Masen Days by purelyamuse
Description: 3rd Place Winner in the Boys on Boards contest! Now an EXPANDED multi-chap! Bella meets Masen at the local skate park. He's a quiet, mysterious loner. She wants to help him, love him even. Will he let her? Or will he skate away like he always does? AH
Twilight - Rated: M - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 6 - Words: 11,735 - Reviews: 419 - Updated: 9-19-11 - Published: 8-16-11 - Edward & Bella
It's been about 6 months since I've started reading a new fic. And wouldn't you know, it's purelyamuse who drags me back into the fold, kicking and screaming.
She says that I helped push her to write her first Edward/Bella, being the citizen of Switzerland that she is. Having started her current WIP, I am thrilled to have had any hand at all in her writing it. I started reading Masen Days because I wanted to support purely for the fic's readalong, but now I'm jonesing for my next hit.
I thought I wasn't going to be able to get into Twific anymore because I had gotten too jaded and eye-rolly regarding character cliches, misunderstood Edwards, and poorly developed Bellas. But given purely's taste in fic, I should've known she would provide something delicious. Here's why you should read it:
SIMPLICITY IN STORYTELLING She doesn't try to pretend to offer the be-all-end-all telling of an epic tale. She gives swift glimpses into the interactions between Masen and Bella, which are stylistically so appropriate, given the sparseness of their communication. And purely uses this subtleness to showcase the heart that exists in the smallest of gestures. Also because of this, her story doesn't get weighed down by the pull of unnecessary description. She's a no-wank kind of a writer. And that's EXACTLY what the doctor ordered.
SWEETNESS & NON-EXPLOITATIVE ANGST I love how purely's fic is so very much in line with the kinds of fic she likes to read. There is so much sweetness in her simplicity. And she's able to incorporate the angst of Masen's family life in a way that seems more like an extension of a character's background/experience, as opposed to a lot of fic, where angst is used as an exploitative means to draw in a reader who seeks resolution. The sweetness in the story offsets the underlying sadness in a way that's very true to the Masen character. And I continue to read, not because I need some kind of answer to the mystery, but because I'm addicted to the interactions between Masen and Bella. It'll be nice to see more of the onion as the story unfolds, but I'm in no rush.
I LOVES ME SOME UST I expected a bit of innocence in her storytelling just because I know she likes the HS negotiations of first love in the fic she reads. I was pleased to find it's a realistic portrayal that I could connect with -- and HS me was no innocent. We don't know how virginal Bella is and we know very little about Masen's experience, but these things don't seem relevant in the world of the little moments they share. Bella's got the internal monologue of a girl who definitely feels a hunger but won't act on her ravenous potential because she respects the personality and needs of the other person too much to risk defiling their relationship by jumping too soon. What results is a fantastic build of UST that seems true to their personalities. I grow even fonder of Masen when I see him reaching out for what seems more like a human connection than an amorous one.
IT'S A FUN, QUICK READ I thoroughly enjoyed every heart-happy chapter thus far! I'm in love with these characters and can't wait to see where it goes.
I thought I'd read her story out of politeness but her writing and the charm of her characters won me over on their own merit.
And finally, she's working this like a pro. First of all SHE UPDATES REGULARLY. Every Monday. She also offers her readers outtakes and glimpses into Masen's mind via little journal entries on her blog. Such brilliance in providing her readers some nosh in between each meal, to satisfy the cravings.
