The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

AUTHOR: Stephenie Meyer
PAGES: 178
WEBSITE: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/
GENRE: YA
ACQUIRED: Purchase



SUMMARY: This is a novella about a minor character, Bree, in the Twilight Saga book Eclipse. Bree is a young new born vampire and this book recalls the last few days of her life as a vampire before her untimely death.

OPINION: Do I think this book was a ploy to get Twilight fans, such as myself who will buy anything Twilight, to buy this book? No.

I didn't really like this book at all. But I can't complain too much because:

1. I paid less than $10 for a hard cover installment to the Twilight Saga.

2. Since I bought a hard cover $1 went to the American Red Cross.

3. I was given the option to read it online for free. (so who could bitch about that)

Did I really like this book? NO. I found it boring. It's less than 200 pages and it took me forever to finish it. It needed chapter breaks or something. It didn't hold my attention and I basically had to make myself finish it. I love Twilight, but I wouldn't say I was totally disappointed in this book. I wasn't really expecting a whole lot from this book to begin with. I didn't really think twice about Bree in Eclipse. When I found out this book was about her I did remember her, but I didn't understand why this character deserved a novella. Bree is only talked about for around 11 pages in Eclipse. And while the Cullens do show compassion for her, they really don't dwell on the demise of Bree. So I didn't either.

The book is about a character I really didn't care about, and after reading her story, to be honest I still don't. I mean I feel sorry for her, but her story didn't impact me. The love story between Bree and Diego was kind of blah. Mainly because there just wasn't time in Bree's short life for it to develop farther.

We are introduced to a great character, Fred. He doesn't say much, but he was written so well I wanted to know more about this vampire. Maybe this novella will be a stepping stone to a whole new series of vampire books.

Prom Nights from Hell

AUTHORS: Stephenie Meyer, Kim Harrison, Meg Cabot, Lauren Myracle, Michele Jaffe
PAGES: 315
WEBSITES: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/ http://www.kimharrison.net/ http://www.megcabot.com/ http://www.laurenmyracle.com/ http://www.michelejaffe.com/
TWITTER: @BurningBunnies @megcabot @LaurenMyracle
GENRE: YA Short stories
ACQUIRED: Purchase

This is a perfect book to take on vacation. Being full of short stories by some of your favorite YA authors its perfect for when you want to have a quick read. I loved the size of the book and the remake of the cover.

SUMMARY/OPINION:
The Exterminator's Daughter by Meg Cabot

LENGTH: 51 pages

SHORT SUMMARY: Mary is the "Buffy" vampire slaying type of girl. After her mother was turned into a vampire, Mary has taken on the role she has left behind as the exterminator. She slays vampires. Her father is locked away in his study trying to come up with a cure to vampirism.

Mary is pretty much a loner, but she does have one friend, Lila. When Lila suddenly dumps her boyfriend, which she was crazy about moments ago, and is now in some sort of love trance with this stranger named Sebastian, Mary reads the signs and steps in to save her friend. What she didn't except was for someone to save her, and that someone would be Adam. Mary learns it feels good for someone to have your back, as Adam saves her life yet again from Sebastian Drake, a direct descendant of Dracula himself.

OPINION: Great short story. Loved the characters and the writing. Was left wanting more.

SUMMARY/OPINION:
The Corsage by Lauren Myracle

LENGTH: 41 pages

SHORT SUMMARY: Frankie drags her friends, Yun Sun and Will, to a physic in the hopes that Madame Zanzibar will get a reading on how Will and Frankie are meant to be together and this will make him finally ask her to the prom. Frankie is so ready to get out of the friends zone with Will and senses he does too but he just needs a little push.

Madame Z doesn't give the clear cut answers Frankie was hoping for, instead she gives them some cliche lines of wisdom, the type you get in a fortune cookie. Looking around the strange objects on the walls Frankie notices an old corsage. Madame Z is reluctant to talk about the corsage but eventually tells the kids that it will grant three wishes. When Frankie is hell bent on taking the corsage Madame Z just gives her a simple warning, "no good will come of it."

When Frankie makes the first wish, "I wish for the boy I love to ask me to prom," she has no idea how her and her friends life is about to change. After one wish gone bad, then another to try to fix the mistake, Frankie is left with her last wish, a wish no one would want to make.

OPINION: Spooky great little tale. Be careful what you wish for. Reminded me of a really good Twilight Zone episode.

SUMMARY/OPINION:
Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper

LENGTH: 63 pages

SHORT SUMMARY: Madison has been forced to go live with her father and forced to go to prom with some jerk her dad has set her up with in this small podunk town. When the mystery guy, Seth, comes in and sweeps Madison off her feet, Madison can't help but gloat as she sees her so called "date", Josh, get a little jealous.

Madison would have never gotten in the car with Seth if she knew what would happen to her. And who she was actually getting in the car with.

Now, dead, Madison is learning there isn't just grim reapers, but many different levels to the reapers. Some good and some horrifying.

OPINION:
I thought the story was little too long and it didn't really have an ending. Didn't really seem like it was meant to be a short story. At the end of the book you get a sneak peek at Once Dead, Twice Shy which is the novel about Madison. You get to read about 11 pages and I liked it much better than the short story.

SUMMARY/OPINION
Kiss and Tell by Michele Jaffe

LENGTH: 89 pages

SHORT SUMMARY: Miranda Kiss has super powers, sort of, she has extremely well hearing and is extremely strong. She has kept this secret and has tried to help people in a subtle ways.

When, what was suppose to be an ordinary day of work, picking up a client from the airport, turns out to be hassle, Miranda pokes her nose in where maybe it doesn't belong. Sensing danger for her fourteen-boy kissing-annoying client after dropping her off, Miranda returns to save the day. She fights off the goons and rescues Sibby. But she learns Sibby is not your average annoying fourteen year old, she's some sort of golden child. Supposedly Sibby is a prophet and not only is she worshiped by some cult like people, others see her as nothing more than something that can be sold at a valuable price.

Together they kick a little butt.

Miranda and Sibby confide in one another and Miranda is able to let go of the past a little that has haunted her.

OPINION: I didn't get into this story. There wasn't enough about the boy Miranda liked in it.

SUMMARY/OPINION:
Hell on Earth by Stephenie Meyer

LENGTH: 57 pages

SHORT SUMMARY:
Gabe has the urge to save someone, Sheba has the desire to destroy everyone and everything. When a demon comes to the high school prom to cause mayhem you can only hope one of the good guys shows up before its too late.

OPINION: Entertaining read. Characters where very well described.