The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Short is an apt description for Stephanie Meyer’s latest edition to the Twilight saga.  At a scant 178 pages, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner does not begin to approach the 500+ pages tomes Meyer is known for. I grudgingly picked up Twilight, at the insistence of a friend, and now at well of 1500 pages and two movies, I’m invested. According to Nerd Commandment number 20 at Rob Bricken’s Topless Robot blog, I have to complete my accumulation of the series. So, bring on the bloodsuckers. Only one more book and two movies to go. I still have to read Breaking Dawn. I know, I must be the last person on earth.

Prepared for more of Meyer’s acceptance, nay, encouragement of co-dependent, over protective relationships, I was pleasantly surprised. Bree, the main character, is a strong, uh. . ., vampire and is on her way to developing her independence before . . . well, I don’t want to spoil anything. I found myself liking Bree, even rooting for her, though I knew what the eventual outcome would be. The lessons that Meyer’s learned about incorporating a plot line into her stories in Eclipse have apparently taken hold.  I often found myself anxious to turn pages for more reasons than just finishing the book.

The most endearing part of the book, for me, was the fact that Bree actually has some traits to be admired. Other than the aforementioned strength, she has the drive and desire to better he situation. In Bree, I find a female character in the Twilight saga that might have served as a halfway decent role model. Though sad, there is even a moral to be found in Bree’s story.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner has nudged my following of Meyer’s from a stagnant professional curiosity and guided it in the direction of possibly becoming a real fan. If Breaking Dawn is in even close to being as enjoyable as The Short Second Life…, I may find myself looking  forward to her next book.

What do you have to say?