Kay's Bookshelf

I am writing this review now because a) I’ve just finished reading it b) the book is on hold so who knows if or when it’ll ever be available. This draft contains the first 12 chapters (right until Bella and Edward go on their “date” in the meadow where he’ll show her how vampires look in the sunlight), and can be found on the author’s official website.

I have loved the very idea of this book ever since first reading about it: a chance to see the world through Edward’s eyes. While he couldn’t get any more perfect than he already was, it was interesting to see how he thought of Bella, how he saw her and why he had fallen in love with her of all people. I was very glad to read his thoughts on her as they were a mirror of how Bella really was (a bit subjective, I know, but better than anything so far), as opposed to how she saw herself (very ordinary). Practically all the people who have previously complained about the heroine of the book having no personality at all get to find out how wrong they were: she’s intuitive, she’s courageous, she’s smart and above all she’s a really good person (which sort of explains why I liked her so much in Twilight :P ).

The author has paid a lot of attention while writing this book, keeping all the spoken lines in Twilight, plus adding here and there in Edwards thoughts a hint about the family histories that were unveiled in the previous books (such as how Rosalie found him offensive at the very beginning, how Jasper had been a fighter, etc.). I have absolutely loved the part about keeping the lines (though it reasonably couldn’t have been any other way in order for the story to be credible), as it really made me re-live all the events again, this time knowing every thought each of the two had. Kinda cool and to say that I am looking forward to reading the whole book would be a very understatement, to say the least.

I think the author’s done a really great job with Edward’s thoughts — his conflict between his knowledge that he might very well hurt Bella and his impossibility of staying away from her was very well drawn. (“Run, Bella, run. Stay, Bella, stay.” is one of my favorites, corny as it may seem. I chose the shortest one, were I to quote all favorites I’d end up quoting half of the book :P ). I was also happy to actually meet in Edward’s thoughts his frustration at his inability of reading Bella’s mind (the frustration that I have guessed at and found so amusing in Twilight), so to be expected in the case of a mind reader who can prod into anyone’s minds with one exception :P

It made me sad to see the book end at the moment it did, as the next one would have been a very important chapter of Edward & Bella’s relationship: their outing together in the forest, the moment Edward finally takes a conscious decision not to kill Bella (as the possibility has always existed in Alice’s mind thus far, meaning he had not put a definite leash on the monster inside him as of yet). Did I mention I am looking forward to the rest of the book? :)

What I liked most: Alice’s impatience to get to know Bella, as she knew they were going to end up being best friends :)

What I liked least: It ended way too soon !!!!

Recommend it? The draft? I don’t know, it leaves you pretty frustrated when it ends so suddenly. The whole book? By all means, go for it!

This book is related to:
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn

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