Monday 21 July 2014

Breaking Dawn - Book Rant


Breaking Dawn (Twilight #4)
by Stephenie Meyer


What is it about:
When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

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, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

Now that 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?


What did I think of it:
Read the first paragraph of what this book is about?

There's my first grumble!

It's from the prologue of this book and had my hair stand on edge. How creepy and wrong is that statement!? And I do not care how it turns out in the rest of the book: that statement as it stands on its own is horrible! It tells abuse victims that it's ok to let themselves be abused, because when you love someone: how could you not? I can tell you I was tempted to throw the book across the room when it started like that.

But I read on.

Yeah...

I wasn't too happy about what happened in this book. Edward was acting as Edward. That guy is so self-centered. He thinks everything that happens has to do with him. If Bella would choke on her food, Edward would start moping and angsting, because he would think he should have chewed Bella's food for her. And Bella... Bella was acting all saintly. Only Jacob and his gang had some good actions, even though Jacob lost his way at a certain point. Luckily he found it again.

Then towards the end of book 2 of 3 in this volume, things started to lead up to a climax. I had this idea how I would want to have this climax play out. It would save a lot of the story for me.

But no...

The climax was more of a dud for me than a climax.

And then there was all of book three to go through, and to be honest I wasn't that interested anymore. Not that it was bad, it just seemed superfluous to me. And again the climax that this book build up to, was kind of a no show. I wanted more.

So in the end this book wasn't my favorite. I think I liked the third book the best. Still I might grumble a lot, but overall the three books that I read in this series were nice. I won't be rereading them, but I might give The Host by Meyer a chance.

Why should you read it:
It's a nice Paranormal read.


buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery

7 comments:

Beanie Mouse said...

Well, that's disappointing. But at least you gave the book a try...!

Blodeuedd said...

Sigh, this book *grumbles too*

Melliane said...

Ah for me this one was one of the worst.

Melliane said...

Ah for me this one was one of the worst.

Sullivan McPig said...

After reading the third book I had expected to also like this book, but... Edward! and Bella! Argh!

Enbrethiliel said...

+JMJ+

LOL! How did I miss this when you first posted it??? If you told me and I just forgot, I apologise for my absent-mindedness!

I confess that I have no memory of the Twilight prologues. As a literary device in general, they're not my cup of tea; and I don't think Meyer's prologues really do much for the story except say, "Exciting stuff is coming up!" Which is actually the job of the first chapter, aye? So, anyway, I don't recall what the Breaking Dawn prologue refers to and can't look it up yet. But now that you've highlighted it, I must say that it reminds me more of Bella and Renesmee than of Bella and Edward: a completely different relationship dynamic!

As for the plot: Meyer has a way of building things up to an explosive climax . . . then dumping water on the fuse. =P It's not something I'm crazy about, but now that I've accepted that all the books are about "mental chess," I can appreciate them better.

The parts of Breaking Dawn that I found most boring were the chapters when Bella is getting used to being a vampire. And much of Book 3, to tell you the truth. After she no longer feels the tension of being torn in two directions or suffers from a sense of inferiority, the story loses a lot of steam. Meyer makes up for it in the end, when Bella is revealed to be a shield (and I personally love how Bella finally becomes the formidable hero!); and it's an example of something great in the story that helps me to excuse the flaws. I understand, though, if others can't overlook them as easily. They can be glaring!

Sullivan McPig said...

@Enbrethiliel: The thinking reader will indeed eventually understand this prologue refers to Renesmee, still I think that prologue is dangerous as it is. Someone who is in a damaging relationship ,and doesn't make the connection with a mother having to chose to endure a dangerous pregnancy for the sake of her child, or to end it, might think it's normal to endure abuse out of love.