My Book Side

Stephenie Meyer’s latest book, The Short Second Life of Bree Turner stems from one of the books of the Twilight Saga. It has gotten significant attention as it was published after the movie (Eclipse) was shown. The book details the short life (vampire) story of Bree, a new vampire who was “created” to take part in Victoria scheme to avenge her partner’s (James) death.

When I first heard of the book, my initial reaction were, who the hell is Bree? Who reads short stories for the price of Php 495? Why would Meyer create a book about an insignificant vampire who I barely remember? Why would I even buy a book about a vampire who was said to have survived for barely 5 minutes?

As most conflicted people do, I ended up buying the book just to figure it all out and it’s really pretty amazing how books can change your perspective once you’re done reading.

Meyer vividly explained in the foreword why this book ended up being published. I had a really skeptical eye reading through the reasons as I feel like this book is a mere publicity and business stunt, riding upon her success with the original series. Meyer mentioned that this was written to put a character into perspective, to have an opportunity to see things through the eyes of new vampires, who barely knew who they are and what they are supposed to do. At first, I really don’t get it, I guess I’m just looking for Anne Rice’s maturity in writing about vampires through characterization. It was only after watching the movie (again) that I fully understood what Meyer meant.

“The Short Second Life of Bree Turner” describes how the new vampires (or army) that Victoria was preparing “works.” Eclipse (and actually, the Twilight Saga) focused on the perspectives of Bella, Jacob and Edward, which was fine because the story was about them. Bree, gave Meyer the fuel to piece things together by showing that each vampire has their own “issues” to deal with and it all depends on the circumstances they face. The book helped me understand (further) why Jasper was so uptight/why it was dangerous to be a new vampire and why there was so much fuss over it in Breaking Dawn.

It also made me understand (a bit) of how the Volturi works. The Twilight Saga is a bit one-sided when it comes to the Volturi. It only showed the political and personal biases of the members. This book gave me the impression that the Volturi was acting upon the murders at Seattle and is trying to fix the problem roused at Volterra when Edward attempted to reveal himself as a vampire (New Moon).

When it comes to the movie, this book will help you understand why the “attack” looked so weird. I thought it was just a cinematic effect to have the vampires rise from the lake to launch their attack on Bella and for the vampires to die like stones or dust/to not have any blood spilled whenever a vampire dies. It will also help you understand Carlisle’s and Bella’s reaction to Bree when she begged for her life.

It is an interesting read.

The Host literally, pertains to Melanie Stryder whose body was taken as host by the alien a reputed alien who has lived on nine planets, Earth being the ninth. The alien was referred to as “Wanderer” (later to be called, Wanda) and was chosen to live on Melanie Stryder’s body to get information about the rebellion.

Melanie Stryder, before becoming a host, was staying with her partner, Jared and her brother, Jamie. They’ve been on the run since they found each other because being caught means, becoming a host. When you become a host, you “cease to exist.”

The thing was Melanie was fighting with Wanderer, she did not “fade” and Wanderer seemed to have lost control. The book details Wanderer’s experience as she was inserted into the host, as she adjusts, as she copes with the new life and as she “changed.”

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It was circumstances that led to this review.

First, my dad pointed out that the wee hours is actually my self-declared personal time for all else to do – which is, to read my books and e-books, to play Vampire Wars, to check Facebook and Friendster, to check my blog, to watch Koreanovelas or movies… Of course, he didn’t enumerate it that way, but it felt like he was saying all of those within the “…” moments of his statement.

Second, I just finished watching “He’s just not that into you.” Next, is my growing irritation for the absurd fanaticism on the Twilight Saga, then the irony, that my dad put on the “Twilight” movie.

And since this is supposed to be a book review, last but not least, is the fact that I just finished reading Stephenie Meyer’s draft for “Midnight Sun” which she has already advised as  “an incomplete draft; the writing is messy and flawed and full of mistakes.”   (See here for more info.)

Nonetheless, in spite of myself and the running thought, “why am I reading an unfinished book, a draft at that,  and one that I absolutely know exactly the plot and turn of events?”

(Maybe, I’m a fanatic too.  I just displace my adolescence over to something else, like opening a potential blog entry such as this.)

The draft is raw and pretty much, too short to say much.  Meyer’s style is there, and the audience it is meant for will definitely appreciate it’s clean-cut description and detail of how a mind like Edward Cullen processes everything else that he can sense and “hear”.  Most of it is Edward’s assessment of things, his emotions, interpretations, feelings, hesitations, nothing that shall surprise someone who’s read the previous 4 books.

What I like about this is it shows how much he values The Cullen Family and how much the family values each member.  It echoes all else that you have previously read as regards The Cullens, why it’s logical for them to stand for someone such as Bella, even when she’s human.  It shows how much he has tried to resist Bella, and how much it brought him closer to her nonetheless.

What I don’t like about it is, it’s too “unreal.”  Funny thing to say for fiction.  It may be something for a guy to declare his emotions but to have so much to say about it is another thing.  Even if someone has lived for hundreds of years, a guy wouldn’t be as mushy or as sensitive or as insightful.  Or maybe, I just need to be disproved.

This is how the movie, “He’s just not that into you” comes in.  I am not a guy.  But I know damn well that guys are as plain and simple as you see them.  “Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus” rings some truth to it, actually.  Men are no maze or cobwebs of fantasy, not even logic.  I think they are just fun and responsibility combined, the translation of that into action is, however, a talent that has to either be discovered or maybe, developed.

This is where I realize the differences between a male and female writer.   Or would there be any difference?  Writing is supposed to be universal.

Reading the draft made me appreciate the movie more.  The line “Do you think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you?” makes more sense.  I look forward to the published version.  Sad to say it may never see the light of day.