Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, #4) in Shallow Book Group

Jul 31, 2008 Lisa Lap rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, paranormalromance, booksireadoverandover, paranormal, 2011-books-read, 2016-books-read

WHEW! I felt like I was holding my breath through a lot of this book. So much happened that was expected and then there was a lot that was unexpected.

Boy, did Bella grow up in this book and I was glad for it. She went from a clumsy girl who always felt there was no way a fantastical creature like Edward could love her into a wife, a nurturing mother and finally a confident fantastical creature herself. I, for one, was relieved that Bella transitioned to her new life so easily - not because I fel WHEW! I felt like I was holding my breath through a lot of this book. So much happened that was expected and then there was a lot that was unexpected.

Boy, did Bella grow up in this book and I was glad for it. She went from a clumsy girl who always felt there was no way a fantastical creature like Edward could love her into a wife, a nurturing mother and finally a confident fantastical creature herself. I, for one, was relieved that Bella transitioned to her new life so easily - not because I felt it should be easy (SM had made it pretty clear throughout the series to date that the transition would be painful and the Bella we knew would be no longer) but I think at some point we have all felt like Bella did as a human, never really fitting anywhere into the life we were born into and wishing it could be different. Bella got to experience being born into different, and finally found herself. She finally saw what Edward and Alice and everyone who loved her had always seen. I loved that evolution within herself and watching her come into her own - no matter how fairy tale it may have come across.

I loved all the dialogue between the characters and there was a lot in this book. This book would definitely make an interesting movie with all the new character introductions and interplay between them. The dialogue was extremely entertaining for me to read, some of my favorite banter was between Jacob and Rosalie - now that was funny. Things weren't so much in Bella's head in this book even when told from her point of view. It seemed so much more external, which I thought was a nice change of pace from the other three in the series setting this book truly apart from the others. Not better or worse but just different. It also opened the possibilities for all kinds of other stories to be told down the road. All sort of branches within the Cullen family tree and beyond it.

There were a few things I saw coming from previous books but still enjoyed reading it actually play out. For instance, I had a suspicion when Bella made Edward promise they would have sex before she turned vampire that she would somehow end up pregnant and guess what? It happened. SM trying to portray good morality through this story did make Bella wait for sex until she was married (because of Edward's desire to keep it pure not Bella's) but then she writes the young couple to get pregnant after the first attempt? Laughable and yet sad as it made the characters change in a much faster sequence. I guess since it was Edward's first time as well the swimmers were extremely eager - although I can see the massive dispute other readers are having about if vampires have no "bodily fluids" other than venom how Edward could get her pregnant as being a valid point. Still it didn't really bother me too much.

Name choice for the baby? Now I thought that was extremely poorly thought out. SM had done such a good job with the names up to this point picking names that seemed from another time: Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Alice etc... fitting these immortal characters so perfectly. Bella just mushing Renee and Esme together and Charlie and Carlisle together just didn't work for me but I did laugh repeatedly over the nickname Nessie. "My baby the sea serpent." cracked me up.

I was also not surprised by Bella's "power" as she has always been viewed as a human anamoly with the vampire powers not working on her. This fell in line with what I said above about Bella coming into her own and finally fitting in - she was meant to be a vampire. In that vein of thinking of course Bella would have a power that would be stronger and a complete surprise. Of course she would finally be the protector instead of the protected. Bella's transition reversed the roles a bit and didn't completely bug me as it was written with entertaining scenes; armwrestling with Emmett, taking down a lion instead of elk, catching Edward off guard with letting down her shield so he could finally hear her mind, etc...

I will admit one thing I realized this morning that kinda bugs me though and I haven't read anyone else being bothered by this... in Twilight the big climatic scenes stem from James being able to track Bella. Now in Breaking Dawn, the Cullen's comment on how Demetri, the best vampire tracker in the world, won't be able to discover Bella. Why? Her shield? Nope, they are having this converstaion before they realize her power is the ability to shield. So if the reason Demetri wouldn't be able to track her now is her shield, which she's always had, why could James track her in Twilight? Hmmmm... that's slighly annoying.

Finally, I liked how clean this book read. It was pretty tame for the main characters to be newly wed and having their first sexual experience before and after Bella's transition, even with innuendo's thrown in by Emmett. The sex scenes happened but there weren't really any details leaving it to the reader's imagination and it was refreshing to find in a book classified as young adult. I've read too many "young adult" books that were shockingly graphic especially in the sex department and don't our kids have to grow up early enough in life already? Considering this subject matter - vampire, werewolves, immortality - I've always loved the gentleness and morality of these characters - even in their fierceness. There isn't a need for a rampage of profanity to feel Edward's hostility flare or Jacob's need to protect or the Volutri's desire for power. It was written in a way that felt tangible without all the theatrical tricks. Is it the best piece of literature written? Of course not, but it's a fun and engaging read nonetheless.

I have been a fan of this series since the beginning and will continue to read her books as they are great page turners even if I don't like everything about the book it's still overall enough to draw me back in again.

Edit: January 2016 - re-read to finish out the series again for a fun fantasy read. Also, they constantly were playing a marathon of the movies on TV and let's face it - the books are better. Aren't they always? ...more

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Aug 04, 2008 Lacy rated it it was ok

Shelves: youngadult, fiction, sequels, 2008, fantasy

I know, I know, you can only expect so much out of a Stephanie Meyer book - which is why I'm willing to let some of its problems go - the gargantuan, unnecessary length, the grammar errors, the total plot details that are often ignored, because I enjoy the Twilightverse and I think that the overall story is fun. And so I know that I'm not expecting, like Dickensian heights of literature or anything when I read a Twilight book - but I also cannot deny that Breaking Dawn is, hands down, ridiculous ...more

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Aug 31, 2015 Patricia rated it did not like it

Shelves: youngadults, are_you_f-ing_kidding_me

Same as my review of Twilight.

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Jul 26, 2008 Mare S rated it really liked it

Shelves: youngadult, fantasy-scifi, loved-and-reread

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Overall, I enjoyed it and I liked it a lot more than Eclipse, which made me want to punch the main characters. That said, I still think the woman is insane and half-vampire/half-human baby? Really? That's like a ton of the fanfiction in this fandom. And I get how it then played into the entire book, but it was just so ridiculous a premise at first.

And while I support the right of choice, I can't say that I'd be all about keeping a fetus that BROKE MY BONES while I was pregnant and be happy abou ...more

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Dec 05, 2008 Trish rated it liked it

Shelves: imstillateeny-bopper, booksforthemasses, 2009

I prolonged finishing this book just so the Twilight Saga wouldn't end. I liked the plot that happened for the most part just because I am a fan of getting everything you ever wanted in life, although Bella not so deserving. The book just didn't FEEL like the rest of the book. It wasn't addicting like the rest. The previous books always left me wanting more. I was dying to FEEL the way I did in the previous books (well except the gut wrenching heartbreak in New Moon). I wanted to experience more ...more

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Aug 13, 2008 Chris Burd rated it it was ok

Shelves: scifi_fantasy, young_adult_fiction

I haven't actually finished it. I've been about 75 pages from the end for months now - and I officially give up. I'm sure they all live happily after. ...more

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