Review Detail

I must have discovered some new found appreciation for Breaking Dawn during my reread, since I enjoyed it way more than I did the first time. I flew through it, despite it being the longest of the series, and I think it might be my second favorite of the series (behind Eclipse, of course). I’m not sure what it was that made me love it the second time, even though I nearly hated it the first time around. I still found a good chunk of it boring and repetitive, and the plot still got stranger as it moved along, but I guess I liked that. Maybe it was the fact that the book didn’t focus on the tiny bubble that is Bedward. Instead we get a whole new cast of characters along side the favorites, and more outside forces.

After the action-packed adventure that was Eclipse, Breaking Dawn is a completely different tone. There is no action, at all. Even the big fight with the Volturi that the Cullens are anxiously awaiting, never comes. They work it out by talking, but I think that works, since no one really wants it to come to violence.

There’s about 200 pages where we leave Bella’s head completely and enter Jacob’s (and the pack by the nature of their connection). It should have been refreshing, but it was really boring. Every chapter was essentially the same: Jacob is in his wolf form on patrol, he phases back to human to visit Bella, Bella is overly excited to see him, something happens to upset Jacob and he takes off. Lather, rinse, repeat. We do get some interesting insight into the mind of the pack, especially Leah. It all felt like filler though as we wait for Bella to finally give birth, which was when things get interesting.

Aside from my one-line scene in Eclipse, Breaking Dawn contains my favorite scene of the series: the birth. The first time I read Breaking Dawn, I had to read that part several times because I just couldn’t believe it! Edward bites the baby out! Literally, he chews his way through Bella’s womb since none of the medical tools are strong enough. It was awesome! It was the only thing that stood out to me the first time I read this, and was probably the only scene I actually remembered.

Oh, there was also Jacob’s imprinting which weirded me out, because it prompted me to come up with this whole crazy, disturbing theory. I explained this theory to my mom as if it was fact, because let’s face it, it probably is. She found it strange too. My theory is that Jacob must have imprinted on the egg within Bella’s ovaries that was destined to become Renesme. What Jacob thought was love for Bella was really a longing for part of her female anatomy. Creepy.

Anyway, Breaking Dawn was pretty awesome the second time around. It’s still quite bizarre in places, but I didn’t hate it this time, so that’s saying something. I’m glad there was a happy ending, but I wasn’t expecting anything but. I just wish it had been less anti-climatic.