NOTES/THOUGHTS/REACTIONS:
So we open with it raining (again) and still the vamps are going to play ball. Bella notes the make of the car (again, how is it she can spot car models if she doesn't know much about cars?) and for some reason we are at Bella's house again. For another odd reason Jacob and his dad show up. Again. Edward is furious at the sight of them of course, heaven forbid the guy worry about a girl hanging out with a bunch of vampires. Never mind that he was telling Bella they were dangerous a few chapters ago. So it's okay if HE tells Bella they're dangerous, but not okay if someone else tells her so. Nice Edward.
Once again, he is apparently there to warn Charlie. I want to know why this all wasn't taken care of the LAST time he was there. Because now this is just annoying and recycled. I also have to comment on this:
I bridled a little at the word child.
From Twilight, page 349
So bridled is mostly a use for HORSES. It can mean though to show scorn or resentment by tossing your head. So basically Bella showed she was miffed by tossing her head? Just say she glared or something Meyer, because I, like many others probably, thought of horses instead of this gesture. This is called bad word use.
The Blacks have apparently come to drop off fish (again) and Bella thanks them:
"Thanks," I said, though I had no idea what it could be.
From Twilight, page 350
Excuse me Bella, miss perfect, you say thank you no matter what. It should not matter what the gift/thing is. You say thank you BECAUSE IT'S POLITE. Bella is generally rude to Billy (though at least she admits to rudeness this time), and there is much not subtle hinting between the two where basically Bella tells Billy to butt out and Bella says this:
"Though it would be my business, again, whether or not I think it's
Charlie's business, right?"
From Twilight, page 353
Um Bella, he is your DAD, he cares about you and you live under his roof so um IT IS HIS BUSINESS YOU BRAT. But Billy sees nothing bratty about this apparently, and surrendors. Bella says Jacob rolling his eyes was dramatic and I'm sorry but hypocrite much? This is from the girl who waxes poetics daily about Edward's adonis looks and makes mundane things like Edward driving seem like grace defined. Yeah, Jacob is dramatic all right.
More pointlessness follows as Bella dresses and talks to Jess and is bored by her of course. Bella of course, assumes Jess is just upset that she didn't ask for details. It couldn't at all be because she knows Bella isn't listening and is getting annoyed by her self-centeredness. I know I am annoyed by it.
Charlie saves Bella from her boring conversation by arriving and then she finally tells Charlie about Edward and of course he's okay with it. She totally springs this on him and then is "oh yeah, and he's coming over so don't embarrass me okay?" Good God, at least give the man a few minutes to adjust to the fact that his daughter is dating a guy. But of course, Bella can't be bothered with how Charlie feels, it's all about her and how he is probably going to make her look bad by acting like he cares about her. Also, asking one question is not a Spanish Inquisition, Bella had no right to say that. Also again, he's a FATHER, that's his JOB. I know Meyer put this in here to make it look like Bella-Sue is all independant and doesn't need looking after but it once again, makes Bella come off as an ungrateful brat.
Edward comes and there is more eye-rolling and bratiness on Bella's part. For instance this:
"Thanks sir."
"Have a seat there, Edward."
I grimaced.
From Twilight, page 358
Bella, once again, that is called BEING POLITE, you have no reason to grimace at this you brat. Bella is surprised that Edward isn't surprised that she told her father the truth. Yeah, that would be because you have done everything he says up to this point, so he has no reason to think you wouldn't do otherwise. More Bella being a brat, and small talk and then Edward and Bella leave. Bella sees that Edward has brought a Jeep. At this point I have to ask: how many freaking cars do the Cullens own? Because really, at this point the amount of cars they have is getting ridiculous, especially for a family of vampires who are susposedly "keeping a low profile".
I have to roll my eyes at the fact that Bella can't even get into the car on her own. If I can get into a monster jeep, I'm sure miss Sue here can. They aren't THAT high. Then they start to drive and we get more boring talk and at this point I wonder what the whole damn point of this is and want to get to the game already. Edward commends Bella and calls her extraordinary because of this morning. Yes. Meeting new people is SO amazing. Oh wait, I and millions of other people, do that every day so does that mean we're all super special?
Finally, FINALLY, (after Edward goes caveman again and pulls Bella onto his back and they go through the forest, and at this point I'm wondering what the damn point was of switching cars if they were just going to do this) they get to the field. This chapter would be ten times better if it had been cut to them arriving at the feild. Those first hundred or so pages of the chapter were unneeded as is pretty much half this damn book. Billy and Bella's scene could have been done when he previously visited, and Charlie meeting Edward should have been taken care of when she went to see the Cullens first hand.
The Cullens are already there and you can basically insert more wordy descriptions of how they move, talk, and so on and so forth. Bella and Esme stay behind and just watch them play ball and you know what? Here is another minor character that could have been so awesome if another author had written this or Meyer had taken more time to flesh her out. Instead, she tells us right off the bat her back story. It would have been more powerful if Bella had found out accidently or something and Esme could have shown more remorse then she actually does. We could actually SEE her being motherly. But no. We're just told this and then the character fades into that unimportant background because she is not Bella or Edward.
Vivid description of baseball play and I will say I found this kind of fun, even if I wish Meyer could of said how they made up this game or why they even play it. Also again, how is this keeping a low profile?
More baseball play and Bella of course says Edward is wonderful at it (of course, he's Gary-Stu, not only is he musically gifted and smart, and reads, he can play sports perfectly as well!). Then suddenly, as if Meyer was writing this and kind of went "oh yeah, it would probably be a good idea to actually have that excitement now! It is chapter 17", Alice has a vision. More vampires are coming! Actual vampires, not whatever the heck the Cullens are.
For some reason that still makes no sense to me (if a Twihard can explain it logically then please feel free to do so) they evidently do not have time to run Bella into the forest while the others delay the unknown vampires. So they all stand and wait as finally something exciting is happening! It only took three hundred and seventy-four pages.
WORDS THAT A TEENAGER WOULD NEVER USE/DON'T BELONG/ARE USED WRONG: bridled
BOOK THAT IS BETTER: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
WHY IT IS BETTER: For one, ACTUAL EXCITEMENT going on here that doesn't wait three hundred pages. I know many people have written off this series as a Twilight wannabe and to some extent...yeah it is. However, this author actually succeeded where Meyer failed: a believable love triangle, excitement, a GOOD heroine who while naive at times does not make you scream, good male heroes who aren't perfect and exceed Edward-stu in every way, good writing, and actual PLOT. Predictable plot, true. But unlike Twilight, this cliche is enjoyable and doesn't make you want to gag.
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