Saturday 10 December 2011

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

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
(Twilight #3.5)
3 out of 5 stars

Published by Little Brown Books
This review may contain spoilers for the previous books in the series

I'm not a big fan of Twilight, I don't make a secret of that. I think Meyer is pushing the boundaries by still releasing Twilight stories (i.e. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Midnight Sun). That this little novella is for sale for over fifteen dollars is beyond me.

But I was curious, I was on vacation with nothing to do but read in the sun, so I gave Miss Bree Tanner a try.

Turns out, Bree's life is quite boring. This is 150 pages of Bree doing this, Bree doing that. Bree is thirsty, Bree drinking some blood. Everybody hates Bree, so Bree is hiding in a corner. Bree finds an instant love interest, boy out of the blue likes Bree. There is a big mystery going on, and Bree solves it!

The writing in The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is quite al right, I don't really have something to complain about there. Meyer is a very clear writer, making her books accessible for the general public. The problem I'm having is that her books are empty. There is no meat, no substance. I feel like we're watching a puppet-show. The characters move about a lot, they tell a story, but in the end, they're only puppets.

I don't understand why Miss Meyer thought Bree's was a story that needed to be told. I read the post on her site about it, but I still don't understand. I'm all for the underdog's perspective, but Bree just doesn't have anything interesting to bring. I would have enjoyed this novella more if it had been from Riley's perspective. Now that would have been interesting.

I would recommend The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner only for the hardcore Twilight fans. For the casual reader this novella has nothing to bring, especially not for it's insane price.

Blurb

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.

Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood... life before she became a vampire.
All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.

Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as "her". As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?

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