Monday, August 11, 2008

Disappointed (Breaking Dawn spoilers)


I finished reading Breaking Dawn. It's not what I expected. I was hoping for so much more. More character development, more fighting, more conflict.. just more FEELING. I think there was a real lack of feeling in this book. I didn't like the ending, I didn't like how all the characters related to each other. And for the first time since reading the series, I didn't like Bella's character. I even didn't like Bella and Edward together. I was hoping for so much more from this final book, and I came away from it disappointed.

The characters for one thing. Jacob and Bella's relationship was just off. I think Stephenie Meyers took the easy option out. I liked the thing going between Leah and Jacob, and would have like it to have been explored more, except it just ended abruptly. In fact, everything regarding the werewolves is left without a conclusion. What about the surge of new werewolves? What about Quil and Embry joining Jacob's pack?

The ending. Is it just me, or was someone else hoping for an unhappy ending in some way? Something other than what happens? EVERYONE happy? Everyone getting everything they wanted? There wasn't even a huge blow-out ending. It just sort of fizzled out. Very anti-climatic. Especially when by the time the last few chapters ended, I didn't want to be rooting for Bella and Edward anymore. All they had was their love for each other, but by that time it seemed to be all empty words because there was nothing to support it. In this book, more than any other, I was sickened by their dependency on each other. At least when she was with Jacob, Bella took an interest in something besides Edward. Even if it was extreme sports. And yes, even that was an attempt to be with Edward in some way.

I kind of wanted them both to die and for Jacob and Nessie to run off to Brazil. I wanted Alice to be hugely selfish and to save herself and Jasper. I wanted to see more sacrifice on Bella's part. I wanted to actually believe Edward and Bella as a couple. I wanted to see Bella lose her control, otherwise why was so much written about the unpredictability of new vampires? I wanted to explore Bella's new relationships with Rosalie and Jasper. I wanted The Volturi to be punished in some way. I wanted there to be less new characters introduced so there was more time for the main group of characters. I wanted to read this book and not think 'hmm, the best thing about Breaking Dawn? Emmett's innuendo.' Was that too much to ask?


Have you read Breaking Dawn? What did you think?

2 comments:

  1. So sorry Michelle that you didn't like it. I liked it well enough but I don't think I was heavily invested in the story in the first place and was happy with wherever the story took me. I do think there were some flaws though. I wrote a pretty extensive review on my blog.

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  2. Hi Michelle,

    I just finished Breaking Dawn after loving the first three and its nice to find another adult that feels the same way as I do. I too hated how all feeling and personality were lost after silly Renesmee was born. I could have done without the last 200 pages since NOTHING happened and I had no interest in all those other vampires she introduced. I think I'm just going to pretend that the series ended with Eclipse and maybe a little from the first half of BD.

    The whole Edward/Bella love child thing was way too much out of this world for me and Bella becoming a vampire completely ruined the integrity of her character. It worked so well and I loved that she was just so ordinary. Edward really had no personality throughout the whole series, so I was rooting for Jacob since New Moon....until he imprinted on Renesmee (creepy!) and then there went the fun of reading about him.

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