What did you think of Breaking Dawn?

by

Well, well, well.

Breaking Dawn, the much anticipated fourth book in the Twilight series, was released last weekend.

Will Bella become a vampire? Who will she choose — Edward or Jacob? What comes next for the three lead characters?

These questions filled my head (and other Twilighters’ heads) for a good year or so. Our questions were finally answered a few days ago. Finally, our thirst for answers would be quenched.

Was your thirst quenched?

I got my copy Monday afternoon, and shortly after midnight I was done reading Breaking Dawn. While I read pretty fast, I have to admit there were pages I skimmed through. 😉 I wanted to finish the book in one night! And so I did.

And now I want to share my thoughts. But I don’t want to spoil your fun. So to those who have not read it but want to read it, do not click on “Read more” or go beyond the next image okay? SPOILERS WARNING.


WARNING! Spoilers for Breaking Dawn follow.

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Are you sure you’ve read it?

Are you sure you don’t want to read it?

Okay I’m just making sure. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

Last chance to turn back.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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My thoughts in bullet points because I cannot write cohesively about this book just yet.

Here’s what I didn’t like:

Renesmee? Oh c’mon. I struggled everytime her name would be mentioned.

Bella, Bella, Bella. You woke up with bruises all over your body after that first night of woohoo with Edward. Weren’t you the slightest bit freaked out? It must’ve been a fabulous first time but c’mon, weren’t you a little put off by being black and blue the next morning? A little reality check here please. I don’t know anyone who would’ve been okay with that.

Rosalie. There must have been an attempt to make her maternal side come out but frankly, she regressed to being one-dimensional. When she started her back story in Eclipse, I felt more sympathy for her, and grew to appreciate her more. Then Breaking Dawn had to totally change that. For the worse.

Jacob imprints. I like the idea of imprinting. I did not like who he imprinted on. Contrived much?

Humans, hello? Where did Mike, Jessica, Angela, Ben and Tyler go?

So… vampires have sperm? I thought they were all venom. Guess not. I guess the super strong venom doesn’t kill sperm. There’s something wrong with the logic there.

The Volturi. They were FREAKING SCARY in New Moon. They’re nowhere half as scary in Breaking Dawn. Sigh.

Bella suddenly becoming so accepting of being a Mom. COME ON. After being soooo averse to getting married, she suddenly makes a quick change of heart once she gets pregnant. Okay, I understand that there’s some kind of maternal bond going on there but couldn’t there have been more tension? Bella was written to be clingy and a little immature, then she suddenly matures when she has a kid? By suddenly I mean SUDDENLY? Too fast, too fast.

I didn’t feel Bella and Edward’s parental bond with Nessie. I. so. didn’t. Shouldn’t they have been all gaga over their little abomination, er, blessing?

Er… who’s Lizzie again? I was hoping Jacob would imprint on her.

What’s the relevance of “Breaking Dawn” as title? Sorry, I missed that. That must’ve been the part when I conked out for a few minutes.

I guess Darmouth’s out of the picture huh? I wanted Bella to go to college heehee.

Half-breed vampires. It’s either you’re a vampire or you’re not right? So will there be half-werewolves soon? I’m wondering what Jacob and Nessie’s future kids will be like. Two parts human, one part werewolf, one part vampire. Wow. Identity crisis to the max.

Renee and Charlie giving them the go-signal quickly. Are these parents for real? Didn’t they sermon Bella one bit? It’s one helluva scare to get married so quickly (believe me, I know!) but to do that AT the age of 17 and 18? Come on now.

Chopseuy book. That said, I felt the events in the book were just thrown in together without giving it the right amount of tension or details to make each major event richer.

Here’s what I liked about the book:

Bella and Edward do really love each other. Fine. It’s very much palpable throughout the book.

How Bella transformed into a vampire. I enjoyed reading how different the sensations were compared to being human. The details in Bella’s observations were interesting. Like Jasper’s face, the dust mites, etc. Those little details made me appreciate how fantastic vampire senses are. This is my favorite part in the whole book.

Emmett. Sexual innuendos were funny and spot on. Much needed comic relief.

Seth. He’s the Robin to Jacob’s Batman. Something like that. Seth’s the one who kept it most real too.

Broken headboards, woohoo on the floor… Fine, fine. Vamp lovin’ must be really super phenomenal. This pretty much sealed the deal that Breaking Dawn is not for kids. Not for young adults either, really. I wouldn’t let my 13-year-old cousin read this.

Jacob’s “Sure, sure.” Makes an appearance several times throughout the book.

The conversations among wolves. I liked how we got into their heads.

How wolves bow down to the Alpha. In the earlier books, when the younger werewolves would adhere to Sam, I thought they were just being obedient. After understanding how powerful the Alpha wolf is, I understand there is also reverence mixed in.

Jacob at the wedding. Loved it. That’s how true a friend he is.

Sue and Charlie. Sweet idea. Sweet promise.

Bella drinking blood through a straw. Gross but an interesting twist nonetheless. Thanks to Jacob.

Isle Esme. Honeymoon Cullen-style.

Edward explaining to Bella why he had so much free time to learn piano, read books, etc. I thought that was a cute moment when they were laughing in bed together. It was a sweet couple moment.

NET, it could have been a great book. I had the feeling that the book was rushing through so many events. The wedding tension was great, the honeymoon was good, then when Bella got pregnant, everything went downhill. The book sped along with Nessie’s quick growth, and a lot of possible tension and rich details were left behind. For example, I would have loved to have seen more of Edward’s dilemma as a father. Heck, that’s why Nessie’s in the picture right? The book seemed to skim through events I wished were more developed (Bella’s pregnancy dilemma, if there was one) and lingered too much on events I wish I were shorter (Vampires of the world unite.)

I want to appreciate the book. I really do. But after re-reading some parts this afternoon, I just feel more and more that the series should have ended with Eclipse. Heck, I’ve read better fan fic premises than this one.

Sadly, this book is too convenient a fairy tale and does not give any of the first three books justice.

These are my thoughts. What did you think of Breaking Dawn? Let’s keep this an open discussion. No bashing please. Whether you loved or hated it, I’d really like to hear your thoughts on this.

25 Comments on What did you think of Breaking Dawn?

  1. JMom
    August 5, 2008 at 10:55 pm (16 years ago)

    Lucky girl, you finished already! I’m waiting for the book after my daughter brings it home from CA this weekend :) So nope, I didn’t read your spoilers. I’ll come back to read your thoughts after I’ve read the book 😛

    JMoms last blog post..LaPiS #7 – Birthday

    I can’t wait to read what you thought of the book!!!

    Reply
  2. Christianne
    August 6, 2008 at 12:29 am (16 years ago)

    Bella can still go to college later 😀

    And I agree, anong klaseng nanay siya? Iniwan ang anak on the first night she was conscious, just to go have vampire sex. Sa bagay, yung sarili niyang nanay di man lang siya binisita while she was supposedly on the brink of death. Like mother, like daughter? I teared up when she was saying goodbye to Nessie and Jacob though.

    I’ve posted my thoughts on PEx and on Amazon, copy-paste ko na lang dito 😀

    Some critics were mad that Bella didn’t go through the newborn phase of being blood-hungry; but I thought it made sense because she has always been averse to the scent of human blood and she has good mind control. And it also made sense that that aversion temporarily went away while she was pregnant – this is my second pregnancy and food cravings really make you eat strange things 😀 and about her accepting the child so easily, I can also understand that. It’s a part of her, and more importantly, a part of Edward.

    Some parts were good, but they were hugely overshadowed by the bad – inconsistent characterization, horrible writing, many typos and long chapters spent on things that had no bearing on the plot. Let’s give Stephenie Meyer her author’s prerogative to choose her characters’ happily ever afters, and focus on the editing, or rather lack of editing, in this review. Like you said, chopsuey book ang feeling.

    The biggest disappointment was of course the Volturi walking away after 100+ pages were spent building up the reader’s suspense. But there are other chapters that could have been taken out or shortened, in order to focus on things that actually affected the plot. For example, all the whining about the wedding. We could have just started with the wedding scene and eliminated 3 chapters. And the scenes with J. Jenks. The ordering could have been done via email and the fake papers delivered to her front door.

    Additionally it was a mistake letting Bella narrate two chapters and Jacob one. Edward’s presence was not felt enough. There was no emotional intensity between the two lead characters – oh, plenty of physical intimacy, but the lack of sensuality that Stephenie Meyer previously successfully depicted with just kisses. Perhaps this decision was made in order to leave the fans hungry for the next book in the series, which is the story of Twilight but written from Edward’s point of view.

    My favorite parts were Jacob and Leah talking. I soooo wanted them to fall in love with each other and not to imprint on anyone! And Jacob making fun of Rosalie, the dog bowl parts in particular were hilarious!

    Bella can still go to college later 😀
    -> True!

    And I agree, anong klaseng nanay siya? Iniwan ang anak on the first night she was conscious, just to go have vampire sex.
    -> LOLZ!!!

    Some critics were mad that Bella didn’t go through the newborn phase of being blood-hungry; but I thought it made sense because she has always been averse to the scent of human blood and she has good mind control.
    I didn’t mind this part. She was averse to blood when she was human too right? And she had her mind set on being a vampire and knew what to expect, hence her “maturing” fast as a vampire.

    And the scenes with J. Jenks. The ordering could have been done via email and the fake papers delivered to her front door.
    Oh yes! You’re right.

    There was no emotional intensity between the two lead characters – oh, plenty of physical intimacy, but the lack of sensuality that Stephenie Meyer previously successfully depicted with just kisses.
    Yes. The sensuality was part of the first three books’ appeal!

    Reply
  3. J.
    August 6, 2008 at 1:50 am (16 years ago)

    Thanks for this post, Toni! I was hoping you’d start something.

    I was in the hospital looking after my mom post-surgery when the book came out. I am a bad daughter because I left the hospital to trek a couple of blocks to Borders to get a copy, fresh off the shelves, barely able to conceal my excitement on the way back. It kept me company on a looong weekend! (Mom’s fine now. :))

    What I didn’t like about the book:
    – That kid’s name! I felt EXACTLY the way you did, Toni. Talagang pinilit. Kainis.
    – Jacob and Renesmee. I felt like the book was trying too hard to tie loose ends together. Couldn’t Jacob just have, I don’t know, imprinted on Leah?
    – Charlie and the whole “need to know” business. I felt like that was a cop-out, to try and reign in another potential plotline. If I was a parent, I wouldn’t stop at the explanations Bella gave. But maybe that’s just me.
    – Too many characters! And all crammed into the second half. I felt like it was too late in the series to introduce new stories like that.
    – I actually would have wanted the book to explore the whole Edward-Tanya undercurrent thing. That was a potentially rich storyline, I think.
    – How come Edward sort of faded into the background? I mean, yes, he was there, but he wasn’t as omnipresent as in Twilight. Not enough of Edward, and I’m not just being biased.
    – Typos! Actually, these were consistent with the other books. I’ve actually marked them up in my copies. I know, it’s a bit O-C. But I can’t help it. Come on, if you’re putting out a book that’s going to be consumed by the masses, you have to be extra careful!

    What I liked about it:
    – Alice came back! Seriously, at that point in the book, I was just like, let’s get this over WITH already. When Edward called out for her and she ran across the field with the newcomers, I swear I thought I’d keel over.
    – The wedding. Waah. Sorry, I’m a total sap when it comes to these things, and I just totally gave myself over to the avalanche of cheese.
    – The fact that Jacob’s chapters really sounded like him. I loved the long titles, they were so conversationally…Jacob.
    – Bella’s closet in the cottage. If she doesn’t want it, I can have it, thank you very much.
    – Vampire sex. Finally! There, I said it.
    – The fact that since reading about all that blood-drinking through a straw, I haven’t had the faintest desire to eat anything that breathes. All that gore and stuff about babies eating themselves out of their mothers’ wombs has me eating bread and asparagus and fruit for four days now. Maybe the book’s going to help me lose weight, ha!

    Two words for the book, and the ending of the series: Too much. Bella got it ALL. Sure, we were rooting for the pasty kid from Arizona and wanted her to end up with the love of her life. At least that’s the main reason why I committed to the books. But I felt like to show real depth to story, it had to leave Bella with a little angst. A little something lost, because such is life, yes? I understand that the series is about vampires and werewolves and half-vampires and that essentially means anything can happen, but there has to be a bit of realism to it, even just a little. And in life, you get some happies, but you let go of some too. Bella got Edward, Jacob, Renesmee and immortality. I wanted her to be a little more…human, I guess.

    A final thought: They better not mess the movie up. I swear. The casting seems to be going ok, but if they don’t do justice to Twilight (which is still the best book of the four for me), I’m just going to, er…find a werewolf to punch in the face. Or something like that, haha. 😉

    Whew! Happy your Mom is fine. ((hugs))

    – Charlie and the whole “need to know” business. I felt like that was a cop-out, to try and reign in another potential plotline. If I was a parent, I wouldn’t stop at the explanations Bella gave. But maybe that’s just me.
    Exactly!!

    – Too many characters! And all crammed into the second half. I felt like it was too late in the series to introduce new stories like that.
    Agree. And I didn’t realize there were that many good vampires.

    – I actually would have wanted the book to explore the whole Edward-Tanya undercurrent thing. That was a potentially rich storyline, I think.
    I thought this was going to be explored! Maybe in the Twilight guide Meyer’s releasing in December.

    – How come Edward sort of faded into the background? I mean, yes, he was there, but he wasn’t as omnipresent as in Twilight. Not enough of Edward, and I’m not just being biased.
    That’s right. Saving the drama for Midnight Sun perhaps?

    – The fact that Jacob’s chapters really sounded like him. I loved the long titles, they were so
    conversationally…Jacob.
    Jacob’s titles were made of win!!!

    …I wanted her to be a little more…human, I guess.
    Super agree. What made Bella appealing (even though she was whiny) in the first 3 books was that she was totally relatable. The last relatable incident was probably when she was about to get a first smex breakdown in the bathroom of Isle Esme. Her nervousness is understandable. But after that… *trainwreck*

    Reply
  4. pinayhekmi
    August 6, 2008 at 2:11 am (16 years ago)

    Overall, I thought the book was great!!! GASP! What? I thought it was great. Yes. Simply because of her tactical almost-fight scene towards the end. I am a sucker for tactical maneuvering plotlines. She really did a great job with it. Of course, her deus ex machina was Bella, of course it’s a cop out, but I really enjoyed pitting powers against powers, thinking of who would need to be rid of to give them an advantage, what they could do to gain that advantage, who needs to be with her for protection, and who needs to fight this certain character. AAAh, i really enjoyed it. Reminded me of X-men hehe.

    Second favorite part, things from Jacob’s perspective. Love, love, love the naturalness of those chapters from his perspective. Bella’s chapters were too sappy, and just unnatural at times.

    Alice. I love that chick.

    So for me, heck no, it wasn’t a perfect book. I wonder if the editor said, oh screw it, this is terrible but 13 yr. old girls won’t care, and just decided to publish it as is. Cause yes, it’s really terrible writing at some parts. But i loved the three parts above so much that overall I enjoyed it.

    Oh, btw, your comment on her bruises. Some women like that 😉 That’s why I totally bought why she wouldn’t be freaked out. Maybe she’s a masochist and don’t even know it. :) :) :)

    Other things I hated:

    R-e-n-e-s-m-e-e ..WTF! How about Resme? That’s a bit less of a mouthful. I don’t blame Jacob nicknaming her nessie. loch ness nick is way better than that multi-syllable abomination.

    Jacob imprinting on…i just don’t get this and it always creeps me out. And again, another cop out

    The run on sentences, typos etc.

    The overwhelming tone of the book to brush aside all the underbellies of emotions, of what being a vampire actually entails. Everyone is painted as good. Conniving yes, but still always so refined in their connivance. Every serious event or situation is explained away in a pretty package, with nothing of the raw reality that truly accompanies it. For example, the doubts and truly emotional rollercoaster of being a parent. Pregnancy and parenting, the fact that they have vampires eating humans still in their midst. And call a spade a spade and just say that Bella has awfully neglectful parents, or at least a neglectful Mom!

    Hey, at least Bella didn’t trip once.

    pinayhekmis last blog post..Am I The Best OFW/Expat Blog?

    Overall, I thought the book was great!!! GASP! What? I thought it was great. Yes.
    Great! I want to understand this. Really!

    The overwhelming tone of the book to brush aside all the underbellies of emotions, of what being a vampire actually entails. Everyone is painted as good. Conniving yes, but still always so refined in their connivance. Every serious event or situation is explained away in a pretty package, with nothing of the raw reality that truly accompanies it. For example, the doubts and truly emotional rollercoaster of being a parent. Pregnancy and parenting, the fact that they have vampires eating humans still in their midst. And call a spade a spade and just say that Bella has awfully neglectful parents, or at least a neglectful Mom!
    Too much of a fairy tale indeed. It was all too easy! Too fantasy! Too ideal! Where’s the fun in that?

    Hey, at least Bella didn’t trip once.
    Haha that’s right!

    Reply
  5. hannisel
    August 6, 2008 at 8:35 am (16 years ago)

    i liked the twilight series before because it was such a great love story – it never tried to please readers, as it told the love triangle among three different beings.

    sad to say i didn’t like the fourth book – pilit yung plot – it was like a conscious effort not to disappoint anyone – even alice coming back was fun but kinda different

    parang HP Book 7 (with Mrs. Weasley screaming “bitch”), but at least in that book someone died. In BD, it’s like everything ended up in heaven.

    I still liked the entire series, nonetheless. I just wish the bittersweet theme was still there…

    hannisels last blog post..

    I still liked the entire series, nonetheless. I just wish the bittersweet theme was still there…
    Bittersweet, that is so right. It was very much present in the 1st three books and was lost here. It could’ve been better if it had stayed within the theme.

    Reply
  6. brissiemum2
    August 6, 2008 at 11:06 am (16 years ago)

    I am still trying to finish it! :( Between work and feeling sick, sick, sick! Will post here after I’ve finished!

    Wee! I’m looking forward to it.

    Reply
  7. spanx!
    August 6, 2008 at 11:00 pm (16 years ago)

    methinks the pressure from her publishers
    and the producers of the movie got too much
    for ms. meyer, and she rushed to bring this out.

    oh well, that’s showbiz!

    Sigh! Oh well. Moving on. 😀

    Reply
  8. L
    August 7, 2008 at 7:02 am (16 years ago)

    Yep, I hated her name. Renesmee is the ugliest name I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of ugly names. If I were the child, I would’ve gnawed on her till she died on that table.

    I’m not sure I particularly like the fact that Jacob imprinted on her but I’m not sure I mind all that much either. I was always an Edward fan. 😉 Although Jacob hugging her in the tent before was kinda hot (in more ways than one).

    My fantasy fiction standards must be dropping but I was actually happy just reading more of it. Then again, I never read fan fic plots. Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t. No expectations.

    One blogger said thank goodness she didn’t have a son. Other than EJ, it could have been named Edwob. 😀

    Reply
  9. Meeya
    August 7, 2008 at 8:57 am (16 years ago)

    i was actually waiting for your feedback about BD, and boy am i happy na you didn’t give it a glowing review (as i was expecting you would as a twilighter and all, hehe) kasi kasi … i didn’t like it quite much, too.

    una sa lahat, renesmee… hello! whenever her name came up, i’d stumble over it and it halts my reading groove, haha! i have to repeat her name over and over in my head just to get it right.:P kahit nga carlie na lang sana mas payag na ako. yung name niya was the abomination!

    and if charlie were my dad (or my own hubby even), hindi pwede yang mga need to know, need to know na basis na yan. 😀

    i was a bit disappointed dahil kulang sa aksyon during the confrontation with the volturi. i was rooting pa naman for the romanian vampires, haha!

    and i have to agree, dapat nag-stop na lang siya sa third book. this one’s pretty hodgepodge. and there was too much rambling going on na i don’t blame you if you skipped a lot of parts on your first reading. wala ka naman na-miss, hehe.

    oh well, anyway, it was a fun read. i hope the movie’s loads better. (and sana mag-stop na lang din ang production nila with the third movie) 😛

    ung name niya was the abomination!
    LOL!

    i was a bit disappointed dahil kulang sa aksyon during the confrontation with the volturi. i was rooting pa naman for the romanian vampires, haha!
    “Dracula 1” and “Dracula 2” accdg to Jacob. Hehe!

    Reply
  10. hazel
    August 7, 2008 at 7:26 pm (16 years ago)

    oh yes. RENESMEE… sounds very ummm… Pinoy? Lol

    sort of like Juanela — combination of Juan and Estela? hahhaa

    i don’t want to put everything here.. about to blog about it in a while.. *sigh* disappointed..tsktsk

    hazels last blog post..My sabbatical

    Sige will wait for your review.

    Reply
  11. Cat
    August 7, 2008 at 10:28 pm (16 years ago)

    Hey Toni!

    Surprisingly, I liked the story despite that some parts made me cringe. (Hello! Jazz, Em, Rose?! You think Stephenie Meyer was rushing to meet her deadline that she couldn’t write their entire names. Sometimes, I couldn’t help but blame her editor for letting that happen.)

    When I first read reviews and discovered there were lots of WTH!? and WTF?! moments in the book, I became dismayed and saddened. One of those moments was Jacob’s imprinting. Now that I read the entire story, I thought Jacob’s imprinting was necessary, and perhaps, provided a nice twist because obviously no one saw that coming, because Jacob wouldn’t have cared for Renesmee if he didn’t imprint on her. And who else would Bella and Edward entrust Renesmee to when the time of imminent danger came? As a parent, you would want to entrust your child to someone who would love him/her as much as you do.

    My favorite moment ever was when Bella lunged at Jacob for naming Renesmee after the Loch Ness monster. I can’t wait for the FAQ page on Breaking Dawn to be up at http://www.stepheniemeyer.com. She’s got a lot of ‘splaining to do!

    I wonder what’s she doing right now and if she’s huddled under a blanket and locked up in her room, hiding from all the bad reviews her fans gave.

    Oh, and Toni, if you had a chance to ask Stephenie Meyer one question, what would it be? Mine would be to describe what her day is like on the day her book(s) is (are) released. I mean, did she still fix her kids’ breakfast? Bring them to school? Or did she stay on the computer, waiting for reviews to be posted? It must have been nerve wrecking!

    My favorite moment ever was when Bella lunged at Jacob for naming Renesmee after the Loch Ness monster.
    Yeah that cracked me up too!

    I can’t wait for the FAQ page on Breaking Dawn to be up at http://www.stepheniemeyer.com. She’s got a lot of ’splaining to do!
    You can start reading this: Stephenie answers Breaking Dawn questions.

    Oh, and Toni, if you had a chance to ask Stephenie Meyer one question, what would it be?
    Interesting! Hmmm… I’d ask her why the humans weren’t part of Breaking Dawn anymore. Haha.

    Reply
  12. Cat
    August 9, 2008 at 5:02 am (16 years ago)

    Hi again!

    I went through the links in Twilight Lexicon, particularly the Personal Correspondences, and found out that Jazz and Rose were really Jasper and Rosalie’s nicknames. It’s what their partner calls them. It also said that something like when humans turn into vampires, they lose MOST of their bodily fluids.. no blood, sweat or tears. Hence, the super vampire sperm.

    I haven’t gone through all the correspondences again but knowing what I know now after finishing the series, I’m rereading the books again… actually, I’m listening to the audiobook. Helps pass the traffic and the time when travelling long distances!

    I love those correspondences! They helped me understand the characters more. They also helped me satisfy my Twilight world craving while Breaking Dawn wasn’t out yet.

    And the audiobooks are love! I want to put them on my ipod nga eh.

    Reply
  13. Tina
    August 9, 2008 at 10:39 pm (16 years ago)

    Wrote my review na! Haha ang haba haba. I’ve come to the conclusion that I really didn’t like the book. It has me bummed until yesterday, because I had to mull over it to really get the feel of it.

    But like what I plurked, the saving grace of this book (although they didn’t do that well to save the ENTIRE book) was Emmett and Seth. I still love Jacob, but I prefer the angsty Jacob instead of the one who imprinted on Nessie.

    Oh, and did you also have a feeling that the book was really just “BELLA BELLA BELLA”?

    I’m still quite curious for Midnight Sun, just to see Edward’s POV on Twilight.:D

    Tinas last blog post..Breaking Dawn (Stephenie Meyer)

    But like what I plurked, the saving grace of this book (although they didn’t do that well to save the ENTIRE book) was Emmett and Seth.
    I loved these two characters. Thank goodness for their presence here!

    Oh, and did you also have a feeling that the book was really just “BELLA BELLA BELLA”?
    Too much Bella. Then again Twilight is from her POV!

    Reply
  14. ruby
    August 10, 2008 at 2:23 pm (16 years ago)

    Yea I don’t think I liked it much. I liked the bit when Jacob realises Bella is pregnant with Edward’s baby and that Bella is dying for her baby – it was sad and dramatic. I sorta liked the birth – it had me gripping the book, I was scared. But the writing was a bit inconsistent. .I wanted more Edward. It did seem rushed. The new Bella (when she was a vampire) wasn’t well described, as in, I think a fanfic could have done better. We have been waiting for Bella as a vampire since twilight and Stephenie has proven herself as a capable writer so I expected more from that – more interesting. After the birth it got a bit boring. Bella as a vampire didn’t seem that different to human Bella which annoyed me.
    And it still annoys me that Stephenie clearly said that vampires have no sperm and are all venom, so how could Bella get pregnant. I know it’s fantasy but you have to stick with the rules you created. Also the writing was jumpy – as in too much detail for some bits- boring and not enough detail for others. So I guess the writing was poor – it needed to be smoother. Twilight was the best, New Moon was second, Eclipse 3rd. I don’t know where Breaking Dan fits in yet. Eclipse seemed like a whole big book about nothing – made up conflict, procrastination and avoiding turning Bella. Btw I think Bella didn’t seem sad enough when she was leaving her parents – she didn’t think about it at all until she was saying goodbye which was out of character.
    Anywhoo I liked some bits. So it was pretty good. I wish she spent more time perfecting it. And the plot holes and editing mistakes are unforgivable when you are being payed a lot of money, with a large fanbase and have heaps of editors on hand. Bye.

    We have been waiting for Bella as a vampire since twilight and Stephenie has proven herself as a capable writer so I expected more from that – more interesting.
    I enjoyed reading about how different vampire senses are. I wish SM brought more details into that!

    Btw I think Bella didn’t seem sad enough when she was leaving her parents – she didn’t think about it at all until she was saying goodbye which was out of character.
    True. Not exactly a good example for young adults!

    Reply
  15. Emily
    August 11, 2008 at 4:08 am (16 years ago)

    I am still deciding if I liked the book or not. Had a few comical moments, especially the whole thing with Rosalie and Jacob’s dislike for each other. I enjoyed the romantic style of this book. I was all ready for there to be this intense, detailed sex scene, but instead Stephanie wrote with taste. It was appealing to the audience, but it didn’t turn into a romantic novel consumed with sex. On a latter note, there were two things in particular that I did not like. “Renesemee”? What the heck?! Such a mouthful, and trying to combine the mother’s names into that just didn’t work. “Renesemee Carlie Cullen”, not a fan. Other flaw, THE ENDING!!! UGH!!! I mean seriously move on with the story. After all that leading up to a big fight, the prep, the goodbyes and heartaches- the volturi just leave!?!!! I dont get it. Personally, Twilight still remains my favorite of the series, but thats just my opinion.

    I was all ready for there to be this intense, detailed sex scene, but instead Stephanie wrote with taste. It was appealing to the audience, but it didn’t turn into a romantic novel consumed with sex.
    I was glad for that! At least it kept the sensuality of E/B without going too much into the romance novel realm.

    After all that leading up to a big fight, the prep, the goodbyes and heartaches- the volturi just leave!?!!! I dont get it.
    It was a mental game, but I did wish there was some action!

    Reply
  16. Liz
    August 11, 2008 at 11:40 am (16 years ago)

    I don’t get why everyone is complaining about the name Renesmee, it’s a beautiful and unique name for a unique creature. Those who are saying it’s a mouthful, what are you going to go out and name your kid Renesmee now? No, so why do you care if it is long, I think it’s an amazing name. The ending wasn’t my favorite, but poor Steph can’t make everyone in the world happy with just one book! Be resonable here people.

    All in all Breaking Dawn was just as amazing as the rest of the books, those who didn’t like it stop whining about it. It’s a book, you don’t like it too bad it’s already written and published stop being annoying.

    Just as you expressed your view about liking it, everyone’s entitled to their own opinions too. The key thing here is to accept that we all will have varying points of view and to just move on, without having to make negative remarks about those who have comments that are contradictory to your own.

    Reply
  17. pinayhekmi
    August 11, 2008 at 1:43 pm (16 years ago)

    Haha, yea Toni, everything that people had problems with, I kinda expected except that dreadful name and the imprinting. What I loved was the tactical showdown with the volturi, and Jacob’s point of view chapters. I thought they were good enough that the book was enjoyable for me. :)

    pinayhekmis last blog post..Frustrated Beyond Belief

    Got it Tintin! Thanks for sharing your POV! :)

    Reply
  18. drunkenlily
    August 12, 2008 at 5:37 pm (16 years ago)

    hi toni, i haven’t really discussed Twilight much on my blog or with anyone else, besides here and my bestfriend. but i did enjoy the series….except for Breaking Dawn. sad but as many mentioned, it appeared to be rushed and as you have perfectly coined it, chopsuey. there were so many leads in the fourth book that i wouldn’t think that it was the ending book for the series. there is so much to explore there such as the new characters introduced, vampire powers to exploit and relationships to be expounded on (yeah, where did the humans go?). though the strategic mind games was good, i wouldn’t mind a lengthier story if the author gave much attention to exciting fight scenes, instead of vampire sex. we now know how good it can be (smashing houses and all), thank you very much. the volturi were pretty lame and bella was suddenly super heroine. the romanians didn’t have special powers? geez, i thought they ruled for some time and are currently planning to overthrow the volturi. all in all, the book was ok, not A-OK. as for renesmee, it’s so pinoy 😀

    drunkenlilys last blog post..quick recap for the last week of July

    That’s right! The Romanian vamps didn’t have powers. Weird. Maybe their power is that they know more than anyone cuz they’re the oldest. Haha.

    Reply
  19. vina
    August 12, 2008 at 8:31 pm (16 years ago)

    hehe. i haven’t bought the book yet.

    but last week, i was so eager to just know the reviews so i searched on the internet 😛
    and yes, not too many good words about it .

    now, i wonder if i should still buy the book, considering the cons, most especially with edward not being too visible there. i know i’m just going to skip a lot of pages like i did in new moon and eclipse 😛

    also, some of the readers pointed out the tree-running thing to adjust to the twilight movie, since this wasn’t mentioned at all in any of the first 3 books.

    pretty excited about the movie though! it better be good!

    vinas last blog post..We’re still together…

    also, some of the readers pointed out the tree-running thing to adjust to the twilight movie, since this wasn’t mentioned at all in any of the first 3 books.

    So true. I noticed that and went, Realllllllly. Now they’re doing trees? Ho hum.

    Reply
  20. Joni
    August 15, 2008 at 9:15 pm (16 years ago)

    Breaking Dawn *is* a disappointment. I expected more from it. But I’m glad it’s over. Now I can finally move on. Lol. Though I’m still looking forward to see the movie version in January ’09. :)

    I know what you mean by finally getting to move on. 😀 And I can’t wait for the movie! It’s being released earlier in the States (Nov. 21st) so perhaps we’ll get it earlier in Manila too.

    Reply
  21. Zita
    August 16, 2008 at 12:05 am (16 years ago)

    I wasn’t expecting Bella to get knocked up though! LOL
    There were parts where I cried, must be the hormones (2 more months to go).
    Over all, it wasn’t that bad. Lucky I got the paperback at a discounted price.
    You should have seen the hordes of shreiking HS girls at the bookshop where I bought mine.

    Zitas last blog post..H’s 30th Birthday Celebration

    Oh wow! I didn’t know you were pregnant. Congratulations Z!!!! 😀

    Reply
  22. Gen 314
    August 16, 2008 at 2:26 pm (16 years ago)

    eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!! they move the movie release date to November 21 WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Great!! 😀

    Reply
  23. Em Dy
    August 22, 2008 at 3:49 pm (16 years ago)

    I skimmed through some pages too.

    Amen to all that you said.

    From a physician’s point of view though…I wondered why Carlisle did not consider blood transfusion. Drinking the blood through a straw? Oh, c’mon. And blood transfusion wouldn’t be gross at all. Re the xrays, that’s just too much. Weren’t they concerned about radiation? Especially so since they knew very little about the fetus. Maybe that’s why they had to explain that the fetus was enclosed in a capsule.

    Renesmee. So Pinoy. I didn’t like it too as much as I didn’t like Harry Potter’s kids’ names. But at least that was just his two favorite people’s names put together but not joined together.

    Of the 4, my favorite book is Twilight. Breaking Dawn reads as if it was done in a hurry.

    I still like Harry Potter better because all the events seem tied together. Even details that seemed unimportant were significant.

    Em Dys last blog post..Movie Merchandise

    From a physician’s point of view though…I wondered why Carlisle did not consider blood transfusion.

    I wonder why Meyer didn’t consider it. Drama I guess? The fetus had to eat something anyway. Creepy.

    Reply
  24. JMom
    August 24, 2008 at 10:42 pm (16 years ago)

    I finally finished the book yesterday! So as promised, I came back to read your spoilers :)

    I had the same thought as everyone else here regarding Renesmee. My first thought was, could Stephanie Meyers be Pinoy? hehe! if she was maybe it would have been Rhenezmei

    I have to say that I did enjoy the book although I too felt like it was a bit rushed in some places. The short, curt responses like ‘sure, sure’ were slightly annoying to me. I agree that there wasn’t enough Edward in this book. I was also thinking, that could it be that the sexual tension was so integral and palpable in the earlier books that it was almost anticlimactic when they finally get around to it? You have to admit, most times the anticipation is way better than the actual event.

    On the ending, I was almost hoping for a bloodbath and that Jacob and Nessie are the only survivors. Maybe another book on their adventures or misadventures.

    The doggie bowl on Roselee’s head and the ‘Nessie’ attack on Jacob were pretty hilarious. I LOL 😀

    Thanks for coming back to this entry JMom!

    Yup the exchanges between Rosalie and Jacob were funny. 😀

    I was fine with the smex parts. I just noticed that Meyer’s writing wasn’t as sensual and subtle as before. :/

    So now that BD is out, what’s next? The movie! Can’t wait!

    Reply
  25. karol
    September 4, 2008 at 7:47 pm (16 years ago)

    i think this comment is quite delayed already. hehe. of course, i was one of the first people to line up for the book (had it reserved weeks before), etc. etc. same insights. was quite disappointed with it. felt that meyer just looked for an excuse to finish the book and create a happy ending. her writing is wonderful (funny parts esp. from emmett), but the plot’s not too good for me, too. :) oh well, at least it’s not perfect. hehehe…

    karols last blog post..Multiplying My Multiply

    No worries! No such thing as a delayed comment in here. 😀 Nice to know we see eye to eye on this!

    Reply

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