I’m a little behind on getting my reviews out to the website. I apologize for the delay.
Many people have been surprised to learn that I am a fan of the Twilight series and, even though I have read many books and given countless reviews, it seems my credibility is always tarnished when I reveal this little tidbit about myself. The truth is, Meyer may not be the most eloquent of writers nor write with deep, philosophical meaning, but she gets people to read, and well, that’s the point, isn’t it? I can’t even begin to tell of the students of mine who are self-proclaimed “Book Haters” who have taken the time to read this series. She has single-handedly started a craze among people of all ages because of her excellent character portrayals and storyline. While I am in no way a “Twi-hard” and not remotely interested in the commercial phenomenon her books and movies have created, I have to commend her for writing books children and teens want to read. As a teacher, one of the hardest tasks is convincing a young person that reading is fun (and helpful). She has cleared the eyes of young people everywhere, introducing them to a realm in which reading can be (gasp!) enjoyable. Now that I have defended my point in reading Stephenie Meyer’s books, I can proceed with my review of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.
I was so pleased when I heard Meyer had written a novella to accompany Eclipse. New Moon was depressing, but I have always felt that the most heartbreaking scene of the book series was the murder of Bree, a newborn vampire created to join an army and fight the Cullens. Having already read Eclipse, I knew just how short Bree Tanner’s life would be and, just as I expected, Meyer wasted no time creating a story that made me love Bree. She was young and just learning how to be a vampire; more concerned with keeping alive than pushing her master’s limits. She strikes up a small romance (or crush, really) with another of the vampires, Diego, a close friend of their creator Riley. Bree and Diego share each other’s stories and discover new attributes of their newly created selves, quickly falling into a loving relationship. When the duo sees something they were not meant to see, Diego is killed and Bree is forced on to battle the Cullens. It is there that she is taken in by Carlisle, only to be removed from his care by the Volturi when they finally find time to end the unprovoked attack. Bree is burned to death for a second time.
I was particularly happy to learn more about the Volturi from this novella. The series had proven them to be sneaky and coarse and this story helped cement my opinions of them.
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner was a small book and quick read. I recommend that people who have read the Twilight series pickup this book as well, although, for those who have not read the series, this novella may not make sense. I have already passed the book on to my grandpa.
-Harper
