We start with my least-favorite device: the dream sequence. Bella imagines herself as her grandmother with Edward still at her side and is horrified at the prospect. This is and old theme in vampire lore, and by now it's treading a fine line between traditional and cliche (not Meyer's fault). Still, this whole sequence works as a first proper scene to highlight some backstory. We are reminded of Bella's desire to be a vampire, her love of and fear of losing Edward and it even sets up Bella's birthday throughout the rest of the chapter. So it's maybe my least hated dream sequence in the series thus far.
Bella wakes up (Meyer's favorite way to start a Chapter. This is going to become drinking game fodder) on her 18th birthday. It's September (gleaned a little later) so if you want to mark your calendars, there's your first clue. She rushes past Charlie on her way to school and sets up a chapter-long grumble about not celebrating her birthday in any way. This is supported a little by the fears visualized in her dream, although SM does drag it out. Edward and Alice are waiting at FHS and Alice is bubbling about a party that evening for Bella's birthday at the Manor. Bella gripes, Edward deflects and Alice bubbles. Rinse. Repeat.
Bella and Edward argue about her anti-birthday, pro-being-a-vampire stances. He's patient and frustrated. She insists she has to watch Romeo & Juliet for school so boo to any party, he says he'll bring her to the party after the movie to make Alice happy.
Bella has a little inner monologue about money. She recalls that her mom (Renee) was a teacher and made very little, plus Charlie's chief salary wasn't much. She has a part time job at a sports supply store (with Mike, interestingly enough) and she is saving up for college. This contradicts her attitude in Book 1 where she's planning on buying a car when she moves to Forks and never seems to worry about cash. I'd complain, but honestly this is an improvement over the unrealistic financial situation before. Teenagers worry about money and have part time jobs and save for college. That's life, so I'll forgive the earlier book and accept this as the current situation. It also gives Bella a chance to contrast her life with Edward's cash-flush lifestyle and casual disregard for costs. It's a nice spot of characterization, and I'll take whatever I can get.
Ed has worked his dazz to get them into the same classes and the lunch table now contains Bella, Edward, Alice, Mike, Jessica (a couple at the end of the school year, now broken up), Angela, Ben (now a couple), Eric, Tyler, and "not a friend" Lauren (meow!). The rest of the wahmpires have graduated... again, I assume. So we get a good clique recap, a touch of history and a few details like the separation between the vamps and non-vamps now that Edward and Alice are the only vampires left at FHS. All reasonable. All positive stuff.
Edward drives her home so Bella can watch Romeo and Juliet for school. This brings up the topic of suicide and Edward tells Bella that he'd considered killing himself if things hadn't worked out with the whole James & Hunt plotline in the end of the last book. He tells her he'd decided to go to the Volturi, an Italian Vampire clan / family who are ancient and secretive (unlike some we could mention) and powerful and etcetera. Carlisle was once a member/buddy and they're described as sort of vampire royalty (plot point) capable and willing to kill rebellious vampires (blatantly obvious plot point). Bella is upset about the suicide discussion and they argue about it until Charlie comes home.
Charlie gives Bella a camera for her birthday and hits the baseball game, Edward drives her to the Manor where Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett are waiting. She gets a new car stereo, there she cuts her finger on a ribbon and Jasper loses it and attacks her. Since she's the clumsiest person on earth, she crashes into some bowls and further cuts her arm when they shatter. Everyone looks menacing and the chapter curtain falls.
SumUp: A-
Characterization! Conflict! Discussion that doesn't revolve entirely around moping! People other than B&E with described emotions and motivations! No plot cheating devices! Oh the huge manatee!
I don't know if I can stand it. The conversations flow. The story moves. Everything pops and gets described and there are no eyes emoting (that I noticed) and by Frost's knuckles it all makes internal sense. Understand that my rules say I can't complain/score based on things that I've already complained/scored on beyond a certain point, but it's not even a big worry! The love is long-established, whatever my complaints, but it's not awful here. They make out, it's realistic and done well (minus the ongoing health issues). They argue. It's done well. They discuss, it makes sense and nobody is being mysterious or ludicrously subtle/dense or ... oh, it's just a buffet of joy.
The Volteri are obviously a key threat to Edward, so whatever happens, they're going to be involved. I'm not sure how/why, but I'm sure that will be forthcoming.
My limited complaints are:
- Charlie is fixated on TV baseball. It's the same reason he's used over and over to exit stage right since early in the first book. It's annoying, give the man something to do besides fish and watch baseball. Maybe people really are that boring, but I don't want to read about them.
- The cliffhanger ending to the chapter is crap. I believe this chapter was included at the end of the last book as a way to get readers to continue, and I hate it. We know there'll be tension, why bother dragging us to the party in chapter 1 instead of starting it in 2? For the cliffhanger, obviously. Why not resolve it with Carlisle, like I know you're going to? Cliffhanger. Ugh.
- When Charlie gives Bella the camera there's a brief discussion about Alice. Charlie asks about her. The first reason given is that Alice (in Charlie's eyes) has adopted a big sister role for Bella and is taking on some of the female responsibilities that Charlie would rather dodge. That's fine. Actually, it's more than fine. I'd have used Esme, but so be it. However (big however) the other reason suggested is that Charlie is attracted to Alice. Alice is under cover as a 17 year old, and as far as we know Charlie has accepted that as true. Worse, he's asking his daughter, who is her classmate, about her in a way that suggests all this. Which is almost as creepy as Edward watching Bella sleep. I'm going to have to start a list.
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