T.03.03 Motives

In Which Meyer Almost Becomes A Writer To Me

For the first time in the entire series we get a chapter that isn't presented directly in first-person reflective narrative. Instead, we get Bella's memories framed in a flashback while on the plane home from Florida. More on this later, but I was rather surprised.

So Renee is worried about Bella and Edward. She doesn't share Charlie's fear of grandchildren, she's actually more worried about the nature of their relationship and the odd intensity they share. I was going to elaborate more on this in the SumUp, but it's honestly worth going into here for just a second. Meyer has presented B&E in numerous ways but the most common is as an addiction. Their constant and poorly defined mystical need to be around each other has been dumped on us from their first meeting with almost no structure to support it. Here, amazingly, we get an external description of the pair that's interesting, enlightening and well defined. I can't stress this enough. Renee talks about Bella moving unconsciously when Edward changes orientation and talks about the strange way Bella visibly reacts to Edward's presence. This page of narration, this memory Renee is worth ten times what the last thousand pages of goofy looks and longing stares and irrational need that Meyer, via Bella, has been feeding us. THIS gives us a tangible hold on their annoying mystical connection and could have been a glorious light in the darkness of the first book.

Moving on, the homefront is quite abuzz. Charlie seems happy, Jacob wants to talk. The phone rings  and it's Jacob (speak of the Werewolf) who asks Bella if she'll be going to school the next day,. As soon as she says yes, he hangs up. Bella tries to figure out this mystery and decides Jacob was worried that her trip out of town = her conversion to Vampirism. Personally, I assumed this had to do with Victoria.

Alice is at FHS and I was right and Bella was wrong. Jacob arrives via motorcycle and wants to talk to Edward. They have an annoying "conversation" where Edward mind-reads Jacob and they growl and pose a lot. Mucho Testosterone. It seems Paul (Werewolf) and Emmett (Vampire) got into a near-tussle because of problems with the border between Werewolf patrols and Vampire patrols. Seems Edward wasn't entirely forthcoming about the vampires in the bushes and blah-blah took Bella to Florida for her own good when Alice had some vision.

They all argue in the parking lot. In a great touch, Jacob starts slamming Edward with memories to punish him for his mind-reading. When the principle arrives, everybody goes their seperate ways.

Edward & Bella pass notes in class rather than have an actual conversation and Bella + we learn that the Cullens and Werewolves have been hunting Victoria in the woods and stepping on each others' toes. Seems Victoria is aware of the problems the two have in working together and is using this to test for openings.

All that out in the open, they have a brief but very amusing conversation about Bella's horrible luck and how it would have destroyed the plane to Florida. I actually laughed at this. Bella goes to math and overhears a debate about Jacob and Edward's upcoming fight over Bella.

SumUp A

That's right, an A
It's a solid A., too.

Meyer manages to find an actual literary tool in her bag with the extended flashback sequence. Renee gives us some powerful and useful insight on Bella and Edward's relationship from a slightly objective viewpoint. The threat of the book is introduced (in chapter THREE!). Jacob uses Edward's abilities against him. Bella and Edward have an actual argument. Then they have a truly amusing conversation (well, note-passing session). Then we get information from the other students in reaction to Jacob and Edward's argument.

It's almost too much to bear.

I really can't express how much I liked Renee's descriptions and insights. I still don't buy into this magical love-of-the-ages connection between Bella and Edward, it's trite and there hasn't been one ounce of reasoning or support in the text. However, and it's a big however, a solid bit of THIS early in the relationship would have made all that staring and drug-addiction terminology a lot easier to choke down.

We also have an actual threat presented. There's conflict in Bella's ring of protective super-monsters. There's conflict between her boyfriend and not-boyfriend. There's turmoil at home. There is, and I almost hesitate to say it, actual drama going on.