Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Book Cover:  Breaking Dawn by Stephenie MeyerOkay, here we go.  A book review of Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer.  How does one even go about it?  The first half of this review will be spoiler free.  The second half will have spoilers and I’ll tell you when to stop reading if you don’t want to know anything.

Let me state this:  I’m a almost thirty something mom of two boys and I stay at home.  I think that this influences what I thought of Breaking Dawn.  Of course, I’ve read the first three books (but haven’t reviewed them here).  While I didn’t LOVE them, I didn’t HATE them either.  I think of the series as nice escapism literature.  They weren’t exactly the best written thing I’ve ever come across, but the story certainly holds you and has you invested in the characters.  I think they are entertaining.  I am really pleased with the popularity that Stephenie Meyer has gained.  It’s nice to see an author reach celebrity status.  Anything to get kids reading is a plus in my book.  I think the excitement around a popular author is well, for a lack of a better word, exciting.  I’m not ashamed to say that I am caught up in this excitement.

While beginning Breaking Dawn, I had no preconceived notions about where the story was going to go.  I read no book reviews about it before I began.  After finishing, my husband asked me how I liked it and I said it was different then the other three, had a story that moved along, and I thought she was pretty creative but there were things that I definitely thought were weird.

After I finished I hopped on the net to see what others thought about Breaking Dawn.  I was really surprised.  This is what I found out, people either LOVED it such loyalty or HATED it with such a fury that they cried, stomped, and have lost all faith in Stephenie Meyer.  Right now Amazon has 469 customer reviews, of those 145 are five star reviews and 155 are one star reviews.  So you can see how evenly split it is.  And the message boards.  Wow, I don’t even want to go there.  People are saying some crazy things.

So what did I think?  Well, like I told my husband, I thought it had it’s flaws but in general I enjoyed reading it.  I don’t LOVE it but I don’t HATE it either.  How’s that for taking the middle road?

Breaking Dawn felt so different from the first three books.  It is broken up into three books.  The first one is Bella’s, the second Jacob’s, the third Bella’s again.  Each one even had it’s own preface and table of contents.  I’ve never seen this before, to have a new book and table of contents 500 pages in.  But what really threw me for a loop was that the second book was told from Jacob’s point of view.  Can she do this?  After three books told from Bella’s view, throw in a good three hundred pages or so told from Jacob’s point of view?  It didn’t seem to match, but honestly, I didn’t mind.

People seem to think that the Twilight series is exclusively about Edwards and Bella’s love.  Where did they get that idea?  Jacob has been there since day one and Stephenie has written him in just as much as the other characters.  So guess what?  Breaking Dawn is just as much Jacob’s and Bella’s story as it is Edward’s and Bella’s story.  Things did get weird in a weird love triangle sort of way though.

I do think that the characters lost their voice and personality.  I wish that Stephenie Meyer would have taken another six months to really work out the details on this one.  I do think that she was quite brave for taking the story where she did.  I know a lot of people didn’t like it but I think it did move the story from one of infatuated love (well, Bella is still infatuated) to a story of family love.  I think this was the right direction to go (more on this in the spoilers).

I think the Twilight series was so successful because of the sexual tension between Edward and Bella.  People loved this tension.   It got them all hot and steamy.  While Breaking Dawn has it’s fill of sex, it does not have that tension like before.  Kind of like the forbidden fruit.  Now that sex is not forbidden, it’s not as fun anymore.  Although I think that Stephenie Meyer could still get you all hot and steamy.  If your thirteen year old is reading it, you might want to read it first to see if you think it’s appropriate.  And well, if your older, like me, remember what I said about escapism literature?  Enough said.

Here is something else for you.  I recently read somewhere about these really weird contractions that are popping up in new books.  I had never seen one.  But there it was on page 287:  I’d've.  Is this a word?  Yeah, pretty trivial in the whole scheme of things, but really?  I was really bothered.

Okay, so before I get on to the spoilers, let me wrap up for you non-spoiler people.  If you like the Twilight series for simply being what they are:  a nice story with interesting characters but you don’t live and breath Twilight and think about Edward every second of the day, then you’ll find yourself sitting back and enjoying the story line because that’s what it is:  a story.  If you do live and breathe Twilight, I think you’ll probably sit down and cry when you realize where the story is going because you can’t stand to think of your beloved characters in their new situations.  That’s why I said earlier that I’m an almost thirty something stay at home mom.  I think my opinion will be very different from that of a sixteen year old.  This is the type of book that will be viewed differently depending upon who you are and what your attitude about the series is in the first place.

If you don’t want SPOILERS then you should STOP right now.

Seriously.

****SPOILERS****

Okay, here’s where I can really talk.  I seriously can’t talk about the book without the storyline involved.

  • The book immediately begins with Bella’s and Edward’s fairy tale wedding.  I really thought that Stephenie Meyer would drag this one on a bit, but was surprised that she got right down to business. I was disappointed that Bella never looked in a mirror, so we never got a good description of what she looked like, her wedding dress, etc. I like that type of stuff, but guess we had to imagine it.  Which maybe was the point.
  • Edward and Bella take off on a private island getaway honeymoon.  I know Bella doesn’t really care about money, but not once is she happy that she just married into a very wealthy family. If I were her, I would have been a bit more excited about my private island honeymoon.
  • Yep, vampires and humans can have sex pretty easily, with a few broken headboards along the way.
  • And then we find out, not only can vampires and humans have sex but apparently it’s pretty easy to impregnate a human because Bella soon discovers that she’s going to be having a honeymoon BABY! Woaah! Having a baby actually never crossed my mind and I was really surprised that she’d take it in that direction. I know a lot of people got really, really upset when a baby came into the picture.  From the reviews I’ve read, people think that the story should only be about Edward’s and Bella’s love for each other.  There is no way that their love should be divided.  Many people were also upset with how maternal Bella is and can’t believe that she actually wants a baby.  Wasn’t she was willing to give that up to become a vampire?  So why would it be so important to her now?Now this is the thirty something mom in me talking.  I was married for five years before I conceived my first child.  Honestly, looking back, life didn’t even seem to have begun before my first child was brought into this world.  Sure, my husband and I loved each other, but that love feels more complete and unified now that we have created another extension of ourselves.

    Having a baby together is the natural and ultimate expression of two people’s love for each other.  This is something that I think Stephenie Meyer believes and I applaud her for being brave enough to go with such a natural storyline.  Life throws you for loopholes, pregnancy may be something you don’t plan on, but once it’s there you immediately fall in love with the unborn child.   And in today’s society, where getting pregnant so young and so early in marriage is not only frowned upon but discouraged I think Stephenie Meyer was quite daring.

    The having a baby storyline certainly is different from the other books and gives a whole new depth not found in the other books.  I think it also carried the book into a more adult realm, almost like how Harry Potter, got more adult-ish with each book.

  • Like I stated before, Bella is really excited about the baby and is determined to carry it although it might kill her. Her new family, gives Bella everything that she wants and has resorted to watching her die.  I do think she was a bit immature though about her attitude in her ability to carry the baby.  I would have been a bit more scared and concerned about what I was doing.  Edward immediately wants to abort the baby, but once he’s able to hear the baby’s thoughts, he falls in love as well.
  • But not only is she going to have the baby she’s going to have one really, really soon. The baby is growing at an unprecedented rate and about a month later we find Edward using his vampire teeth ripping his way through the uterus in an attempt to perform a emergency c-section. Ewwww! I was totally grossed out. And this is coming from somebody who has actually had two c-sections.  And the sheer amount of blood didn’t seem to bother the vampires either.
  • Bella is about to die on the operating table so Edward has no choice but to insert his venom into her and hope that by turning her into a vampire, he will save her life. I wasn’t surprised that she’d become a vampire in a  life-saving heroic. It was hinted at so many times earlier throughout the book as many other members of the Cullen clan became vampires that way.
  • Having built up what the first year of a newborns life would be like, I was disappointed that Bella takes to vampire life like a fish takes to water.  It was way to easy.  All that build up about the first year acting crazy as a “newborn?”  We basically skip all of that because it simply doesn’t happen.  I would have liked to see not only an internal struggle but a physical one as well.  Losing one’s humanity was much to easy.  Becoming a vampire was one of no regrets.  But Bella loves it.  She was born to be a vampire.  Plus, Edward doesn’t feel all cold and hard as a stone anymore.  That would make for a more pleasurable experience all around.
  • The wolves are not very happy about the new baby and are determined that it needs to be destroyed.  Sam and his gang are all set out to kill the baby and any of the vampires who get in their way.  Jacob, who’s returned from his “time alone” doesn’t want to go along with their plan.  He breaks off from their group and warns the Cullen’s of the imminent attack.  Seth and his sister also follow him.  From here on out, Jacob pretty much lives at the Cullen’s house for the rest of the story.
  • Why is Jacob living at their house?  He IMPRINTS on the baby.  You would think that I would have saw this one coming from a mile away, but I didn’t.  Now that Jacob is completely in love with Renesmee, he pretty much is a member of the Cullen family.  Yep, he used to hate vampires, now he’s going to marry one (when she’s older of course).  Jacob and Edward get along really well in this book. Too well, actually.  I missed their anamosity.  In fact, at one point Edward calls Jacob “his son.”  Scary.
  • Renesmee or Nessie for short (yes, like the Loch Ness monster),  is a very unusual baby.  She grows super fast.  She says her first words at just a week old and is walking not long after.  By the time she is seven years old she’ll be full grown and immortal.  She has the gift of being able to “speak” to people simply by showing them the images that she’s thinking of.  She also prefers blood in her bottle than formula.  There is a lot of blood drinking (apparently you can buy human blood at the blood bank) in this book.
  • Since Jacob has thwarted the wolves plan to kill the baby, Bella and Edward are happy in every way.  Perfect bliss.  But we don’t stay trouble free for very long and they soon find out that the Volturi are going to mount a full scale attack on the clan because they think that the baby is a baby turned vampire (which they can’t control) rather than a half-breed.
  • All of the Cullen’s vampire friends from around the world gather at their home to stand as a witness to the Volturi and to help them fight if needs be.  Bella makes arrangements for Bella and Jacob to run away together if they all end of being killed.  There were some times that I got irked with Bella’s foolish notion that if Edward died she would die as well.  She couldn’t live without him.  Now that she had a child, I thought she was pretty immature to think this way.  Sometimes I think she forgot that she had a bigger responsibility in life than to just love Edward.
  • Bella’s special gift is that not only can she can stay in control of her emotions but she’s able to use a special force field to protect her loved ones.  I was really hoping that Stephenie Meyer would end the series with a nice big fight.  But everything works out well with some peace talks and everybody goes home to live happily ever after.
  • Oh, and Charlie finds out that Jacob is a wolf and Bella is part of some supernatural world.  But he takes it all in stride and is on a need to know basis.  So Bella doesn’t lose him as well.  Basically, she loses nothing and gains everything by becoming a vampire.

Did I forget anything major?  So basically in just a sentence or two, Bella and Eward get married, have a baby, thwart those who want to kill them, Jacob imprints on the baby, and everybody’s happy.  Whew!

****END SPOILERS****

The writing is just as sappy as the other three books, so if you don’t like hearing how perfect Edward is or how perfect he kisses a million times, then this might not be the book for you.  But if that’s why you liked it in the first place, well, now you’ve got more.  I think that Stephenie Meyer is a creative author with some brilliant ideas but not extraordinary in her writing.

So did I hate it?  No.  Did I like it?  Sure.  Why?  Because I didn’t have any preconceived notions about how the story should end up, I wasn’t completely invested in the characters to begin with (meaning I’m not a die hard twilighter), I didn’t mind where the storyline took me, I was taken by surprise in some parts, and I didn’t really get bored in the day that it took me to read it.  Yes, it had it’s flaws, but apparently I wasn’t as bothered by this as some other passionate readers out there.  It’s not going to be one of my all time favorite books, but then again, neither were any of her other books.  But I own them all and tell everybody who will listen that they should definitely read them.  All in all, a very enjoyable series.  Way to go Stephenie!

Have you finished Breaking Dawn yet?  If you have, what did you think?  If you haven’t read it yet, are you going to?

Let’s hear what you think!  Feel free to express yourself as much as you want.

Warning: if you don’t want to hear any spoilers I suggest you don’t subscribe to follow up comments.  I’m guessing most comments will contain spoilers, so take care while browsing.

Still haven’t bought it yet?  Support the Maw Books blog by purchasing Breaking Dawn through Amazon.

Hey you! Yes. You! I've noticed that you've stopped by to visit a few times! But I don't know who you are. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Don't be scared. I try not to bite. I know you're a lurker but I'd love to hear your thoughts about what's been bringing you here. And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to never miss a post by subscribing to my feed or receiving updates by email. Thanks for visiting!

101 comments


  1. Wow. I really think you’ve hit the nail on the head with this review. I have to admit I’ve become a bit of a Twilight fan in the last couple of years. I adore Ms Meyer’s world and her characters.
    When I started reading your review I was going to highlight the parts of it that I most agreed with in my comment, but then I kept reading it and I agreed with pretty much everything, so I decided against that plan :)

    I’ve noticed a lot more “I’d've”’s showing up lately too – we talk that way, very casually, but it’s only recently I’ve noticed it in writing. I’m not sure how I feel about it either.

    I will say, however, that I feel that Breaking Dawn is a very, very different book from the other three. The characters, relationships, etc are all different – and I’m not sure I like it. I don’t hate it. But I definitely did not love it.

    (PS. I’m going to put a link to your review on my awesome Twilight-fans-group at the knitting forum/website I belong to because I think they will really appreciate it, so if you get trackbacks and notice a site that you have to log in to view called Ravelry, that’s where it’s coming from.)

    on August 4th, 2008 at 12:39 am
  2. PS. Here’s a link to my other blog, where I put my initial reaction. It’s not nearly so coherent as your review — I’ve calmed down a fair bit since I first finished yesterday evening, and I think in time I will grow to be much more appreciative of the book :)
    http://crayolaab.livejournal.com/560685.html

    on August 4th, 2008 at 12:42 am
  3. As a thirtysomething SAHW (not mom), I agreed with your review on just about every point. Especially the desire that Stephenie Meyer should have worked on the manuscript longer.

    I enjoyed reading the book, but not as much as the previous three. The only reason the baby seemed weird to me was because Jacob’s POV took away the chance for us to see how Bella’s thoughts about the baby affected her and Edward. Because I didn’t see that connection develop, I didn’t have much of a connection with this new, young family. The baby was just a plot device.

    The imprinting is one thing that doesn’t freak me out like it does so many others. Since Jake, in Eclipse, described so well the kinds of devotion involved when imprinting on a toddler, I knew his attachment with baby Nessie was platonic. Besides, I’ve read Emma enough times to know that a man falling in love with a young woman he watched grow up is not something that has to be icky.

    Anyway, I’m glad I’m not the only Twilight reader who isn’t devastated by the flaws in Breaking Dawn. I’m disappointed, but I didn’t throw anything across the room. I’ll probably even read parts of the book over again.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 1:38 am
  4. One of the main things that I think divides the readers opinions is if they read fan fiction or not. Many fan fiction readers didn’t like Breaking Dawn because so much of it seemed like it belonged in a fanfic (some parts didn’t even belong in a good one), especially the Mary Sue Nessie.
    And I want to reread this book, too, although that may not be a good thing. I’ve never really reread all of the books, maybe just Twilight. I think I just mostly want to reread so I can cement the facts, so I don’t think that the “real” details are fanfic. And that doesn’t speak highly of the book.
    I’m not sure that it was the lack of sexual tension in this book that made it different, it was the amount of fluff. It just didn’t work (and made it seem more like a fan fiction).
    I also wish she had spent more time working on this book, it just doesn’t seem as developed as it could have been. This book just isn’t in the same league as the other three. Again, I think that fan fiction is a big factor in my opinion of BD, because many of the themes have been written about and dismissed as ever actually happening (and if I hadn’t payed for the book, sometimes I think I would have believed that it was a fanfic). And for once, I think that I may find a fan fiction that’s better than the actual book. That is a sad, sad day.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 3:44 am
  5. Came across your site via google search. I’m 27, married, no kids, and I picked up Twilight about 3 or 4 weeks ago. I read through the first three books in like 2 days. And it’s not that I loved them (the writing, as you say, not so hot) but they were really … I don’t know. Addictive in that “I want to eat the whole carton of ice cream” type way.

    I agree with your review of BD. I can break my thoughts down this way … loved part one. Loved it. Part 2 I would rather it had been told from Edward’s point of view, I think that would have been more meaningful. And Part 3 … I liked until the Volturi stuff. WAYYYYY too much information about other vampire clans and what not. I personally didn’t care about that stuff so much as I cared about the relationship between Edward and Bella and the rest of her family. It was too much, and had it spent more time with the editors, I think it would have been cut considerably.

    My two cents … I did enjoy the book though, in that ice cream sort of way.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 8:04 am
  6. I am a 16 years old. Most of my friends do not like fantasy but do not have a problem with it. I began reading the series over thanksgiving break. I loved it an fell absolutely in love. I could not wait for this book to come out. On the release day, i spent entire day reading this book. I felt that the beginning was pretty good but i agree with you that i wish we would have gotten more details on the wedding. It was just kind of there and once you got into the scene it was gone. My next problem with the book was that her whole pregnancy was told by jacob. To me it was weird because either it should have been told by bella or edward. i feel that bella would have had some type of struggle. Even though she told everyone she wanted the baby don’t you think there would have been doubts in her mind? During the entire pregnancy there was nothing between edward and bella besides the fact that he was worried. I felt the connection (passion) was lost. (until after the baby was born then it was almost as if hey we’re in love again..)Even though i did not like these things or how long the pregnancy was, i felt it was a great twist to add. I think that everyone feels the imprinting is very weird because jacob was once in love with bella. I am not like most people my age saying this book was amazing and i couldn’t get enough. I agree with you on so many different topics. I felt that this book is a little bit of a let down compared to the other three books. In a way i wish that she would had added a little bit of sadness to the book instead of ending with everything being happy. I feel that SM could have done so much better with this book. Her idea’s were great but maybe if there was a little bit more time for her to develop her ideas? I am not sure what would have made it as good as the other three but i definitely felt it was lacking.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 10:13 am
  7. I ended up drinking too much caffine at the release party so i couldn’t go to sleep haha. i finished it sat. night. Naturally, through the whole thing i was hyperventalating because all the stuff that happens is like, big. And i don’t think any of us saw all the stuff that happened comin. except maybe bella turning into a vampire. I enjoyed reading the book, it was pretty crazy status. but somehow it changed my look on Twilight. not that i don’t like Twilight anymore, i still love it. but it’s wierd, and i don’t like how it’s changed my perspective on the rest of the series. but i have to agree with you. i didn’t love it but i didn’t hate it. i liked it. but i do give stephenie cradit. it must have been really hard to write all that. if it were me i would have been goin crazy, but then again i’m just not as talented as she is. i was hoping some of it would ware of on me cause im attempting to write a book myself. but how she writes i just don’t know. :D

    on August 4th, 2008 at 10:32 am
  8. Your review is spot on. I am a 38-year old working mom of four. I discovered the books about four months ago. I have a 12-year old daughter who got Twilight last Christmas. I didn’t even pay attention to the books until I heard and saw scenes for the movie which is strange because I’ve always been INTO vampire things. I’m sad to see the story end and might have even preferred that Breaking Dawn would have been split up into a couple of books because it seemed rushed. I find it interesting that in Stephenie’s interviews about a movie version that she believes it would work better as two movies. (paraphrasing)

    ***Spoilers****

    While I liked Jacob’s book and felt it was necessary, I would have preferred one more from Edward’s POV. I don’t think I’m being greedy. I always felt that Bella would HAVE to be changed to save her life and that she wasn’t going to have trouble being a newborn because of all the foreshadowing in the previous books. I wasn’t upset by the baby or by Bella’s instant determination to go through with her pregnancy even if she dies–I think about mom’s with cancer that refuse treatment.

    Overall, I liked the book and am not disappointed. I can understand why some people are upset. I definitely agree that it is more of an adult book. I am very interested to hear more from Stephenie when I go to the book signing in L.A. The questions ought to be interesting!

    on August 4th, 2008 at 10:53 am
  9. Thanks for a great review. I don’t think I’ll be rushing out to buy this one … I just don’t like stories where people get to have their cake and eat it too and no personal cost. I like my heroes to suffer when they do what is right. Maybe some weekend when my husband is out of town, this will be the book to read, but I’m in no big hurry.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 10:55 am
  10. I’m 17 years old and I am I die hard twilighter and I absolutely love the book =) I started reading at 1:30 am and tried to stop so i could sleep but couldn’t. I finished at 7:00 pm… Faster than when I read Harry Potter, which I didn’t think was possible lol. I was shocked in some places but got over it soon and I was happy with the ending but it did feel like it was too easy and that it was too much of a happy ending. While I read I was surprised by how different it was from the other books but all in all I was pleased. Nuff said =)

    on August 4th, 2008 at 11:12 am
  11. Im a 16 year old girl who absolutely is obsessed about twilight. Im exactly the type of person twilight appeals to. Your review was a breathe of fresh air from all the message boards i went to so i could see other peoples reactions to the story.

    I thought Breaking Dawn was an amazing story, although like everyone else i do see that her writing style is not one of her strong points. But i don’t really mind much, as i love the story, like you mentioned in your review thats really all it is. Its not a literary master piece and it never has been, its an amazing story.
    I did feel like it was a bit different from the only three, but it brought a different kind of love to the story. More about love for family :) its different in its own way.

    I whole story though was not were i expected it to go, my first thought about the baby was excitement, then i saw that it was killing her, then i was all like “get it out!”. When she had her and in book 3, i was really glad she had kept her. Although to be honest i didn’t know if i had bought the right book from the start. I wasn’t sure were the book was taking me but, when i got there i was really happy with the outcome.
    I also feel that it would’ve been nice to hear more of edward, but then again we would get a whole other book in his POV.
    I couldn’t agree more with you in every point you made, i’m also glad you made it feel as though the whole twilight experience wasn’t ruined for me, like other people did on message boards. Im not sure they saw it with much clarity as you and i did about the important things like love, instead worried about such trivial things. I will always love the series and will always be one of my most favored of all time :)

    on August 4th, 2008 at 11:25 am
  12. That was a great review! You did a good job expressing yourself.
    Well, I’m not gonna tell you my age( but in case your wondering, I’m a tenenager) but I’m a really twilight-obsessed-fan. I loved the first 3 books in the Twilight Saga and i couldn’t put them down. When I bought Breaking dawn i was so excited and started reading it straight away.

    ***SPOILERS***

    I started reading and enjoyed the book completely for the first few chapters. I think it got to the part when Bella found out she was pregnant that my liking for the book went down-hill. It was really unexpected and i almost fell of my seat! My mouth most of literally fallen open!! LOL :D
    from that moment on the book became quite dark. Bella’s pregnancy, described by Jacob, was disturbing. And at the part when Edward appears to lose it, I closed the book and went to walk my dog. No joke. Edward is my favourite character, and i was not happy that he is hardly in the book. i felt that it was only including bella,Rosalie and Jacob. And I mean what about Alice, Emmett,Jasper and esme?!?! I mean they hardly had a say!!
    Anyways, thats my personal opinion. So what i’m basically trying to say is i expected more from Stephenie and I’m quite upset that the twilight Series ended like that. T.T

    on August 4th, 2008 at 11:32 am
  13. I liked the book. I don’t consider myself a die-hard Twilighter. I did fall in love with the series, but I’ve found none of the books compare to the first.

    “Breaking Dawn” wasn’t any different.

    Although I do live all the tie-ins, and how everything seems to come together in a pretty little package with a pretty little bow, I felt like the conflict was superficial.

    I found it harder and harder to stay connected with Bella as the story developed. Edward didn’t seem as… crucial to the story line, either. And it left a bitter taste in my mouth. His lack of importance, in my eyes, became more apparent when his relationship with his daughter was overlooked. Even Bella didn’t seem very interested in portraying any kind of father-daughter bond. It was mainly Bella and Jacob.

    I just feel like so much was left out in “Breaking Dawn.” If that makes sense…

    I did enjoy the book. There were the usual cliffhangers at the end of every chapter that just left you craving more. It was just has hard to put down as the rest of the series, but this is the first time I actually felt like something was missing. Sadly, it’s the end of the series…

    on August 4th, 2008 at 11:34 am
  14. I loved the book. It didn’t bother me that she wrote from Jacob’s perspective. It was actually kind of cool seeing his side, especially at the point he imprints. I didn’t like that Jacob tends to take on Edward’s overprotectiveness when it comes to Nessie. The fact that they were all having a hard time letting Bella hold Nessie at first. I mean c’mon. It is her baby. I wanted to smack Jacob pretty hard at that point.

    I think Jaser was being just a bit sulky that Bella conquered the thirst better than him.

    I thought it was o.k. for Charlie to find out, but I wasn’t thrilled at Jacob’s approach. I think Bella should have been the one to tell.

    The sexual stuff didn’t bother me. I think everything was perfect as far as that goes.

    I was disappointed that the Cullen’s didn’t wipe out the Volturi. I was looking forward to that.

    Overall I loved the book. I think Stephenie did a great job.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 11:36 am
  15. I loved the book. And when I was thinking about possible storylines for the book I guessed Bella would get pregnant, have a girl, and then Jacob would imprint on her. What a good guess…

    I was glad for Jacob’s perspective because the pregnancy from Bella’s point of view would have gotten redundant and probably boring. I definitely liked the first half way better, mostly because I wanted there to be something huge at the end. It was kind of anti-climactic. But the series had to end eventually and I think she found the best way.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 11:59 am
  16. Great review. I totally agree with your point of view and YES, I was one of the over 30 year olds standing in line at 12:01 am for the highly anticipated release of BD and yet 48 hours later, I wonder why I am still hungry for more. Don’t get me wrong I beleive SM packed so much information in this 700+ paged book that could satisfy the appetites of her most voracious of readers, but yet inspite the overabundance of sustenance, I still feel a bit malnourished.

    SM gave me everything I wanted out of BD: Bella finally matured, Edward, who is considered ‘perfect’ by Bella, is actually depicted as flawed, (which is a good thing b/c it made him feel more real or ‘human’ to me), and Jacob found some sort of a resolution in this triangle. So, it would seem that I got everything I wanted, but yet I am still longing for more clarity. I think SM introduced too many characters that did nothing to advance the plot, and at times the plot dragged a little, especially during Bella’s pregnancy. For someone who has read the first three books multiple times, I don’t think I’ll re-read this one.

    I think the beauty of Twilight, Eclipse and New Moon is that the supernatural lives amongst the human world, a world in which the reader can easily relate. However, BD seemed to have taken place in a completely foreign world with foreign outcomes and concepts that Bella and the reader simply had to accept with no question.

    I found the blasé manner of the chararcters accepting their fate extremely irritating. I expected more of a realistic reaction from Charlie regarding Jacob, Bella, Edward and Renesme and their situation, or perhaps upon Bella’s discovery that she was pregnant… IMO Edward’s reaction of Bella’s pregnancy was more accurate. (Complete Shock)

    But perhaps I’m looking too deep into BD. Like I said, I got everything I wanted out of the novel as far as the outcome is concerned but yet, I still feel partially unfulfilled.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
  17. Ok so here’s a new perspective. I’m an 18 year old STRAIGHT male who picked up Twilight a week and a half ago. I’m a Harry Potter fan so I was exposed to all the Twilight habbub and was forced by my friends to read it. I enjoyed it so I decided to stick with it and finish the series.

    Meyer’s writing, as you said, isn’t fantastic, but as everyone else has said, something about the story was addictive. I’m a big fantasy buff so what drew me in was the whole Vampire/Werewolf/Human relationship thing. The first part was great: Bella getting pregnant was sooooo unexpected and made the story get incredibly more interesting. Although I was upset that right when the story got good the POV changed, I can’t say I hated the Jacob part. It wasn’t my favorite but it really wasn’t bad. I was hoping that he and Leah would get together but then the whole Renesmee thing happened.
    I loved the third part. Throughout the series I loved the idea of the Volturi, and in Breaking Dawn, when they were in the field, I was getting so anxious because I didn’t want any of the Cullens to die.

    The book made me want a kid (in a few years…like 7 or 8) and I thought she did really well with that whole pregnancy twist.
    Overall, because of the plot twists and the craziness, I have to say that Breaking Dawn was actually my favorite in the series. Once again this is coming from a boy who doesn’t spend all his time dreaming about Edward (although I wouldn’t mind being him) so yea, think what you will.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
  18. I loved your review! I haven’t read Breaking Dawn yet and I myself don’t mind spoilers because I’m not so invested in the story as the young ones are, but I agree with you about the passion that these young ladies are articulating about this book and about reading!

    on August 4th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
  19. im so happy to hear what someone else thinks about this book.
    that is exactly how i feel about breaking dawn.
    i have to admit i love the twilight series and i may be a little obsessed. but i wasn’t very mad about how this turned out.
    at first i was like “what the hell?”
    but now im sorta in the middle.
    i think i should read it again.
    it’s defiantly and enjoyable book.
    thanks for reviewing this.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
  20. “the characters lost their voice and personality”

    That is a perfect description. I hadn’t been able to articulate it that well. I agree that it seemed rushed, even a bit messy. Like there was too much being crammed into one book. I didn’t mind Jacob’s perspective. It was really entertaining. He’s hilarious.

    I don’t even think I mind the plot points. They just weren’t written as well as I wanted them to be. I always felt half lost. Half in the dark. Continually asking myself “wait, what’s happening?” “Why are they doing that?”

    What I love about the first three is that she spends time on the details, on the thoughts behind them, on facial expressions (that annoyed some people I know, but I liked them), on the trivial details so you can really see what’s happening, but not long enough to get bored. The perfect amount of attention to detail. Breaking Dawn seemed all over the place to me.

    And I’m sorry, but while it may have been foreshadowed, Jacob imprinting on Renesme is NOT the “all’s happy for Jake” ending I was hoping for. Ew. And I know his love is not romantic, but still, ew. He needs his own happy story that’s not going to require daily and intimate contact with Bella’s for the rest of eternity.

    But that’s just me.

    I love the Twilight series. They’ve been tremendous fun to read. I think that as time goes on, I’ll like Breaking Dawn better than I do now, but I really wish she’d taken more time to keep the “voice” from the first three books. I feel a little cheated.

    I can’t wait for Midnight Sun. I’d love to get inside Edward’s head.

    Thanks for the review.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
  21. I finished Breaking Dawn in a day and I loved it

    on August 4th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
  22. I agree with your review! I am a big Twilight fan, however, and went to the midnight release and all that. I was highly anticipating the book.

    I was surprised about all the hate comments at first… but I guess can see where it comes from. Personally I was just sort of amused by how Stephenie tied everything off with nice shiny bows. It felt like reading a fairy tale, and I did enjoy it. It was a little creepy that Jacob imprinted on their baby, though I appreciated that Stephenie managed to throw some twists that I was definitely NOT expecting. Weird though…

    But it was a good book, not boring, and though sometimes some stuff was a little off and I maybe didn’t love it as much as I loved Twilight, I’d put it the same level as New Moon and Eclipse. I just like her storytelling I suppose.

    I’m a teen but I wasn’t horrified by the baby thing at all- I was surprised but happy! I wanted them to be able to have kids and felt badly before about what Bella was giving up. I guess I’m old-fashioned or something, but I was really happy about how that happened. Bella didn’t seem weirdly maternal- it made sense and almost felt like a retelling of perhaps how Stephenie Meyer felt about her own kids. It seemed real to me.

    The end was a little anticlimactic I thought, but the way it was left open for more stories pacified me on that front. We haven’t seen the last of the Volturi, I think. ;)

    Great review and I’m glad that someone agrees with me about the book! :)

    on August 4th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
  23. I’m a thirty something mom and I fell in love with the Twilight series the moment I started reading the first book (on the insistence of my teenage daughter). Honestly, I love Breaking Dawn just as much as the other books. It definitely has a more mature theme to it, which, being a mom I can relate to. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I thought it was a very visual and emotional experience. Reading it, you can almost see it as a movie in your head…and you get a thrill ride when Bella becomes a vampire and you get to go along for the ride. I would have liked to see the big fight between the Cullen’s and the Volturi, but I liked it that she did not go with that course. I couldn’t imagine how violent that would be. I think some of the dialogue were just hilarious, especially Jacob’s “blonde jokes”. Overall, a very entertaining read. I’m not a person who makes a big deal about “literary masterpieces” or style of writing. I just love to be entertained and I love books that I can get lost in, which is what the Twilight books do for me.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
  24. I guess i’m with the majority here. I didn’t love it, but didn’t hate it. It kept my interest, but not like the other three books did. I just wish she used the same raw emotion as she did in T/NM/E. I didn’t get all giddy like I did with the others. It lost the spark. Now that she introduced Nessie, i’m curious to see how that ends up. Although she left a happy ending, it left me wanting more. what happens to Jake and Nessie?(I’m still not sure on the name Renesmee, i hope it grows on me) Does Leah ever imprint on anyone?(for awhile I thought Jake and Leah were going to imprint on each other.)Where’s Bellas mom and phil?
    I might just be looking to much into it. Maybe i’ll read it again and get more closure.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
  25. I read Breaking Dawn in a span of 24 hours. I have to say that I agree with your review for the most part especially about people either loving it or hating it. BD felt very different than Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse because it didn’t feel like Edward and Bella’s story anymore and at first I thought of Nessie as sort of an intruder, someone stealing the spotlight, but I got over that and I really did enjoy the story. The book was so overwhelming though. So much was packed into the 700 something pages that it felt like I was missing out on details but then again, after reading it I did feel content about how the series ended. I really didn’t expect some of the things that happened in the book. It was shocking but pleasant once I got over it. I have to admit that for one solid minute I did not like the book. It didn’t feel like Stephenie’s style at all to me. So all in all, I guess I fall with the lot who terribly loves the book. I just can’t not like it! I’m rereading it again. Thanks for the review by the way. Its helping me cope with all the craziness that happened!

    on August 4th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
  26. I’m a new fan of Twilight series – found out about it about two months ago. No fanaticism but I liked all three books and was really excited before release of Breaking Dawn. Your review pretty much sum up my thoughts about it. I enjoyed most of it except this grotesque baby delivery… Where all this came from? I’d imagine twisted mind not the one of Stephanie Meyer’s… (Gosh, I can see Robert Pattinson’s face while he reads this chapter – lol!) Anyway I’m one of few who liked part written from Jacob’s perspective and his imprinting. I belong to Edward’s team but never could stand poor Jacob and his pain. I’m happy he’s happy. The only thing that didn’t click was when Edward called Jacob his son. Didn’t Edward just asked Jacob before to have babies with his wife?! Freaky! Rosalie became my personal favorite and I could completely understand Bella’s choice to protect the baby. And I’m not complaining about lack of Edward’s pov – we’ll get enough of it in Midnight Sun soon.
    I kind of expected that Bella will be an extraordinary newborn Vampire from the moment I first saw Breaking Dawn’s cover. It was obvious. Though I think she should be more concerned about blood. For 3 books long we could read how bad is blood’s smell to her as a human and it kind of vanished. No struggle before drinking it? Shouldn’t she faint once or twice? Wrinkle her nose at least? And this whole drinking blood thing is irrational from medical point of view but I guess I didn’t mind eventually.

    Sorry, English is not my first language but I had to share :)

    on August 4th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
  27. Okay, so I am 14 years old and a diehard Twilight fan. I really enjoyed your review; it offered a lot of perspective. I am one of the many fans that didn’t enjoy the book too much, and I’m going to try and make my opinions sound mature without ranting too much.
    ***Spoilers***
    I think that the main reason I didn’t enjoy Breaking Dawn was that it strayed so much from the storyline that was set up in the first 3 books, especially eclipse. For the longest time, the books were about choice.
    Bella could choose to become a vampire, and therefore sacrifice her human life for Edward, but face the consequences of the Wolf pack.
    Or she could choose humanity. She could enjoy all the human experiences left in store, live out a normal life with Jacob, but face the consequences of the Volturi.
    She chose to become a vampire, and therefore accepted the sacrifice and the consequences. What I don’t like about the book was that all of the sacrifice and consequences…. didn’t exist. She could still have a family. She didn’t crave human blood to the point of insanity. She could still see her family. Really the only difference was that she could have sex with Edward now. And that was the beauty of their relationship in the first place- how Edward wanted so much to kill her but restrained himself out of love. And as for Jacob, that choice goes away too once Renesmee is born. All of the pain and indecision and sacrifice just conveniently disappear. It was an interesting twist, though, that instead of being in danger of the pack she was protected by it, and instead of being protected from the Volturi she was in danger of them.
    I also agree with a bunch of the comments made before this one, such as how the wedding scene was rushed; how it was… annoying to read about the most stressful part from Jacob’s perspective; and about how the book seemed to read as fanfiction- for a while I was wondering if this was actually Stephenie Meyers work, sadly.
    That’s all I have to say.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
  28. So I read a few reviews here and just had to stop. I was very confused at so many people saying it’s not “good writing” yet you couldn’t put it down. Isn’t that the mark of a good writer? Making the reader so engrossed in the outcome that they can’t put it down? Hmmmm….just wondering….I think Stephenie should be very pleased at the way she wrapped up “her” story. Yes, things were shocking and yes, some things changed the way we perceived the story from the beginning…but to me that’s good writing again. I want to be shocked!! I hope that no book I ever read turns out exactly as I predicted!! And yes it’s a happy ending for all…thank heavens!! Don’t we read to escape reality where endings aren’t all happy??? I love it…Thanks Stephenie!!!

    on August 4th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
  29. I’m a 27 year old WAHM, and I didn’t love or hate it. It was the same with the first three books.

    I was on Team Jacob at the end of the third book, since I was very affected by Bella’s vision of her possible future with Jacob and their kids together. I always worried about how much she’d be giving up by becoming a vampire (her parents, having babies, etc.) and I think this addressed all that.

    It was kind of uncomfortable to have Jacob imprint on Nessie (Renesmee/Nessie…weirdest names ever…besides Wanda…lol), but at least it solved the love triangle.

    I think the people that hated it were possibly the ones that spent too much time imagining the perfect plot for BD, and when the book didn’t match what they imagined, they got mad.

    I was content to let Stephenie Meyer take it where she would, since I never fell in love with any of the characters, and merely thought the books were entertaining. I wasn’t attached enough to freak out too much.

    The book was an interesting read, all the plot lines were neatly wrapped up, and it had a happy ending…it’s good enough for me.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
  30. I am a die-hard 15 year old Twilighter and I ADORED the book. I believe that Bella and Edward deserved that kind of happiness…The love of a husband/wife and a baby is very powerful and Stephenie made me remember ‘hey, you can love this person just as much as the other.’

    I noticed in comments people were hyperventilating over little details that were obviously not looked into by them. The pregnancy only showed just how much Bella loved Edward, if it WAS NOT Edward’s child she was concieving it would not mean as much to her. Edward was accused of ‘not loving the baby’ and Bella was accused of ‘being too obsessed with Renesmee’ and that was…Odd. Edward was just as in love with that child as Bella was, but we were seeing this through BELLA’S eyes so the points where Edward and Renesmee were able to spend time alone we could not see. As a Mother, of course Bella loves her child. It was part of HER and part of EDWARD.

    They all matured..And I believe there are many causes to this. 1. Bella’s experience in Eclipse. People (especially myself) underestimated that change…Bella gained such perspective and strength from the love triangle. Jacob who had been there for her had been left broken hearted after she found out she was in love with him too. It’s not as if she will be able to go “I’m sad..But hell, I’ll get over it soon enough!” No. That’s not how life goes. We live, we learn, and since Bella was already very mature for her age she took this very very seriously and knew that she would take this with her for the rest of her existence.

    2. Edward. He changed both because Bella did and because he learned how to TRY and find middle-ground because as we all know he is a man of extremes. Always has been, always will be. Aside from that, for crying out loud he is a hundred-eight year old vampire, of course he’ll be mature. This is how I see it if Bella changes herself in the slightest bit, Edward will change himself as well willing or not. They change eachother and they learn from (and with) eachother as well.

    3. Knowing that you will be a parent depending on who you are OBLIGATES you to change yourself to a certain degree. Bella could no longer be just the overly-obsessed teenager in love with a vampire, she now has to become a Mother to the child of the man she loves. Being a Mother is a HUGE responsibility and it demands major change, from my perspective. Because Bella is no longer making decisions that effect her, Edward, and in some cases Jacob, she is effecting this infant that she loves without a doubt even before it’s birth. Maturity HAS to come out of that because being a married girl who is going to be a Mother means just that. She can no longer act like a teenager, she has to step it up and become ‘Mom’ and ‘Wife.’ Though, Bella probably did not notice the change because the love for Edward and her Baby were so instant (and she knew what she had to do without even thinking about it in a sense. Impulsive?), we as the readers certainly did.

    The ‘fight’ with the Volturi kind of was a shocker..I expected a full-on brawl to unfold and at first I was kind of like..”What?” Then I realized that if there was a fight I am sure every single character would die, and if not it would have been characters we were all so attached to from the get-go. Hell, I even got attached to Kate and Garrett. If any of them died I would have been devastated because I feel as if these characters are more dear to me than some of the people in MY life (die-hard-Twilighter). With Harry Potter…It ended odd and I was grateful to Stephenie for ending it with a certain finality that helped me realize that I don’t have to lose these characters. I have them in my books and in my heart as well as a movie to look forward to in December. I will re-read the books over and over and know that it all went well because Edward and Bella deserve that extent of happiness. A child, a life together forever, a relationship with Charlie, ect. Anything less would have been simply peposterous.

    ONCE AGAIN THIS IS MERELY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AS A LOYAL 15 YEAR OLD FAN OF THE FANTASTIC STEPHENIE MEYER. LONG LIVE THE QUEEN =B

    on August 4th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
  31. Please excuse the wretched spelling and punctuation, I have been out of school for much too long and I mainly just typed it all out without looking it over…Until now at least. Lol, have a great day. :P

    on August 4th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
  32. i totally agree with saraa numba 600000.
    enough said

    on August 4th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
  33. I am a 14 year old die-hard twilight fan and i LOVED Breaking Dawn.

    As much as i agree that “the characters lost their voice and personality” and SM could have thought out the story a little more, i was definately did not dissapointed like some people were.

    Your review is pretty much right on key, and i’m glad you put it out!

    I thought SM did an amazing job writing this. The story had me shocked, laughing for 5 minutes straight, teary, worried, and i just couldn’t put the book down!

    XX SPOILERS!!!!! XX

    The wedding scene was a little rushed, and when the Volturi came i was a little confused with all the characters, but i loved every page of the book. From Bella getting pregnant, jacob imprinting on the baby, and Alice running away, i was once again amazed by SM’s story. It takes a lot to put those kinds of twists in a book, so i praise Stephenie for that.

    As for the ending,I was very very happy with it. i couldnt bare to have any of the characters die. If they fought the volturi everyone was basically gaurenteed death. i probably would have burned the book! bella and edward deserved to be happy after all they have been through, so the ending was a thumbs up for me!

    Alos, i personally didnt mind Jacobs point of view. Sure i would have prefered edward’s, but Jake’s kept me very entertained and i actually kind of like him now (i used to hate jacob black =)!!!).

    XX END SPOILERS!!! XX

    So all in all this was a great book! Sure it wasn’t as great as Twilight, but i will definately read it again! THANX SM!

    (Sorry if my grammar and spelling is off!)

    on August 4th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
  34. I’m a 27 yr. old mom, and I must say when I first started on this series I was seriously hooked! And I did have a feeling Bella was going to get preganant. Wow all the suffering she endured to carry Renesmee, broken ribs, being very sick… Bella suffered plenty over the duration of this whole series, as well as Edward trying to keep her safe, and not kill her. They totally love eachother and I think that’s obvious in the other 3 books, so in my opinion they deserve there happy ending in this last book. This was definately one of my favorites out of the series. So go Stephenie!!

    on August 4th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
  35. So I finished Breaking Dawn in a day too and I’m not sure what most of the people’s opinions are since the reviews are all so long. I would say I’m a die hard twilighter yes, but Breaking Dawn: I have to say I loved it. There may have been some parts where I would be like wha?! Whoa! But that’s the thing, I liked how it shocked us and took a turn where no one would have thought possible. We had a discussion about Bella missing out on haing a baby and how she would regret that, and bam! Child. But as to people saying that the book should be about Edward and Bella, Renesmee is exactly that. Isn’t she created FROM Edward and Bella’s love?
    I wasn’t ever in this book for the sexual tension but much rather for the bond of their love. It is something that everyone desires in this world today. But having a child just adds to their love. It shows Edward’a restraint, it shows that their love created something more.
    And reading the Host, we can tell that Stephenie Meyer is for the happy endings, which I am glad for. While the fight with the Volturi seemed like a balloon that was let loose of its’ air, it was nice to be led up to a climax. Of course, I would rather there had been some sort of a fight or something, but it showed something else to me. If vampires can gather from all over the world, despite their differences, and help to protect their friend, why can’t humans be so civilized? Where is the love of family, the bond of true love, the loyalty of true friends? While there may be some, something like this is so rare.
    Overall, I’d say that I loved Breaking Dawn. I’m not sure if it’s my favorite out of the series, but I certainly loved it.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
  36. Im a 14 year old die hard twilighter. id like to start off by saying i loved ur review & thought that u did an excellet job on the review. From my perspective i tought it was the best book i have read so far..it did have its flaws & i agree that she should have taken more time to gather her ideas & write it better but all in all it was great.

    I have noticed that people were OVER reacting to very minor things that dnt really bother me.I wont get into the details of that, because it would take too long, but i am a little surprised at the reactions of many die hard twilighters(or so they said they were).

    * I’ll start with the wedding. I really thought stephenie was going draged it on for a little while & when she jumped right into it..well to say thw truth i was shocked. I was however EXTREMLY happy that they were going to be husband & wife.I was a little unhappy that she didnt look in a mirror before the wedding because i was really looking foward to finding out how she looked..the dress,make up,hair,shoes & all that(even tho im not a girly-girl..i was curious).I tought there honeymoon was very sweet & romantic(even with Edward breaking the furniture & destroying the pillows) In all it was nice.

    * And now to the pregnancy. Renesmee(i refuse to call her ‘the baby’) was a VERY important part in the story because it showed just HOW MUCH she loved Edward and that she would die just to have HIS baby. I honestly think that she wouldnt have kept her if she wasnt Edward’s.I was however shocked that she got pregnat..altho i SHOULD have seen it coming with Stephenie being a mother & all.I was also shocked at how Bella took to being a mother so quickly..when she had been willing to give up having children to be with Edward forever, of course that would also have something too do with the fact that i am 14. I think Renesmee was a great addition to Bella’s & Edward’s relatioship because it tied them both together even more & made them a family.In the end i was gald they had Renesmee(or if u prefer Nessie…)

    * I was surprised at how Bella took so easly to vampire life like it had been ment for her.
    She completly skiped the ‘crazed newborn’ stage & went directly too being well not her age at all. she could so easly resist human blood & control her emotions…i think it was because she had OVER done it all..tought it would be completly impossible & that helped her control herself & also the fact that she was too caring of others & didnt want to kill anyone.Bella became EXTREME power & unpredictable in this book, a complete opposite of wat she had been in the other three books.

    * Soemthing i think everyone noticed was that the characters matured…in particular Bella. The reason for this, i think, was all that Bella had gone through in the past three books, in particular Eclipse, when she saw head on the two fights & the danger they really posessed well..that can really impact a person. Anwhen you really think about it..it wouldnt have made much sence to have the same immature/clueless Bella as both a vampire or a mother. It did take me some time to get used to the new Bella but i like her & think it was a good think that she matured.

    * Something i SHOULD have seen coming but didnt..was Alice & Jasper leaving to HELP..not ditching.I was EXTREMLY hurt when they left, i might have shed soem tears, but soemwhere in the back of my head i knew they were coming back & had left for a VERY important reason, even when Bella found out what the clues ment..i knew they were coming back. I nice twist to the story tho.

    *I was EXTREMLY dissapointed that the fight never happened & it all worked out for the better…even after i realized what that would have ment(losing someone..or some of them i should say)Being a die hard Twilighter I am VERY attached to them ALL..nomads,friends & most important the Cullens included. It would ahve hurt me deeply to lose some of them but i would have enjoyed the book much more if they HAD fought..losing some in the process…because too ME it felt like a TOO happy ending. Of course thats just MY opinion.

    * I started cracking up, i mean like hysterical laughing attack, when Charlie found out that the person he wanted his daughter to be with the most was a werewolf! (or shape-shifter..i prefer werewolf) And that Bella had known all this time about it & that she had knowingly married into the supernatural & also the whole ‘need to know basis’ thing. Poor charlie. I AM glad that he got to stay in Bella’s life for how ever short that time may seem to Bella.

    * I SHOULD have seen this coming from a mile away but didnt. Jacob IMPRINTING on Renesmee!
    that was shocking to me…but after i thought about it…it made perfect sence. I however DID enjoy Bella’s reaction to this information.:p

    * The wolves especially Jacob & Seth became VERY attached to vampires..well the Cullens mostly…but atleast they can tolerate most of the other vampires. Funny & Ironic how he will evetually MARRY a vampire..well half a vampire anyway…

    * Something that i really found disturbing was that Edward & Jacob became FRIENDS! they were no longr rivals! Now THAT took some getting used to…EDWARD CULLEN at some point called JACOB for crying out loud JACOB BLACK his SON!!…now THAT creeped me out..big time.

    * My final toughts on Breaking Dawn..when i had finished reading it were that it was very unexpected, to me atleast, & that it COULD have been better but i am happy with what i got. I knew i could trust Stephenie to deliver
    a great book..she did the best she could & in MY opinion she met her expectations very well.(it would have been impossible for her too meet everones high exoectations perfectly.)

    THIS IS ALL FROM MY PRESPECTIVE..AS A DIE HARD TWILIGHTER & A 14 YEAR OLD FAN.
    PLEASE EXCUSE MY GRAMMER & SPELLING…IT WAS NEVER MY BEST SUBJECT.

    HAVE AN AWESOME DAY! =)

    on August 4th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
  37. i am very sorry for it being so long..i hadnt realized how long it had gotten.Honestly i could ahve gone on for days &thsi was my summary of my over all thoughts.
    Once again sorry for the lenght of it.
    Have an awesome day to all. =)

    on August 4th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
  38. Personally, I think you hit the nail on the head with this particular review in general. The fact that everyone takes the story to different extremes is very true, since you said you were kind of in between on loving it, yet I am an OCD(obsessive Cullen Disorder) victim through and through. However, I am only 15, and the story means a whole different thing to me.–The rest of this comment goes with the storyline, so be prepared.

    * I was kind of disappointed that the wedding was first on the list, and that the way Bella looked was pretty much fair game. I think we should have had some more detail in it, like there is when there is a sexual scene or anything else, especially concerning Edward and Bella.

    * The honeymoon was good, and didn’t disappoint me at all. I had some good laughs, actually, up until we were told of the pregnancy, which I should have seen coming.

    * Bella pretty much dying while being pregnant with Renesmee was irritating, especially since Rosalie was randomly written as a huge part there. I think Edward should have done more to help her, rather than mope around and drive himself insane.

    * Jacob IMPRINTED on Renesmee. how wild is that one? I mean, I guess I should have seen it coming, but still. I couldn’t help but be shocked. Now there is ANOTHER annoying person obsessing over this kid. Couldn’t he find something else to do? I mean, I was thinking the relationship between him and Leah was getting better all the time, and maybe an imprint would happen there. Boy, was I in for a shock.

    * then there was Charlie finding out about all of it, and not even asking that much about Renesmee. I mean, couldn’t he notice how much she looked like her “Momma and Daddy”? I also think he should have had a better reaction to it, rather than the need-to-know basis thing.

    * Alice and Jasper’s leaving was expected, and gave me something to look forward to. However, when Bella awakens(sorry, I bactrack sometimes) she completely forgets the whole insane “thirsty” part, and just stays herself. What is with that?

    * I liked meeting the foreign vampires, and I thought it put a wider perspective on how big the paranormal world was for Stephenie.

    * The Volturi should have definitely started a fight. I am not saying that they should have won, because I love Edward and Bella, but honestly. There was no excitement.

    * Finally, I think it was simply amazing that Bella let Edward into her head. I thought it was too sweet, and could read that part again and again. They work together so well. I just wish there would have been a more..how do I say this…final ending. Like, it talks about them beginning “forever” together. That left room for another book! :[

    all in all, I loved the whole series, and invested a lot of laughter and tears into Bella and Edward's love. I would definitely reccommend it to anyone, but I would tell them to be ready for anything in Breaking Dawn, disappointment included.

    Sorry, I tend to get started, and it is hard to stop. Thanks for listening! :]

    on August 4th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
  39. I really liked it. I thought it was a great ending and it was everything that I hoped for.

    And I loved the fact that Jacob imprinted on Renesmee. Now he has his own happy ending and is still in Bella’s life somehow. I mean, it is kinda weird that he would imprint on a child… and for a minute there, I really thought that him and Leah were going to be together. But I guess not..

    I also thought that Charlie’s reaction was very out of character for him. I did not expect him to be so calm and collected. I mean, sure, he cares for Bella and wants her to stay in his life as much as possible. But I would’ve thought that he would’ve completely flipped out after finding out about werewolves and vampires.

    And of course, Edward and Bella are perfect together. :] It really was an interesting read. Especially because after reading the first three books, we were all waiting forever to see how it would turn out and there were so many theories going around, like who Bella would really end up with or what Bella’s powers would be.

    Personally, I was afraid that Stephenie Meyer would make it an awful twist where at the end, Bella wasn’t changed and she grew old. I had to prepare myself in case that one happened.

    Overall, I don’t think it was a bad as some people made it out to be. Sure, it wasn’t the best ending. But I think that after months of waiting, people build up these expectations of how they want it to be but these expectations can’t really be met because it’s the last book. Kind of like Harry Potter. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either.

    on August 4th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
  40. I have seen a lot of reviews on this book, but you captured exactly how I felt about it! Maybe it’s because I’m a thirty-something reader and not part of the teenage demographic so the world view is really very different. Many thanks and kudos for a very well written review.

    on August 5th, 2008 at 7:39 am
  41. I am in my late 20’s, and it’s nice to read a review from someone who isn’t 15 and punctuating everything with “OMG!” I really, really liked the book. I have been obsessed with all things Twilight for a while now, and I was anticipating this book. To me, it was not a let down. Your explanation as to why Bella suddenly wanted a child was good … a child doesn’t mean that Bella & Edward’s love was divided … it was only magnified. And I loved how she took to being a vampire with such ease … I thought that had been foreshadowed in the previous books, so it didn’t take me by surprise at all. She made a much better vampire than she did a human. I was looking forward to the Cullens wiping out the Voturi, but they turned chicken and ran away. Oh well. Yeah, there were a few writing flaws, and Stephenie covered a lot of material, but I find myself willing to overlook those minor flaws because I love the world (and the characters) that Stephenie has created so much. The more I digest the book, the more I like it.

    on August 5th, 2008 at 8:24 am
  42. Working mom of teen girls here (I’m in my late forties)…and I’m pretty close to your perspective as far as the book goes. I liked it a little more than you did.

    My main complaint is that I wanted to see more conflict and angst towards the end instead of the battle basically fizzling out. Because of that, I felt that the ending was just too sappy-happy.

    My 19 yo is reading it now, so I’m waiting to hear her perspective on the book. I suspect she’ll lean towards the positive as well.

    on August 5th, 2008 at 9:14 am
  43. [...] Also reviewed by: Maw Books [...]

    on August 5th, 2008 at 9:44 am
  44. I am a fan of the Twilight series, but i wouldn’t say die-hard. But being the fan that I am, I think your review hit Breaking Dawn on the nail. In my personal opinion, I thought it was amazing. However, I can see your point. I don’t think anything was wrong with the book, no, not at all, but it was lacking a little energy that the other books had. I loved the way Stephenie described everything, and I thought it was kind of a good change to see that becoming a vampire didn’t subject you to having to go through the year of bloodlust of a newborn. I wouldn’t go so deep as to say I didn’t like it, because I didn’t hate it and I didn’t love it; but it was more than “like it.” So I would say yes, I would read the book again, and enjoy reading it.

    on August 5th, 2008 at 10:45 am
  45. I agree with all your opinions, but feel compelled to remind you… You know what Bella looked like on her wedding day. Don’t you remember the dress Alice bought her?

    on August 5th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
  46. Firts things first: forgive my English… Portuguese is my first language (at least Twilight fans will know now that Brasilians don’t speak Spanish…=))
    Second:I loved your review.
    I started the book not liking at all… After a while, I started to accept the plot and at the end I can honestly say that I liked the book, not loved, but liked.
    Things I liked:
    - Jacob’s POV, I just adore him (I’m Switzerland team) and felt more in love with him because of his “voice”, I had the greatest time with Jake’s vocabulary, jokes, sarcasm… If she continues with the saga, I hope she does it from his POV;
    - Discover other vampires, covens, gifts…
    - Reading about a hunting trip;
    - Seeing a litlle bit of Brasil in the book (but I must say that things were quite out of place – there are no indian tribe in more that 1000 miles near the coast of Rio, names were odd too – sounded like Colombian and Paraguaian not Brasilian, and lobisomem translates to werewolf in legends here not incubus vampires)
    Things I did not like:
    - I felt like the Bella and Edward were strange… He was the winning one and Bella didn’t had one single accident… Not even in the first book…
    - The way the first book ended – it made me feel like Bella was thinking of Edward as the enemy, and that it’s just wrong;
    - I know that Alice could not see Nessie and all that, but she never had any clue that Bella could get pregnant? Hum… didn’t buy it at all, seemed like Stephanie was forcing an exit to make the pregnancy possible;
    - the way Edward was secundary to the book, and also Emmet, Alice, Esme, Jasper… The Cullen family and their routines are precious and they were completly let aside.

    on August 5th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
  47. [...] the library lottery All day yesterday I read posts at some of my favorite book blogs about their thoughts on Stephenie Meyer’s fourth book in the Twilight [...]

    on August 5th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
  48. Fantastic and well thought out review.
    Please post this as a review on amazon. The people on there are lunatics ;)

    I just read off Twilightmoms.com a cool observation…

    Meyer broke up the books into three.
    Book 1 closes Twilight
    Book 2 closes New Moon
    Book 3 closes Eclipse

    and then adds some open ideas, for perhaps other stories.

    I do agree, this could have been two books, and not so rushed, but I guess when you have crazy rabid fans out there, agents and whatnot, you gotta do what you gotta do.

    on August 5th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
  49. Great review! :D

    on August 5th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
  50. Okay- not reading this yet b/c I have to read the book. (it’s sitting on my shelf- taunting me!) But I’ll def come back to this when I do.

    on August 5th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
  51. First of all, I feel old. At 39. Not fair.

    I think you’re right on with your review. It was a good story. And entertaining. But it didn’t knock my socks off. And it certainly didn’t cause any extreme emotion.

    I actually found the first two parts to be predictable. I thought, hmmm, I wonder if Bella’ll get pregnant, then bam, she was pregnant. Then, I thought, aha…here’s the solution to the love triangle, and whaddaya know, Jacob + Renesmee (and I have to confess, I’m not a fan of that name…I like her middle name better, especially since Charlie figures more prominantly in the story).

    And the whole vampire children are bad thing reminds me of Anne Rice and the evil little girl child vampire that was created in one of the books…it’s been so long since I read it, that’s all I remember.

    In a way, I’m kind of glad it’s all over. I like the way Stephenie Meyer tied it all up. Well, except for Nahuel. And the Volturi. But I’m not feeling the need for any more Twilight books.

    on August 5th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
  52. what i didn’t like in it is that she changes the whole thing. first she says in public that vampires don’t even have fluids, now they can even have babies. i know, all that talk about not being fully complete withou a kid and all, but a halfbreed baby? now this is one of the blade series?
    i just didn´t like all that nosense information packedup together. she didn´t took care about the dialogues and people….
    it´s just plain literature. and it doesn’t measure up at the level of the others.

    on August 6th, 2008 at 1:25 am
  53. I think the main problem with the pregnancy is the debate over whether Bella is a good role model for all the young girls reading her adventures. One argument I read for her was written before this book and mentioned how despite everything going on in her life, she still planned on attending college and such.

    Bella doesn’t do that. Right out of high school she’s married and pregnant. You speak of how Bella would die without Edward and why doesn’t she think of the baby – because Bella never developed her own life outside of Edward.

    I don’t think women should have to wait forever to have children. But I do think having one at nineteen is too early, even in the context of a married relationship. If anything did happen to Edward (longshot, since he’s perfect and a vampire), Bella doesn’t know how to live without him. Her vampireness would at least give her some skills, but in real world terms . . . she’d be a horrible single mother.

    on August 6th, 2008 at 9:48 am
  54. Great review! I avoided spoilers in mine, so it basically said nothing (not much one can say without spoiling). I enjoyed it, and I liked that Meyer was brave enough to take it in some of the surprising directions that she did, but yes her writing still makes me cringe in spots. And those contractions!!! I wanted to claw my eyeballs out thanks to those.

    on August 6th, 2008 at 11:14 am
  55. YAY!!! I am finally able to comeback and read through the intrnet without fear of spoilers.

    So it turns out my book, promised to be delivered on my doorstep on Aug 2nd, is still not here. I got so stressed out I went and stold my friend’s copy who bought it al Walmart on the 2nd.

    I pretty much agree with everything in Natasha’s review. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. I felt it all rushed and smushed together. The characters did seem to mean as much to me as they did in the first three books. The angst was gone…there was just something missing.

    I hate to sound like a know-it-all, but I saw it all coming. I just had a feeling that was going to be where the story would with Bella getting pregnant and Jacob imprinting on Bella’s baby. I wasn’t totally bored though…some things surprised me.

    The whole adults imprinting on babies or young children kind of creeps me out in a pedophile kind of way. I get it…I understand…but I dunno…it would be like growing up with a big brother and then marrying him. Weird.

    Bella the supervampire….ha. I kinda liked that.

    Well anyways, I survived not getting my book yet and it’s back to Madapple for me.

    on August 6th, 2008 at 11:59 am
  56. So I no sooner hit submit comment and get up to make another cup of coffe and my doorbell rings. Who do I find standing there??

    Mr. UPS man with my very own copy of Breaking Dawn.

    Well….Better late than never I suppose….

    on August 6th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
  57. [...] Andi | Sassymonkey | Tammy | zenbiscuit | The Reading Zone | Natasha at Maw Books | [...]

    on August 6th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
  58. I finished Breaking Dawn about an hour ago, and I wasn’t disappointed. I didn’t love it, but didn’t hate it either. The thing that bugged me was that, suddenly, Edward can produce children!!!??? First of all, if he doesn’t have any blood in his veins, then he SHOULD NOT have LIVING sperm. And, why does Renesmee (BTW, worst name ever) grow so FREAKING FAST!!!??? How would Jacob be able to marry her without her becoming a vampire???!!! those are just a few questions, that’s all, I NEED these answers!!!

    on August 6th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
  59. Okay so I really agree with your comment.I just finished reading Breaking Dawn yesterday, and I’m 16 so I can kind of give the teenage look from my point of view. I really didn’t mind that Bella got pregneant, I was shocked and surprised but I think that baby helped Bella mature a lot more. Bella has been sort of whiny in the last three books, in BD grew up and stopped whining and she faced most challenges head on and I really liked that. Besides I’m a complete sap and the whole family thing really made me happy. I didn’t mind that Jacob had his own book, actually it was a good way to visualize the pregnancy for the reader. And after the way that Eclispe ended I knew Jacob was going to have a bigger role in the new book. I get the fact that after Jacob imprinted he forgot all about his romantic love for Bella. I just don’t SM really addressed the point where Bella got over that romantic love for Jake. But I really liked the relationship that Jake and Bella retained in the end. I was kind of disapointed that there was a fight or some sort of action in the end because all of her other books have really mixed the danger/action sequence pretty well. BD didn’t, but I did like the ending. Overall I really loved the book, I thought it was a creative and loving ending to the series. Bella finally got what she always wanted a family who she loves and who loves her, and she was willingly to fight to protect that family. Twilight is still my fav book in the series, but BD comes in second. I do wonder though what and Renesmee have kids, and how would that work with a wolf? I do agree with what one person who commented said that while the book satisfied me and it was a nice conclusion, I felt that were many lose ends. But it was a good book.

    on August 6th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
  60. I haven’t read the book yet but I don’t mind the spoilers! I like reading spoilers actually. Hehe! And the story between Bella and Edward seems to be getting weirder and more complicated. Meyer really needed to make sure she got her storyline crisp and clear since there’re so many twists and turns in there.

    on August 6th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
  61. Well that’s great review… now i don’t have to rush to the bookstore all around jakarta, they all have limited stock for the book. I think I decide to wait a bit more since I’ve already known how it ends. For me it ends perfectly… No one gets broken hearted or die… Before I read your review, I am almost sure that Stephenie Meyer would kill one of the characters, it’s either Jacob or Edward, just to sacrifice for the sake of Bella’s happiness. I just kept guessing and try to choose whom I’d prefer to be dead.

    on August 7th, 2008 at 4:20 am
  62. Great review!

    Of the 4 books in this series, I find this to be my least favorite… but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love it! I was a bit annoyed with the baby story-line at first… I kept thinking, yes Stephenie, we know you’re a Mormon stay-at-home mother and we know how much you want to write about the love between a mom and her child (from The Host interviews) but REALLY?? It felt forced (at first) to add the pregnancy thing into the Twilight world. I don’t believe that every woman or every love needs a baby to make it complete, and I felt like Meyer was trying to say that they did. However, after I took a deep breath and accepted the wierd way the story was going, I really enjoyed the book. And Nessie was a very intersting character…

    I loved Jacob’s book… It was fun to get inside his head and I enjoyed listening to Leah and Seth more too. The scene when Jacob breaks away from the pack and it almost ends up in a fight was very powerful and tension filled, I thought… nice to see it from the ‘inside’ instead of hearing Jacob tell them about it or something.

    and the best scene of the entire book… the very end scene when Bella lifts her ‘mind shield’ off a bit so Edward can hear her. I thought that was perfect…

    on August 7th, 2008 at 10:41 am
  63. this was a great review! i was getting dissapointed by all the people who were saying it was an “epic fail” but i loved it! i’m not sure if it was because i’m such a loyal fan or anything, but i didn’t feel that the love between Edward and Bella changed at all. some wanted their love to intensify, but how much more intense could it get? it had a great storyline and the end was perfect

    on August 7th, 2008 at 11:39 am
  64. I am a 34 SAHM who is a HUGE Twilight fan. I really like BD. It was a little different from the other three and I agree that you didn’t get as much character development. But, I thought Stephenie Meyer did a “fun” job tying all this up and I thought she did enough to satisfy both the Edward and the Jacob fans. I haven’t really checked out the other reviews yet as I just finished the book yesterday.

    (I also agree the sexual tension just wasn’t the same, but I did enjoy the love scenes).

    on August 7th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
  65. I have a comment on the whole “I’d've” issue: first of all, there is nothing wrong with the fact that this is not a word. WHO CARES??? Second of all, the slang used in the second book fits Jacob’s personality. I love the fact that Stephenie Meyer twisted the language. It allowed me to understand her characters better.
    Also, I want to say that I LOVED Breaking Dawn. The ending was great, the twists were great- the best book in the series, by far. The only thing I would have changed is the fact that there was no fight with the Volturi in the end. Oh, and the fact that it was only 700 pages. I definitely wouldn’t have minded a 1000+ page book. Despite these flaws, Breaking Dawn really hit home for me. All in all, well done Stephenie!!!

    on August 7th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
  66. okay first i would just like to say that i LOVED IT!!!!! ome! lol. guess you were right about that love/hate line. lol. okay so my bff didn’t like the story line at all! and i’m like what!!! i got very annoyed in the beginning but i fell back in love in the end! lol. i can’t help it. i’m a die hard twilighter and i think that i would have loved it no matter what happened. lol. my friends went from originally team edward to team jacob (in book 2) and ended up team seth. lol. i thought that was pretty funny. lol. i still love edward. i love it and everyone in general i guess. umm. oh! renesmee! okay so my bff was like umm … no. she ruined it. and she didn’t like her. i on the other hand… LOVE her! i think she is so cute! ome! although the name took abit to work on. lol. i think she is so sweet… she clearly loves her family. oh! and with umm. what was his name.. that other half – breed? i want to know what happens between him renesmee and jacob! that would be juicy! umm. what else what else??? i loved your review. i think it was awesome! very good points. umm. idk what else i was gonna say so i guess that’s it for now! thanks so much for posting! =]

    on August 10th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
  67. BOy, you sure did get a lot of comments on this one! I agree with your assesment of the book in almost every way, except I probably enjoyed it a bit more than you did. I think Twilight and Breaking Dawn were both strong books.

    on August 11th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
  68. I absolutely loved the book!! I am so sad that it was the last of the Twilight series! Everyone had their own opinion of Breaking Dawn. E didn’t know what to expect, so when Bella became pregnant i felt uneasy. What? A baby? I’m sure everyone was thinking the same thing. But it changed as i read on. It was the prefect ending. I had my awful predictions about Bella and Edward dying “together.” But I loved the ending. Jacob and Leah had a thing for a minute. I really wanted jake to find someone. I really thought it was well written. It really had you guessing. Alice comes to save everyone’s but. An everyone lives. It was awesome! I loved it!

    on August 12th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
  69. I agree with you especially with the ‘not hate, not love’ part and the ‘no fighting and happy ever after. After I read it, I felt like I HAD to love it because it was by Meyer and I was a bug twilighter but I didn’t feel the same about Breaking Dawn as I did with the other Twilight books. I was confused but then I read your review. I agree with you 100%.

    on August 13th, 2008 at 11:12 am
  70. I love your review of the book very complete. I am a die hard Twilight fan and I enjoyed Breaking Dawn. I guess my age (27) has a bit to do with me enjoying the book rather than hating it like so many teenage fans.

    There were a few things that I was hoping would happen in the book and all of them happened so I was satisfied
    *Bella & Edward got married
    *They finally got it on (I know immature but still)
    *Jacob imprinted
    *Bella became a vampire and had a cool power
    *Charlie found out the basics and hooked up with someone (I hated him being alone)
    *Bella & Edward were able to start their own family, Edward had been worried about Bella giving the future up for a life with him and she didn’t have to.

    So basically minus the fact that I would have liked a little more input on the other characters that I had grown to love and hate from the high school years it was all inclusive for me.

    on August 13th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
  71. [...] I probably wouldn’t read before I cracked the cover: Stephenie Meyer’s The Host. After the massive FAIL of her latest young-adult release, Breaking Dawn, I couldn’t get it up to read anything by [...]

    on August 14th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
  72. I read the first three last year when my niece (who is a teen) got them. By the way I am 30 years old with no kids and no plans on having any ;) I am obsessed with vampires in general, I have a collection of movies but not of books (I seem to have more room for DVDs than books since I insist on hardback, I hate paperback). I have read a few series however and what mostly grabbed me was Edward and the Twilight vampires in general.

    Edward because he kind of reminds me of a Dhampir (the “technical” term for a half-vampire, half-human) character in a series I have just begun to write, though with evil tendencies and not as sappy with his love interest hehe.

    The Twilight vampires intrigued me because they are different than vampires in folklore and every fictional vampire I have read so far. The concept of Dhampirs is especially interesting to me because there is so little information about them in folklore that you basically have to make up mostly everything and she has an interesting take on them.

    Anyway, Breaking Dawn was hard for me to put down. I couldn’t start reading it until the Thursday after release because the few places you could buy it around here didn’t have it so I ordered it from Amazon. Though I wanted to keep reading, I did have the same problems you did with it. I felt gypped about her being a perfect newborn and blah blah. Baby was a surprise but I wasn’t disappointed (obviously hehe) since Dhampirs are an equal interest to me as vampires. Everything was too…perfect…but I guess, if it didn’t the book would be a Hell of a lot bigger than it was (or she’d have to write a 5th). Lots of cliches in this one. Oh and I raised an eyebrow at I’d've, found some typos/grammar errors and I saw the imprinting coming.

    on August 18th, 2008 at 12:04 am
  73. Comment removed from blog owner.

    on August 18th, 2008 at 7:22 am
  74. [...] Written Word, The Book Nest, Book Binge, So Many Books, So Little Time…, The Reading Zone, Maw Books Blog, The Bluestocking [...]

    on August 19th, 2008 at 9:32 am
  75. I was disappointed with this book after LOVING the first three, in a gulity way. I say guilty because Bella seems very dependent upon Edward in an unhealthy kind of way. I’m not sure it sends the best message to young girls, but I also hope that these girls can make their own decisions. Assuming that young women/girls are going to do everything they read about does not give enough credit to their intelligence and common sense.

    My biggest disappointment was the pregnancy, and for two main reasons. (1)I felt it was a contradiction of Meyer’s own statements (mostly outside the book, on official website)about vampire anatomy/physiology. Meyer now coyly claims she only spoke of female vampires being unable to reproduce, but if you read closely, this Bella/Edward pregnancy is pretty unbelievable. (100+ year old sperm?) (2)As a married woman with no children planned, I feel like BD is yet another message that all women are destined to be/should be mothers, even when vampire anatomy seemingly says it can’t happen. The book, and the writer of this blog, seem to reinforce the notion that people aren’t “whole” and haven’t really lived or experienced life until they have children. I think that’s a limited point of view. Given Meyer’s rather traditional orientation about many things within the books (gender roles, sex, etc), it’s not shocking that she chose to make Bella and Edward parents- just disappointing.

    on August 20th, 2008 at 11:34 am
  76. Hi….I’ m an italian girl.. i love twilight and the other books, so i should like to know what happens then, i have read the spoiler on this page but i don’ t understand all very well…
    So Bella and Edward get married, have a baby, Jacob imprints on the baby..and then???Will it have a happy end?!?
    Replay please…Thanks!!!:D

    on August 25th, 2008 at 7:27 am
  77. Ilaria – Yes, definitely a happy ending. Bella and Edward get married, have a baby, Jacob imprints on the baby, the volturi come but they go away without a fight, and all ends well!

    on August 25th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
  78. I kinda felt like it was forced in some ways too. I think writing for a deadline is going to show and it really did. For me (31 yrs old) and my daughter (16 yrs old) we both enjoyed reading it. I think we enjoyed it more because we shared the experience of reading the series together. I can definitely see how it could be a love or hate kind of book.

    on August 26th, 2008 at 11:56 am
  79. Don’t remember if I posted a comment about this review earlier, but I completely agree with you about the characters losing their voices and personality. Interestingly, I ran across an interview where Stephenie said she wrote BD before NM and ECLIPSE. I wonder if that’s true…

    on September 1st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
  80. i haven’t read the book yet!i’m just curious bout this, who DIED? just want to know before reading it.

    on September 10th, 2008 at 7:30 am
  81. I enjoyed reading the first three books and it really sucks when I’m not updated with what’s going on. Hopefully, you guys read this and comment back soon!rotf

    on September 10th, 2008 at 7:35 am
  82. Em – Really? I know she said that she always knew where the story was going to go.

    Cherie – Nobody dies. Happy endings all around.

    on September 10th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
  83. this book is the best book ever.

    on September 11th, 2008 at 10:35 am
  84. “OMG” THIS BOOK IS AWSOME IM 11 BUT IT STILL IS

    on September 13th, 2008 at 11:59 am
  85. natasha_alright!thanks.i’m just so confused. a friend told me that someone died.lol.
    well, thanks again. and maybe i’ll read it this week or next week.

    on September 14th, 2008 at 7:31 am
  86. OMG… I am definately a die-hard twilighter, and I think that Ellen judges twilight way to hard… I don’t really agree with anything in it… Um, If anyone is reading this, then Bella is in love Edward, and really, that’s all the story has about from the beginning book. so she shouldn’t expect anything different. Even in the second book, Bella went crazy without Edward, and this time there would be no Jacob to rescue her, and Renesemee would just remind him of her… So now, I don’t think that Bella was to silly about not going on without edward. I disagree with almost all of the review..

    on September 16th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
  87. im done reading it.OMG.it’s SO GREAT. i feel like im ready to die if Edward tells me that he loves me and really mean it.

    And now, the only thing in my mind is to wait for the movie and watch it again and again until that FOREVER comes.LOL.

    I think im over reacting.but well, im not ashamed of it.hahaha.It really thrills me.

    on September 18th, 2008 at 3:02 am
  88. i noticed in the comments 79 and 82, a small blurb on S.M. writing BD first. maybe you got the answer to this already but just in case you didn’t…on S.M. website she said she originally wrote Twilight as two books, the first, “Twilight” and a sequel which was “Breaking Dawn”. she never expected Twilight to go so big in the YA genre so the first sequel was basically too “adult”. in order to tone it down S.M. broke it into the rest of the three books. however i would have to agree with kim, over at goodcleanreads, that the book contains MATURE content. btw, is there a specific definition of what YA genre means? is that defined by people in a certain age bracket? why don’t they call it “teen literature”? personally, i believe “teen” and “young adult” are two different things.

    on September 18th, 2008 at 8:30 am
  89. [...] Books Blog says “I think the Twilight series was so successful because of the sexual tension between Edward [...]

    on September 19th, 2008 at 1:56 am
  90. [...] Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer sponsored by Hatchette Book Group [...]

    on September 21st, 2008 at 7:07 am
  91. Hey everybody! Just a quick note to let you know that I’m giving away the first three books in the Twilight series to celebrate the movie release! Check it out here to win:

    http://blog.mawbooks.com/2008/11/21/tell-me-your-thoughts-about-the-twilight-movie-and-win-the-books/

    I’d love to hear what you thought of the movie!

    on November 21st, 2008 at 3:45 pm
  92. friend has given the link has not regretted that has come

    on December 19th, 2008 at 11:31 am
  93. [...] Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (92) [...]

    on January 24th, 2009 at 1:35 am
  94. I like this below comment….^^
    (BD even has not been published in my country…)

    Brandi Said:
    So I read a few reviews here and just had to stop. I was very confused at so many people saying it’s not “good writing” yet you couldn’t put it down. Isn’t that the mark of a good writer? Making the reader so engrossed in the outcome that they can’t put it down? Hmmmm….just wondering….I think Stephenie should be very pleased at the way she wrapped up “her” story. Yes, things were shocking and yes, some things changed the way we perceived the story from the beginning…but to me that’s good writing again. I want to be shocked!! I hope that no book I ever read turns out exactly as I predicted!! And yes it’s a happy ending for all…thank heavens!! Don’t we read to escape reality where endings aren’t all happy??? I love it…Thanks Stephenie!!!

    on August 4th, 2008 at 3:57 pm

    on January 27th, 2009 at 3:07 am
  95. Dear Natasha,

    Does anyone or you perhaps, know in which website I can read the first book (TWILIGHT)? I already read it but in another language (translation from the original).
    I feel eager to read it in english since the translation is …..(I couldn’t find a word to describe it……^^.

    Many thanks before.
    (only Twilight,since this is the only book that I adore)

    on January 27th, 2009 at 4:48 am
  96. i’m an 11 year old a some people might say it’s not right for an 11 year old to read a book like this but I really dont care!!!and I have never read BD but really can’t wait to!and after what I have heard i’m kinda torn about it beacuse if heard that it got like ruond (srry about my spelling it has never been my strong point)when bella gets pregnet but i think it’s really kool that a vampira and a human can do it and end up with a healthy baby!my friend has read the hole seares and so has her mom and she told me that her mom cryd when in new moon bella would hold her self togeather!and my friend also told me that in the end bella and edward do it alot and it is really loud but i would think that when bella and edward do it, it would be quite beacuse arnt vampireas really quite with every thing they do? well thats my 1 big question that I really want answerd.

    on March 9th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
  97. Bella and Edward pregnancy is pretty weird. (100+ year old sperm?)Expired sperm? It’s pretty cool, but doesn’t make any sense. Renesmee? (Whatever the name is….to bad SM couldn’t find another nice name for the baby…weird name)I haven’t finish reading BD, but it’s quite interesting, just like the 3 books, I just hope there is a fight between Edward & Jacob, I think it’s quite interesting for them to fight over for this girl, Bella(I like it when there is more challenges between Edward & Jacob). But, the weirdest thing is Jacob & Renesmee….WOW…. hold on a sec….what’s it gonna be a wolf & a half breed, maybe there is another book for this one, maybe SUNSET or RAINBOW, I can’t wait if there is one.

    on March 16th, 2009 at 2:56 am
  98. GO….GO….TEAM JACOB.

    on March 16th, 2009 at 2:58 am
  99. I love this book in fact, I love all Stephenie Meyers books. I just feel like they were Nonfiction and they rally touch my heart.
    {Thanks for sharing your stories with us.}

    on April 30th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
  100. I love all the books I can’t what to read this 1 it sounds good Edward os hot go Edward!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    on May 23rd, 2009 at 6:07 pm
  101. I am 14 years old now, and I started reading Twilight a year ago. Like any other teen,I fell in love with the series. I haven’t read Breaking Dawn yet. I wanted to get an adult’s opinion on the book first, because people were telling me that Edward and Bella…you know…have sex,which I was expecting in the first place but, the way people explained it kind of threw me off. Now that I have heard what ADULTS have to say,I am debating on whether or not I should buy the book,but since I have already read the other three,I might as well read Breaking Dawn with an open mind. I DON’T think I will be comfortable while reading this,though,but…whatever.

    on August 6th, 2009 at 2:31 pm

Comment Here ↓

For some reason, Askimet Spam is giving me a lot of false positives. Even to those who have left me many comments before. So if you leave a comment, hit submit, and it seems to go the way of the wind, don't resubmit it. I'll catch it and publish it. Also, if you leave 2 or more links in your comment, it automatically goes into moderation. I'll catch that too.

I love and invite your comments. I thrive on them. But by posting a comment, you agree to not post off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, or use language that is not family friendly. I have the right to remove such comments and prevent you from leaving comments in the future. That said, comment away!