Breaking Dawn (Book Review)

I began counting down the days until the release of Breaking Dawn, the last novel of the popular Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer, four months early. I couldn’t wait to know what it would reveal. Would vampire Edward Cullen marry Bella Swan? Would werewolf Jacob Black ever take no for an answer? Would Edward change Bella into a vampire? And if so, would Jacob and the wolf pack kill the Cullens for breaking the pact about biting a human?

It took me a day to read the gripping 754-page book. I was freaking out because it was so intense.
The book is separated into three sections. Book One and Book Three are from the perspective of Bella (our leading lady). Book Two is told from Jacob’s perspective.
In the preface to Book One Bella must decide whether to choose death and live as an immortal vampire with Edward, or stay human. Book One starts with Bella and Edward’s wedding, which means Bella has chosen the vampire life. However, Jacob comes as a surprise guest. He confronts Bella and, naturally, asks her to change her mind and be with him.
Bella decides to ignore Jacob and not ruin her wedding. Explaining why she was waiting to turn into vampire, she says, “I just didn’t want to spend my honeymoon writhing in pain.” Jacob responds, “You’d rather spend it how? Playing checkers?” It’s one of my favorite quotes because it shows Jacob’s annoying yet playful side.

Breaking Dawn is a more mature novel than the previous three, which surprised me. It tackles the theme of sex (on their honeymoon the couple attempt to have sex). Bella changes into a more confident adult throughout the book so I thought the more mature novel was fitting, even though at times it felt like a Bella I didn’t know. I thought it was good that Bella had changed. She was getting annoying after three books of whining that she wasn’t good enough for Edward. In Breaking Dawn, she stops doubting that she’s good enough for the Cullen family.

I like to call Book Two “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Wolf.” I really enjoyed hearing what Jacob is thinking. Meyer made him childlike, yet a loner. He hears that Bella is sick, but he thinks the Cullens are just saying that so Bella has an excuse to not see her parents or friends when she turns into a vampire (when you first turn into a vampire, you get cravings for human blood). Jacob is impulsive so he tries to get his werewolf clan to attack the Cullens. The battle between werewolves and vampires begins.

I can’t give away anything else because Book Three is so mind blowing. The Italian vampires, The Volturi, are back and coming after the Cullens and Bella. The Cullens recruit other vampires to help them go against the leaders of The Volturi. But will they agree to fight against a powerful force knowing death is a possibility?

I thought the ending was great, even though it was clichéd. I was so happy that after three novels of crazy anticipation, Bella became a vampire so I rooted for the characters (even annoying Jacob). To those who criticized Breaking Dawn because of the ending or the characters changing: don’t take it seriously. It’s just a book. Or pick up the book and read it again! Right now!