Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)
by Stephenie Meyer
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Book Reviews of Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)
Book Review: A Beautiful End to an Epic Romance: Hoping to Help Negative Reviewers Understand Breaking Dawn!
Summary: 5 Stars
My Review:
I couldn't help but notice all of the negative reviews before I had even started reading Breaking Dawn. Everyone is of course entitled to their own opinion but some of the reasons for the negative responses to Stephanie Meyer's last installment in the Twilight series caused me to be in an even greater rush to finish the book so I could see what was so horrible about it. By the time I got half way through the book, I realized that I wanted to finish it so I could write a review myself-- to completely disagree or perhaps explain why I disagree with all of the negative responses.
**Spoilers**
1. Someone complained that one of the author's message in the book is that it is okay for teenage marriage and pregnancy. That it is okay to not go to college, etc.
I definitely disagree. First of all, Bella is 18 years old when she marries Edward. And let me remind you that it is rare these days for 18 year old girls to even still be virgins! Bella and Edward didn't think they could have children so of course it was a great shock to both when they discovered that she was with child. I don't think the author is necessarily saying its okay or that it was even her intent for us, the readers to take Bella's marriage and pregnancy that way. However, we live in a society where we think that putting our hands over our children's eyes or covering their ears is the best way to prevent them from seeing the evil in the world or making bad choices, etc. when really all we are doing is hurting our children. I personally feel that teen pregnancy is still a very big issue in today's society and I give Stephanie Meyer credit for putting it in there on top of the whole "abortion" topic. Teen pregnancy and abortion are issues that are happening around us every day. Moving onto the college issue, Bella and Edward had planned on going to college right before they learned of her pregnancy. Yes, maybe Bella was being a little immature with her reasons, but it was something they had planned to do. But might I also add here that this IS partly a supernatural story and so many things happen between the time she learns she is pregnant to the end of the book that I honestly don't blame Bella or Edward for putting college on the back burner.
2. Let's move on to the whole "imprinting" issue with Jacob and the werewolves (now explained to be shape shifters). I read in many reviews that the whole imprinting idea was "stupid," "disgusting," "disturbing," "perverted" and the list goes on. I am not trying to insult anyone's intelligence but I think the reason why most are upset or freaked out about the idea is because it is not something most readers have heard of. Ever hear of the saying that you fear what you don't know, and most people pass severe judgment on things that they don't know or understand. The reason why the whole imprinting thing didn't surprise me or disgust me throughout the Twilight series or between Jacob and Nessie (Edward and Bella's child) is because I have been reading romance novels for over 15 years. I was an English major while I was in college and now I teach English. But the Romance genre has always been my first love. The reason why I bring this up is because being a romance novel fan for so many years, you can imagine how hard it can be to find something new, something fresh. So of course when supernatural and paranormal romance novels started to become popular, I jumped right into it. I am sure many romance novel readers would agree that the "imprinting" idea that Stephanie Meyer introduces in her Twilight series is NOT a new or unfamiliar idea. I can give dozens of examples of "imprinting in romance novels. One example that came immediately to mind is Christine Feehan's book Dark Prince. Mikhail is the prince of the Carpathian people and his race is dying (they are like vampires only they do not hurt humans). After a few centuries, if they do not find their mate, the other half of their soul, they begin to lose their ability to see in color, to have emotions, and eventually, will become a dangerous, mindless creature. Mikhail finds his mate, and she becomes pregnant. Long story short, something happens that causes his mate to be close to death and Mikhail's only hope is for his healer, Gregori to save her. As he starts to save her, he can see the little baby in her womb, a female child, and realizes that this small child is his mate. All Gregori has to do is wait until she grows up and matures into a woman. There are hundred more examples of "imprinting" in the romance/supernatural novel world. This is exactly what Stephanie Meyer has done in her Twilight series and I think it is quite brilliant. I don't find it disgusting or disturbing simply because Jacob knows that little Nessie is just a child and even though they are destined to be together, he does not see this child in a sexual, perverted way at all. The need to be around her is something he cannot help because it is fate that has put them together, two halves of the same whole. The only other reason why I could think people that it was disturbing is because it is Bella's child he has imprinted with and perhaps people thought that it would cause an awkwardness since he seemed so in love with Bella. While I think Jacob loved Bella, I always felt that Jacob's love was more of an infatuation tied in with the love of a best friend. Not for one second did I feel that Jacob's love for Bella was stronger than Edward's. I often was a bit irritated with Jacob because sometimes I thought he was a bit irrational and too quick to make decisions where Edward was always thoughtful. I am definitely not knocking Jacob, I loved his character and it was a great way to show two different ways of thinking, Jacob the hot headed one and Edward the calm, calculating, thoughtful one.
I also noticed people mentioning that they still felt sorry for Jacob, almost as if he got jibbed in the end. How can anyone say that? First and foremost, Bella always saw her vampire family and Jacob as her family. Once Jacob got over his distrust over the "blood suckers" and we saw through his eyes in the second part of the book how much he had grown to respect and even feel apart of the Cullen household, my pain for Jacob's loneliness started to fade. And when he realized that Nessie is and would eventually be his mate, all the pieces just fit perfectly. He not only found his mate, the person he REALLY was supposed to be with, but he also GAINED a family, along with his pack and most importantly-- he still has Bella in his life. So why do people still feel so sorry for Jacob?
3. Moving on to Bella. Another annoying comment that many made was that Bella had absolutely no growth as a character, she was still immature, still allowed others to fight her battles, etc.
When I read those reviews I really started to wonder if people actually read the book or not. First and foremost, Bella's character is complex. I would say that in some ways from the very beginning we see a young woman who is way beyond her years, perhaps an old soul, who sees things and the world differently than most 17 and 18 year olds. But I also agree that in many parts of the first 3 books and even in the beginning of Breaking Dawn we see a very immature side of her as well. Bella not really wanting to get married but doing it to get her way. Bella listening to everything Edward says without really stating her own opinions. But for those of you who think that Bella has not changed or grown into the woman that I saw by the end of the book, please read again. The first signs of her truly becoming a mature young woman is when she not only realizes she is pregnant, but how fiercely she protects the life inside her. So much so that she goes behind Edward's back (which is rare since she normally depends on him for everything) to insure that no harm comes to their baby. Once Bella is turned into a vampire, I never saw her as the young, clumsy, immature girl-- I saw her as a woman who was worried about her baby, filled with love for her husband, surprised but grateful that Jacob was still around even though her motherly instincts kicked in and she was irritated at the thought that Jacob would have such an important part of her daughter's life, if not more. Bella, who was always unsure about herself physically, filled with insecurities, became a confident, determined, and fierce woman by the end of the book. How can people say her character has not shown growth?
4. Lastly, people have stated that they were disappointed with Edward in this book, that Stephanie Meyer should have made Book Two in Edward's point-of-view instead of Jacob's, that Edward never formally thanked Bella for giving him a child, that Edward owed her an apology for even considering aborting their child and calling it such names as "monster" and "it"; and that Edward didn't have much of a role in this last book.
First and foremost let me remind everyone that this is ultimately Bella's story, told through her eyes. Yes, we get to see a little through Jacob's eyes and while some thought that his part of the book was boring, I would have to disagree. Through Jacob's eyes we truly get to see how lost Edward was. Let's admit it, the cool, calm Edward we have grown to know was completely in a dark place through the better part of the book. Through Jacob's eyes we get to see this; Edward's fear to even leave Bella's side, how he begs Jacob to talk to her to change her mind about keeping the baby, etc. Personally, I think that if Meyer made Book Two in Edward's eyes, we wouldn't get half the information that Jacob gave us, especially with the splitting of the packs, etc. Edward was consumed with pain, anguish, fear, often starring off into space. I think Edward's frame of mind would have been very disturbing which I honestly do not hold against him. Moving on to Edward and the whole owing Bella thank you and an apology...Well, first of all, if Edward owes her an apology, then the whole Cullen family PLUS Jacob AND the wolf pack as well. Maybe it is just me, but Edward was not trying to abort the "fetus" because he is inconsiderate or didn't want the responsibility of raising a child. HE FEARED FOR BELLA'S LIFE! NO one, including the gentle and intelligent Carlisle had no idea what Bella was carrying! From the very beginning, all Edward wanted and has shown is is love for Bella, his devotion to protecting her, his FEAR of losing her. So of course one of the logical things that popped into his AND the rest of the Cullen family AND Jacob's head once they saw how sick and weak she had become from carrying the life inside her was to get it out of her to save her life. But what made up for all of it was when Edward finally heard the baby's thoughts. He then realized that it was not a monster or just a fetus or an it; it was his child, Bella's child, and their baby loved Bella, loved the sound of her voice, loved the sound of Edward's voice. When Edward rested his head on her belly gently to listen, that is when I teared up. That is when I realized that Edward knew that what she carried in her womb was not a monster but the culmination of their love. Edward saved his daughter's life by delivering her when no one else could, even kicking Jacob out of the room. Edward showed many tender moments, talked about Nessie with awe, and even showed fatherly jealousy and irritation when he learns that Jacob is his baby girl's mate. Yes, I am not saying I completely disagree with the comment that Edward's role was a bit secondary compared to the other 3 books, actually 2 considering that Edward was pretty much a ghost in New Moon for most of the book. But again, this is Bella's story and I think we all can agree that (and maybe this is part of Bella's growth) Bella has A LOT to deal with once she is finally turned into a vampire. It's no longer just about her and Edward, or her, Edward and the Jacob triangle. Now Bella has a baby, her family is in danger, she is just learning her own powers, etc.
There is so much more I could comment on but I think these are the main issues that most seem to keep bringing up. I give this book a 5 star rating but don't think that I wasn't left with some wishes of my own or with a question or two.
1. One thing that did bother me just a bit was the fact that Nessie seemed to show more attention to Bella and Jacob than her own father, Edward. This is not such a big deal because their were tender moments between them, especially towards the end when Nessie reaches for Edward and he kisses her goodbye, the little caresses, tender words, his obvious love for her. But I just noticed that more often then not, she was either with Bella or Jacob.
2. Another trivial thing but Jacob made a huge point, on several occasions, about how much Vampires smell. I was a little surprised that Meyer didn't add how Nessie smelled to Jacob considering she is half vampire and half human. I mean, does she smell more like a human then a vampire? Just was a bit curious about that.
Other then those small things that I noticed and perhaps a few more I can't think of right now, I found the book well worth 5 stars. I think Stephanie Meyer did a very good job at showing us her vision and I can only hope that the Twilight movie does good in December so that I can see the other 3 Twilight books come to life on the big screen!
Book Review: To: Eventide
Summary: 5 Stars
"Bella didn't have to sacrifice anything apparently. She gets Edward AND a baby AND immortality as a vampire. What about poor Jake--not a problem, he IMPRINTS on the baby, which I find disturbing not so much because it is a baby (though that is creepy just as it was with Quil) but because it's Edward and Bella's baby. Can we say cop out? Life doesn't turn out so neatly. People love and lose (and don't fall for the object of their affection's daughter). But in Meyer's world everyone is one big happy family."
Bella did sacrifice to get what she wanted - that's the point. She gave up her mortality (and if Edward's right, her SOUL), and she gave up a normal life. The very fact that she gets immortality, Edward, and a baby whom Jacob imprinted on PROVES the point that she gave up a normal life.
And maybe you can view Jacob's imprinting as a cop-out; maybe you can see it as creepy. That's your opinion. I think I'd like to remind you all that Quil imprinting on Claire? Yeah, that's not romantic, like Jacob's on Nessie isn't romantic. The girls are too young; therefore the wolves don't see them that way. They act like the girl's best protectors/brothers/friends in the world, and that has no hint of romantic interest. The romance comes when the GIRLS are old enough. It's not like that yet.
I like to go with what Bella said, on the subject of Jacob, in that she thought things "got messed up along the way" and now they're finally set right. The fact that Jacob imprinted on Nessie was the reason he needed to be around Bella the entire time. He needed to be there for the eventuality of Nessie. Have you heard of fate? I think I like the fate factor in this set-up: if it weren't for Jacob, Nessie wouldn't be. If it weren't for Nessie, Jacob wouldn't have been there.
Also, life is depressing enough with George W. Bush as our president. Who wants to read a story with a depressing ending on top of that living hell? I look to reading as an escape from reality, not the continuation of it.
So, girls don't worry. If you have problems, they will ALL work out. Is that what the author wants to tell her fans?
Oh, yes. Bella didn't have to struggle at ALL. Bella didn't have to give up her mortality, or face the prospect of DYING because Edward might have killed her when he changed her. She certainly didn't face hardship and struggle - "New Moon" ring any bells? - and of course, she never ONCE wondered if she wouldn't get her happy ending. She certainly NEVER struggled with a REAL problem, like confusion between her feelings for two boys.
I consider this the most ridiculous over-generalizing statement. Bella does have her problems. She has real problems set in a fantasy world. And I certainly don't read the books and say, "Gee, this in this fiction book everything turned out perfectly. I bet my life is going to be perfect too." That's just plain stupid.
"Or is it marriage and family by 18 are the way to go, forget about college, developing as a person, all you need is a husband and a child."
So...being a teenage slut, going out and sleeping with boys instead of choosing to stay in a solid relationship - we SHOULD be looking up to that instead? That's what the celebrities we admire right now advertise. That's what every girl sees in the media - sluts and other various bad things - so why in the world do you complain about a girl who is choosing to actually get married and have a family `the right way'?
"No disrespect to people who marry at 18, but Meyer paints a glorified picture of the situation; most 18 years old aren't going to have an endless supply of money and never worry about how the lack of an education will affect their future."
And...OBVIOUSLY normal eighteen-year-olds don't get married or have endless supplies or money, or think about the lack of education. Are we forgetting that this is set in a fantasy world, where they are vampires with all the time in the world? That's not a normal situation; it's a fiction book. That's why they have the money and lack of education: in THEIR world, it doesn't apply. I think that everyone outside of their world - namely, in real life - has a better grasp of reality when they're eighteen. And if they don't...well, then our world is definitely more messed up than it already is.
"Yes, this is a novel, a fantasy, we shouldn't expect or require realism--then why go the mommy route at all? Just focus on Bella and Edward. Bella didn't want children, yet when she finds out she's pregnant she doesn't even freak out; she's carrying a vampire's child and it's just "my heart had grown, swollen up to twice its size in that moment."
"Going the mommy route" is another component of that happy-life image that EVERY woman, regardless of age or even year of birth, is exposed to. Everything in our lives - from way back in history to the present day - says that girls should want to be mothers. Everything. Why are you picking on one book?
Bella might not have wanted children - but isn't that also realistic, that women who don't particularly want children end up pregnant sometimes? And isn't it also REALITY that these women - more often than not - also end up loving their children? And just because Bella didn't scream or throw a tantrum or start sobbing doesn't mean she didn't freak out. Instead of acting out about her fear, she internalized it. That's the character she is: that's the person SM created. And she loves Edward - if a woman found out she was pregnant by the man she truly loved, and she was already MARRIED to him, is it really so far out of the realm of reality to consider that she would love the baby, too?
"Or is the author's message be passive and let others take care of you (what if there is no one else--no, no, girls, there is ALWAYS someone)."
I don't see how Bella let anyone take care of her. She was determined to be herself, all the time. Edward left, she was heartbroken. Yes, that was extreme depression. And she leaned on Jacob - her FRIEND, and don't people who are heartbroken usually lean on their FRIENDS? I think that she became stronger after "New Moon" - let's imagine, for a moment, that you've lost the love of your life, he said he didn't want you, you're depressed for a long time, and suddenly you have him back.
This would destroy most people. They would refuse to take their love back - or they would take them back, and become different people. Either way, they wouldn't be the same person anymore. I saw no change in Bella: she was the same strong character. She knew who she was, and she knew what she wanted. She's always known that she wants Edward - what's wrong with that? What's wrong with needing a person in your life? Humans are naturally social creatures: we need to trust at least some people in order to feel complete in and of ourselves. That's how we are. So...what's the problem with this, again?
"One of my big issues with the series is how Bella has never had outside interests beyond Edward (or Jake), that she's not an independent person."
So, what? It's better to be boy-crazy? How is that a better message to send to young girls?
And Bella has always been an independent character. She's never fit in with people and knows it, but that doesn't make her lock herself away. Instead, she stays pleasant and kind, instead of internalizing anger and becoming vindictive because she doesn't feel like she can fit in. She knows her mind, and she knows what she wants. Even the big, scary vampire can't make her think anything differently. Whether Edward is teasing her or genuinely being scary, she isn't afraid of him - because she loves him and she knows it. She is strong-minded and strong-willed.
"Don't even get me started on Bella's power."
Her mind was strong - I've already said that. And Bella is a naturally protective person - she always worries about others, always wants to keep them safe. I think her ability to shield her family and friends, her loved ones, from the danger that the Volturi represent is a wonderful way to show physically what she feels emotionally.
"Also, the explanation of why Edward can get Bella pregnant is ridiculous considering the rules Meyer originally established for her world."
My theory, as presented to a reviewer who asked for it:
First of all, it's been cleared that SM made the point to say it was female vampires that could not have children, and that most bodily fluids were replaced with venom. Therefore, I thought that if the venom didn't replace the semen, it must have simply changed it somehow. Carlisle and Jacob had that talk in the book, about the differences between vampire, werewolf and human physiology, and that vampires have twenty-five chromosomes, werewolves twenty-four, and humans twenty-three. Therefore, something did get changed in vampire DNA when they were transformed. This means that the semen would be different from human, which was why Carlisle thought that Bella and Edward wouldn't be compatible and didn't think to warn them. However, that obviously wasn't the case and therefore, Renesme came to exist - a half-vampire, half-human hybrid, because of the non-matching chromosomal pairs between them somehow combining in just the right genetic way to create a baby.
Does that clear it up?
"The best fantasy, horror, and science fiction stories all have a morality/deeper element to them. Fairy tales, as they were originally designed, were meant to teach children a valuable lesson. This does not (and should not) lessen the entertainment value of a story, but I think it's a cop out to say "it's a fantasy," as if that excuses anything. If you look at Lord of the Rings, The Hero and the Crown, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Last Unicorn, Harry Potter, Stoker's original Dracula novel, The Prydain Chronicles, The Little Prince--all of them deal with themes of sacrifice, choice, gaining wisdom, growing as a person, and/or are thought provoking/contain deeper messages."
And the Twilight saga doesn't have meaning to it? What about the ever-universal `love', `loss' and `gain', and `sacrifice', `choice', `knowledge', `growth'? Oh, wait; are most of those listed there? And let's add `fate' and `betrayal' to that list.
Love is shown Bella's feelings for Edward; how there is more than one type of love in the world; how one can struggle to deal with two loves at once; friendship, family, romantic, maternal, paternal, for a sibling, for a parent...
Loss is resolved with gain, showing that good things can happen to good people. In real life, good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people more often than good on good and bad on bad, but it is possible.
Sacrifice - well, Bella sacrificed, didn't she? She knowingly chose to give some things up, and it's not her fault that some of those things came back to her. But overall, she did let some things go - the most important being her humanity. She's no longer human. What would motivate a person to give up their humanity? What can make a person do that? And what kind of things would make a human in real life give up their humanity - not in an `I'm a vampire' way, but in the ways that create rapists and serial killers, people like Hitler? That's giving up humanity, too - how can we compare Bella to them? I consider that a deeper meaning, something to think deeply about. Because, plain and simple, she gave up being human.
Choice goes along with sacrifice, as does knowledge. And growth ties in to loss, as well as knowledge. Let's not forget fate: Jacob was there for Nessie, and if it weren't for Jacob, Nessie might not be there. Edward was changed into a vampire at seventeen, and if he hadn't he'd never have met Bella.
And fate also goes with betrayal - if James and his coven never came to Forks, Laurent would never have met Irina. The Denali coven wouldn't have stayed away from the battle involving the werewolves. Irina wouldn't have come and seen Nessie, and gone to the Volturi.
All these interconnecting ideas that I associate closely with the book are proven in the actions written on every page. The Twilight sage has meaning - you look for it, like you would any other book. Let's see "Harry Potter" for a moment - many people seem to think it's evil or something along those lines. That's a bit more extreme than saying it has no substance, but it's the same root point: they say there's no meaning to it, that it's there for one thing only.
Well, isn't that what you're saying about the Twilight series, or at least "Breaking Dawn", by writing it off as something that is mere fluff and for-the-masses?
Book Review: Breaking Dawn was NOT was I expecting. It was SO MUCH MORE!
Summary: 5 Stars
Breaking Dawn was a very fast paced and action packed installment of the Twilight series. Twilight introduced us to Bella, her father, and Edward and the Cullen clan. Even the town of Forks is a character in this book. It was the foundation. New Moon gave us heartbreak, suspense, reconciliation, and reunion. We also got to know Jacob and the Quileute tribe legends, which gave us the background for the werewolf (shape-shifter) plot line. Eclipse developed the love triangle and the natural progression of Edward and Bella. And now Breaking Dawn takes all of these foundations and continues the story from there.
Throughout the first three books, many characters were described in so much depth that you could almost feel as if you knew them intimately, so much so that you could anticipate what they would do in every situation. And I think therein may lie the polarization we're seeing in readers' opinions of the story. With so many people so engrossed in this saga, each was bound to have strong expectations of what "should have" happened in the story. And when it deviated, I'm guessing that it took many by surprise, reacting with shock, betrayal, and anger.
I, for one, absolutely loved this book! In fact, it is my favorite of the four. It felt more mature, not just in the content but in the writing style. Every question I had was answered, but sometimes the answer was contained in one little sentence that could have been easily overlooked if you weren't reading carefully. There were no wasted words here. I didn't feel any absence of emotion, and the characters flowed seamlessly for me. By knowing them so well, I didn't need pages of every single thought Bella had to describe her interactions with Edward. I got enough of that in the the first three books. This final book went beyond and gave us the story without as much of Bella's internal dialogue. (Of course, we got plenty of Jacob internal dialogue, which was nice because we didn't have that before.)
This book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The tenderness, the unexpected surprises, and the humor kept me reading from 12:30AM when I got home from the store, to 10:30AM when I read the last page. Not even Harry Potter's final book kept me completely awake like this. I went through a whole range of emotions, each one so potent it was as if I was living the story. That, to me, is what makes a 5-star book. I read fiction for entertainment, and this book definitely met the mark for me!
Ok, that's my basic review, sans spoilers. If you have the stamina (or the interest), below I have specific instances of what I liked, sometimes seeming almost a rebuttal of some of the main things that so many people seem to be having problems with. For some reason, I feel a need to offset some of the hateful comments I've been reading. It makes me sad that so many have taken their disappointment in the book and directed such hateful emotions toward Ms. Meyer. She stated just last night in the Q&A at Chicago's concert series that she had planned this ending from the very beginning. It was the publishers that wanted to keep Bella a teenager for a longer period of time. I feel as if Twilight and Breaking Dawn is Ms. Meyer's original story, and New Moon and Eclipse were products of publishers and marketing.
*** SPOILERS BELOW ***
Things I Liked:
* Very fast paced. It was as if I couldn't read fast enough! Many are complaining that there are not enough scenes with Bella and Edward, but I personally felt there was so much inner dialogue with Bella in the first three books, that if I didn't know her by now, I never would. So, in a sense, I didn't feel any of that missing.
* Lots of unexpected twists and turns! This was awesome! What was I honestly expecting? Really, I didn't have too many expectations, but I suppose I thought the first half of the book would be Bella hesitating to become a vampire, and then I thought it would focus on the hardship Edward would have to go through actually biting her and taking her human life from her.
With the advent of Bella's life-threatening pregnancy, the hesitation to change her wasn't there for Edward. It was either that or lose her entirely. This story twist was unexpected, but totally satisfying for me. Actually much more exciting than the boring story plot I had thought of!
* Bella's pregnancy. The biggest shock for me! As many other readers, I didn't think that Edward would be able to father a child. But the explanation she gave in the book satisfied me. Edward had said previously that he couldn't have children. Well, of course he would say that because he didn't know himself. But Ms. Meyer had planned this pregnancy all along, so she explained that she was always very careful about how she had to word these questions, limiting her explanations as to why female vampires couldn't get pregnant. (See Twilight Lexicon's News page for Aug. 5, the Q&A from the Chicago concert.)
* Jacob's story. I wasn't expecting a change in Point of View, but I suppose it was foreshadowed in the Epilogue of Eclipse. And I was pleasantly surprised! Though it's hard to go through the pain he endures for Bella, the sarcasm he uses to deal with it had me laughing out loud. I enjoyed the bonding between Jacob and Edward, something we wouldn't have gotten had we not had his story line. Another highlight in this section were his chapter titles. Hilarious! With Jacob's book, we were able to see the characters from someone else's point of view, and I felt we were better able to see Edward's pain. Had we had Bella's pregnancy told from her eyes, we wouldn't have seen half of this as Edward was always trying not to show her how he was feeling. (Not to mention she was so out of it for a good portion of it that we wouldn't have had much to read.)
* Bella's birth. Yes, I know it was graphic, but that made it so much more powerful. (And I confess, I'm the type that enjoys Stephen King novels.)
* Jacob's imprinting on Renesmee. Ok, it wasn't my favorite part, but was described and fell in line with how it was described in New Moon. There was nothing sexual about it; in fact his behavior following the imprinting was more like an overprotective father. And it made sense, as they both had 24 sets of chromosomes: half-breeds.
* Bella's transformation into a vampire. Wow! What descriptions! To read about how much pain she felt gave us that much more appreciation for her level of self-control, which is the explanation behind how she could bypass the newborn stage all together. And the pages of description of how she viewed everything from her new vampire eyes was remarkable. It gave me a whole new appreciation for how much self-control Edward had with Bella when she was human. (Which would explain why he was able to always keep her off him whenever she wanted to do more than kiss.)
* Bella as a vampire. I loved her as a vampire. She seems so much more sure of herself, and she is able to embrace her new life with grace and joy. Of course she's not the same person (thank goodness); she's seeing the world through very different eyes. The difference in her is also described by how she sees her memories of mortality, as if she's looking through murky water. Being a vampire definitely suits Bella; it's as if she was born for it. It's about time that Edward is in awe of Bella; she deserves it.
* Introduction of other vampires. I loved reading about different vampires and how different other people's gifts could be. And we finally got to know the Denali clan better. It was just enough to be interesting but not so much that it had to become its own book. It also gives Stephenie (or fanfiction writers) plenty of opportunities to expand other characters' story lines.
* Nice happy ending. There was nothing I wanted more than for Edward and Bella to finally be together without any more interruptions (James, Volturi, Victoria and the newborns). They really deserved that. And I was thrilled that Jacob could finally be at peace from the torture Bella had put him through for two books.
My favorite part was the very end, the final two pages, when Bella is able to finally show Edward what is in her head. That one thing right there completed the bond they already had, making it infinitely more powerful and intimate.
Disappointments:
There aren't many, but there are a few.
*Really not a Young Adult book. I think this book did cross the line from YA to adult, not only based on content, but on the style in which it was written. It required more thought and consideration from the reader to find their answers buried in the prose. The difference between the style of Twilight and the style of Breaking Dawn is very obvious. And I do think the publishers should have put a label on this book, for the birthing scene alone.
* Honeymoon. I wouldn't have minded a tiny bit more detail of their first experience making love. It didn't have to be a lot, but it could have been more than them just walking into deeper water. I did love the way Ms. Meyer answered my own personal question of how Bella could possibly make love to Edward if he is always as cold as ice. Wouldn't be very comfortable, I'm sure.
* Absence of Alice. Lots of Rosalie. I love Alice, so it was tough having her take *such* a backseat. Rosalie definitely had the bigger part, and even though I thought her interactions were Jacob were funny, I never saw any redeeming qualities in her. It was plain that she cared far more for the baby (that she was never able to have) then about Bella's safety. I was just hoping that maybe this was the opportunity for Rosalie and Bella to bond, but I didn't feel that at all.
* Renesmee. My first reaction was: "What kind of a name is that??" But I'm giving Ms. Meyer a break here. There are plenty of names I hear throughout the day when my kids tell me about their classmates, that I'm quite used to unusual names. It was just very difficult to adjust to.
* Lack of scenes between Edward and Renesmee. We know that Edward loves Renesmee because of the reverence Bella hears Edward use when he talks about her, but we see far more interaction between Jacob and Nessie than Edward and Nessie. Jacob acts more like the dad than Edward. I would have preferred to see a little more there.
* Anticlimactic Volturi ending. I was thoroughly expecting a battle. Even a little one. They could have at least gotten rid of Demetri and one of the nomad vampires without having us suffer through the loss of one our beloved Cullens, but nothing. I know that a battle would have made this book maybe another 100 pages, it just made me feel as if the air was let out of my balloon. Of course, the flip side to that is that we know the Volturi will not leave the Cullens alone forever. Eventually, they will try to come back to accomplish their original mission. It's not as if the main characters will change that much; they're all immortal, so they'll all meet up again someday.
Overall, a wonderful story told with much finesse. It may have felt a little rushed, but I think that's from the viewpoint of the other three books that told a 200-page story in 400 pages. I don't need everything spelled out for me to the nth degree; I can read between the lines. And Breaking Dawn certainly made that necessary. It was an incredible finish to the Twilight Saga!
Book Review: Disappointed. Once Again.
Summary: 1 Stars
This is a fourteen-year-old female, who in all rights should be part of Twilight's fanbase, cheering for Breaking Dawn and commenting on the absolute hotness (or coldness, it depends on how you look at it) of Edward. But, unlike my other friends the same age as I am, I am more mature and able to comprehend what this series is truly about.
When I first began reading the Twilight series, recommended to me by my best friend, I loved it. I admit it; I was hooked. I eagerly ran to Barnes & Noble to buy the entire book set, and from then on I dreamed about Edward, frequently went on-line to check for updates, told off people who dared to go against the Fanpires. I remained in this trance for around six months when I finally (there is no other phrase for it) woke up. I realized how one-dimensional Meyer's characters were. I realized the amateur quality of the writing. The latter could be explained away as a hindrance of Twilight being Meyer's first published book, but it still remained true. As a thirteen-year-old, I could easily write better than she could. So, I did not buy Breaking Dawn -- rather, my deluded older sister, who remains part of the Twilight fanbase, did. Although I knew it would be just as horrible as the other books, and it would disappoint me to see how it rose to the top of the bestseller list despite its flaws, I read it anyways just to see if Meyer redeemed herself.
I was let-down in that, also. The book did not even meet my incredibly low expectations.
The first seven chapters were from Bella Swan's POV, just like the previous three books (with an exception of Eclipse's Epilogue). As per usual, Bella was whiny, ungrateful, and immature; I was expecting that. However, I was not planning on a perfect, idealistic wedding and honeymoon. In my opinion, the wedding was pure wish fulfillment on the part of the author. The honeymoon was the same exact way -- a secluded private island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, with maid service included! And, obviously, no honeymoon would be complete without some wonderful sex scenes (all taken out, of course). Everything is going perfectly until Bella starts throwing up and sleeping too much.
So Bella turns out to be pregnant! I'm not going to be one of the people who say that Stephenie Meyer went against the rules of her own world. She didn't. In a question asked to her on the Twilight Lexicon website, now hacked, she said that: female vampires cannot have children due to the fact their body cannot change, and that most fluids in the body turn to venom. That is discreetly tip-toeing around the question. And it is also wrong of her. I remember when I read it months before the book came out and I noticed those key words, but I thought nothing of it because it left the interpretation to be inferred. If you do not want to come right out and say something, you say, "I do not wish to answer." You do not beat around the bush and leave readers to simply infer, because when they come up with the wrong thing, they will blame you. Meyer said everything BUT that male vampires are infertile, and that was an extremely bad decision of her to tread such fine ground.
So, Bella is pregnant, and she feels joy. If I were an eighteen year old pregnant, I would be horrified. I would be worried sick about my health and the baby's. And then these feelings should be magnified, if anything, because she has been pregnant all of 3 weeks and is already showing! I would wonder if something was wrong; I wouldn't even be able to think straight. A protective nature and joy would not be my first reactions whatsoever. I might be happy later, but not immediately. It would take time for me to accept the fact and make a reasonable decision upon it.
If I were Rosalie, I would want to help Bella, but I would also be very jealous of her. The thing I want most in my life belongs to this plain-jane girl. Meyer could've embodied this trait, but she chose to ignore it rather than show it.
Jacob's POV was not quite so bad as Bella's, simply because Jacob has more character and does not have an annoying martyr complex like Bella does. Still, this was not good at all either. meyer could've really expanded on Jacob's emotions, really talked about it, and yet she didn't. We as readers might infer what Jacob's emotions were, but they weren't exactly shown properly. Jacob would be feeling so much jealousy, so much anger, so much of a need to protect Bella...these emotions would taint everything he does. Jacob should've just had a moment where he just went off, collapsed under it all, but he didn't.
As for Jacob describing Bella as trying to make jokes even when she is dying -- I have never seen a trait like that from her. She always is whining about things, she doesn't try to make jokes a lot. The jokes she does make are not funny. Jacob said one true thing about Bella; that she has a martyr complex. Only it is not good at all.
The pregnancy and birth scene. That was just sick. Horribly sick. I could feel myself almost throwing up when I read it. Honestly? Those scenes were more "adult" than what ANY sex scene could ever be. It was disturbing and wrong on all levels of the words.
I am not really going to emphasize the pedophilia of Jacob's imprinting on someone 16 years his junior (I mean, if I wanted to talk about pedophilia, I should be debating Edward and Bella), but I will talk about the general sickness of Jacob imprinting on Renesmee. (First of all, what a name! Combining names through Mormon tradition! I NEVER knew Bella was Mormon!) Anyways, that was just Stephenie Meyer trying to wrap up her series all cute and cuddly, with everyone satisfied. Team Jacob is NOT satisfied, because it is wrong. It may explain why Jacob and Bella were so close to one another, but him imprinting on her baby? What a story! "Oh, yeah, when I was your age, I wanted to do your mom." !!!!!!! One day, Jacob is just Renesmee's best friend. The next, a lover? Sick.
I thought the story may pick up with Bella all vamped up. Not hardly! During the "change", there was only one feeling during the entire thing, and that was fire. Fire fire fire. Was there not another word to describe it?
So, Bella is a vampire, and I was expecting newborn out-of-control lust for blood. But, because Bella is just SOOOOOO special, she can control herself better than any newborn vampire ever has! How amazing! Not. It would've been nice if we had an explanation for this. Stephenie Meyer told us two possible ones -- determination, or maybe a certain power, but none of them was ever proven. What about Bella's aversion to blood as a human? Did that ever contribute to anything? Apparently not. A good explanation shot to heck.
As a vampire, Bella interacts with adults as if she were a professional, 40-year-old business manager. Why? Who knows! Sure, becoming a vampire is supposed to heighten all your senses, all your feelings, all your talents, etc. But isn't that going overboard a tiny bit? Such a dramatic change is unrealistic. She has never been mature, she has never been able to make a decision and stay with it, she never knows what she wants. And suddenly, as she becomes a vampire, she becomes extremely grown-up and loses all of her personality. Those who say it was character development -- that was not development. That was character deprivation because Bella HAD no character.
*sigh*
In an obvious twist of fate (obvious because it was blatantly foreshadowed in the second chapter) the Volturi are now coming to Forks to rid it of an alleged immortal child, aka the Loch Ness Monster. SCANDAL! The Cullens gather more vampires to force Aro to stop and listen, and Bella, surprise surprise, realizes she has another talent. She can protect those around her! Why? God only knows. In all of these books, is it ever told specifically WHY Bella's mind is blocked to all others? Nope. It has been said she works on another wavelength, but why? That is not an answer. Someone asked this and Stephenie Meyer responded, "The question is not why Edward cannot read Bella's mind, the question should be why Edward can read everyone else's." (Quoting from memory, may not be exact.) B.S.
Volturi come. Marcus frequently bored. Bored. And -- "there was no other word to describe it -- bored". That is just a cop-out for a writer. Come up with another word for bored, please! Anyways, the battle scene had been built up for a good 100 or so pages and it never happens. Another cop-out, another plot line destroyed. And who is the savior?!?! You guessed it -- Bella.
So I've already done an analysis on Rosalie, Jacob, and Bella. What about Edward? I see his desperation, of course, but it seemed to me as if Edward sort of faded into the background as the story went on. What about Leah? She had potential, also, but that potential was not built upon. Jake and Leah would've been a much better couple, in my opinion. What about Renesmee? A perfect, beautiful, child prodigy who grows and learns at an excelled rate. If Bella is not a Mary-Sue, her daughter certainly is. What about Seth? A fifteen or so year old who still exudes a childish innocence. I do not know a single fifteen year old who is that innocent and kind-hearted. Not a single one. The media, television, internet, books...it all destroys our innocence. I do not even know a single 11-YEAR-OLD that innocent. In this innocence, he seems incredibly immature.
The quotes from the first three books were cheesy enough. I could not believe some were worse in Breaking Dawn, such as Edward calling Jacob "son," Edward talking about how pure and kind-hearted Seth is, Jacob's not funny blond jokes.... Ugh.
One last thing about the happily ever after ending. Sacrifice. A good book has an ending where the main character sacrifices something for another. It never comes out all hunky-dory. Bella is allowed to keep her best friend, her daughter, her husband, her family, her vampire family. Stephenie complains about people saying they wanted a sadder ending. She said we should've seen it coming because she likes happy endings. But you know what? There is a difference between a sad ending and a realistic one. We aren't asking for an emo ending where everyone dies. No. We are just asking for one that makes sense.
Book Review: A great end to a great series
Summary: 4 Stars
I, an avid reader of the series, loved Breaking Dawn. Yes, I did have a few qualms with it, which I will discuss later in the post, but overall I enjoyed reading it. I re-read it and found myself loving it even more, and liking the parts I was luke-warm about the first time around.
The positives will come first.
*The wedding*
I was happy with the wedding. It was how I imagined it to be: extravagant in a subtle, underplayed sort of way, if that makes any sense. Of course I would like to read more, but I was happy with the amount of description that was provided. I understand that Bella doesn't notice and describe every minute detail, because honestly, if I were getting married to a vampire and facing my impending change of species, the last thing I would be thinking about is the type of flowers in the vases. I mean, come on, put yourself in Bella's shoes: would you be thinking about that sort of thing if you were her? Probably not. We'll get to see more in the movie, so calm down. Bella was stressed out about a lot of other things (her change, the wedding night, tripping down the aisle, Jacob...) It didn't strike me as odd that it wasn't greatly described.
*The honeymoon*
I didn't expect the Bella and Edward sex scenes to described in great detail, and don't understand why others would expect that either. Meyer is a Mormon after all, and usually an author's beliefs come into play when they're writing a novel, intentionally or not. If you or I went out and started a novel, some of our beliefs would come out; that's the way it is. As for Edward being upset about "hurting" Bella, I think it was completely in character for him. Edward was already nervous about having sex with Bella, so if he ended up leaving marks on her skin, he was going to (in some readers' opinion) overreact. It didn't surprise me in the least that he handled it that way. Did I like reading that their honeymoon was cut short? No. Did it make sense? Yes. Frankly, if their first time went off without a hitch or any negative repercussions, I would be annoyed. It wouldn't make sense with the characters and story. If Edward had bruised Bella, then not been worried or freaked out about it, I would have been upset because it wouldn't fit Edward. Edward's nature is to overreact, not because he doesn't care or plan, but because he's in a situation no other vampire has been in before, and isn't sure how to handle it.
*Bella's pregnancy*
The pregnancy did not upset me in the slightest. Yes, there were moments (scroll down) in the pregnancy that I didn't like, but I was not at all angry that Bella got pregnant. Throughout the entire series, I always saw her getting pregnant and her and Edward having a child, even though I was told it wasn't possible, so I wasn't mad or caught off guard. I always saw Bella as a caretaker, and the most obvious caretaker role is that of a mother. Even though Bella always claimed she didn't mind giving up her ability to have children, I had an underlying feeling that she wanted them.
*The imprinting*
It has been said time and time again throughout the series that the imprinter only wants what's best for the imprintee (the one who is imprinted upon). Therefore, the imprinter would never have an inappropriate relationship with the imprintee or have inappropriate thoughts about them because it wouldn't be good for them. The imprinter changes to be what the other person needs and wants them to. It's stated in black and white in Eclipse on page 176, "It's so hard to describe. It's not like love at first sight. It's more like gravity moves. When you see her, suddenly it's not the Earth holding you here anymore, she does and nothing matters more than her. You would do anything for her, be anything for her. You become whatever she needs you to be." Now that I have given evidence that it is NOT a pedophile-like relationship, the fandom can move on. If you want confirmation of this, Stephenie Meyer said herself in an interview with Entertainment Weekly (if you want a link to it, leave a comment, and I'll post it) that there was nothing wrong with the relationship. I've noticed that very few people in the fandom that don't like that Jacob imprinted on Renesmee hardly ever comment on the relationship between Quil and toddler Claire. There is a scene in the early parts of Jacob's book and it's very obvious that their relationship is more platonic than anything close to romantic. Eventually it will grow to that, but not when she's a child.
*Bella's "easy" turn*
Given Bella's personality and circumstances, it makes sense that she does not have the cookie cutter hard time of turning into a vampire. There are three reasons that justify this for me. First, as a human, she had an aversion to blood, so the fact that she is not bloodthirsty as a vampire, is just an offshoot of that fact. Second, she wanted this. The more you want something, the easier it is to take. She was also the only vampire in the history - that the Cullens know of - that wanted to be turned. She had a choice, unlike the others who were blindsighted and robbed of free will. Third, she was always different as a human. She was never typical. Edward, the Cullens, and the Volturi make note of that fact. Because of this, it makes sense that Bella didn't turn like a typical human would. Bella was unusual as a person, so why wouldn't she be unusual as a vampire?
*Bella's power*
I loved Bella's power. It totally fit who she was, to me anyway. She was always able to protect herself and was always protective of those she loved. Her ability to do both once she became a vampire made me very happy. It also brought Bella full circle. Throughout the first three books, the Cullens and werewolves protect Bella. By the end, Bella comes back and is able to protect them after all they've done for her.
*The showdown with the Volturi*
Everyone was expecting a bloodbath. Very few readers were expecting a courtroom drama type exchange between the Cullens and the Volturi.. When I got to the arrival of the Volturi, I was not disappointed that it didn't pan out that way. I was happy that there was surprise. I credit Stephenie Meyer for being able to trip up almost the entire fanbase by getting them to expect a battle and not do it. I didn't see it as a disappointment, or false leading. Also, for the analytical fans, the cover of Breaking Dawn is a chess board. In order to win chess, you do not need to be physically strong, you need intelligence and logic. It is a mental game, not a physical one. This foreshadowed the situation with the Volturi; it didn't take vampire strength for the Cullens to win, it took mental capabilities. Another thing that foreshadowed this was the reference to "The Merchant of Venice". In that play, a battle is expected, but the battle is won with clever verbal strategy. So for those of you who say there are no hints to the Volturi interaction, you just happened to miss them. All the hints were there, most readers just didn't pick up on them, like most books with clues.
*The last two pages (Edward reading Bella's mind)*
This was the perfect end for the series. I couldn't have asked for anything better. Finally, FINALLY, Edward is able to see how much Bella loves him. They finally see eye-to-eye and really know each other. Their love was wonderful before, but realizing the intensity of it made them even stronger. Those two pages were worth the two thousand four hundred that preceded it. Even with my frustrations with the series (and lack of sleep), that part made it all worth it.
The things I did not like:
*Bella's pregnancy diet*
Bella drinking blood for Renesmee creeped me out. I understand maternal instinct and she wanted to give Renesmee what she needed, but I could've done without this detail. It was just gross to me. Yeah, it shows Bella's dedication to Renesmee, but it freaked me out. I hate blood, so to read that she was gulping it down made me want to puke.
*Edward's suggestion for sharing Bella*
I understand why Edward suggested to Jacob that Bella should have his children, it was just weird for me to read. He would have done anything to save Bella, and that's okay, but reading that part was a little creepy. I appreciate that Edward wanted to give Bella every option, but I thought it was a little gross and weird. I couldn't have been happier that both Jacob and Bella were against this idea and it wasn't followed through with.
*The "lack" of Edward*
During my first read through, I was sort of upset that Edward wasn't more prominent. He always had been in the previous books, even when he wasn't with Bella, so to not see it as much here was hard for me. However, when I read the book a second time, I noticed him more and realized that he is ever-present, even if he's not talking. So, whether or not this is a like or dislike, I'm not quite sure.
A message to the fandom:
I don't expect, and I don't think others expect, everyone in the fandom to love this book. The final book wasn't going to work for everyone, just like any other series. Sometimes the last hurrah! ends up tanking for you. It happens; it's unfortunate, but it happens. However, we have to keep in mind that it is not our story. It is Stephenie's. She is the one who was going to have her name on the cover and is going to have to live with it for the rest of her life. They're her stories and her characters; she has every right to do with them what she pleases. Whether or not the reader likes it is irrelevant; it's not their book. If an author isn't fully invested in the story, it often gets sidetracked and lost. I would rather read a book that I don't like than read a book that was written half heartedly. Usually, when an author really loves and believes in a story, it shows. I tip my hat to her for even addressing this issue on her website. It was her story and she doesn't owe explanation or apologies to anyone. She doesn't owe her readers anything but respect, and I don't think she didn't deny us that by writing a book a lot of people didn't like.
As I said before, I loved Breaking Dawn. I was very happy with the end Stephenie Meyer wrote. I recommend it to anyone who loved the rest of the series.