THERE ARE “BREAKING DAWN” SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW. IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE NOVEL TO BE RUINED FOR YOU, PLEASE STOP READING.

There were certain things about “Twilight” and its sequels that made people love it. That made people say, ‘Hey, it may say it’s about vampires, but it’s not. It’s about the most amazing love story ever told.’ There were certain aspects, like Bella’s relatability and her teenage confusions that made people of all ages adore her.

“Breaking Dawn” doesn’t tell that story.

There are mentions of Bella’s high school friends, and a handful of them even appear for a dialogue-less scene in the first 50 pages of the book, but they, like any anchor to the feel of the earlier novels, seem to disappear in the opening scenes. “Breaking Dawn” is a vampire novel in a series that really wasn’t.

When you go to hunt down a copy of Stephenie Meyer’s final installment to her (definitely going to be) on-going vampire saga, don’t worry about not having finished its second and third episodes; “New Moon” and “Eclipse”. Meyer once stated that “Breaking Dawn” was going to be very similar to her original and unpublished sequel to “Twilight”; “Forever Dawn”, and she was right. The events of “New Moon” and “Eclipse” have barely a paragraph of relevance to the entire 754-page giant that is “Breaking Dawn”.

It definitely draws one thing from its predecessors though, and that is the reader having to wait until the last 100 pages for a plot to appear. We saw this in “Twilight”, but the 400 pages of Bella and Edward falling in love was totally worth only the last fifth of the book being about the nomads. (Besides, there were two more books after that to finish off their story). In “Breaking Dawn”, it takes until page 360 for anything exciting to occur, until page 543 for a plot to emerge, and until page 679 for the battle scene that never actually happens. Oh, and then they live happily ever after.

With “Twilight”, I didn’t realize I was almost done with the book and nothing had happened because I cared. Bella and Edward? Amazing! Their chemistry and their passion and their confusion… I gobbled it up. Obviously. The biggest problem with “Breaking Dawn” is how hard it was to care about the characters that we all fell in love with.

The first and foremost (and previously mentioned) reason is that Bella is no longer a relatable character. She is 18 and she gets married. And then has a baby. And then becomes a vampire. I am 19. I am not married, nor pregnant, nor a vampire.

Therefore, I cannot empathize with Bella in Book 2 of “Breaking Dawn” (from Jacob’s perspective) when we watch Bella slowly killing herself while everyone sits around and watches her be a stubborn idiot. There are literally 200 pages of this! Bella has made decisions in previous installments that are hard to wrap the mind around, but at least then the story is from Bella’s perspective so the reader is slightly biased. But having to watch Bella make more seemingly stupid decisions from someone (Jacob) who sees them also as being stupid decisions… let’s just say I know quite a few people who put the book down then.

The driving force behind the success of the Twilight series is the relationship between Bella and Edward. It is beautiful – perfect in its imperfections. “Breaking Dawn” should have been the culmination of these feelings, but it wasn’t; its second big mistake. Here was Meyer’s perfect opportunity to have everything be perfect. We have a wedding, a honeymoon, and a baby.

The wedding was cute, but didn’t have much depth. There is some sign of the undeniable happiness between Edward and Bella as they both got the unbreakable union they so deeply craved for but it still felt like it was lacking. It seemed like Meyer was just racing through it until she could get to…

The honeymoon started off perfect. Bella and Edward, for lack of a better term, did it. Finally. But, of course, there is a problem. Although the passion is of course, breathtaking, Edwards, um, strength, leaves bruises all over Bella, which ruins his mood and makes him the emo-for-a-lame-reason-Edward that we have all learned to love. But even the honeymoon zips by as…

Bella discovers she is pregnant!

And then it’s Jacob being miserable, watching Bella make stupid decisions. This has been mentioned above, and then (we are half way through the book now), Jacob imprints and Bella has her baby/becomes a vampire.

Bella becoming a vampire was the surprising high point of the novel. She seems to be meant to be a vampire, which sort of explains why she has always been on the ‘AM’ frequency. And, luckily for us all, her desire for Edward is greater than before, so we get treated to a few steamy scenes that had been missing during the first half of the novel. They still felt a little lackluster, though; Bella didn’t faint.

Oh, and her baby is adorable, but that’s for you the reader to discover.

The connection between Edward and Bella has always been deep; so deep, in fact, that the reader can feel its pulsing life throughout the entirety of the novels. “Breaking Dawn” suffered from the same affliction its heroine did: blood no longer pulses through its veins.

Another let-down is the hype of Team Edward versus Team Jacob. There was no fight. Jacob imprinted (which we all knew had to happen regardless), but then it was like poof – there was never another mention of Jacob’s two-and-a-half-books long unquenchable and unchangeable love for Bella. Come on, Stephenie Meyer.

Finally a plot emerges involving the only sort-of enemies from the previous two (ignored) books, the Volturi. There is way too much about vampires here, and in some parts I felt I was reading an Ann Rice fiction novel instead of one of Stephenie Meyer’s fluffy young adult romances. Things get interesting for a bit, and then “Breaking Dawn” ends the way it had to. Happily.

Part of the problem is that Meyer seems to have had a switch in focus as to who her favorite person is, much like Bella does. It’s no longer all about how perfect Edward is, but rather how amazing Bella and Edward’s daughter, Renesmee, is. It can only be assumed that the implied sequels-from-other-perspectives (excluding “Midnight Sun”, which is “Twilight” from Edward’s perspective) will be about her. There was way too much set up about her future to be ignored.

I too was convinced that Bella and Edward’s story is old news. The problem was, I was convinced that a little more than half way through “Breaking Dawn”. This was supposed to be their grand, final chapter, but if anything it was the worst of the entire series.

The amount of a letdown that “Breaking Dawn” was slightly overshadowed the fact that there were good parts to the book as well. Bella and Edward finally can be happy together. The angst is over. The love is complete. That was heart-warming.

And “Breaking Dawn” was a good book, it’s just that something better was expected. Something amazing. Something that took my breath away.

In the end, “Breaking Dawn” felt kind of like a muffin bottom. You don’t really want to eat it because you know it doesn’t taste as good as the muffin top, but you know if you don’t just finish it you’re going to stay hungry for a long, long time.

About The Author

Terri Schwartz was a Blast Contributing Editor from 2008-2009.

84 Responses

  1. Terri Schwartz

    It kind of broke my heart to post this review. I really really REALLY wanted this series to be amazing :(. I think I’m going to go reread Twilight now…

    Reply
  2. Raquel

    Breaking Dawn was the worst book I have ever read. If I wanted to read somthing like that, I would have read a fan-fiction.

    I also think that this is not Stephenie’s fault. Fans put a lot of pressure on her to “get it right”. She wrote a book before New Moon and Eclipse as a sequel to Twilight, called Forever Dawn. It had content that was too mature for young adult readers, so she did’nt want to publish it.

    Breaking Dawn was a huge dissapointment, but it was our choice to read it. We can’t rally outside the publishing office because we all want a refund. I just hope Midnight Sun is much better.

    Reply
  3. Terri Schwartz

    Cheers :). I’m personally looking forward to the undoubted upcoming sequels about Jacob and Renesmee. But you’re right! It did kind of have a fan-fictiony feel to it.

    Reply
  4. Sarah

    yeah i agree. i really expected something much much more. the book just didn’t have the same feel as the others. and im in love with bella and edwards story. i wanted it all about them. it wasn’t a terrible book, but definitely not the best ever, nor as amazing as i thought it would be.

    Reply
  5. Brooke

    I agree that Breaking Dawn is not the best book in the Twilight Saga. However, I think we readers have a tendency to put too much emphasis on wanting to be satisfied, on wanting the author to deliver a “perfect” ending to a series. I personally love the twists Meyer offers in this book. She adds yet another layer of life and love. Renesmee seems an appropriate outward symbol for or manifestation of Bella’s and Edward’s love. While there was a grand build up to a fight that never happens, the same tension felt in the other books is still present in the this one. I love that Meyer remained true to the characters’ established personalities and tendencies, excepting Jacob of course. How could he not imprint on Bella’s daughter?? What a perfect balance of the triangle!! Enjoy this book for what it is, and remember to be thankful for creative genius!!

    Reply
  6. julz

    I thought Breaking Dawn was a really good read. I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy reading Jacob’s persepective. We all knew he was going to imprint on someone else and we expected that his love for Bella would be different. As for the honeymoon scenes “lacking”, I would ask the author of this article consider that this series was intended for a teen audience. How graphic did you expect her to get? Breaking Dawn left me wanting for more.

    Reply
  7. Marie

    i felt a little sad when i fished “Breaking Dawn” i was expecting it to be a fulfilling ending one that when the book was done i wouldn’t feel like something was missing. it felt like she crammed way too many things in this one book it was just written weird the main plot was way to close to the end of the book and then it ended too quickly. im still hoping that maybe she will make a new series about jacob and renesmee i think it would be nice to have renesmee as the narrator and get a closer look into her thoughts.

    Reply
  8. Mallory

    I have enjoyed each book very much. I understand where everyone is coming from, especially how Breaking Dawn is almost like fan fiction, but I think that might have been because of how much us fans wanted this book and we pressured Stephanie Meyer. But no matter what others are thinking, I still enjoyed the book very much- I was so excited when I was done and that I finally found out what was going to happen between Bella and Edward. The only thing I would have liked (if this was to be the VERY last book of the saga, besides Edwards pov) would maybe be a more elaborate ending that really tells us what happens to them further down the road.

    Reply
  9. Chloe Cullen

    The Twilight Saga is amazing, and Breaking Dawn was too.. just… LESS amazing than the previous three books. What I was the most disappointed about was the lack of the ROMANCE that made us fall in love with Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse… There was more intense romance, sure, but I miss the detail and the heart-breaking perfection of Edward and Bella’s relationship. Also, Edward was less central, which was upsetting because we all love Edward :). But I still liked Breaking Dawn… It’s just definitely not my favorite out of the four.

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  10. Kathryn Cullen

    I thought the book was good, and it could of been absolutely wonderful if there just wasn’t as much hype. It was so built up in everyone minds, so much so that it would have been virtually impossible to make it live up to those expectations. Some things could have been done better but other parts were wonderful writing. I think Stephenie did a great job for the amount of pressure that was put on her.

    Reply
  11. Torie

    Yes, at the beginning of the book, it did have a fan fictionony feel. But it got better. And for those of you who wanted a huge, bloody fight between Edward and Jacob, you have to remeber that these books are about BELLA. She would never completely forgive any of them for it, and it would be a sad way to finish one of them off. As for the huge battle scene at the end of the book, there was an interview from Stephenie her self saying a few things. The first one was, was that little brown actually asked her to lower the violence in the novel, and yes that was exactly what we wanted. To see our favorite characters in action, but had there been a battle scene, there would have been an age limit to the books. !6,17, and up. And without it, she still wanted a limit. In another interview, she said that she knew exactly who had to die in the battle, in other words, we would see a lot of the characters we love, die. She didn’t want that, so she cut it short. Got it? It was the end of another great series, she can’t satisfy everyone. And it has to be done a certain way. She wanted the characters happy, and they are. Enjoy the fact that she could even give us a novel so quickly.

    Reply
  12. Beatriz

    Please excuse my English but I want to say this…I loved Breaking Dawn. I have to admit it was nothing like what I was expecting, but you have to understand that SM is the writer not us. She is the one creating the world and she can take the story where she wants.
    I did love the story, I never expected Edward and Bella to have a child… but can understand the focus to change from Bella to the baby. Unless you have had a child yourself and have some maturity and actually mothered a child, you cannot be expected to relate and maybe that is the biggest problem. Maybe that’s where SM is having issues with some of her fans. Some of the Teen fans (not all of course) can’t see past the all fun High School, Friends setting and try to place Bella in a more adult setting. Maybe?

    SM had Bella and Edward get married in this book, therefore she had to add some life experiences and what a better way to do it than with a child.
    I don’t understand what the big deal is??? and why so many people are having such childish fits! It was a different book, I’ll give you that. But, it was great! Different is not always bad. Need to get used to changes in life.
    The other thing that blows my mind is and I’m not talking about you necessarily… the people having such fits over BD and burning books, etc. They call themselves Twilight Fans and Stephenie Meyer Fans??? What loyalty they have! SM does one thing they don’t like and its to return books, burn books, write bad reviews… with fans like that who needs enemies!!!!! way to be faithful fans guys!!!!! Way to stick together and support the woman. Just saying…. How embarrassing to show this ugly side of our hearts to the world. Lets just keep trashing the woman and her work!

    Reply
  13. hannah

    this is exactly the way i felt about breaking dawn. its like you took the words out of my mouth,except there is no way i could have articulated the way i felt so well! im glad you wrote this. i definately am glad i read the book, but i wasnt satisfied. good job!!

    Reply
  14. Terri

    I don’t think that not liking one of Stephenie’s books or writing a bad review for it means that fans have turned their backs on her. Yes burning their books is a bit extreme, but fans can support their favorite authors by being critical as well. Sometimes a book or a movie or a CD can really be bad and, while everything else is great, it is just as bad to blindly love something for what it is instead of seeing it truthfully. Some people liked Breaking Dawn, some people didn’t. I love Stephenie Meyer, I just did not like this book.

    Reply
  15. Bagels

    From everything I’ve read concerning Stephenie Meyer, she’s made it very apparent that she didn’t write these books for anyone but herself. SHE finished Breaking Dawn the way SHE wanted it to end. If you didn’t like the book, don’t complain. It wasn’t written for you.

    Reply
  16. Talene

    Fist off I would like to say that I am a Stephenie Meyer fan. I love Twilight and the series but I also love Stephenie and the work that she has done ( like the Host) I understand that many people don’t get Breaking Dawn and that is fine, but it is not ok to bash Stephenie because you didn’t get the book that you wanted. When you start to write books you can have what ever ending you want but this was Stephenie’s books, her dream, her rules. I really can’t stand it when peopel start making naste comments about her as an author. It is disrespectful, if you don’t like it fine…but explain why in a way that is respectful to Stephenie as and auther and remember that if is wasn’t for her you would have the other books in the series.

    Now I love this book, I thought it was a great way to end the series and to start a vampire series with Nessie ( if she decides to do that. I think many people are expecting to see the same Bella and Edward and we all knew that wasn’t going to happen. We all knew that Bella was going to get turned into a vampire and once that happen things were going to change. I think if you look at Breaking Dawn for what it is you’ll see that it really isn’t that bad. There are still a lot of things that you can relate to . Like love of family and friends, trust. Isn’t that something. I’m not here to try and change anyones mind or say that they are wrong because ever one is intitled to their thouoghts, but the book isn’t all bad there are some good parts to it. (and I’m not just saying that because I like the book)

    It is alway esaier to put something down when you don’t like it, but notice the good as well. Stephenie is a great writer and I think she ended this saga the way she saw it in her head.

    Reply
  17. Rebecca

    I really enjoyed BD, mainly because I felt that it was the culmination of Bella’s character. Rather than focusing on the relationship between her and Edward, SM really explored more of who Bella is. I did not expect her to have a child either, but what better way for both Edward and Jacob to AGREE that Bella should become a vampire. Jacob and Bella were a good match, but Bella and Edward were the perfect match. I love how SM shows that what is perfect for Jacob was still a part of Bella. She is too self-sacrificing to have had a healthy relationship with Jacob. Which is obvious in Eclipse, when Jacob tries to manipulate Bella into choosing him. I didn’t like the part from Jacob’s perspective, just because I like Bella’s voice better. Jacob is WAY too emotional teen boy for me.

    Although I may have extended or shortened some things, I think that SM did a wonderful job of trying to make EVERYONE happy.

    Reply
  18. Vulpini

    I disagree heavily with this article…and calling Bella an idiot for choosing to save Renesmee, was really harsh. Real Women make the choice for their kids over their own every day, and many of them actually live through it.

    I think the author of this article doesn’t really understand the concept of “growing up and maturing” As these characters did.

    When people get married, and have a kid this changes them. It’s called responsibility. I’m not married, nor do I have kids, nor am I a vampire. But I saw the beauty in this book. Edward and Bella confirmed their “love” and brought a child into this world. However unplanned she is. Some people say that Children are the very evidence of love and that’s exactly what Renesmee is…

    Of course Bella’s focus would change from her and Edward to Her, Edward and Renesmee. That’s what moms do, from what I’ve been told. They put their children’s lives above their own…and that’s pretty much what this book was about. Renesmee’s life was in danger, and so was the rest of the Cullens…

    But I actually felt that Bella and Edward’s relationship was STRONGER than ever before…they had something they both wanted to protect… and they were wililng to DIE for her. We didn’t need those gushy scenes anymore…our favorite vampire/now-vampire couple MATURED. And I was GLAD for that.

    I also think the author overlooks who Bella IS as a character. I’ve read countless reviews about how she seemed different…and i have to ask, “how?” In the past three books, we’ve seen a very SELFLESS Bella. A girl who is willing to risk her life to save those she loves. In New Moon it was facing the Volturi, and in Eclipse, she was willing to slice herself open to distract Victoria…

    How is doing what she did in this book ANY different, or any less meaningful than those acts? She would risk her life to have Renesmee, and I think that’s very true to her.

    As for the Jacob Imprinting and suddenly things were different thing…has it ever occurred to the author that the very reason that Jake felt attracted to Bella in the first place was BECAUSE of Renesmee? That he knew all along that something would happen that would keep Jacob and Bella close?

    Because when Renesmee was born, the feelings between the two of them basically vanished… Which I thought was pretty interesting. I’m not saying I’m RIGHT but its what I observed…

    As for the “lack of plot” Um…what? There was plenty of plot…so much so I felt a bit bombarded… I nearly cried when Bella was willing to give Renesmee to Jacob so she could live…that was so touching!

    I LOVED the Ending… the Volturi scene was great. It wasn’t an epic bloody battle scene but it was better than that. A TRIAL. A Battle of Wits…(which is kind of what the cover illustrates). This scene was intense…and I thought it was really stressful…

    The Last two pages sealed the entire series for me. I loved it…I cried it was beautiful.

    I’m sorry the author of this review didn’t enjoy this book, perhaps if they would just trust the author instead of relying on predictions and theories the book would have been better for them.

    I was not let down. The only reason my heart breaks is because the series is over…

    Reply
  19. Cassie

    Personally, I think the book was great. You have to consider that it was a little less action packed because Stephenie didn’t want to kill of any main characters–likewise none of us wanted anyone big to die, admit it. Had there been a big fight, she would have had no choice and I’m still bitter about HP7 in which JK took out half of the characters. I mean, sure the book might have been more exciting but it’s the grand finale of a love story not the grand finale of an action novel.

    I felt very satisfied and though Bella got married and had a kid at a young age, I still relate to her and I’m 23. All girls want a happily every after, and I think BD was going to be exactly that–a book isn’t good or bad based on the destruction, it’s based the satisfaction with the resolution and I think anything other then the happily ever after would have been inappropriate.

    The whole Jacob thing has left less closure I agree, but I am more excited to read about Jacob and Renesmee then I ever was to read about him and Bella–Team Edward obviously.

    I found BD to be a page turner that made me anxious, happy, sad, nervous, scared, and satisfied. A pefect ending to the imperfect gravity of Bella and Edwards romance.

    Reply
  20. Isa

    I have to agree with you Talene. I understand that some people don’t get Breaking Dawn, but that doesn’t mean they have to trash the book or bash Stephenie Meyer. I also Agree with Beatriz, I think its crazy to burn your books just because BD didn’t go the way you wanted it to. SM has made it very clear that she writes stories for herself, not for the money, not for anything else. She loves to write and falls in love with her characters. I love her and I love her attitude. I think she did a wonderful job with Breaking Dawn. There was so much hype put on that book and all with all that fan expectation, that I think we all had our own ideas of how it was going to end. There was no way she was going to make all of us happy. Somebody was going to be disappointed (Thank God it wasn’t me!!! JK) I just hope we can all unite and put all this silly stuff behind us. I hope we can support the actors what have worked so hard on the Twilight movie. We should unite and support Rob, Kristen, etc and make sure the movie is a great success! We Twilight fans can unit and be a strong community, just like the HP fans are. The HP fans are an inspiration to us or should be. Ok, ok…. I’m off the podium now…. sorry… I just want us to work together and kick some a** 8 – )

    Reply
  21. Jill

    I’m not usually one to comment on things like this, but i loved breaking dawn. I guess I might be a sucker for happy endings, but to me, since this book was the end of the series, each character’s story was given the proper ending… a happy ending. I, like most of you, fell in love with edward and bella’s romance. It’s the kind of love story everyone dreams of. In my mind, it is only logical for them to be married and have a child. And OF COURSE jacob would imprint on renesmee… I though that was genius. Now they could all be together without jacob and edward fighting over bella all the time. The only thing I could wish for is for SM to write more about edward and bella… possibly another book (wishful thinking!). I thought this was a great book with a beautiful ending. It had great twists and turns, and it kept me wanting more (which is all we can really ask for from a book isn’t it?). I support SM, I will buy more of her books, and I will see the movie. I was very pleased with the book and the outcome that she gave us. I think it was beautiful, and a job well done!

    Reply
  22. Kerry

    I didn’t hate Breaking Dawn, but I was very disappointed. I missed the wonderful characters I came to know in Twilight. They mostly turned into cardboard cutouts only there to drive the plot. I did not care for the plot twists….I thought it jumped the shark–deus ex machina. I am glad that Bella and Edward are happy together at last, and I’m going to blow off all the other stuff.

    Reply
  23. Ashley Slone

    I just want to say that I LOVED the way Breaking Dawn was written and how it ended. I was actually hoping throughout the entire series that they could somehow have a baby together. I think everyone has to understand that the whole series is fictional. There are no such things as vampires, so the fact that this book seemed a little more unbelievable is okay with me. I think the fact that Bella chose to save her baby was showing another kind of love. We all know Stephenie is a big fan of the different types of love. She talks about the love of her best friend, Jacob, her love for her mother and father, her love for the Cullens, who are also her family now, her amazing love for Edward, and now the motherly love for her child. I thought it was beautiful. I think it showed a mature side of her. Stephenie wrote an amazing book, in my opinion, that she is extremely happy with, so I think we should let her enjoy it instead of tearing her apart by our harsh words. Good job, Stephenie!!

    Reply
  24. Lil

    Well, I loved Breaking Dawn. The emotions are so deep and sometimes some people could never imagine those emotions as it was not up to their stakes yet. I put it like this for Bella’s ‘foolishness’… “I have a baby with the man I love and that man is my life. The pulse of the baby was his and mine and that is the most extraordinary gift God could give in our cursed life.” Plus it was magical that a mother could connect to her baby even the baby is still inside the womb. Also, the story is about a girl who falls in love with a vampire, a girl who be friends with a werewolf and a girl who picks the chance to be immortal. The whole Saga is about Bella so I don’t see Breaking Dawn being any unrelated towards the other 3 books. Book 2 in Jacob’s POV somehow made me feel Meyer is hinting that Renesmee’s story will be written in distant timing. With Edward’s words on Nahuel’s way in looking at Bella, a lot of stories could be built and the similar immortal he is with Renesmee, somehow we might get a Team Jacob vs Team Nahuel! Haha…

    Reply
  25. Bex

    i enjoyed BD for the plot and character development, but yet at the end was left feeling unfulfulled. i wanted to know so much more – where the Cullen family go next, how Bella fits into the whole high school charade, things like that which are not neccessarily the most intersting things to have a book abut, but still things i want to know. i can’t wait to see if SM does actually write about Renesme and Jacob, because i thinnk that the two of them were so sweet. everytime i read the scene where bella gives Renesme to jacob and everyone says goodbye it makes me cry. i think that that is an acheivemnt, considering the fact that i know that it is going to turn out alright. i guess i’ll just have to wait and see what other books SM comes up with, and see if that gives me some closure….

    Reply
  26. Isobel

    This is a perfect review and exactly how i felt (except of course you can express yourself much better than me with my flailign arms and my “but..and then.. eeeee”).

    it’s a love-hate thing, and your ending was excellent! but i especially like how you aren’t bashing the book, whilst you’re still pointing out how -even though its everything the fans asked for- it’s lacking.

    oh and the focus shift from B&E to Renesme is so true! i didn’t realise that before you pointed it out, but now i don’t see how i could have missed that. *sigh*

    and so a little piece of me died with breaking dawn.. which i had expected, but for the ending of the series not for the disapointment which i can’t bring myself to face.

    (p.s. i also had to re-read twilight after BD just to get back into the B&E feelings and emotions and story. It’s too sad to be parted from)

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  27. Raven

    I absolutely agree with Brooke. Breaking Dawn wasn’t the best of the series, I’ll admit. Nevertheless it provided the perfect ending (I can’t get over the last sentence; it’s one of the most perfect ending I’ve ever read) to the saga and Meyer stayed true to the character. Although I have to agree, Jacob’s sudden lack of interest in Bella (romantically speaking, that is) was a little disappointing.

    But as long as Edward and Bella have each other, nothing else should matter. They’ve got forever, and that means the endless potential for something new to happen.

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  28. Raven

    To: Ashley Slone

    A very interesting take. You made a very strong thesis. It’s true that Bella is in so many ways more mature than the average 18-yr-old. Her capacity to love is incredible. Meyer has created such multifaceted characters it’s amazing.

    TEAM STEPHENIE 🙂

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  29. AtlantaFan

    BD did feel different than the other books, I agree. However, life is about growth and change and eventually focusing less on yourself and more on others. As a 30-something mother of three (like Stephenie), I completely understood and was totally along for the ride. Life is like that for so many people, you meet someone, fall in love, have children and weather the storms along the way. I cried when Bella thought she’d have to leave Renesmee with Jacob forever and was mentally and physically preparing to do so. That was the most intense part of the book for me. She really captured well what it means to love your child so much that you would do anything within your power to protect them. Thanks, Stephenie, for a great ending to a phenomenal series of books. I will cherish them always and keep them for my daughter to read someday.

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  30. Char

    I thought Breaking Dawn was pretty awesome. All the tension on the island just showed how deeply Edward cares about Bella. And its true that SM doesn’t use suspense the same way JK Rowling does, but just because she has a different style doesn’t mean she isn’t as good a writer. Instead of having one main conflict, she had a whole bunch of different ones that are developed as the story moves along, although its true that, as in her other books, the main plot doesn’t come out until the end. I think this one was every bit as good as twilight, maybe better, but I can’t wait till midnight sun. Everything I can get my hands on about Bella and Edward, or Jake and Nessie, for that matter, will be worth it. This was an awsome ending to a great saga. I think I’ve read it about 6 or 7 times by now. Keep writing Stephenie Meyer!

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  31. Claire

    Okay…I loved Breaking Dawn…but some problems are:

    -After New Moon, Bella just stops being “dazzled” by Edward. I mean, admit it, now her heart only races when she kisses him or sleeps with him, not when she just looks at him.
    -Stephenie caved to her audience in Breaking Dawn. The last half of the book sounded kinda like bad fan fiction, but I have heard Stephenie’s side of the story in interviews, so I don’t blame her and I understand her a little better and why she did what she did for the book.
    -It’s true…Edward becomes less central, which…sucks. I mean, I knew before the book Bella was going to get pregnant. Well, I didn’t know, i just expected. It was just something Stephenie would do…I have reread her books over and over again that i realized she would do something to take us by surprise…why not make Bella pregnant? I thought. Then, boom! somewhere around the end of book 1, Bella’s pregnant.
    -That is a good point. I was thinking about that too–that there is no more Team Edward vs. Team Jacob. Jacob just…stops. That kind of wrecks it. And it’s no more vampire vs. werewolf–Edward and Jacob are now best buddies. It’s no longer Edward and Jacob, both loving Bella and Bella loving both.
    -I agree that Bella is less relatable when she becomes immortal. But I understand Steph’s motives. I mean, come on, some of you guys are griping about how Bella became a vampire, but you would definitely be pissed if she stayed mortal. I’m kind of torn. The treasure of the books was mortal vs. immortal, having a relationship. Bella was klutzy and imperfect, while Edward was godlike and…perfect. Now that Bella’s perfect, it’s kinda like…whoop de doo. Same level, you know. But then again, I would be mad if Bella stayed mortal. So I’m still deciding my motives.

    Anyway, I LOVE Twilight with a burning passion. It is the greatest book series of our decade! Sorry, Harry, step aside (I never liked HP anyway).

    WOOT! GO TWILIGHT!!!!! <3

    P.S. ….I’m on Team Edward. 😉

    Reply
  32. Tina

    My first thought is to compliment S. Meyer on her success. Without her creative insight there wouldn’t be any “Twilighters”. She began writing for fun. Creating her own fantasy world based upon her love of reading. She knew from the beginning how the story would end. She took me and millions of others on a fantastic journey. Page by page taking us deeper into her world. In my opinion, every artist gives a small piece of themselves into their finished work.

    Overalll, I enjoyed the book and always suspected a happy ending for the series. Yet, felt a little let down by the Wedding and Honeymoon Chapters. Wish more description was given about the Wedding and the preparations . Meyer’s always claims to be more of a girlie/girl and this would’ve been fun to read. It took thrree novels to build up to the Romantic climax. I realize that this series is aimed for young adults. Honestly, there is a way to write about sex in a sensual way & she did it later on in the book. Even a few more sentences about the 1st Night would’ve satisfied me. Whatever happened to Bella’s seductive side???

    Meyer leaves this piece of herself with the reader. How a woman’s life changes after she becomes pregnant and becomes a Mother. Priorities change and there is no greater love than between the parental/child bond. it’s unconditional. Bella becomes more resposible, even though she’s a New Vampire and a Newlywed…

    I actually lliked reading about the diff. Vampires and their gifts. Bella’s training was interesting. There was a build-up of a huge fight/massacre with the Votturi. Finally, Bella stepped into the Center of attention and saves everyone. Kind of a full circle for her and the series. Thanks, Stephenie for all the enjoyable hrs of reading into the night. Eyes Blurred, saying to myself, “OK just one more chapter.”

    Reply
  33. Lindsey F

    I’m sorry you feel that way, but I do believe that many of your points for this article are, well, frankly, wrong. Yes, some of your points have merit, but just not enough for me to like this article. Nor I’ll be the first to admit, that the first section of this book still includes that strong connection between Bella and Edward that seems to pulse from the pages and straight to the readers heart. However in book two and three we the reader don’t quite see that connection. We see it from Edward in book 2, where he becomes the burning man, because his true love is dying and there is nothing he can do to stop it. But in book 3 that connection is gone.
    All of that aside, I still felt that this was a wonderful book. An for many reasons! First, I’m glad that Bella gets pregnant. Scratch that, I’m completely floored that Bella gets pregnant. She made the choice to give up any and all possibility to have children when she choose Edward and the immortal life she would live with him. She was prepared to suffer the loss she would someday feel, when she wished that she were able to have a child. Well, surprise surprise, she has a child and I think it is simply wonderful. Now, while Bella’s focus in most of book 3 is on Renesmee, I still believe that having a child really strengthened Bella and Edward’s relationship. I’m very happy that there wasn’t much mention of the other Forks humans, this story isn’t about their companionship with Bella, it’s about the love between a lion and a lamb. The book is quite amazing and I love it. I really think that the plot begins right when they get married, because Stephenie is a religious woman, and I therefore think that she has similar beliefs to me, and those beliefs include the idea that sex before marriage is wrong. Having the baby really adds to the plot line as well, because this angers the Volturi and therein lies the final conflict. Almost every single Twilighter hoped that Bella and Edward would get married, have sex, and Bella would be changed into a vampire and they would live happily ever after forever and forever. Well, those things do happen, there is just some extra events happening along side those. You state that you were bored and annoyed by Bella in book 2, because she is just so stubborn and refuses to listen to reason. Well, Bella says in Twilight that she always had trouble making decisions, but once the decision was made, she had no problem following through. She would never waiver on her choice. And I frankly say “More power to ya!” to Bella, because she won’t let other people force her to make a decision she doesn’t want to make.
    I truly loved this book. All the loose ends were tied up and put away neatly. And I state once again, that I believe your negative reviews about this book are simply to judgmental.
    We don’t pass negative judgments on Socrates works or Michael Angelo’s painting. (I know it’s a large stretch to compare Stephenie Meyer with Socrates or Angelo, but the point remains)

    Reply
  34. Hanna

    Sorry about all of you who are dissapppointed of Breaking Dawn, but I have to say that I really Really loved it. It was just exactly how I thought it would be. I wrote once down what I expected to happen in breaking dawn and it was just exactly this way. Only that the book was even better than I would have imagined. Many thanks to SM for writing this Novel and I hope she will continue with more storys about Jacob and Renesmee.

    Reply
  35. Krystal

    I’m sure no one will be reading this far down in the replies, but I wanted to say that maybe it’s a good thing the book ended the way it did. After reading “Twilight” I was almost manic about the story and HAD to get my hands on the next book. The same thing happened after “New Moon” and “Eclipse”. By the time “Breaking Dawn” came out I was ready to read it and be finished with the insanity. It was a relief to have an ending that broke the obsession over their love story. What disappoints people is the maturing of their relationship. Of course they had to move beyond the psychotic intensity they had at the beginning. That’s only realistic. What fans can’t seem to appreciate is the deeper relationship that comes through time. Maybe Bella doesn’t faint any longer at his kisses, but she knows him inside and out. They are closer than they have ever been and that truly is better than a lustful, surface-level relationship.
    Stephenie Meyer wrote a book that was better suited for adult fiction because her characters finally grew up. That may disappoint her legions of teen fans, but it was the right ending for the story.

    Reply
  36. :D

    i loved it.
    I’ll admit at first i was like…”whoa. wtf.”

    but, once i read what SM had to say about Breaking Dawn in this one interview. I understood. I read it again. and I totally loved it. 😀

    Reply
  37. Jess

    I think you got it right( save for saying Edward was emo for no reason). The book was kind of disappointing, but i liked it for what it was. I didn’t really judge it because I knew it was what we got and there was no other ending to it.
    Though I loved the part where he read her mind. That was so cool.

    In short, I liked it but not loved it. You got it right. Nice Job!

    Reply
  38. Jenine

    uhm,

    I think stephanie wrote her books for herself so that she(emphasis on the she) could enjoy them. I think somewere along the way in writing ‘breaking Dawn’ she got sidetracked with what we wanted as her fans and not what she wanted as an author just writing for herslef.

    And personaly, I do a lot of writing and i find it painful to kill or hurt one of the charcters or kill a certin emotion such as love.

    I did want to see jaccob and edward do a little more conflict……….

    But if she continues with Jacobs percepective, when Rennessme is ‘fully grown’, (although technically she’ll be about 7 years old, lol) I would really like to see how Edward takes having to listen to Jacobs thoughts about the person he has imprinted on and probably very very pleasing to eye, i bet there will be conflicts..Bella would be kinds OK with it because she symothizes with Jacob

    Reply
  39. Amy

    “stubborn idiot?” That is harsh. I know you said you are 19 and you can’t relate to this book, I don’t think your comment has so much to do with age, my daughter gets it and she is 13. When a woman takes on that responsibility and puts her life behind the one she carries why is she an idiot? It takes A LOT of strength and courage to do what she did. I LOVE THIS BOOK. It was at a different level than the other books, more mature, Bella matures too. SM was brilliant in the way she wrote the wedding, pregnancy, emergency birth, and mother child bond. I have always told my daughter, from the time she was in my womb, “I love you more than life.” I cried when I read what the locket said. i cried quite a bit reading this book. It was a wonderful seal to a beautiful series. I like the way my daughter put it….

    Twilight, I was Team Edward
    New Moon, I was Team Jacob
    Eclipse, I was Team Switzerland
    Breaking Dawn, I am Team Renesmee!

    Reply
  40. Daisy

    I’m sorry you feel that way, because I loved it. I do agree that Twilight is always going to be my favorite book in the Twilight saga, but I think Breaking Dawn was amazing. As for the ”stupid” decisions , as you put it, I really don’t see any stupid decisions at all. Deciding to have the baby even if it killed her, (which didn’t, that only led to what we were all waiting for: for Bella to become a vampire) was based on her motherly love. That baby, this might sound cheesy, was the result of Bella and Edward’s deep love.
    Again, this is not my favorite book in the Twilight saga, but it was definately breathtaking. 😀

    Reply
  41. faty

    i´ve read Breaking dawn twice, the first i was so desperate to finishit that i had to readit again, and i loveit, really, its true it feels like something is missing, but in the end i want more from BELLA yes, i just said it, thanks. im huge fan of SM, and i hope she continues writing, it can be anyones story, i still want to readit.
    please dont be so negative its good being demanding but in the end all we need is a book that takes you away in any way, this it didit for me,,,, my favorite part was when she discover her gift, that shes the one with more power and tha shes enyoing usingit

    Reply
  42. Heather

    “Therefore, I cannot empathize with Bella in Book 2 of ‘Breaking Dawn’ (from Jacob’s perspective) when we watch Bella slowly killing herself while everyone sits around and watches her be a stubborn idiot… But having to watch Bella make more seemingly stupid decisions from someone (Jacob) who sees them also as being stupid decisions…”

    I am one of the people who had to (temporarily) put the book down at this point because their enabling of her codependency was sickening (literally and figuratively). I ended up finishing the book because I have an obsession with not being able to leave a book half-way read.

    I started to get a little hyped-up again about 75% of the way through the book with all the practice and what-not when it seemed like we were heading for a royal vampire smack-down, but Stephenie Meyer failed to deliver. She used Breaking Dawn as a device to fuel future spin-offs. I assumed they’d be about Jacob, Leah, and Seth (characters that she developed and did crap with in this novel), but I can totally see the Nessie series. Luckily, I’ll be going into that with my eyes wide open and won’t be duped into reading them (the way I assumed I’d love Breaking Dawn because it was part of the series I loved so much).

    I do think that I’ll pick up Midnight Sun (because Edward’s POV should be really interesting and I already know where the story’s going), however, I no longer feel compelled to get caught up in the Twilight hysteria of midnight releases, etc.

    Thanks for this good review.

    Reply
  43. Lauren

    You guys are jerks. It’s not your series, its Stephenie Meyer’s. Are any of you true fans at all? How dare you offend Stephenie’s writing just because she didn’t end the series the way that YOU wanted it to end! Newsflash, it’s not your series, it’s hers. We should be thanking her for even sharing her story with us, not complaining and acting like the book was horrible. I admit that when I first finished the book I was like “huh?” but I was sleep deprived, hungry and in the middle of a party. I quickly remembered that I could never write anything as good as that, and started loving it! Now to me, it is the best book in the series. If you were a fan at all, you would be rejoicing that the characters were ALIVE and WELL, even HAPPY, not thinking, “Oh, poor, poor me! Breaking Dawn didn’t end the way I wanted it to, BOO WHO!” How old are you? Two? Because the last time I checked Breaking Dawn and the entire Twilight Saga was for Young Adults, not whiney little toddlers. So, are you a true fan?

    Reply
  44. mike

    I think not, little girl.

    It’s not Stephanie Meyer’s book, it’s the property of every reader who pays money for a copy. It’s a little principal called the business-customer relationship. We pay and therefore we expect a quality product in return.

    The best part about that relationship? We have the right to complain when the business deosn’t deliver.

    But you might not know about that since you’re clearly about 11. I think you learn that in 6th grade.

    Reply
  45. Sara

    I thought the book was amazing. This book came from Stephenies imagination, so of course it will be a little biased. I don’t get why or how people can say how it doesn’t fit together or doesn’t make sense because it does perfectly. People say some books -asthis one, that “It is a horrible fantasy” okay….you are saying the book is a bad fantasy, think about whos fantasy is this, not yours it the writers. Stephenie to begin with wasnt writing this for the public but for her self, this was HER fantasy not yours, if YOU dont like it……WRITE YOUR OWN FREAKIN FANTASY, and i will tell you how “relevent” it is.

    Reply
  46. Centonous

    I was dissapointed with the lack of detail describing the wedding. AND THE LACK OF ROMANCE. I hope their will be a book of jake..and..the baby ! SM if you read this and deside to write one bout jake and the baby do it secretly so u dont get presured and people can be suprised and can be happy they got wat we all have been dieing for!

    Reply
  47. ~Valerija~

    i’m not a big twilight fan, but for god’s sake people. ..
    what you wanted is an erotic novel in which B&E go at it like bunnies. you wanted “Bella’s end” which means: EDWARD, EDWARD and more EDWARD.
    BUT, you’ve got “Edward’s end” – which means: FAMILY.

    and, what YOU wanted DOESN’T REALLY MATTER!
    because, in the end, this was STEPHENIES’ story to tell, not yours.

    Reply
  48. Yoanliz

    I just caught up the fan wave recently. People kept telling me to read the book ,but i wasnt sure i would enjoy it. Once I started I finished, all four books in 3 weeks. I have to say I think they were amazing. I was not at all disappointed with Breaking Dawn. I thought that she did a great job and yes maybe it had a couple of tedious pages here and there but nothing I couldnt handle. Truthfully I think that the last two books are my favorite. I loved that jacob and Edward didnt fight. I loved that there was a happy medium. I loved that there wasnt a big fight b/c i knew that would end in tragedy. I wanted exactly what she gave me. A fairy tale. And either way its like I’ve heard soem people say. Stephanie wrote the story the way it was intended, becasue it was her story. How could we make judgement on somethng that doesnt belong to us, when we were only so fortunate to have been able to at least exprience some of it.
    I loved it all.

    Reply
  49. vianess

    beatriz :up there!
    you just took the words out of my mouth!!!!!!!!
    im glad someone understands that different things are not bad!!!!
    i mean the way the book is written is totally different…… but it is also great!!! i loved it!!!!
    and i really understand people that just dont like it!! i mean i get it…. my best friend hates the book…..
    but…….. there is no excuse 4 people to say they are going to burn the book and those childish things.
    and i say it because i have watched people saying they are not going to watch twilight movie,, and are going to throw the 4 books because of this!!! what kind of attitude is that?????
    must of us are teenagers, lets grow up and stop saying stupid things!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dont you think the same???

    Reply
  50. Centonous

    Ok … i havent Quit read the Hole book so… that was kinda rude of me to judge the book so fast or at all. she gave us anothor great book! WHO are we to juge it…or her..just becuse our idea of how it should end did not turn out to meet our standerds does’nt make it right complaine and to be hatefull ! It is what it is. “Centonous”

    Reply
  51. LeeAnn Volle

    Am I the only one that wanted Bella to get with Jacob or what??? I haven’t been a fan for long. I have read all four books in about two weeks now. LOL I got on the band wagon late. I can’t wait for the movie to come out. But I really wanted her to end up with Jacob. I have no idea how the author would have pulled that one off?

    Reply
  52. Centonous

    Omg. . . I also was kinda hopen that Bella would end werewolf if posible! or end up with a werewolf Baby?…any who.. I think it would have given the story a cool twist!

    Reply
  53. Matylda

    I can’t agree anymore, but what I can’t seem to stand is the fans. You know, they keep making these blatant, childish excuses to make it seem like Breaking Dawn was actually a good book: “Oh well, its Stephanie Meyer’s book and she wrote it the way she wanted it so you should like it either way”, “It’s fiction, and because of this sometimes things in the storyline don’t make much sense”, “Stop over analyzing the books, you’re ruining it”, and last but not least: “If you are a true fan of the series, you’ll like the books no matter what.”

    Excuse me, but sense when does that make you a true fan? Liking the crap your favorite author spews out (Stephanie Meyer) doesn’t make you a true fan. Seriously, some of these ‘true fans’ wouldn’t know a real fan if they were smacked in the face.

    The book was horrible and just because YOU liked it doesn’t mean that everyone else is going to like it, regardless if they are a fan of the series or NOT.

    Many people ask anti-twilighters why we read the books if we don’t like them. Its mostly because fans ALSO spew this “You haven’t even read the books YET” crap in a form of a counter-argument to make us seem like horrible people. We read the books so we can keep up and catch up – and also talk about how horrible the series is in the first place.

    We have as much right to express our opinions on the books and I get really sick inside when Twilighters want to get butthurt about people not sharing the same views as them.

    Seriously, grow up. Maybe if YOU over analyze the series, you’ll see what the anti-fans of the Twilight series are always bickering about when they mention it as the most horrible piece of literature in the universe.

    This is coming from a 16 year old girl also. I feel like I’m the only teenager who doesn’t have a fanatic obsession of this story.

    Reply
  54. balbis

    VULPUNI you’re absolutely right!!!!…that is exactly what I think of the book!!!….great observations!!!…I knew I wasn’t the only one!!!!! jajaja

    Reply
  55. Sarah

    Matylda: I think you’re over reacting. Yes people can totally have their opinins, and if they hate the book thats totally fine and up to them. But its totally true that lots of people are just dissapointed because their expectations were way too high and they couldn’t handle that the book was different and they couldn’t handle the plot twists. This is fact okay. The reason BD fans are so annoyed is because so called twilight fans totally turned their backs on Stephenie and are insulting her work waay too harshly instead of being mature about it. I don’t mind this review because its mature. But some people are just being very hurtfull and its not fair to stephenie.

    At first I was dissapointed with Breaking Dawn, but thats only because i was expecting something totally different. After I got used to the the dissapointment and accepted the book for what it was, i realised its actually not bad at all.

    I thought Jake’s book 2 absolutley rocked! It was sooo good.
    The wedding and honeymoon were excellent too.

    Book 3 from Bella’s POV started off great but was mainly dissapointing, but Bella was MEANT to be different so i’m ok with it. I wish Rosalie had died but…oh well thats just me. Stephenie Meyer isn’t the kind of person who can kill characters left ,right and center, the same way JK Rowling does.

    Eclipse will always be my favourite, it was so dam good.

    But I’m ok with BD, people’s expectations were way too high and they expected every single page to be perfect so obviously a lot of people were gonna be dissapointed. The writing in Jake’s book was really really good. The writing in the other two books wasn’t great at all though, but hey at this point I don’t care. I just want Midnight Sun to come out!!

    Reply
  56. Sarah

    vianess:
    I totally agree, silly immature teens need to stop saying shitty things like “i’m burning the book” or “i’m not going to see the movie”
    That is absolutely pathetic and a really bad attitute to have.
    So what if the book is diffferent and not what we expected, that doesn’t make it bad. Stephenie completed the story, the way it was meant to be completed. Thats all that matters in the end.
    I’m not going to stop being her fan just because one book was a bit dissapointing and not what I was expecting, that would just be stupid. And i would certainley NEVER say hurtful things like that “epic fail” “i’m burning the book” etc…
    Whats the point in saying those things? It doesn’t help anyone, all it does it make fans angry. So what the hell is the point.

    Reply
  57. Chris

    Thanks for this review. You said a mouthful.

    There is a term in the industry that says authors must be willing to “kill off their darlings.” What that means it that you can’t write a book around a joke, or concept that no longer works. You have to let it go and develop the story that demands to be told – the character’s story – not the author’s.

    Meyer stated that she had so much editorial interference that she didn’t feel the first three books reflected her voice. And in light of Breaking Dawn, that is a good thing. Had BD been her second book, we wouldn’t be talking about her anymore.

    So if Breaking Dawn represents her true voice and writing style, then she’s finally revealed to be what we all suspected – an inexperienced author who got lucky.

    I like the first three, although BD has me going back and reevaluating their themes and character development (or lack of). But it has to be said – Breaking Dawn was a severe misstep that bore no resemblance to the series that spawned it and may have just spoiled the franchise.

    One will hope Midnight Sun will be released with the same “editorial intervention” as the first three books. That’s a book the fans deserve.

    Reply
  58. Susie Cullen

    I am a VERY HUGE Twilight fan, but personally I excepted more out of Breaking Dawn. It WAS an amazing book, but I have to admit, there were some flaws. Breaking Dawn went to fast in my opinion. Bella gets married, gets pregnant, AND becomes a vampire? I really excepted there to be another book following BD and putting everything more in detail and not too fast. I do appreciate the work and effort Stephenie did for these books, just disappointed by the last (somewhat). But, as Stephenie said “You have to understand, no matter what you do, people are going to be mad at you.”
    Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
    • NutsyK

      I totally agree with you Susie. I felt that she rushed over things too fast too. Like she was trying to wrap up 3 books in 1 or something. I actually quite liked Breaking dawn however I don’t think she spent enough time on Bella as a vampire. I think there really needed to be more insight into how Bella felt compared to her human self etc.

      Reply
  59. Monica

    I completely disagree with the article. I absolutely LOVED Breaking Dawn. I guess i missed all the hype because i didn’t experience the twilight saga until after breaking dawn came out. It was my sister who made me read twilight.. and i fell completely in love with it. I read all four books in a week. I guess i didn’t experience all the waiting and hype and excitement for breaking dawn. So i read the book without any expectations of how it should be. When we read the book in that way, we can’t get disappointed because we don’t have previously existing expectations. If you read the book like that, anyone would be crazy to say they disliked the book. It was absolutely amazing!!!!

    Reply
  60. omg

    what the hell is wrong with you ppl! it was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    you’re crazy if you say you disliked the book..its magical, heart-warming descriptiveness was so amazing. i wish i could write like that so i’d do well on reports(Whats the point of them anyways?!?)

    Reply
  61. Lauren

    Sadly, I have to agree with the fact that Breaking Dawn seemed to not go with the rest of the series. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a great book but it just felt off. Someone commented that everything seemed to move too fast and I also have to agree with that. Oh well, the Twilight series is still my favorite. But I’ll leave one last thought. I could not put down Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse, but when I read Breaking Dawn, I just kept putting it down. Meaning, I did not have the same drive to read it. It had nothing to do with the length because I’ve read waaaay longer books in one sitting than Breaking Dawn. Basically what it comes down to is that I was slightly bored by parts of Breaking Dawn, I felt there was a lot of filler that was not needed. I can’t wait for the movie to come out and Midnight Sun, but it was unfortunate that someone released the manuscript illegally. They ruined it for Twilight fans, but I’ll still be buying the book.

    Reply
  62. loolking for sissy aka centonous trion star walker this is georgetta your birth mother can you write me and your father back soon we miss love you dearly

    your family is looking for you we miss you sissy sizzor hands..

    Reply
  63. Charlotte

    Okay, I have to completely honest with you guys… I was very disappointed with Breaking Dawn. I mean, it’s an ending, which every series needs but, I didn’t really enjoy the book. I actually would of been fine if she ended with Eclipse rather than Breaking Dawn.

    First off, I did love the first 10 chapters or so (I love Bella at the honeymoon, she’s so cute xD) then, when I found out she got pregnant, that just ruined it for me. It really did. I remember Stephanie talking in a interview, saying, that Vampires can’t make babies since their…well, y’know, dead. So, when on the honeymoon, she got pregnant, I was about ready to put down the book and stop reading. It was like a itch that I couldn’t scratch.

    And as much as other people like Reneesme, I didn’t. I really wish she wasn’t made. I know that’s mean and cruel, but I just didn’t like her. She seemed too…unreal. And for all these books Stephanie has made, she’s made it a real-life experience. That’s why I’ve kept with Bella whining and taking Jacob AND Edward on a rollarcoaster ride of hell, I loved it that Bella was human.

    Now, on to my next subject. Her being a Vampire… Okay, never mind, I won’t bring it up ’cause I know it’s just going to be bad.

    But still, I just don’t like BD. Midnight Sun is a good book, but BD can’t hold a candle to all the other books.

    Thanks for reading :]

    Reply
  64. Moondanser83

    Personally I disagree with this review. I loved every part of this series, including Breaking Dawn. Yes I admit it was little different from the first three. It did not seem as ‘light’ or ‘fluffy’ as it’s predecessors, but regardless I thought it was a wonderful novel. Through out the first three books you see the sacrifices Bella and Edward make to stay together, but by the time you get half way through Breaking Dawn those sacrifices seem trivial compared to what’s coming. Their love for each other is even more apparent as Edwards sits there wrestling with all these emotions while he watches the one he loves slowly die. He knows that it’s his fault that she’s in this condition (though I don’t think you can really blame someone if they didn’t know the result was a conceivable possibility) and he has a choice to make… do what’s best for Bella, or let her have her way… both options being things he has done in the past to keep her happy and to protect her.

    When Bella finally does become a vampire (which was an event I waited for through the previous 3 novels) nothing really changes. As others have said she is now on equal grounds with Edward and his family, but she has not lost the passion that he fell in love with.

    As far as Jacob, yes, we see all that groundwork of him falling for Bella and vowing to fight for her in the previous novels, but when he imprints on Nessie it fixes things in a way that made sense (to me anyway). Jacob has always loved Bella, in once way or an other, but it never really fit for them (I honestly I don’t think it would have made it beyond a high school relationship even if Edward hadn’t been there) but by imprinting on Nessie it showed that the reason Jacob thought himself so in love with Bella was because he was in love with a piece of her, a piece that didn’t even exist yet.

    So in the end Bella gets what she wants (Edward) without really having to lose anything (Jacob). It’s a win-win situation that ends with the ‘fluffy-ness’ we’ve all come to love and expect from a SM novel.

    Well, that my opinion on this one, and all I have left to say is regardless of what you thought of the series, love it or hate it, you took the time to sit down and read… and that makes it word every page. I am for anything that gets people to read… and more to the point anything that makes them think. True a lot of the responses to these reviews/comments are nothing but rants, but occasionally you come across a comment that shows that the reader has actually thought about it and formed an opinion…

    Reply
  65. Jet32

    I thoroughly enjoyed this article and many of the comments so firstly, I want to say thanks. Whatever your standpoint, it’s quite clear that the Twilight saga evokes some very strong feelings in its readers which is what people should ultimately expect from a good book(s).

    I realised I was vehemently shaking my head as I read through the comments, sometimes in agreement and other times in total disbelief. I cannot for a moment understand why one person would shout at another for not liking a book the way they did – it makes no sense to me at all. But these petty rivalries are not why i’m writing now – I guess I just want to add my ten pence (no sex, sorry, cents please, I’m British) on what I loved and what I didn’t like so much (hate is a strong word) about the quadrilogy. So here goes.

    I adored Twilight: the premise of the story, the way Bella and Edward’s relationship blossomed, the way he was inexplicably drawn to her even though he could have had anyone he wanted and he chose the regular, uninspiring Bella etc.

    Call me a sadist but I particularly enjoyed the way he pushed her: pushed her boundaries and her expectations, pushed her buttons, pushed to her limits emotionally and especially every time he pushed her away against his will and hers. It was that dynamic that I found utterly addictive.

    I have to admit that I don’t like Bella very much as a character. She is morose which I find completely draining but also, she is so God damn ordinary. I realise this is partly what makes the relationship between her and Edward so special but I personally read books and watch movies for their escapism and out of the ordinariness … which is why I am 32 years old and ridiculously in lust with a fictional 17 year old vampire – heh heh. What a perfect anti-hero if ever there was one.

    I can understand and even emphathise with Bella’s obsession over Edward – i’m sure he could arouse those feelings in anyone, with or without a pulse. However, I really disliked the way her obsession manifested itself in New Moon – this did not maketh an enjoyable read. His pain was delicious as it’s what makes Edward Edward. Her pain, dramatics and stupifying stubbornness? They drove me crazy.

    Eclipse pulled back some of my vote that New Moon lost but Breaking Dawn? I was so very disappointed. To quote some of the comments above which hit the spot perfectly:

    * A little piece of me died with Breaking Dawn.
    * Edward becomes less central which sucks.
    * As much as other people like Reneesme, I didn’t. I really wish she wasn’t made.
    * The biggest problem with Breaking Dawn is how hard it was to care about the characters that we all fell in love with.
    * I had to re-read Twilight after Breaking Dawn just to get back into the B&E feelings and emotions and story.

    I know I said I liked books for escapism but the story in Breaking Dawn simply took me somewhere I didn’t want to be. I mean, I don’t particularly like Bella but I have no desire to have a ringside seat to her slow, drawn out demise. What a martyr! What a hypocrite! Edward is supposed to be her whole life and suddenly, her desire to fulfil her baby’s needs suddenly eclipses (pardon the pun) her dedication to him that the previous three books rhapsodised so heartily about. Ugh.

    I hate to say it but most of the key characters – including Edward and Bella – seemed to become caricatures of themselves in Breaking Dawn. Hence the relevance of the last few points above – it did indeed become hard to care about them. I too felt a yearning to re-read Twilight just so I could reconnect with the epic love affair again which lets face it is the foundation these books are built on.

    Then there is the sex or lack thereof. We get details of the minutae and most humdrum aspects of Bella and Edward’s daily lives but the overwhelming physical attraction that belies their very being? It is barely sniffed at. I mean, I get that Stephenie Meyer is very puritanical about this sort of thing (blood and guts are fine yet the exchange of any other bodily fluids is a definite no-no) but lusty teenagers have just as much if not more sex than the rest of us and with the intense feelings that Bella and Edward had … it’s a bit of a let down is all. I would say that was probably the most implausible concept I had to come to terms with in the Twilight saga … until Renesmee trumped that card.

    Finally, why oh why does Bella gradually accept the wonder that is Edward and no longer have such extreme reactions when he is near her? Why doesn’t she want to faint as she kisses him years later? Why do those feelings have to die? Yes, that maybe does tend to happen in real life but this is fiction. Escapism. If any woman out there had an Edward, I’d defy them not to go weak at the knees every single time he bestowed so much of a golden eyed glance in her direction.

    Now I feel like I’m ranting and I never set out to do this. I was motivated to write my thoughts here by my unbridled, unabashed and unequivocal love of Twilight. For me, none of the other three books came anywhere near to the first one. The only story I can see topping Twilight is Midnight Sun and as Meyer herself admitted, if she had realised how much fun it would be to write from Edward’s perspective, perhaps she would have written the entire series that way … or words to that effect.

    For me, Edward Cullen is what makes the Twilight Saga so special. He is the reason I bought the rest of the books – I wanted, needed to learn more about him. Perhaps my desire will finally be satiated after reading Midnight Sun – the unexpected taster we have been exposed to looks really quite promising.

    But to reiterate my opening point and the reason for every single one of us lurking on this site and commenting herein: the Twilight saga clearly evokes some very strong feelings amongst its readers which is what people should ultimately expect from their choice of literature. Meyer should be applauded for that if nothing else.

    Reply
  66. Gwen

    “I can understand and even emphathise with Bella’s obsession over Edward – i’m sure he could arouse those feelings in anyone, with or without a pulse.”

    Um, I’m female, have a pulse, like guys, and find Edward creepier than Rorschach and the Joker put together…so what’s that say about me?

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  67. kmcardle

    Why couldnt there have been the fight seen, there is all this hype and building up to a fight scene and then Aro just votes against killing nessy Alice comes back and saves the day. Why did SM spend so much time on the crap bits and cut really short, the good bits.

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  68. Vlad_Tepes

    I am so disappointed with the book. It just doesn’t make sense,and it reads like the beginning of ANOTHER saga.:(
    The whole Renesmee thing is merely a copy of “Rosemary’s Baby”….what a pity,what a shame….Meyer must have been joking …can this be the final of a great love story?

    No,by no means.

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  69. janel

    i LOVED breaking dawn like nothing before! my sister thought i was crazy because everything she said i had some quote from the twilight books! i want stephenie meyer to writ more!

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  70. e

    This comments are all very amusing, but I think most of them miss the point, this is Stephanie Meyer’s story. If you don’t like it, than you can save your money.

    I came across this series through my teenage daughter and my can I tell you that I am glad that Meyer has left all of the sex out of it. Young love, passion and yearning is what is all about and I feel that this is appropriate for teenagers.

    The fourth book luckily brings the relationship to its climax with the realities of marriage, happy accidents and becoming a responsible adult (i.e, concern for others). I particularly liked the Cullen family, how they dealt with fanatical people and how were always very civil and polite to all parties, and how they mutually supported each other and let each go his or her way. Very exemplary.

    Well, I am certainly glad to see the back of Harry Potter. Well done, Stephanie Meyer

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  71. Snoopy

    Okay,

    I liked the book. I was a little put off by the fact Bella got pregnant by a Vampire but that isn’t the first time there have been half vampires. I mean there is even a word for it. The dhampire.

    I loved Twilight and I like Breakind dawn just fine and I don’t expect everyone to like it but I wanted to say something.

    Umm…..to Matylda, up above who was saying that she read the series even though she didn’t like it. Okay I have no problem with you reading it but I think it is a little odd for someone who claims they are “anti-twilight” to read a book and then tell people the reason they are reading the book is so they can say “Well I’ve read it! and I hate it!!”

    I mean really what is the point of reading a book if you don’t enjoy it? Isn’t the point of reading for your own enjoyment? If I didn’t like Twilight you can bet I wouldn’t have read New Moon. Probably wouldn’t have finished Twilight in fact.

    Matylda said, quote:

    “Many people ask anti-twilighters why we read the books if we don’t like them. Its mostly because fans ALSO spew this “You haven’t even read the books YET” crap in a form of a counter-argument to make us seem like horrible people. We read the books so we can keep up and catch up – and also talk about how horrible the series is in the first place.”

    Why do you care? If the series was horrible in the first place to you then why do you subject yourself to reading 4 books? Sure there will be people who say “well you haven’t even read it” But that doesn’t mean you should go out and read it to “prove” to them that you do indeed hate it. why do you feel the need to prove your hatred of a book series? I mean who really cares?

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  72. Melanie

    I agree with Snoopy. Reading is for your enjoyment. If you hate the book, what’s the point? Who cares what other people say? You’re allowed to not like things. Just because you don’t like romance and/or vampires…
    Breaking Dawn was my second favorite of the books. And on the contrary, I believe this was the book with the most plot. While it’s true that it’s less easy to relate to Bella in this book, I can still do it. And there’s a simple explination to Bella’s “stupid” self-torturing actions; she wants to keep her baby. It’s the same reason people don’t abort their babies, which is essentially what Bella is refusing to do. And to that, Bella, I say right on.
    And there’s also a simple explaination as to why Jacob got over Bella so quickly. And I’m not just talking about the imprinting. I personally don’t think he was ever actually in love with BELLA. I think that what nobody, including him, knew, was that he was really just waiting for Renesmee, which Stephanie Meyer could have explained better, but sort of said.
    But hey, what do I know? I’m fourteen. I enjoy fluffy romance, especially since I have no romance life of my own. But truly I loved Breaking Dawn.

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  73. Melinda

    Honestly, if you hated the book so much why do you even care enough to post a comment? I swear, some people are just so eager to be haters…

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  74. Tarsha

    I think breaking dawn is an intricate and amazing novel and I enjoyed all three times that I read it. But putting that aside i agree with two things. I skip through pages too get to a love that never develops..hey what was the rush? and the most dificult time in bellas life is seen through someone else’s eye…What up with that?? These are my disapointments..but sa la ve in was still a great book.

    Reply

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