Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga, #4)

by Stephenie Meyer

[ladygrey]

I had avidly avoided spoilers, but I still knew that some people were not happy with this book and had heard Stephenie Meyer say that that's just the way the story went. So, before I read it I was trying to think what people could possibly be dissatisfied with. Edward and Bella were going to get married and she was going to be a vampire; that seemed inevitable. But what if she didn't do that? Then she did so I kept reading.

The pregnancy thing was a weird turn I wasn't sure I liked at first. But I also knew that there isn't much I like in the first half of her books anyway, so I'd give it time to develop. I wasn't thrilled about Jacob's point of view, especially at first. But then he was interacting with the Cullens (and Edward) and I acknowledged that his really was the most interesting point of view at the time. Bella was just lying around dying and being pregnant and that wasn't nearly as interesting as Jacob's interactions with Edward and his reactions to everything that was happening. And then it was back to Bella's point of view and that's where I felt the story really got going (not that there weren't fun moments beforehand).

In the beforehand I liked the wedding and the honeymoon and Edward the first time he heard Renemsee's thoughts. I thought the poor kid's name was ridiculous. And Bella's conversion to immortality and that she went back and showed us Edward and Bella telling Charlie about the engagement. And I really liked Jacob when he was telling the story from his point of view. It was sweet.

In the aftermath, I liked Bella as a newborn and her self-control. I really liked everyone's reactions to her control and her choices and that Edward had been holding out on her. Their interactions in the very beginning were a lot of fun as he was playful and proud and sweet. I liked the confrontation when Bella found out about Jacob's imprinting (and Emmett's reactions, always).

The thing I consistently don't like about her books (and I think [b:Twlight|17570712|In This Twlight|Al Bruno III|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1362981451s/17570712.jpg|24510125] is the exception) is how often the characters are so much dumber than the audience. The things that happen, that surprise them, are not surprising or unexpected. Of course Alice wouldn't leave them, dumbasses. There were a couple of other things I was disappointed in, but I'm too tired to remember them now. (ETA: The Cullens not realizing that a half vampire baby might be craving blood until Jacob thought the obvious was pretty dumbass.)

I liked Bella's shield and how she learned to extend it, during the confrontation with the Volturi and especially at the very end to allow Edward to read her thoughts. Though the confrontation with the Volturi was completely a let down after all the hype and bother and dismay they stood around and talked a little and then everyone went home.