Eclipse

Stephenie Meyer's third installment in the Twilight series, Eclipse is neither more nor less than the previous installments. It is a continuing dramatic (melodramatic, as seen through a girl's teenage eyes) and long-winded tale of the heroine Bella's struggle to be with her serious-boyfriend-vampire Edward. Standing in their way is the fragility of human's versus vampires (sex between humans and vampires is considered perilous to the point of stupidity), Bella's friendship-love with her best friend, a werewolf, who has now overt designs on who she belongs with, a grudge revenge mark against her by another vampire, and the icky idea of getting married -- the latter is so much less appealing to her than giving up her life to be a vampire.If any of this sounds eye-rollingly unappealing, it probably is to you. Meyer's books fake no pretense that they are overtly romantic in nature and presentation; perhaps that is what is so strangely appealing despite the often overlong prose. (At least you can skip through them lightly and know you haven't missed much when things get a little tedious.) Still, I admit that I enjoyed it, and was especially impressed and maybe even a little moved in the inspired sex-turned-to-proposal scene midway through the book.

Overall, it's solid stepping stone for getting to the series' conclusion.