T.03.04 Nature

In Which Bella and Jacob are Reunited

Bella wants to wahmpirize even more now that Victoria is back in the picture, but the rest of the Cullens remind her that the process isn't short and she won't be any more of a help than she is now.

Which is zero. And has been for the last 2 books. Soory, venting.

Edward goes hunting. There's a good scene of Bella being the frantic, nervous junkie while she tries to kill time while Ed is gone. She even goes to work early, but they don't need her. Bella is starting to leave when she realizes that Alice couldn't have foreseen this change in plans, which means Bella can make the sudden decision to run off to La Push and visit Jacob. So she does.

Billy and Jacob are thrilled to see her. Bella and Jacob hit the beach (which is all they ever do) and she fills Jacob in on the last book: Ed left for her own good, though she snuffed it and then tried to off himself. Things are all better.

Jacob fills Bella in on the whole Victoria problem. The big issue is that the Werewolves and Vampires are pretty much getting in each other's way whenever Victoria crosses the boundary. She's clearly figured this out. The whole conversation is really well written, Jacob is boyish and excited about the chase and gets annoyed when Bella insists on giving each Vampire a name. He finally snamps "I don't really care what their names are". That's worth points, right there.

Jacob tries to grasp the whole Bella and Edward relationship (we're with you, man) and given the chance, Bella tries to explain. As usual, she doesn't. Her reasons: he's decent, he's loving, really don't add anything to Edward that helps us grapple with your head-over-heels love and honestly apply equally well to numerous other people. Like Jacob, Mike, and probably Tyler. Who knows? The chapter ends with Jacob upset and confused and Bella, as usual, leading him on.

SumUp: C+

The escape from Alice's magic is a good touch, but it demonstrates (again) just how much of a cheat this ability is. Meyer is having to write around Alice's abilities. Even if this gives us a good narrative, it's still a gigantic flaw in a central part of the plot.

Jacob and Bell's conversation is lively and visceral. Jacob is especially good at telling his story with little touches of his werewolf point of view tossed in.

Bella is turning the manipulative dial up. I don't know if Meyer realizes just what a colossal tease her main character is becoming. I suspect she has to by this point and is either doing this intentionally or feels like she has no choice but run the path she's put Bella in. Either way, it's not endearing me to the protagonist at all.

The worst of all is, again, Bella and Edward's mysterious relationship.  Meyer finally hands the opportunity to Bella to  go into her personal feelings and explain the deep connection she has with Edward and what do we get? It's a mystery. He's a nice guy. He loves me a lot. In other words, she doesn't know either. I guess it's better than her diving into the drug addict concept again. I just don't know why Meyer put this in here and then didn't use it for more than rehashing what we've already been told.