I totally paused!

I’m kind of relieved that I finally finished this series.  I started out thinking that the writing wasn’t that good and hoping it would get better, and it did, but I feel like something was lost in the process.  I can’t really say what, but as the books progressed, I was less and less interested.  Maybe I just got tired of the story, or perhaps Bella was just too much for me, because although I feel compelled to finish a series, I had a really hard time finishing this book.

I took basically a day with each of the first three books, and this one took me nearly a week.  Admittedly, I was rather busy while reading this book, but it just didn’t flow the way the others did.  Maybe it was the Jacob segment in the middle, being totally off from the rest of the series.  I’m not a big fan of changing voices in the middle of books, it’s always very disorienting for me, and honestly I don’t care about Jacob’s point of view.

The flip side is that I haven’t really been a fan of Bella from the start, so it’s hard to say I liked her POV better than his.  However, at least she remains consistently dull for me, whereas Jacob just gets creepier as things go along.  I know there are droves of Jacob fans out there, but I just can’t get over the whole imprinting on Reneesme thing.  And his general devotion to Bella – she is so blah to me, please find something else sooner!

I hate to spoil something for anyone, so I guess stop reading now or whatever!  I’m just weirded out by “imprinting”.  I understand the concept, but I hate that it takes away the free will of the imprinter…and to an extent, that of the imprintee as well.  I don’t buy Jacob’s explanation about the person being imprinted on – why wouldn’t they end up loving the person who imprints on them.  It just feels somehow like neither party has any choice, and that really bothers me.  There’s always a choice, even if one person is totally in love with the other, and I hate that the imprinter seems to not give the imprintee any room to breathe or determine for sure if they want to be with that person.

The story also didn’t really compel me because I just kind of felt like duh, of course they’re going to win!  The Cullen’s were simply built up too much all along to be good guys, and we all know that in this kind of book, the good guy wins.  I mean, James was relatively easily defeated, Victoria as well, so why wouldn’t they manage to triumph over the Volturi.  On the whole, it just seemed too easy.

So basically, I was kind of bored with this book.  I hope that if I ever read the series again, the books are somehow better the second time around.  Who knows if that will ever happen, because I have a lot to read and well, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to justify a second read :/

Read this book if: You’ll probably want to read the final book if you read the first three.  Otherwise, I can think of no reason to jump right into this book.

This series is maybe starting to remind me of why I generally don’t read things considered romancy.  The whole love triangle between Edward, Bella, and Jacob?  Blah.  Bores me to pieces.  As I said previously, I am somewhat biased and I don’t think for a second that I would have trouble with this – I’m going vamp all the way.  But to a large extent, I don’t even see what is appealing about Jacob…

First, he’s annoying.  He should really just let Bella be, in my opinion, instead of constantly trying to get her away from Edward.  It just bugs me that he doesn’t respect her choice, even though he thinks it’s bad.  Saying it once I can accept, but over and over again?  Let it rest!  I also hate that he often acts like Bella is just a prize in a game, not seeming to really be concerned how it will affect her if he behaves like he does.  Plus, he saw how she was without Edward there, how could he possibly want to take Edward away from her again?

In all honesty, I too think that Bella should try other things, but I don’t think she should run directly to Jacob.  If she were to choose to leave Edward, it should be to explore the rest of herself, what her life is as a person without a man in it.  It frustrates me that Bella simply seems defined by whatever guy she is with, and is not content to either be just with her girlfriends or alone.

Bella still seems to have a very low self esteem, or something, because she still can’t see Edward without comparing how beautiful he is to how not beautiful she is.  I kind of agree with her in a sense – I don’t see anything she’s bringing to the table with him either, because it’s like she’s not even trying.  All she does is complain about being mortal and try to manipulate her way into becoming a vampire.

I was relieved when Edward finally let up about allowing Bella to spend time with Jacob.  It was nice to see him let go a bit of that overprotection – even though it was still there, he at least wanted her to be happy and do what she felt was best for herself, regardless of whether or not it hurt him.  His reaction to her kissing Jacob was really surprising, and I feel like he grew a lot as a character in this book.

Knowing a bit about what happens in the final book, I feel like a little too much is left to that last one.  There’s probably a lot of description in both Eclipse and New Moon that could have been cut out in place of forwarding the whole story along.  Or perhaps there should have been a fifth book.  I suspect I’m not going to get a lot of insight into what Bella’s life is like after she is turned, and to a large extent I would like to know if she maybe grows up a bit after that.

I adore Alice, however.  Very likeable!  But my assessment of those other three is: Bella – selfish; Jacob – selfish; Edward – a little less selfish.

Read this book if: You read the first two.  None of these books are really standalones, so you probably feel compelled like I do to continue reading the series.  And like I’ve said before, they read pretty quickly!

One of two things happened with this book.  Either Stephenie Meyer’s writing got better, or I have become more used to it.  Perhaps a combination of the two.

I found myself quite torn with this book.  I like the dynamic of Bella’s relationship with Jacob a whole lot more than the one with Edward.  Jacob isn’t as wicked jealous and doesn’t try to push Bella away – as much.  I feel like Bella is better with him, able to speak her mind and not having to worry constantly if she’s going to make him angry.  Yet, despite liking that better and knowing that’s a much healthier relationship, I still found myself yearning for the time when Edward would be back in the book.

I attribute this to really one thing – I adore vampires.  Even overly jealous, borderline abusive, always screaming about how they’re a monster vampires.  As awesome as Jacob is, and I do really like him, I have to go ahead and throw myself into the Edward camp here.

The fact that Bella can always speak her mind with Jacob is an interesting one to me, and I’m sure it’s partially because she just doesn’t feel about Jacob the way she does about Edward.  She’s much less worried about offending her best friend than her lover, and Jacob is a lot more easy going than Edward is about a variety of subjects.  It was good to see him always accepting where she stood with the relationship, even though it wasn’t what he wanted, and just being what she needed.

Identifying with Bella in this book was more difficult.  For one, can she please stop being so self degrading?  I get it, Edward is booooooootiful and she just can’t compare, but obvs she has has other qualities that he and many others find appealing.  Granted, I’m sure it’s difficult for her that he leaves so abruptly and tells her he doesn’t love her, but did that really take everything out of her?  I hate that she seems to NEED a man in her life to feel remotely whole.  What happened to the Bella before Edward?  The one who was interested in…whatever she was interested in?  I hate to dismiss her, but truthfully we don’t get much of a look at who she was before she was with Edward.

I kept hoping throughout the book that the “voice” of Edward was either him watching over her, or that he had managed to find a way into her thoughts genuinely.  I guess that even though I am totally accepting of the fact that there are vampires and werewolves in this world, I have a hard time believing that Bella was going a little crazy.  Maybe because I just don’t have these tendencies myself, I have a difficult time putting myself into a mindset where I can envision the voices and the urge to bring them on.

Admittedly, I felt a tear or two well up at her reunion with Edward and then the rest of the Cullens.  As much as I find Bella to be irritating at times, I do want her to be happy and I could feel the joy it brought her.  And although I don’t really know what I would have expected from the book, I hate that Edward left her at all.  I guess that’s kind of the point, but it certainly didn’t do anything to make me dislike Edward or like Jacob more because of what he represented to her.

I wonder, though, what do these werewolves do all the time when there are no vampires to hunt down?  Maybe I’ll find out, but I do find it…confusing.  Also, I would like for Bella to please stop having the same fight with Edward all the time – calm down about becoming a vampire!  If it pisses your boyfriend off to talk about it, just stop for awhile!

This book did have one of my series pet peeves though – recapping the previous book(s).  First, I think it’s unlikely that anyone is going to step into a series mid stream.  And if they do, it’s their job to be caught up, not the authors job to catch them up.  Second, fans of a series will remember things that happened in the previous books.  If they don’t, they can read the others again!  I don’t want a recap, kthxbye.

Read this book if: You read the first one.  If you’re anything like me, you can’t just stop at one book in a series.  I’m a “what happens next” kind of girl, and I’ll be damned if I stop now.

I kind of feel like I need to review this book from two perspectives, one being the 13 year old lingering inside me, and the other being the more serious reader I am these days.  So since that’s my inclination, I will!  Which means that if I say anything insane, chalk that up to the teenage part of the review.

As I mentioned before, I have been reading Growing Up Cullen (endlessly, I might add).  For better or worse, reading it motivated me to read Twilight much sooner than I had planned.  In fact, this book wasn’t anywhere near the top of my TBR pile until I read GUC.  It is seriously that funny, internet, so y’all should read it!

From an adult perspective, this book is horribly irresponsible.  This is not the kind of relationship people should be striving for, and because of that, in some ways I feel like teenaged girls should not be reading it.  I’m not for censorship, so the kiddies can read what they want, but they should all really talk to their parents about the book afterwards.  Edward is controlling, manipulative, threatening, and stalkery.  Not the kind of man y’all want to be with, ladies!  But don’t forget!  He is beautiful!

On the other hand, a part of me is all “OMG how romantic he saves her over and over again and wants to protect her!”  I’m a little embarrassed to say there is something appealing about an indestructible, super strong, vampire being in love with you.  From a realistic perspective, this is the kind of man I’d run away from, but in fantasy world, he’s cute!  But don’t forget!  He’s a monster!

There were times when Bella drove me crazy.  She is whiny much of the time.  And then there were other times when I was like “oh god, I am totally like that.”  Mostly with the stubbornness.  And that whole ignoring the other kids at school?  I’d so do that.  Okay, strike that, I did it.  Much rather talk to the kids that present a challenge than the ones who are actually interested in me.

I was talking about the book with a friend, discussing the dynamics of the relationship between Bella and Edward and how I think it’s abusive on several levels, and it was mentioned that it’s really a good example of the kind of relationship many girls in my home state want.  I kind of forget this stuff, being not of the dominant religion and therefore detached from that.  But it’s sad to me that there are people who idolize this kind of relationship, yearn for it.  And that it’s not even the vampire part they are yearning for!

I sit here, trying to think of anything positive to say about it, but I’m just blank.  That is just a bad relationship, plain and simple.  I guess it’s nice that he saved her life.  And honestly, I would love to smell like flowers to the wonderful man I end up with some day.  Or in GUC terms, I’d love to smell delicious, like bacon!

In case anyone was wondering, I do not think that Stephenie Meyer is a good author.  Much of the descriptions and scenarios seem like things I would have written in my freshman english class.  I also disliked that even though this book was just published a few years ago, the technology in it was so outdated.  Why does Bella not have an iPod?  Or a cell phone?  How come it’s such a shock when the Cullen’s get little cell phones to take keep in touch when the big trouble goes down?  I guess what I’m trying to say is that this book either needed more description of what year this was supposed to have taken place in, or it needed a rewrite to get better technology in it.  Score for the movie, updating this shit!  I mean, I understand that books get outdated – I just don’t expect it to be 4 years after their original publication.

Despite all that, I’m still drawn to the rest of the books.  I feel silly for it, and I don’t want to want to read them, but I do.  So I’ll continue to read the series and see what I think at the end of it.  If for no better reason, I want explanations like why do they glitter in the sun?  And answers I won’t get, like why did Stephenie Meyer choose to diverge so far from traditional vampire lore?  I read on Wikipedia that she didn’t research vampires at all prior to writing the books, which is fine, but it strikes me as odd that someone would know nothing about vampires.  But I also find it very strange that someone would choose to basically take nothing from the normal lore – or maybe she just doesn’t love it?  I don’t know, but it confuses me.

And what is wrong with Bella, that she has to have it explained to her that vampires have to bite you in order for you to be turned?  Granted, in this world all they have to do is bite you, but she needed to be more precise in her questioning for me to not think she is utterly stupid in regards to this.  Or maybe I am assuming too much in that other girls know stuff about vampires.

Read this book if: You want some decent escapist reading.  Again, not good writing, but it reads fast and you can sit in bed with it and not feel like you’re missing something when you are doing sleepy reading.