The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner [Review]

Written by: Stephenie Meyer.

Published by: Atom.

Fortmat: Hardback.

Released: 5th June 2010.

Rating: 4.5/5.

SPOILER WARNING FOR ECLIPSE AND BREAKING DAWN!

After a lot of waiting since the announcement that this would be released, I was so excited to finally get my hands on a copy. I adored Eclipse, and so another chance to enter that story again, but from a completely different perspective was an exciting prospect.

And I have to say that Stephenie Meyer really does not disappoint! Bree’s story is engaging and entrancing from the very beginning. As Meyer herself confesses in the introduction, the series is written in first person from Bella’s perspective, and so this causes some blindness to the story as a whole. She can only see what is apparent to her and so doesn’t really get to see things going on behind the scenes that build up to the conclusion. She can only see what is going on around her, and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner provides just the insight that I think a lot of Twilight fans have been waiting for. We finally get to see what life is like as a newborn vampire.

And not just from memory. I can’t quite remember, but there must have been mentions in the saga of life beginning as a vampire, and Bella’s beginning is very controlled by the Cullens. This is fresh, new and completely out of control.

I personally loved this book. It was fun and really does give a good insight to the world of Eclipse.

However, I do have a few downsides. It’s all one long text. No breaks at all, and this annoyed me when it came to having to put the book down. There was no definite point at which you could take a break. And also I felt that some bits were a bit rushed towards the climax of the book. I felt that the fighting was completely missed out on. In Eclipse we got to see a lot of the fighting where Bella was, but not with the rest of the Cullens, and for me, that part was over far too quick.

Overall though, it was a brilliant book that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend for Twilight fans. It made me really like Bree and wish that she didn't die.

Buy from Amazon UK

Breaking Dawn [Review]

Written by: Stephenie Meyer.

Published by: Atom (UK), Little Brown Books (US).

Format: Hardback.

Released: 2nd August 2008 (US), 4th August 2008 (UK).

Rating: 4/5.

Official synopsis: "To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fate of two tribes hangs. Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life - first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse - seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed...forever?"

I can't pretend that I am not infinitely disappointed with Breaking Dawn. In actual fact, I'm pretty annoyed. Yes, we all want happy endings, but something that annoys me about Bella is that she always gets what she wants, and she goes about it in the most obnoxious manner.

I fell in love with Twilight, and really did not like New Moon, but Eclipse restored my faith in Meyer. I adored it. And for the most part, I adore Breaking Dawn. I can't fault Meyer's writing. It's still as addictive as the previous books in the series. But I felt that at the end of the 700 page epic, that things all just seemed to simple. I know there was a fair share of opposition in the book, from Edward as regards Renesmee until he could hear her think, and so on. But it all just seemed too easy.

Bella just gets what she wants. It's kind of boring to be brutally honest. For is being the final book, I would also of liked it to be a bit more action-packed.

I LOVED Jacob's part, after initially saying it was boring. I quickly changed my mind, and was disappointed when the narrative reverted back to Bella. It just seemed to flow more naturally coming from Jacob.

All in all, Meyer has done a good job. It get's a 4 out of 5 from me, because it is a good book. It would of been a 5 had there been a bit more drama, a bit more soul.

Maybe one day if I return to the series to read them again, I'll change my mind, but these are my initial views. Satisfied, but a little disappointed.

Buy from AmazonUK

Buy from AmazonUS

Waiting On Wednesday (1): Bree Tanner

Waiting on Wednesday idea from Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephenie Meyer.

Published by: Atom Books (UK). Little Brown Books (US).

Format: Hardback.

Release date: 5th June 2010.

Amazon UK - Amazon US

Amazon summary: "Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion."

I for one am very very excited for this. I absolutely adored Eclipse, and thought that the ending chapters were utterly brilliant. To get to see that from a different perspective, to see what went on literally behind the scenes, and from the perspective of a newborn at that is going to be very exciting!

Roll on 5th June!

Book News: The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner

So, Stephenie Meyer is set to release a brand new book on 5th June! The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella is a 192 page tale of Bree Tanner, the new-born vampire who appears at the end of Eclipse. Meyer said she wrote the "short story" to get a perspective of the other side, and then intended for it to be featured in her upcoming The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide. But it was too long, and now it is being released in hardback at 12:01 on Saturday 5th June! It is also going to be available to read online, for FREE, from 7th June to 5th July.

I for one am very excited. I loved Eclipse and am in the last few pages of the incredible Breaking Dawn at present, and so getting to read Bree's full story is going to be very interesting. Kind of like how she planned Midnight Sun to be Twilight from Edward's perspective.

I also love the cover art. I love all of the saga's covers.

Anyone else excited about this?

Eclipse [Review]

Written by: Stephenie Meyer.

Publisher: Atom.

Format: Paperback.

Released: 7th August 2007.

Rating: 4/5.

Official synopsis: "'Bella?' Edward's soft voice came from behind me. I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, and kissed me again. His kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine - like he was afraid we had only so much time left to us. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which? Following the international bestsellers Twilight and New Moon, Eclipse is the much-anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's captivating saga of vampire romance."

I know it's late (very late, 1:12 as I write this!), and I really should be in bed, but I finished this about 20 minutes ago and raced straight through the first chapter of Breaking Dawn, and I wanted to get my thoughts down before I forgot.

Eclipse is by far my favourite of the three books I have read so far. I thought that Twilight was brilliant. A stunning debut that was incredibly captivating. I'm not normally a fan of romance novels, but the book was getting so much attention that I couldn't sit by and miss out. Plus I'm a big fan of all things Vampire. Glad that I didn't. But then there's New Moon which in my opinion is a bit dull. It's my least favourite of the three so far. I just didn't like it, to be honest. I found Bella far too whiny and miserable in the book. Yes, I get that she's a teenager, a girl and besotted with Edward, but I just thought it was a little far fetched. I don't agree with hitting women, but you just wanted to smack her and tell her to pull herself together!

So as you can imagine, I went into Eclipse with a little bit of trepidation, but I can say that any doubt I had was gone right from the beginning. It felt like Twilight all over again. I was captivated and I found it hard to put the book down, rather than finding it hard to pick it up. It's the same, catchy, adrenaline filled genius that first captured me and the millions of readers around the world.

And we finally got to see the big showdown with Victoria. Something that I'd been looking forward to since the ending of Twilight.

The only thing for me that let the book down, thus it not getting a 5/5 rating, is that in places, the dialogue didn't really run smooth. Everyone seemed to change in an instant. One moment there was fighting, then love, then fighting again. There wasn't really a definite line which sometimes meant I had to go back and read again. Otherwise, the book is considerably faultless. I cannot wait to read Breaking Dawn to see how it all ends! Expect a review when I finish it!

Now if you don't mind... SLEEP!