie normal - in less time than I would have believed possible. The hospital welcomed Carlisle back with eager arms, not even bothering to conceal their delight that Esme had found life in L.A. so little to her liking.

Bella's missed a test and the closing date for a number of college applications. Edward's onto that though. Charlie's still peeved but is allowing Edward to visit occasionally. Unbeknownst to Charlie, Edward's sneaking in through Bella's window every night to spend time with her.

Things between Bella and Jacob aren't great though. She's not allowed out to La Push and he's not making any effort to get in touch with her either. I don't blame him. She does feel a little guilty but she doesn't seem to be missing him too much, she does have Edward, after all.

Weeks pass and Jacob's still having nothing to do with Bella. Billy keeps giving Bella different excuses why Jacob can't come to the phone. Edward tries to console her by pointing out it's not her, it's him. He then goes on to, not so consolingly, suggest that perhaps it's best if Jacob keeps his distance because there'd probably be a fight and Edward would kill, ahem, hurt Jacob.

After some prompting, he suggests that he'd try very hard not to kill Jacob, so at least there's that. It gives Bella a flashback to Romeo and Juliet again. But it's easy to forget all the doom and gloom because:

Every time I looked at his face, that impossibly perfect face, my heart pounded strong and healthy and very there in my chest. This time, the pounding raced ahead of its usually besotted pace. I recognised the expression on his statue-still face.

Edward lets on that Charlie is thinking about killing his daughter. It would appear that he's been reading Charlie's mind or something. Turns out Charlie knows about the motorcycle.

So let's just get this straight for moment. Charlie has mostly made peace with the fact that Bella is dating Edward. He's pretty much forgiven her for disappearing without warning and jetting off to Italy. But the knowledge that a few months ago she was charging around on a motorbike is what's going to push him over the edge into a homicidal rage. Priorities, man!

And what's upsetting Bella most of all is that Jacob is obviously the one who has told on her. Again, if this is the biggest thing she has to be upset about right now, it's really not that big a deal. Edward's able to tell that Jacob is inside but holds Bella back from charging in and killing him, because that's what boyfriends do when you're a little bit crazy.

Edward knows that Jacob is there to see him. Which gives Bella another flashback to Romeo and Juliet, what with Paris falling and all. But it's okay, there won't be a fight. Jacob's there as a spokeswolf.

The two guys spend about a page facing off to one another. Bella interrupts the male posturing to ask why? and is told that it's basically so she'd get grounded and wouldn't be able to spend as much time with Edward. Oh Jacob, I thought you were bigger than that. On the other hand, I'm kind of cheering for him here. I'm so torn.

Unfortunately for Jacob, she's already grounded, that's why she's not been allowed out to La Push to hang with him. Jacob seems to have been under the impression that it was because she was being forbidden from spending time with him by Edward. This is why people in books really just need to sit down and talk about things. Honestly guys, that would save so many misunderstandings!

Rather unsurprisingly, one of the first things Edward does, after telling Jacob that he knows why they are there, is to thank Jacob for keeping Bella alive. This is rather surprising. Then there's some interaction between Edward and Jacob where Edward is reading Bella's mind and Jacob's pretty clearly asking Edward to go away.

The other thing Jacob is there for, aside from making sure Bella's well and truly in trouble, is to remind Edward's lot of some of the finer points of their treaty. If any of them bite a human then all bets are null and void. A moment too late, Bella makes it clear that she's already made plans involving being bitten. It sends Jacob into spasms, threatening to completely lose control.

Luckily he manages to bring himself back from the brink and seconds later Charlie starts yelling for Bella. She is in deep trouble.

Meanwhile Edward and Jacob keep talking about how they're getting on with catching Victoria. Answer, not very well. They've not seen a sign of her for a little while now. But it's time to go get yelled at by Charlie, so Edward and Bella have to leave. As she goes, she learns that Jacob can't be her friend any more. This of course, prompts a near fight between Jacob and Edward.

Then Bella gets full-named, so you know she's really for it now.

We don't get to see exactly what happens next. Bella is dragged away to face her fate as she reflects on all of her problems:

My best friend counted me with his enemies.
Victoria was still on the loose, putting everyone I loved in danger.
If I didn't become a vampire soon, the Volturi would kill me.
And now it seemed that if I did, the Quileute werewolves would try to do the job themselves - along with trying to kill my future family. I didn't think they had any choice really, but would my best friend get himself killed in the attempt?

But that's all stuff for the future.

For now she's about to get yelled at by her father.

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