Book Review: "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner" by Stephenie Meyer

Finally finished the book.  It was a short one I can tell you that! 

It was one straight narrative with no chapter separation but it was vintage Stephenie Meyer---very addictive and hard to put down.  You'll feel as much empathy for Bree as you felt for Bella.

The story covered the events that happened a week before the Victoria hatched attack on the Cullens at the end of "Eclipse".  The story was told in the perspective of Bree Tanner, one of the vampires created by Victoria, to form her "vampire army".  Bree relates the tumultuous relationship of the newborn vampires, the politics, and her shortlived second life friendships.  The book also provided the unspoken communication by Bree and Edward during Jane's interrogation. 

This book may also be the precursor to a series of Twilight offshoots with the introduction Fred, Shelly, and Steve who were to break away from the Victoria created coven.

Entertaining read!

"The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner" by Stephenie Meyer

Here's the post-Twilight novel of Stephenie Meyer!  Well, blame it on the leaked manuscript, it's not "Midnight Sun", the Twilight saga in the perspective of Edward Cullen, as highly anticipated by many die-hard Meyer fans.  Instead, Stephenie focuses on the life of the newbie vampire, Bree Tanner, who was the lone survivor in the epic battle between the werewolf supported Cullens vs. the Victoria bred vampire army.  Unfortunately, Bree did not survive the Volturi. 

The novel deals with Bree's short life as a newbie vampire and the events that transpired until her unfateful death in the hands of Jane.  It's a short life, hence, a short novel.  I just started reading it today and hope to finish it in two days.  Based on the first couple of pages it looks like an interesting read.  Feedback when I'm done.

Twilight Book 4: Breaking Dawn

Finally, I'm done with the Twilight series!

Honestly, I must say that I enjoyed it a lot! The books were quite thick averaging around 550 pages each. The last one, "Breaking Dawn", had 754 pages! But credit goes to Stephanie Meyer for weaving a very intricate story that will definitely keep the readers glued!

"Breaking Dawn" is divided into 3 parts: Bella's marriage to Edward, Jacob's suffering and eventual acceptance of Bella's decision to marry Edward (which is narrated in Jacob's perspective), and then culminates to Bella's "transformation".

Bella and Edward finally gets hitched---much to the consternation of Jacob. During this time, Bella is still human and it was quite intruiging how they're going to go about their honeymoon. Well, Ms. Meyer was already building the scene nicely when suddenly you seemed to have gone into a time warp and everything was over and done with! At first, I thought that I skipped a page worth of reading, but when I back tracked---that was it! It was like missing the punchline of a joke! Anyway, better that way given the target audience of this book!

Jacob still figured prominently in this installment and even if Bella did decide to go with Edward, there's this nagging feeling that she might have chosen wrongly. While Edward is finese and gentelmanly in his ways, Jacob is brusque and wild; they are opposite ends of a magnet---hot and cold! However, both are self sacrificing in their love for Bella. Initially, you would think that the love triangle will continue until the end of the book, that is until---Jacob inprints! At least he doesn't end up broken hearted!---No, I will not divulge who Jacob ends up with for the benefit of those who have yet to read the book. Spoilers ain't fun!

The Volturi once more gets involved, but this time, they have a more sinister plot against Bella and the rest of the Cullens. And Bella...well, from being the weakest link at the start of this saga we will see her as a formidable character to reckon with!

Twilight Book 3: Eclipse

Well, what do you know---it's like my high school days once more! Well, I haven't read in between bus rides yet or brought the book to the office to devour but I haven't read this fast since I read the "Lord of the Rings" series a couple of years back! So, as of 3:34 pm of February 11---I'm officially done with "Eclipse"! I guess one of the perks of being on the sick bed is that you have nothing much better to do, when you have your eyes open, than watch tv and read! Good for me then! I'm now on the first 3o pages of "Breaking Dawn"!

"Eclipse" evolves around the continuing love story of Bella and Edward coming back from their near fatal meeting with the Volturi, the legendary vampire coven in Italy. Bella finally gets approval from the Cullens, much to the dismay of Edward, to be a vampire---a practical solution to the impasse with the Volturi. But then, there's Jacob Black: Bella's best friend and persistent third party lover. For the love of God! Why couldn't she just dump this guy and get it over with! Well, Stephanie Meyer spins this off quite nicely---Bella is ALSO in love with Jacob! For a while I was under the impression that Jacob was becoming an ass trying to fit his place in Bella's life; then, lo and behold---Jacob was actually right in his claim that Bella is indeed in love with him! I have not yet (and not planning to) kiss a dead person but I couldn't get at grip on how Bella can tolerate kissing Edward---cold and hard---it must be like kissing a marble statue! Bella and Jacob's kiss is more in the league of "passionate"! I do believe that everyone will agree that two normal persons locked in a passionate kiss can really ignite a spontaneous combustion! Anyway, enough of the romance side! What I really like about this book is the alliance forged by vampires and werewolves as they united to face a common enemy!

It was thrilling to anticipate if someone will actually die and if Bella is really safe given the perfectly laid out plan by Jasper! At this point, it was really hard for me to put down the book! I was like trying to anticipate the outcome of the story (like when watching a movie) and falling short! This book I'd really want to see become a movie!

It had a rather sad ending though...I'm not telling since Chesca has yet to finish the book and I'm sure she'll get to read this blog today! Naner-naner-naner!

Twilight Book Two: New Moon

I guess I'm officially hooked on the Twilight series! I say this in the light of the fact that I was able to finish reading "New Moon" faster that I normally do ( I even bested Chesca in finishing the book first)! Reading time was no longer relegated during my trips to the potty room but also during every opportunity open to me! During the last two chapters, I was reading lying down with a flash light in hand!

I really enjoyed "New Moon"! The addition of werewolves really stirred it up for me! It was like the "Underworld" movies---vampires vs. werewolves---but instead of a head on collision between these two mythical creatures, it was sort of a love triangle!

Jacob was the main male protagonist of this book. Edward was somewhat a cross-over character appearing only in the beginning (as a continuation of "Twilight") and in the last few chapters (as the nexus of "Eclipse"). No wonder my friend Rix did not enjoy reading "New Moon"! I guess it has something to do with the forgettable character of Jacob Black in the movie version played by Taylor Lautner.