The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Publisher's Summary

Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits.

In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to an unforgettable conclusion.

©2010 Stephenie Meyer (P)2010 Listening Library

TwiMom gives it a thumbs up

I'm a HUGE Twilight fan and was unsure of what to expect of the novella. It was good. The start was kind of slow. It did give a lot of back info (especially toward the end) that left me sitting on the edge of my seat. I wish that Meyer would have made it a bit longer though - getting more into the mind of Diego and Bree. And really, I wish that Bree was a character that could have lived on..,

I think that the main reason why I liked the ending so much was because of the interaction with the Cullen Clan. It made me want to go back and relisten to Eclipse and see it from the Cullen standpoint again.

I also agree with another reviewer that the narrator is not nearly as good as Ilyana Kadushin, but Emma Gavin did well enough. She definitely wasn't a dud!

This is a must listen for Twilight fans. If you're not a big fan then I'm not sure you would enjoy it as much.

14 of 14 people found this review helpful

Surprisingly involving and touching

As a big Twilight series fan I of course had to read this novella but wasn't overly excited about the subject of the story. Then I listened. Given that it is essentially a short story it cannot be expected to have the kind of development of a full novel, yet this story manages to establish understanding and sympathy for the main character Bri plus the beginnings of a tragicly shortened budding romance between two characters who deserve better than they've been getting. Like reading Romeo and Juliet for the second time, we already know the hopeless fate of Bri and anyone she might care about and don't expect to be drawn in or touched by the fates of those we already know to be doomed. And yet, like Romeo and Juliet, the very fact that we know in advance that they are doomed becomes what touches us.

I personally think that Meyer's writing is better in this short story format so that the action and emotion build quickly without the writing becoming tedious. In fact, I became more interested than I would have expected in learning even more about the characters we glimpsed so briefly. The narrator does a very good job with Bri's and Diego's voices and the overall tone. Other character voices aren't quite as well established, but this doesn't take anything away from the experience to any great degree.

This may not be the most important work within the Twilight series, but it is a surprisingly satisfying addition.

26 of 27 people found this review helpful

OK

Not Stephenie Meyer's greatest work, but it is interesting. I got it on sale, so it was no big loss and it's not a long book. If you are absolutely absorbed into Twilight, you will probably be more excited. I wish she would finish her book, "Midnight Sun," which is from Edward's point of view. Get this book just to complete the collection, but the Twilight series is much better.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Fantastic Novella! Highly Recommended! :-)

I really enjoyed this novella. Stephenie Meyer does an excellent job at drawing the reader into her world of fiction. This is a short listen/read and I listened to it straight through without any breaks. This wasn't difficult as the audio book is only about 4 hours long. I thought Emma Galvin did a fantastic job narrating. There was a certain element of melancholy in her tone that seemed appropriate, since we are all aware of the tragic fate that awaits Bree. The ONLY issue I had with this book was, like all of Stephenie Meyer's writing, I was left longing for more, but in a good way. So, to satisfy my hunger, I re-vamped the Twilight Saga once again. If you loved the Twilight Saga, then you will love this novella. I most definitely recommend this audio book. You won't be disappointed.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Not nearly as good as I hoped

Not enough character development and just not as good as the main storyline.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great listen...but not Midnight Sun!

It was a treat to see the world through Bree's eyes. Completly different than I expected her character to be.
Thanks for the Book Stephenie, but I am still waiting for more of Edward!

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Short and interesting.

I love the twilight saga. This novella is a perfect example of why these books are so popular. In these short 4 hours we meet a girl, struggle with right and wrong whilst falling in love. Since most people picking up this story have hopefully already read eclipse it is easy to get into the story and compare to the timeline. If you are reading or have read the twilight series this book is a great addition.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Caught me right up

Would you listen to The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner again? Why?

Yes, and I did. I enjoyed the perspective from an outside party view...Bree. It was facinating to hear what went on in Seattle.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bri but maybe Fred. I will wonder what happened to him

What about Emma Galvin’s performance did you like?

She was as good as Ilyana Kadushin. Very good

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Wasting of Bree

Any additional comments?

I liked it as I did with all the books. I want more. What about Fred? What about new characters with other gifts. The gifts are fun to read about. More please!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Left me wanting more

I knew how it would end but I wanted so much more. The narration wasn't as good as Ilyana Kadushin but she did a good job. It explained a few holes that Eclipse left out. It's too bad it was an after thought because it would have helped Meyer expand more with Breaking Dawn. Worth my time and credit and I'm glad I spent my morning listening.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

It's okay

This story is completely unnecessary. If you're really into the Twilight series, it's probably for you.