Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)

To those who haven't read the books, they really are worth getting, but get the hardback versions, they look pretty on your bookshelves without the dust covers, haha. There are spoilers here so please don't read if you haven't read the books yet! -

Anyway,

I'm a big reader, and probably buy a new book each week - more if i had the money, and this is the first time since Harry Potter ended that i really fell in love with the characters. I found all of the books amazing, and although Breaking Dawn turned out so differently than i anticipated, I actually preferred the ending to the one i expected.

Too many times I think writers feel the need to kill of main characters to make it emotional, or do some other drastic drama, but the way Stephenie Meyer ended this book was a welcome surprise. I felt the story was nicely rounded and I felt satisfied when i turned the last page.

Now for the criticisms (sorry!)

My main problem with Breaking Dawn was that I really did love Jacob! I think he was the most developed character, probably even the most lovable, and although I'm glad he found happiness, I felt almost cheated when we found out that his love for Bella was merely a love for the child she would one day create!
It made their history kind of pointless, it voided it all out and now, if i were to read the books again, (which I'm sure i will at some point in the future) I wouldn't be able to connect with Jacob as much as before which is sad because he's so lovely!..

I think the appeal of the whole series was driven by forbidden love and sexual tension, perfect for the age group it was aimed at - but this flopped in Breaking Dawn because there was non of that for Bella (apart from the honey moon, which ended after first few chapters) I think if Jacob had carried on his want for Bella, then at least that would of kept the excitement going, but again, that suddenly 'poofed' into nothingness once renesmee was born.

Despite my criticisms, I loved the saga and truely hope that Stephenie Meyer continues with Midnight Sun - I'm not going to read the leaked version, I want to read it in all its perfected glory :D

Settle down with a cup of tea and a bucket! (4/5 people found this helpful)

Twilight came to me on recommendation and I fell in love with the book after three chapters. The subliminal message delivered to young readers that the pursuit of physical perfection plays a very small role in attraction was both healthy and effective. Edward in all his aesthetic glory was drawn instantly to the clumsy and fragile Bella, with whom every girl could relate.

More patience and less sense of reason was required to make it through New Moon, and as for Eclipse - the book literally made my blood boil (excuse the pun). We're supposed to believe Bella has this earth-shattering love for Edward, but ends up snogging the face off Jacob?! Yeah, yeah I get that she loves him too, but that kind of blows away the notion that Meyer threaded throughout her books that we all have one true soulmate, whether human, vampire or imprinting werewolf.

Still, I was excited to see how Meyer would complete the story, and so placed my pre-order and waited. Along came Breaking Dawn, a story split into three books and told from two viewpoints, first Bella then Jacob, then back to Bella. The first of the three books read more like Mills & Boon novel than a vampiric thriller.

Thank heavens for the second book, written from Jacob's point of view. I have to admit, I found Jacob irritating in Eclipse but he really saved Breaking Dawn for me. A welcome break from Bella's vacuous bleatings; Jacob offered some genuine and believable emotions. Yes it was right for him to resent the unborn child and the Cullens for nuturing the pregnancy, yes it was right for him to be appalled by Edward's offer of Bella for the purposes of breeding (was that really necessary?) and at last I realised why people liked Jacob so much, he was the only plausible and multi-dimensional character.

Just as his book was drawing to a close, I had high hopes of him falling in love with Leah, without the imprinting business, just a natural and believable relationship development. But no, along comes Renesmee and Jacob falls in love with a newborn child - how very convenient, if not totally creepy, for the purposes of a happy, neat ending. The clumsy reminder of how `OK' it is to be obsessed with an infant was first drilled into us with the previously irrelevant scene between Jacob, Quil and Clare. Just because it's now Jacob, it's still very weird and uncomfortable S Meyer.

The complete character assassinations that took place in this book were unforgivable. OK, so Charlie was never more than a constantly hungry, fish-obsessed background character. But the protective persona that Meyer developed for Charlie all the way through New Moon and Eclipse was eradicated when he somehow miraculously guessed that Bella had been turned into a vampire, oh and he's fine with it too. Emmett, Esme and Billy practically disappeared, Rosalie (now there's a character that could have been really developed further) was ignored once she'd served her purpose of helping Bella through the pregnancy, and as for the Volturi, there was a real potential for a dramatic and exciting climax with their arrival. But instead, they whimpered off embarrassed and apologetic. Rubbish.

Then there's Edward. Where the hell did he go in this book?

Don't even get me started on the gag-inducing Renesmee, who just summoned up images of annoyingly twee little girls that we all have to stand and adore when we actually want to pull their pigtails.

The main problem with Breaking Dawn is that it's poorly written. The whole thing about Bella hating indulgence (her embarrassment at driving around in an Aston Martin was slightly amusing if not unappreciative) smacked of contradiction when in the third book, references to how great she knew she looked in her designer clothes just eradicated that completely. Also, if Eclipse was about her having to make a decision between Jacob and Edward (humanity vs. immortality) then the sacrifices she chose to make became irrelevant when she was presented with an accepting father, perfect baby and her best friend whom she didn't have to give up after all. It's like Meyer forgot all about what she'd previously written.

But mostly, to fall in love with characters we want to meet again and again, there needs to be empathy. Whether vampire or human, we needed to be able to relate to Bella. We needed to cheer for her when she overcame very human difficulties such as grief, suffering or loss, and we needed to see her experience such emotions if we, as readers, were ever really warm to her. Meyer explored this to some extent in New Moon, but ultimately where was Bella's struggle? Everything she was worried about had a miraculous and easily obtained solution. Didn't everything just work out a little too eye-rollingly perfect? What Meyer actually created was a door to escapism, where everything is wonderful and everyone is beautiful, happy, loved and complete. That's essentially all Breaking Dawn is, so it shouldn't be dressed up as anything else, let alone connected in any way to the previous three novels in the series. Go into it with that in mind, and you will avoid disappointment.

Poor conclusion to the Twilight saga (1/1 people found this helpful)

Having enjoyed the first three books in the series I was thoroughly disappointed by Breaking Dawn. There are so many plot holes, Meyer even ignores rules she invented herself earlier in the series.

I was always aware that Meyer had strong religious beliefs, but this was not so obvious in the first 3 books and I could easily overlook it, but here the no sex before marriage and anti-abortion messages are very strong. She basically says that it's ok to get married at 18 and have a baby even if it will kill you.

Meyer tries so hard to give everyone a happy ending that there are many loose ends and aspects of the story that just don't make sense. I'd defintiely recommend the first 3 books, but this one is best un-read as it will spoil your enjoyment of the series.

Best book of the series! (0/2 people found this helpful)

I really enjoyed the first 3 novels but Breaking Dawn is by far the best book in the series. If a series is going to keep me, I expect the characters to develop, to mature and to face new challenges - not just a rehash of the same old... BD didn't disappoint. I LOVED it!

Great Book! (1/3 people found this helpful)

Breaking Dawn is a great book. I know that there are bad post, reviews and comments. But you can't please everyone. To me, a true fan of Twilight, it was and is a great book. Now I'm waiting for Midnight Sun to come out! So the world of twilight may continue.

Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)

Stephenie Meyer

Reader Reviews:

Great but slightly dissapointed (0/0 people found this helpful)

Settle down with a cup of tea and a bucket! (4/5 people found this helpful)

Poor conclusion to the Twilight saga (1/1 people found this helpful)

Best book of the series! (0/2 people found this helpful)

Great Book! (1/3 people found this helpful)

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