To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation , loss, and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the date of two tribes hangs.
Now Bella has made her decision; a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life--first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse--seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed...forever?
The astonishing, breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic. Great love stories thrive on sacrifice. Throughout The Twilight Saga (Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse), Stephenie Meyer has emulated great love stories--Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights--with the fated, yet perpetually doomed love of Bella (the human girl) and Edward (the vampire who feeds on animals instead of humans). In Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final installment in the series, Bella’s story plays out in some unexpected ways. The ongoing conflicts that made this series so compelling--a human girl in love with a vampire, a werewolf in love with a human girl, the generations-long feud between werewolves and vampires--resolve pretty quickly, apparently so that Meyer could focus on Bella’s latest opportunity for self-sacrifice: giving her life for someone she loves even more than Edward. How close she comes to actually making that sacrifice is questionable, which is a big shift from the earlier books. Even though you knew Bella would make it through somehow, the threats to her life, and to her relationship with Edward, had previously always felt real. It’s as if Meyer was afraid of hurting her characters too much, which is unfortunate, because the pain Bella suffered at losing Edward in New Moon, and the pain Jacob suffered at losing Bella again and again, are the fire and the heart that drive the whole series. Diehard fans will stick with Bella, Edward, and Jacob for as many twists and turns as possible, but after most of the characters get what they want with little sacrifice, some readers may have a harder time caring what happens next. (Ages 12 and up) --Heidi Broadhead
Customer Reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Breaking Dawn Or New Dawn Comment: Breaking Dawn or New Dawn
BEWARE...CONTAINS SPOILERS.
Breaking Dawn, the fourth book in a series of novels by Stephanie Meyer, stands alone from the pack. You can't even compare it to the other three books because of the character development and depth of emotional interplay that focuses the attention of a more mature reader. Not that the other three weren't filled with emotion and lively characters, but this novel moves from the teenage world to that of an adult with responsibility.
The progression of the titles is a metaphor for this change. The first book, Twilight, involved Bella's life in the dark and moving to a town that lacks sunshine for seven months. New Moon signifies a new chapter in Bella's life as she continues her relationship with Edward. Eclipse concerns the sadness of Edwards's departure and the happiness upon his return. In Breaking Dawn, Bella moves from the teenage world of the previous books into the sunshine of marriage, a child and her metamorphosis into a vampire.
I absolutely loved this book, but I felt that there might have been a little too much going on for one story. There were two parts to Breaking Dawn. Part one was in Bella's perspective, like the other three books were. Part two was in Jacob's perspective, and then part three went back to Bella's viewpoint. I think Stephanie Meyer should have put part one and part two together for one book then put part three into a separate story. It would have made the book easier to follow and definitely would make her fans happy knowing that there was another book after Breaking Dawn.
When I read Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse I found the books to be predictable. For example, in Eclipse when Edward left I knew he would return. But Breaking Dawn was a whole other story. I actually couldn't figure out what was coming next. I wasn't even sure if it would have a happily-ever-after. I suspect what we are seeing in this novel is the real life experiences of the author which naturally aren't predictable. Perhaps it's the author who is maturing, not the novels.
After finishing the first three novels, I was left with a satisfying "WOW," but with Breaking Dawn it was more of a "Whoa! What just happened?" I had to re-read a few passages to fully understand everything.
Breaking Dawn was a romantic, gripping and enjoyable read, filled with zippy one-liners and quirky anecdotes we've all come to adore, but one I had to put down often for reflection. As always, Meyer has left us satisfied, but instead of looking forward to a sequel, she's left us all hoping for a new series.
Customer Rating: Summary: The Transition is Complete... Comment: Whereas the previous books in this series focused on the very human and clumsy Bella and the vampire, Edward, this one is a book of Bella's transition into the vampire world. For me, this wasn't the best of the series, but a definite must read for fans. Some of the character conflicts were resolved a little too easily, but perhaps this was to make room for the story of the Volturi. Let's face it, Stephanie Meyer could have kept this series going for a long time, and in a way, I wish she had, rather than trying to resolve so much in one book. Parts of it seemed rushed towards a resolution, just so something else could happen. I thought there were way too many vampires introduced in this book and for me it was hard to keep up with who was who and what their history was. While there is a guide included at the end to help with this, it was still hard to follow. That said, I have totally enjoyed the series and this book as well. Customer Rating: Summary: So much better than the first three books... Comment: I'm not giving any thing away, no spoilers here. After book 1, I had to read 2 and 3 just to see where this was going. Breaking Dawn made it all worth it. The first three were teenage-angst melodramas... this book is an EPIC. The emotions, the nobleness, the choices, the suspense... its a page turner you will want to read again. Customer Rating: Summary: Slow Read, but overall- OK. Comment: I was late jumping on the "Twilight Saga" bandwagon, but over the summer I picked up Twilight and finished it in two days. The same with New Moon & Eclipse. But Breaking Dawn was sorta a slow-read. It just didn't have the same intensity as the first IMHO. Renesmee was a cute addition the the Cullen family, but like others I didn't really dig the whole imprinting thing on her. It wrapped up nicely though, but I did sort of wander if Bella would ever see Renee again..All in all I give it a 3/5 Customer Rating: Summary: Disgusting Excuse for a Novel! Comment: This is a horrible, sickening, and perverted novel that should be banned! Kids especially should never be allowed to read garbage like this! The demons must laugh uproariously to see people on this planet reading the stuff of nightmares and Satan's handiwork! Disgusting novels equals perverted read!