Bool Review: Bree Tanner (Caution: possible spoilers?)

I normally stay away from books that have a sad ending (and anyone that's read Eclipse knows that Bree Tanner's ultimate fate is not a happy one, so I don't consider this a spoiler) but I just had to make an exception for this one. Eclipse has always been my very favorite of the Twilight Saga for many reasons, but one of them is my fascination with " the newborns." The info Stephenie Meyer gives us about them (in the series) is almost like a tease and I always wondered what it would be like, from their perspective. When I found out that she had written a short novel based on a newborn's experience I was thrilled! Finally, first hand accounts of what it was like to be these crazy, savage beings; a complete departure from the Cullen world.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner essentially fills in all the gaps in Eclipse regarding Victoria's "newborn army" and her plans for revenge on the Cullens, namely Edward. All the how's and why's are answered which is satisfying since even at the end of Eclipse, after all was resolved, you were still left wondering how Victoria and Riley accomplished what they had. Basically, this ties up a lot of loose ends and introduces you to some really neat characters that we never knew existed, but whom were nevertheless vital to how everything played out in the end.

Sadly, Bree's story is that of a tragic hero. She is just one of the many victims. The Cullen's have her to thank for some vital info obtained in those last moments before her ultimate demise. That last scene takes on a whole new meaning when seen through someone other than Bella's eyes. I expect that some of what we see in Eclipse will make a lot more sense now that we have this back story. For me, my dislike of the Volturi (especially Jane and her cronies) increased tenfold. Too bad things turned out the way they did... I think Bree (and perhaps two of her friends ) would have made loyal additions to the Cullen fam.

Here is a short featurette about Bree Tanner and her role in Eclipse.