Sunday, April 10, 2011

Breaking Dawn Review by Becky

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Rating: ★★★

Oh Stephenie... You sure do know how to glue some eyes to your books, don't you? This book is just as addictive as the first three, and just as gut wrenching. I couldn't stop reading, and stayed up MUCH later than my work schedule permits just so that I could finish the story and know what happens. Honestly, I sometimes am really annoyed when books suck me in like these did -- I dream about them, vividly, and can't stop thinking about them. And, we all know that these aren't great literature. Yeah, they might be around in 50 years, with all the teenage mothers handing it down to their daughters to drool over (and that's scary, isn't it?), but these are not classics. But all the same, they hooked me and I didn't even know it until the third book was under my belt.

I knew that Bella was going to get pregnant all along. (Don't think that I have some magical knowledge of things that haven't yet happened or that I'm trying to sound like I called some twist that nobody could have called. I'm saying that this little plot point was spoiled for me thanks to the Never-Ending GR quiz. I don't hold it any grudges though. It's not the quiz's fault that users make up spoilerish questions.) Anyway, I knew it was coming, somewhere in the story, I just didn't know when it would be. Or HOW it would be. And it was intense. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Bella gets married, with no Volturi interruptions, and no Jake storming down the aisle and demanding for her to not make the mistake of her life... I was waiting for that, and so it shocked me even more that it didn't happen than it would have if it did.

So, yeah, the wedding, then the honeymoon, then the pregnancy... then the abrupt switch to Jacob's point of view. What? OK, this worried me. If Bella's no longer telling the story, Bella no longer has to be alive at the end to finish it. I admit it, I skipped ahead. I had to be sure! Shameful, I know.

Oh, I must say that I was concerned about Edward's reaction when he heard that Bella was pregnant. He scared me a little. His abrupt assumption that it must not be something that she wants (even though she had done her best to assure him that having no children would not be an issue that she would have trouble overcoming) concerned me. But I'm a woman, and I know how easy it is to see something that you want once it's in front of you and unavoidable rather than some hypothetical maybe theory wavering all fuzzy in the distant future.

Just a bit more about the pregnancy. It was NOT believable that it should be such a shock to the Cullens that the half-vampire baby would want blood. Really, I had to roll my eyes at that one. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

Anyway, moving on. After Bella's change, she felt like a different person to me. Of course I know that this is because she really IS kind of a different person, but it's strange to see someone so insecure and shy and awkward all of a sudden become sure of herself and confident. She was still Bella, still thinking of everyone else first, still trying to make sure that if anyone should suffer, it should be her and her alone, but it's strange to think of her as the strong, confident type.

I loved both Edward and Jacob in this book. They both made enormous sacrifices for Bella, and were willing to go to any length to make sure that she was OK. Edward as a father was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, and imprinted Jacob as protector and devotee was just as sweet.

I wanted to see more of Jasper and Emmett in this book, and I was disappointed that they did not have bigger roles. I also wanted to see the Volturi get their asses handed to them, but that was not to be. But aside from those things, I loved the book, and think it was a wonderful end to the series.

And with that, everyone, I'm ending my time as a Twilight fan-girl. :) Now I'll have to try to find something nearly as addictive to take my mind off of these. Wish me luck
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