Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, #4) in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jan 12, 2009 Shannon rated it really liked it

This book was clearly written as the culmination of the Twilight series. It starts with Bella and Edward’s wedding, which is a satisfying reader experience after having read through their relationship as explored in the previous three books. While reading this book, I was particularly struck by the way Meyer uses supernatural characters and events as metaphors for our own lives. A friend who is reading the first book in this series said that at one point she thought to herself, “Why am I reading This book was clearly written as the culmination of the Twilight series. It starts with Bella and Edward’s wedding, which is a satisfying reader experience after having read through their relationship as explored in the previous three books. While reading this book, I was particularly struck by the way Meyer uses supernatural characters and events as metaphors for our own lives. A friend who is reading the first book in this series said that at one point she thought to herself, “Why am I reading a book about a vampire?” After reflecting on that some, I decided that for me, it’s just a metaphor for how any relationship changes us. I saw that again in this book through Bella’s experiences. She is changed, but not only by her love for Edward, but by her love for her child.

While this book has a bit more gore than the previous books and is a bit more “out there” in terms of the plot line, it was probably my favorite book since the first one because I loved seeing Bella become who she was meant to me. Perhaps because I am struggling right now to know what my gifts are and how to appropriately and confidently use them, it was encouraging to see a character who has always seen herself as unworthy, incapable and mediocre not just survive, but thrive. I somehow doubt it will be as easy for me as it was for Bella, but that is one of the many differences between fiction and real life.

I also enjoyed the resolution of Jacob’s role in Bella’s and Edward’s lives. By the end of book three, I was doubtful that there could be a pleasant resolution for this love triangle. Meyer took an approach I had not foreseen, but I found it worked for the characters and left me satisfied as the reader.

For the first time in this book, Meyer writes in someone’s voice other than Bella. The section written from Jacob’s perspective was fairly well-done. As I said (or alluded) in a previous review, she’s not a literary genius. But Jacob’s chapters read decidedly differently than Bella’s, which is what we would expect. I felt on occasion in this book that Meyer did try to throw in a passage of more literary prose and it just didn’t work. There’s one passage in particular about a tapestry that almost made me wince. Meyer has created a fascinating world for Bella, Edward and their extended family and she’s at her best when she just sticks with that and writes it in the way she does best, whether that is high art or not.
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Nov 02, 2009 Jill rated it really liked it

This was by far my favorite of the Twilight series. Good vampire stuff, and Bella was much less annoying. Before this book, I was hoping this was the end of the series, but now I feel like that last book was the beginning of a whole new story.

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Mar 11, 2009 CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 16, 2008 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Bella still pissed me off! But I couldn't read it fast enough! It ended just the way it should have. Kudos to Stephenie Meyer for creating such wonderful, loving characters. ...more

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Jan 04, 2009 Crystal rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010

I thought I would hate this series, but once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! This was definitely the best of the books, hands down. ...more

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