I was so disenchanted with Eclipse I wasn't excited for this read, but I had to know how it ends. I held off judgment in hopes that the conclusion would redeem the series. The verdict? Hard-to-swallow soap opera. A car crash you can't stop staring at in hopes that something salvageable comes out of the wreckage. But nothing does. So bad I started taking notes on all the plot holes because I couldn't keep track. What happened to the story that captured the hearts of girls everywhere?You can't fall in love with your characters so much you save them from the dilemma you created: the impossibilities of vampire and human love, the instinctual need to destroy between vampires and werewolves, the girl who has to choose between two boys in opposing worlds, the boy who gets left out, the girl who has to make massive sacrifices for her choice. You can't save them from the plot by taking it all back and saying "never mind the rules I created, you can all have it all without giving anything up for it." When you do that, you take an exciting premise, take all the fire and excitement out, and ruin the story. As an author, you have a responsibility to your story, your characters, your fans, even yourself as a creator, to let the story be. I recommend you write your own ending. Or better yet (since I'm not really a fan of fan fiction), take your book back and get your money back. If everyone does, maybe Meyer will pretend it was a big joke and rewrite a plausible ending to the saga. Maybe this time her editor (and copy editor) will actually read it. By the double-digit errors I found not even looking I doubt he/she did. What I expected from this story:1. The big dilemma. In Eclipse Meyer finally showed the downfall of vampire life. Bella has to give up her family, the potential of her own family, her friendship with Jacob, and the ease of human life out in the open. Most importantly she takes on the internal moral struggle of an instinct to kill, of being a monster. This is serious sacrifice and I wanted to see some soul searching, some grieving, some preparation for death from Bella. 2. Vampire sex. Vampire trying not to kill human sex. Newborn vampire with unquenchable passion sex. No harlequin romance graphic, but like Twilight explored kissing, exploring how they could possibly do that.3. One scary newborn vampire. Murderous screaming during the transition after a bite from Edward to save her from death. The rage, the passion, the strength, and most importantly the thirst, the unquenchable thirst, that overpowers all that is human. I wanted to see Bella going after a human, preferably someone she knows, and have to be restrained. I wanted to see the true monster that is vampire take shape before learning to control the beast.4. A good showdown. Eclipse robbed us of the vampire battle. I didn't care if it was the Volturi coming after Bella or the werewolves after Edward. I just wanted a good fight (from all the buildup to one) and I wanted people to die (because a battle without death isn't realistic), maybe even Jacob sacrificing for Bella. Isn't killing the vein of their existence? I expected some death.But alas that is not the story. I think I may have to start denying I've ever read the Twilight saga. I was going to buy the boxed set if for nothing else for a pretty addition to my bookshelf, but now I'm truly embarrassed to have read the series. The rest of my review has spoilers.(view spoiler)[I'm calling wolf. This is not Jacob's story. This is Bella and Edward's story and Jacob is a distraction. I'm sorry that you like him too much to hurt him, but that doesn't mean you have to ruin the story for him, much less give him half the book. Making Bella still love him hurts them all, makes her self-centered, and Edward seem an indulgent parent with a whiny brat he can't say no to. It diminishes their love to volley back and forth. Everyone I love together? I don't buy it. Bella said goodbye to Jacob in Eclipse; leave it at that. Sacrifice for Edward. That's love. Bella's treatment of Edward (and Jacob) is only as infuriating as his indulgence of it. His idea for resolution of her nudger (gag!) is ghastly. For a second I thought Meyer was going to go down that road and I was sickened. How in anyone's mind is offering your wife up to another man shows undying love is beyond me. It is sick and wrong. And how is insemination gross or worse that pimping her out? How can Bella never consider Edward's worry for her? She knows how she'd feel if he died. Bella seemed more like Wanda in The Host: trying to portray her as too kind which is just blindly selfish. She should have written The Host after and not confused the stories or writing style. The characters have wandered so far from their original shells that I couldn't branch this story to the magic of Twilight. Where were Edward and Bella? And the rest of the Cullens?The way Meyer transfers Jacob from one obsession to another while not extreme to be pedophile is still creepy, much worse considering Jacob's comment about seeing Bella naked or that Bella's eyes caused the imprint. This is not a southern joke where your father is your uncle and your grandpa too. It doesn't excuse Bella's unhealthy possession of him and it doesn't smooth over the hatred with Edward. My brother, my son? Gag. His intrusion in the happy family of three was beyond grating. He doesn't get a say in how that child is raised. And is Renesmee seriously supposed to grow up and love a guy who raised her? That's disturbing. Why couldn't Jacob and Leah be happy together instead of Meyer making all of her relationships the older man with a young girl? The story was going that way, but Meyer had reserved this sick end for Jacob she found romantic so she forced it onto the story. Werewolf imprint on vampire hybrid? That makes no sense, especially after Leah's discussion about imprinting on the best mate to keep the race alive. As much as I didn't like the extent Jacob was in the book, the other vampires were more disappointing. All the old albeit shallow side characters were replaced with a freak show. I thought this was a book about vampires not superheros? The abundant "rare" gifts got more ridiculous from one to the next--at least the original gifts connected to human traits. And the flaws. Alice's ineptitude at her visions was not consistent. Bella? Willpower? Bella's "holes" didn't make sense. How could Jasper affect her if she's that strong? Why couldn't Edward hear her inside her bubble? Everything about all these extra vampires was just wrong. Hundreds of vampires on a feeding frenzy without the Volturi reducing numbers didn't make sense. She should have stuck to developing the Cullens. And Bella. The second half was so out of character I couldn't take that disjointed leap with her.I was so disappointed with the lengthy Volturi scene, the only thing with any hope of excitement that only built and tiringly built and then fizzled. These were the only vampires sold as creepy monsters and while their mafia-type support didn't make sense, I still expected them to act out the role. They didn't deliver. The story was so far gone by that point, I half expected the spawn of Satan (and by that I mean Renesmee) to destroy the Volturi alone. It seemed more "The Incredibles" than Bella and Edward at that point so why not a Jack-Jack ending? It didn't resolve anything and only put them in graver danger but she still shoved a happily ever after down our throats.Vampires (dead humans with extra chromosomes?) don't have blood; they don't drink, pee, sweat, or have liquid in their bodies. Beyond the complications of sex for those reasons (which I wouldn't have questioned if that's as far as it went) or the likelihood of Rosemary's baby, don't turn the monster into an angel more werewolf than vampire. It's a confusing stretch. You know in soap operas where babies get in the way of the storyline so they magically grow up so the parents don't have to deal with childhood? Sacrifice is what gives you undying love for children; they are not convenient plot ideas. Nothing about that child made sense and I thought Nessie, considering its monster ties, was a vast improvement on a ridiculous name. And Edward Jacob for a boy is not sweet. It's obscenely selfish. The point at which I started hating this book was when Bella didn't even act like a vampire. Not being a newborn vampire is not a gift, particularly for a vampire who needs a myriad of other gifts to save the story. It's an excuse to not have your characters suffer. But instead of making characters stronger, it weakens them. It robs them. It robs us of a good story. You can't soften that blow. Hiding the pain of the bite from Edward robbed him of a chance for compassion--something dependent Bella would not do. Turning to the person you love most in your worst hour is love, is what strengthens relationships. And how is Bella's human uterus so strong that only a vampire could cut through it with his teeth? That was about the biggest joke in the book. Being a "soulless" newborn vampire isn't all Meyer cracked it up to be. If it were, they never would have let a strong newborn go hunting with only one guardian. Since Bella was so easily distracted from a thirst that didn't seem all that powerful, there should have been some good loving in that forest. Having the thirst that drives the series not phase her, diminishes its power and intrigue for all vampires, all the way back to Twilight. Being a vampire isn't torture; it's fun. I want to be a superhero vampire. Sacrifice is what Bella knew she was undertaking when she picked Edward. But she gave up nothing. Everything is twisted for the sake of convenience: children, newborn desire, imprinting, human family, death, special gifts, a cast of new vampires, everything. Would a cop who detaches his daughter's battery so she doesn't sneak out plead "don't ask, don't tell" with the scary supernatural threatening his community and daughter? The only reason this bogus aspect is even in the story is because Meyer couldn't bare for Bella to lose anything. But if Edward, Bella, and Jacob are unrecognizable characters, why not Charlie? And if Charlie gets pulled into the story why not her mother? I'm sure Meyer could have come with an implausible excuse for her too.Meyer tried to add plot twists, but couldn't commit to their consequences. With all the conflict removed for Bella, there is no drama so Meyer tries to create it with ill-placed childish mood swings. There are no monsters in the book. Vampires are sparkly happy supermodels. Werewolves are snuggly tame pets. Even the werewolf-vampire antagonism seems to have dissipated. The head-butting between Rosalie and Jacob seems more personality conflict than the innate drive to destroy each other. They all want to sit around the campfire and sing. Couldn't at least some Volturi sinister be burning in that fire? (hide spoiler)]
Ok now that more people have read this book, here is my long review. Be prepared to read a novel. :D I will divide this into 2 sections. The first part is my original review w/out spoilers. The second part contains spoilers.**No Spoilers**Well, Stephenie Meyer has done it again. I loved this novel just as much as the first three. Let's face it, most of her books are fairly predictable; however, she has a talent of making the predictable happen in unexpected ways. This is exactly what happens in Breaking Dawn. Well done Stephenie. Like her other novels, this took me less than 24 hours to read. The biggest critique I have is one that many have mentioned before, I am bothered by the amount of whining and seemingly ungrateful attitude Bella has most of the time but I have realized this is just her personality. In the 4th book the whining does get less frequent about half way through the novel. Anyway happy reading to those who have yet to indulge in the final book of this saga. **Spoilers Below!**I have loved all the books. I grew very attached to the characters. These books, however, are all fairly predictable. For example in book 1, you knew Edward was going to save Bella from James but you didn't know how. Book 2-You knew Edward had to come back and you knew he wasn't going to die, but you didn't know how it would work out. Book 3-You knew she was going to pick Edward over Jacob but you didn't realize the extent of her feelings. And you knew they would defeat the newborns, but you didn't know the cost of that fight. Book 4-You knew Bella and Edward were going to live happily ever after, but not how this would happen. This is where Stephenie Meyer, in my opinion, shines. The books are fairly predictable BUT she makes the predictable happen in unexpected ways. That takes talent.1-I loved the first part of the book (although Bella's constant whining about the wedding preparations got annoying. You know you have to wear a white dress so get over it!) I loved the honeymoon scenes. I have heard several complaints that books 3 and 4 were too sexual. Here is my comparison: They are like the Harry Potter Books, each one gets a little darker and directed at a slightly older audience. Meyer's books are no different. I also think her love scenes were very tastefully done, nothing to descriptive, leaving plenty for the imagination if one wants to dwell on it or, if one doesn't, you can read it w/out having to read descriptions. It was great for both sides. I think she played the sex card very well and very tactful. 2-The pregnancy totally threw me. I wasn't expecting this at all. I love how Edward reacted. It was perfect for him to be more concerned about Bella than his child as well as to go into vampire shock. That is just who Edward is. Bella's reaction surprised me though. I guess those maternal instincts kicked in. I was just expecting more of a "Holy crap I am 18 and pregnant" reaction. By the way I loved the whole "Why am I covered in feather's scene?" 3-The book 2 part of Breaking Dawn took a while to get into. I wasn't expecting to jump into Jacob's perspective. But, after I got used to it, I loved the change of pace with how he talks and views things. I loved his chapter headings as well--they were funny. I liked seeing her pregnancy through his eyes. Through Bella's it would have been the same emotions over and over, whereas, with Jacob, we got to experience several different emotional facets.4-The pack splitting up. Although this was a side story, it threw me but I liked how it ended up. Jacob always needed to be the Alpha. I was glad to see him step up to the plate.5-The birth was really well done. I liked that it wasn't a perfect delivery, although the earlier chapters strongly alluded to the fact that it would not be easy. The reason I loved this so much is because, in all the other books, Edward didn't want to change Bella because he didn't want to end her life. Well, he didn't have to end her life, he saved it. I thought this was perfect. I do wish that Bella had screamed more during the transformation, not because I want her to be in pain, just because it would have been more realistic. I was also surprised that the baby was a girl...I was expecting a boy. The name is weird but fitting. I am slightly bothered that Renesmee is advancing so quickly. I thought the books have had a great balance between fantasy and romance. Nessie developing so quickly kicks the fantasy notch up a bit and I didn't love that.6-Charlie's reactions to everything were weird. He was just too calm for Charlie, it was out of character. Maybe he did this because Bella is now married and he no longer has stewardship over her but I still think he should have reacted differently. 7-It bothered me that Bella seemed to have perfect control over her thirst, again, I didn't want to see her slaughter the town, but I wish Meyer had made that first scene with Charlie (after her change) be more tempting. Like maybe have to have Bella leave for an hour because she wants to drink Charlie's blood so badly or something. Meyer just made it too easy. There was the pain in the throat but it should have been more than that especially since the other books had given us a certain buildup of newborn life. On the other hand, if Bella had gone AWOL with blood drinking, it would have not fit either. It is a fine line and I think Meyer erred on the side of caution. 8-Jacob imprinting on Renesmee. Weird but fitting. Jacob can't have Bella but he has the next best thing and now Jacob and Bella's relationship can finally be what I always wanted it to be. Maybe this part will bother those fans rooting for Jacob, but I have always been an Edward girl at heart and this was a nice touch. It makes sense in an odd sort of way. 9-The fight scene was suspenseful. I honestly didn't know how it would play out. Obviously I didn't think Bella or Edward would die but I didn't know about anyone else. Also, when Alice and Jasper ran away I figured they were trying to help but I didn't know how. I figured she was putting her love for Jasper over that of her family, which, considering they are married, makes sense. I liked this twist and I LOVED how it came together at the end when Alice brought the evidence back. I think I would have liked a little more fighting, like with the newborns in book 3, but this works too. The fact that none of the Volturi were killed leaves things open for another book possibly through Renesmee's eyes. I think that would be fantastic! We would still get to "see" Edward and Bella again, but we would also get to know Nessie better. 10-Bella's power. I really think it is a great power and perfect for her. She has always felt like she was the burden, she couldn't protect herself or anyone else, well now she can. I loved it. 11-I am torn on this next comment. I feel like Bella just gets everything handed to her in this book. There wasn't quite the emotional pull in this book as in the others, or rather it is different. I am sure in book 2 when Edward left, all our hearts sunk. It was really an emotional experience. I think, in order to write really believable characters, you have to have these types of pain. This didn't happen as strongly in Book 4. I think there needed to be more loss, or at least more struggles. Make her thirst more powerful or have (the thought is scary) but have someone die. Or have her make some type of choice. I feel like Meyer did hand Bella too much without the struggles. 12-This next point is such a minor detail, I shouldn't even mention it but during Bella's first hunt, she is originally hunting elk and she finds a nice big buck (before she catches the hunter's scent). My problem is that male elk are not called bucks, they are called bulls. Male deer are bucks. I know it is trivial but it bugged me a bit because it seems an error like that could have been caught by the numerous editing processes. Oh well, its so trivial.So to gather all my thoughts, I really loved the book. I liked the elements of surprise. I love how Meyer makes the predictable happen in unexpected ways. I like how she tied all the loose ends up and made it a happily ever after but still left the story line open to new adventures with new characters. I love that Jacob is finally happy, even if his imprinting was a bit strange. The twists were great and made the book a page turner. Are there things I think she could have done better, well sure, but that comes with any book. Overall, she did a great job and I am sad to see the saga end. Now I am anticipating Midnight Sun. There won't be anything new because we all know what happens, but it will be interesting to read it through Edward's eyes. Stephenie Meyer has a rough draft of chapter 1 on her website. Check it out, it will be good. For now, in my head, I will imagine the Cullen family living happily in Forks. I am assuming they will have to leave soon because of their lack of aging, but I'd like to think their travels will always bring them home. Well done Stephenie for a great series. My husband and I are forever fans.
What do You think about Breaking Dawn (2008)?
I saw the movie for this the day after it came out, because for some reason my mother's ideal 50th birthday experience was to go watch Bella drink blood from a Slurpee cup. D'you know what? It was the best movie so far. A true cinematic masterpiece, deep with emotional nuance, dark and gritty themes of power and family ties, and this scene where a bunch of talking wolves argue with each other and I just can't even keep typing, because just thinking about that scene where this bunch of fucking dogs are all arguing about a baby is making me tear up. I just can't even.
—Kiki
I'd like to start out this review with three simple words that pretty much give away my feelings for this particular story (for those of you who have no desire to read my rant).I hated it.My friend --who stayed up reading the night it came out -- called me very early the morning of the 2nd and told me quite a bit of the plot. I was horrified. I wasn't even going to read it until she threatened to gouge out my eyes with a plastic spork. Quite honestly, I'm starting to wish I'd agreed to the spork
—Syl
Half a star--because I at least managed to finish it.Things I learned from reading the Twilight series:1. Stalker boyfriends are supposed to be sexy. Particularly if they are suffocatingly obsessive as well.2. True perfection is becoming EXACTLY like your boyfriend and his family.3. The consequences of sex include having a baby. The consequences of having a baby might include having your spine broken and your womb shredded by vampire teeth.4. If you choose to sacrifice everything to become like
—Holly
