That's Jasper.

on the surface, yes, this is the I Was Born to Be a Vampire saga. yet here we are, book 3, standing at the precipice with Bella as she makes The Choice one final time. beyond the war with Victoria, Edward and Jacob externalize the fight Bella is having with herself: the choice between humanity and vampirism. literally and metaphorically, it's do-or-die o' clock for Bella. time to choose.

Bella is an avoidant, unreliable narrator, so she doesn't really engage in that question. cool. we love a Holden Caufield. however, the downfall of this book (& consequently, the series), is that the author is also unwilling to seriously engage these questions meaningfully.

character development largely happens off-screen. the asking, digging, and answering of pivotal questions are not shown to the reader. as a result, the emotional beats feel off & hollow.

look to Bella as an example. in chapter 12, her upcoming graduation (a milestone she previously cared nothing about) has her realizing she isn't ready to become a vampire. she never thought about the prospect of saying goodbye until now. she's about to leave everything. she's scared.

great! what an excellent time in the series to weigh her options. what would it mean to be a vampire and leave your life behind? what would it mean to remain human and navigate a relationship with your vampire bf? why is humanity so wonderful? what are the drawbacks of vampirism? what makes vampirism worth it?

listen: it Does Not Matter that Bella "always wanted to be a vampire." questioning her choice is necessary. why? having her think through this decision ultimately emphasizes her reasons for choosing vampirism. it gives her choice more weight, & in turn, strengthens all the themes we see up until this point. it solidifies the series' message.

but we never see her come back to this question. we never see her grapple with what eternal life would mean, or what it would mean to choose humanity. we never see her voice her concerns to any other character (until after the battle).

suddenly, in chapter 20, she realizes she is ready. but we don't get to see that change of heart. after all the desire she expressed to be a vampire, & the drama of the stomach-sinking flash of doubt in the eleventh hour, it's the "guilt and anguish" she felt watching the Cullens and wolves practice that makes her "ready." it's the fact that she's "a liability" and desires to "be partners" with Edward. (implying she's not now? girl, yikes)

in the critical moment of her most consequential choice, her decision boils down to feelings of guilt, anguish, & inadequacy, told to us after the fact. these feelings seem to be a byproduct of love...but notably, there is no mention of love factoring into her decision.

Phase 1, the construction of a new school outside of the tsunami zone, has been completed.

"Our priority was the relocation of the Quileute Tribal School (QTS). Formerly located on a deserted US Coast Guard site, QTS was a few feet above sea level at the Quillayute River estuary, within the Pacific Ocean tsunami inundation zone. On August 5, 2022, the Quileute Tribe celebrated the completion of its newly constructed school on the designated MTHG relocation zone, beyond the threat from tsunamis. The new facility includes a full-size gymnasium with high school regulation sized basketball and volleyball courts, computer and technical skills labs, science laboratories with lockable chemical preparation rooms, a fully equipped woodshop, state of the art technology to enhance student learning, and an upper school lounge where the older students can gather to collaborate, study, or relax during free time. With Phase 1 completed, the Tribe is now working to establish the next phase of the project."

Following Phase 1, the project leads completed a survey to identify priorities for continued housing development needs and is in a planning phase for the next stage of the project.

omg is she okay? my fragile human, as lovely and delicate as a rose petal???

oh how i wish i could simply read her mind instead of stooping to these exasperating humans means of communication!

she's fine. she's furious at me. she's so cute when she's furious.

does this mean she likes me? she certainly thinks about me... (return to thought #2)

i should let her rear end every one of my cars if it brings her joy. small pittance to pay for the crime of loving her.

Oh

Yes hahah

Also last year zine stuff