I'm beginning to get really annoyed with the heroine.
I liked Twlight, it got me into reading after going through something of a slump in that department. The characters were all interesting and the story was one we all know (if you're into the vampire romance scene) but given a fresh spin so that your interested. The second book was not as good as the first, but still had a good story and though Bella was beginning to get on my nerves a bit, I could deal with it, though a lot of her flaws were illustrated and brought to light in that one. don't get me wrong, I love flawed characters, I just recently finished breakfast of champions by vonnegut, is there one character in that book that isn't flawed? But that doesn't matter because their flaws are made known to the reader... and I guess celebrated for what they are in a way. In this instance, it seems like no one in the book can see Bella's flaws, she is the 'ultimate possesion' everyone either wants her or hates her because others want her, because she is of course the ultimate, and therefore has no flaws (by the by, I'm being sarcastic, but in the best way possible), and because her flaws were not recognized, they were glaringly apparent, and extreemly annoying. But still the story kept my interest and was in no way a disapointment as a whole.
Now in the third book, she's getting on my nerves. Firstly, right off the bat, one of the main parts in this installment of the series is Bella's relationship with Jacob black. Now, if I were to start reading the series now, I would be able to accept their relationship as it is, but having read a supposed 'history', where did this relationship come from? In the last book Bella spent a week or two with Jacob and only searched him out ever so that she could escape her problems and maybe get closer to what she percieved as 'Edward', and then all of a sudden no one knows Jacob like her? Give me a break! That would make more sense if they had some sort of history before Twilight, which they do, but she said that she barely remembered him the first time they met in book 1, and even then she used him to her own ends. So in my opinion, that relationship, at least on her side, doesn't make sense or doesn't really resonate with me as a deep and meaningful relationship that would inerfere with her relationship with edward, but she somehow makes it, which makes you wonder the level of her commitment to him. Speaking of that, sometimes in this book I didn't really feel Bella's connection with Edward was something 'real'. It's ok that Bella's relationships with other people are weak in a romance, so long as she has a strong relationship with her lover. and she doesn't have a strong connection with anybody, except Edward, and thats fine, its a romance, no one else is supposed to be connected. but somewhere in the third book we have Bella pushing Edward away? I mean she isn't supposed to cling to him (never that), but she starts resenting his feelings. She gets her back up that one time, in the entire series, that he makes a request of her, that is for her own benefit. But she whines to him every night to stay with her while she's sleeping.
I guess my problem is that it seems Bella is extremely selfish and expects people to what she says without really reciprocating. In fact shes quite passive throughout the entire series, surprisingly. There is alot of things happening, so you almost miss it with all of the action, but the action is happening around her or because of her, but she never takes an active role, and yet she's so selfish and demanding. thats what bugs me. (and it took a whole three books to figure it out).
Alright, my big schpeal out of the way, Bella and her interactions with the other characters was the only thing I didn't like about this series. If she had been removed from it I think I would have loved this series and would have been demanding more. I have been reading that there will be another book with Edward narrating this time, maybe that will be better, but then again... am I willing to risk the time and possibly money?
I enjoyed Twilight and was really looking forward to the sequel, but I was very disappointed in this book. The only thing this installment in the series did for me was to lower my opinion of the heroine Bella. Her actions in this novel showed her to be selfish and weak, characteristics I didn't pick up as strongly in the first novel, but now that this side of her was brought to my attention, I can think back to the first book to instances were she displayed these characteristics. The author is good at developing plot, but the characterization doesn't really do anything for me, I feel no connection to the characters and by the time I was three quarters through the novel I really wished Bella would grow a back bone and stop being so superficial. The relationship Bella has to other supporting characters is very weak, though it is emphasized in a way that would suggest it being something more substancial. She selfishly seeks Jake's company so that she can 'hear' Edward, and then all of a sudden he's her best friend... of course she has no friends in this installment so its true, but being together for a few weeks won't make you someone's bosom buddy, well it could, but I didn't feel it in this instance. things like that.
Also, everything was so dramatic for Bella in this book. I mean its great to place emphasis on emotion, but there is such a thing as going over board to the point of superficiality, to where you start to doubt the character... not something you want. And I hate the superficial 'caring and worrying over others'. That is a valid characteristic that can be pulled off wonderfully, but not when the character, on the same page, will be rudely selfish and uncaring about those around her. And on that note, I dislike how the author makes Bella solve situations. Bella is portrayed to be intellectually disecting the problem and finding the 'obvious' and best solution that all the other characters go along with because of its brilliance. And most of the time her 'intelligence' makes no sense, as the solution is most likely based on emotion, which is fine, so long as it isn't passed off as intelligence.
That said, the story is good and it is only the character that gets on my nerves, and that is because everything was dragged out for so long, but thankfully the characterizations are not all the book is comprised of. It took me until I was half finished the book to realize that I was somewhat upset with the main character, the plot is very good and worth reading. I will read the third book, granted not with the same enthusiasm with which I began the second, but I will read it and look forward to an interesting ending. And hope that the main character will shape up and stop clinging to every available male.
I read this book because I work in a bookstore. I read the previous ones and found that with each instalment it just kept getting worse, and as this series appears to be somewhat popular people ask me what I think of it... and I just don't feel comfortable speaking poorly something I know nothing about :P This said, after reading the third book I expected to give this a disgustingly low rating, but instead it just made me look at the series in a new light. I've written reviews on the other books, so for my own sake I won't go into detail about what I think the series lacks, I'll just sum it up with saying that the author just isn't too good at what she does. The story of twilight is pretty standard when it comes to vampire romances, so the formula has been proven to work, but the author lacks the skill to develop characters and relies heavily on plot throughout the series, which can work, but she sets up the story in a character driven setting, so that doesn't really work. Also, I feel as though a teenager is writing this. The logic, the manner in which the characters speak and the way in which the narrator presents the information... some reviewer somewhere said it reminded them of a fan fiction, which is a very appropriate label now that I think about it. So that also got under my skin a bit.
Taking these kinds of things into consideration, I re-labelled this book in the series as a book you would find in the romance section of the book store, without the emotional catharsis of sex (then again it is very pg and the characters don't really show much desire for each other beyond saying how much they love each other... so words only). Basically a soap opera for kids. And I suppose in my mind the first books were trying to be received as something more than that, which is why I think I was so disappointed. So ya, but not like the Jane Austen kind of romance, more the Nora Roberts or Christine Feehan, the ones where you roll your eyes constantly, but enjoy it because you know it isn't supposed to tickle your intellect in any way. That said, this isn't a negative category to fall under, but I don't think that's where this author would want these books to be.
On to the book itself (yes I actually plan on talking about the book at some point during this long and pointless tirade). As I had the lowest possible expectations going into it, it wasn't that bad (thinking about it as a romance also helped). The characters seemed a bit two dimensional emotionally and there was quite a bit of filler that could have been left out as it didn't develop either plot or characters, but just kind of existed.
Teenage marriage and pregnancy were definitely taken very lightly and were almost promoted, but as I stopped taking it seriously by this point I wasn't very concerned about it. The author also promotes her morality more noticeably than in the other books, but this isn't really something to be concerned about I don't think. The issue with Jacob and the baby seemed to be one of the things that turns people off a lot in this book, besides the fact that it was designed to be somewhat convenient for the plot and for modern morality, pedophilia and what not. I think the author just handled this awkwardly. She wanted Jacob out of the way, but wanted everyone to have a disney ending, but wasn't too comfortable with the subject matter I don't think. (On a side note, a series that handled a romantic connection like what Jacob and the baby had effectively is the black jewels trilogy by anne bishop. That one was decently done).
So... if you read the series I would read this book as well, it won't be stellar, but it's better than what the last one left you with ... I wouldn't buy it though.
