Review Detail

If you've read Eclipse, which is Meyer's third installment in the Twilight Saga, then you already know who Bree Tanner is - and you also know what happens to her by the end of the story. What you don't know is how she was created, what happened when she first became a newborn vampire, and the events that led up to the big battle at the end of the book between the newborn vampires (led by Victoria) and the Cullens (aided by the Wolf Pack). Well, for anyone wondering ... this is the book for you.

The Short Second Life is written from Bree's perspective, much like Twilight is narrated by Bella Swan. These stories are similar in that the first-person narrative limits what you see outside of what they see - which can sometimes be a huge handicap. For the most part, Meyer typically wraps up any loose ends and unanswered questions you may have. Unfortunately for me, she missed the part that I truly wanted an inside look into - which was the actual battle itself. We don't see it in Eclipse because Bella is secluded away from the fight, and in this we miss it because Bree kind of lags behind. You see a glimpse, but not as much as I would have liked. You also see the typical humanity that sometimes shows through with most of the paranormal creatures in the story. Even though the newborns don't recall their former lives, they are somehow able to show some humanity, empathy, and huge amounts of curiosity.

On the other hand, Bree's story is quite darker than Bella's perspective. Bree is dealing with becoming a vampire and battling bloodlust, which is something hugely missing from the original novels where it's vampires with many decades (and sometimes centuries) of practice with control, as well as the refusal to give in to their primal instincts - substituting animal blood for human blood. You see more of the inhuman side, with some of the other newborns using their new-found powers to wreak havoc on the human race. And you're introduced to new characters that are never mentioned in Eclipse, as well as seeing behind-the-scenes to Victoria and Riley's plot to destroy the Cullens... and there's a nice little curve ball thrown in there with someone else that is helping her out by turning a blind eye to what she's doing.