Is Bree's Short Life Worth it?

Of course there is no point in reviewing anything Twilight these days, because if it has to do with Edward and Bella, people are going to buy it. But this story might go unnoticed for its hidden uses if someone didn't bring them up! The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer was short and fun as part of the bigger series, but can serve a greater purpose!

Bree's life begins when she is turned by a mysterious woman (Victoria). There are so many newborns, and they are all kept together by a vampire named Riley and their collective fear of burning in the sun. They are ordered to be careful when hunting and stick to the "dregs" (people who won't be missed) in order to maintain a low profile. This is easier for some than others. When Bree and Diego see a group ravaging an intersection and creating an obvious scene, they wait until the newborns were gone and clean the mess up. This is the start of a wonderful, albeit brief, friendship.

Bree and Diego are late returning to the house only to find it destroyed and the rest of the group had moved on. With no place to stay and the sun coming over the horizon, they know they must find a place to hide to escape the burning agony of the sun. While hiding in a cramped cave, Diego shows Bree a theory- that the sun doesn't actually cause vampires to burn. After this revelation, they start to wonder what else Riley and this mysterious woman who created them are hiding. They are especially concerned about this "threat" they suspect is coming.

While we are all familiar with Meyer's writing style, it is a little hard to sink your teeth into a story that is only 170+ pages. Without 500+ pages, how could she possibly weave her magic?? But this might be the redemption of the story. I know Harry Potter and Twilight have done more for encouraging children and young adults (especially LD young adults) to read than any other franchise out there, but let's face it- they are HUGE! I know so many kids who would love those stories, but they look at those giant books that could kill a person if wielded with any force, and they are instantly deflated. They start to think, "I could never read a book that big!"

So what if you had a much smaller book that piqued their interest? This is the beauty of Short Second Life. If a student takes a chance with this much less daunting story and is interested, maybe, just maybe, it would open the door to Twilight. Which might open the door to another book, and another book, and so on. And hopefully, after all our scheming and plotting, we might make another kid a reader. Nothing makes me more excited than the thought of a person who hated reading, who was scared of it, finding the magical worlds and exciting characters we all know and love!! So give Bree Tanner a shot and consider what you can do with it!