The book review from the well-respected parental guide - Commonsensemedia.org:
This is the downside to Harry Potter. Before J. K. Rowling smashed the page limits to smithereens, no publisher in their right mind would have allowed this book to be nearly 500 pages. It would have been cut down substantially, and it would have been a better story for it. This incredibly long book is really two books. The first two-thirds is a fairly engrossing, if not terribly imaginative, vampire romance, with lots of smoldering eyes, palpitating hearts, mood swings, and a nice touch of fantasy. Then in the final third it turns into an action-thriller, as another vampire sets his sights on Bella. Despite its length it is very readable, though it's all too easy to read a hundred pages, enjoy it, and then ...
