Breaking Dawn (Twilight #4)

Reader reviewed by Melissa Palmer

Breaking Dawn is the 4th and final volume in the series that began with Twilight.  I thought it was a good ending to a good series.  It brought closure to the series.  Bella finally finds strength in this book, even if it is in unexpected ways.  Edward is still wonderfully protective.  Jacob begins to make peace with Edward and Bella's relationship, mostly due to his focus being shifted in a direction that is not Bella for once.

Reader reviewed by Kaci

Reader reviewed by Adriana M.

*SPOILER ALERT*

In the final installment of the "Twilight Saga" we find that Bella and Edward are finally getting hitched. She continues to insist on becoming a vampire, and Edward is still reluctant. Some unexpected things happen, but in the end all is well.

I think I can say that I am satisfied with how the Twilight series ended with this book. However, I just did not see any of the Renesmee stuff coming. I mean, 'Renesmee'??!??, the name alone is pretty out there. I thought that there would be more of a build up to Edward and Bella's wedding, and definitely more of a build up and focus on Bella's transformation into a vampire. I could have done with more of those things, and less of the pregnancy and volturi stuff. But all in all, I just wanted Edward and Bella to be together (Team Edward all the way). I did like that Jacob got to still keep a piece of Bella, and that finally Bella became a part of the Cullen family. The 700+ pages went by kind of fast suprisingly, and I was glad that Bella found she had a special power that helped in the end to save her family. I do believe though that "Twilight" is the best of the series.

Reader reviewed by c-alexis

Aside from the classic "Dracula" novel by Bram Stoker, I don't believe that I was ever interested in reading stories about vampires or anything too supernatural. However, due to the persistent recommendations from a few friends, I got hooked on to the Twilight series a few weeks ago. In that short time, I read all Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse in a week's time. That was then quickly followed with reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer. Needless to say, I became a fan of her writing. As for Breaking Dawn, I have to say that I was a bit surprised by the reading material. Compared to the first three books in the series, parts of it seemed more targeted for an older teen audience. I don't like spoiling books for people, so I'm just going to say that although Meyer did a pretty good job at not writing the obvious scenes, I still do worry about the younger readers. So, I know that my "review" may be contradictive at some parts. But my trouble with this particular book is that I love Meyer's writing. I love the first three books. As for Breaking Dawn, even though I couldn't stop turning the pages, I see that she's failed to continue the spectacular writing from before. Some of the ideas of the book, though well-intentioned, were too hard to accept. I know I said that I won't include spoilers, so if you don't want to continue reading, don't go to to the LJ cut here:

Basically, I don't like how Jacob imprints with Nessie. In fact, I think naming the kid Renesme Carlie is kind of pushing the naming thing. I don't like the whole TomKat name for celebrities. It's just really weird how after all the debate of Team Edward and Team Jacob, Jacob would end up imprinting with Bella's daughter. After Jacob admits to wanting Bella in a sexual way, he falls for her daughter. I'm wondering if Meyer has perhaps felt the pressure of the fame and the need to provide a happy ever after, and faulted here.

But besides that, I think that Twilight fans would not be disappointed in the last book to the series. I haven't decided how I feel about the section of the novel which was through Jacob's point of view. After reading 3 novels of everything from Bella's perspective, it definitely was a change of pace. Meyer did a good job with the narrative writing, which makes me more eager to reading Twilight from Edward's eyes. I am definitely looking forward to reading Midnight Sun and hopefully she'll come out with a sequel to The Host.

Reprinted here with author's permission.

Reader reviewed by rh0606

i liked this one but not as much as the others. although it wasn't as great as i wanted it to be i think there is still room for another book. i didn't start these books untill all four were out so i would be very into one, finish it, and move onto the next. when i read the last one i was frustrated that there wasn't more for me to read and i began to wonder about the baby. she could write another about her growing up.

Reader reviewed by Dede

Wow, this book was incredible and incredibly long but worth it. My only thought is that she left the ending open to the possibility of future books in the series. I know for some the ending was anti-climatic, but I was happy. I know if there would have been a war, alot of the characters I cared for wouldn't have survived. Anyway, Bella and Edward finally get married and go to honeymoon at Isle Esme. They finally get intimate and Bella soon learns she's pregnant. She bonds with Rosalie to keep the baby safe - Edward worries that the baby will kill Bella, and others do also. She goes through pregnancy at an advanced rate and almost dies giving birth. In a way she does die, as she is finally changed to a vampire. Bella does better than most "newborns" and her baby girl Renesmee, ages rapidly and is smart and mature. They have to deal with the Voltori again, who learn of the baby and use it as an excuse for a personal visit, hoping for a war. There is no fight and the Voltori leaves peacefully, for now. Very possible that in the future, there will be more to the series!

Reader reviewed by mearley

I'd really like to give Breaking Dawn 4 1/2 stars. I loved following up on these characters and seeing their lives. I smiled and laughed at so many lines. It's like having dinner with old friends. I also loved the middle section told in Jacob's voice. Even the chapter titles were so Jacob, I couldn't help but smile.

Breaking Dawn was a fitting end to a wonderful saga that I have enjoyed tremendously from beginning to end.

Reader reviewed by ambeen

This is obviously going to be more positive than negative so lets get the negative, minor annoyances out of the way now:

" I did not like the nicknames Em and Jazz. Rose and Nessie didnt bother me. I felt Em and Jazz were poor nicknames for these two vampires. The nicknames strike me as juvenile and feminine. Both of which Emmett and Jasper are not.

" I still (since New Moon) found Bellas constant self-loathing to be annoying. Seriously, this girl has problems. I would expect such self-loathing and self-denying behavior to come from an anorexic or other masochistic type people who are bent on destroying themselves.

While Bella overcomes her self-loathing, its only once shes become a vampire. Maybe Meyer was trying to show self-consciousness has human traits, but it just seemed to me that Bella was only happy once she looked like a model. If only we could all become vampire models and rid ourselves of our self-conscious thoughts.

" The scenes in which Bella drinks human blood (while still human herself) made me literally sick to the stomach. She likes the smell and the taste of the blood. Its just a sickening scene imagining someone drinking blood and liking it. This isnt really a negative, though, just my own queasiness coming into play.

" Finally, the ending. It was pretty anti-climatic. There was a huge build up of tension and then POP! its gone. It was a bit of a let down after so much build up of tension. I suppose this is the sacrifice, though, for a happy ending.

Now for the positive/my response to the outrage over the novel:

I wasnt in as high anticipation of Breaking Dawn (nor have I really been for the others) until I read the spoilers. Thats when I knew I had to read it because I figured I wouldnt be one of the haters and had to put the random spoilers into context.

This is where I think the haters (for lack of a better term) are coming from, they are taking the events in the book and isolating them. The people who claim Meyer went against the world she created have decided to ignore the explanations given and rather isolate the event and critique it. So please, read it for yourself so its in context. Dont base your opinion on spoilers. If you read the spoilers and what the haters are saying, you too may assume the book must be trash. Seriously, put it in context.

That said, I think Meyer did a great job in ending the series. Granted the ending was anti-climatic, but I would rather it be that way than have to see any beloved characters die. It would just have been too heart breaking to end the novel with Edward and Bella dying, leaving Renesmee and Jacob to hide from the Volturi. If that had happened, I think the ending would have been more contrived than the way it did ended.

I loved the split narrative. I think I enjoyed the mid-section with Jacobs narrative the most. It really makes me look forward to reading from the other characters points of view if and when Meyer decides to write them (as far as I know Edwards is the only one definitely planned).

Reader reviewed by cheeseflavoredcorncurls

The 4th and final installment of the Twilight saga was a good read. I really liked that Stephenie switched to Jacob's perspective. It helped the readers see a new take on the story. It wasn't just all wonderful like what Bella thought. Jacob's perspective showed all the flaws and dangers that Bella's might not have or refused to see.

Reader reviewed by Jenna

This book surprised me. I was expecting something totally different, and I didn't like it at first, but it really was worth it.

Bella and Edward are in for the surprise of a lifetime. A new complication twists their relationship in strange ways, with Jacob there at the heart of it. Can the vampire, the werewolf, and the human resolve all of their differences before the impending confrontation with the Volturi comes to pass?

Just read it. I can't guarantee you'll like it, but I know I did.