Breaking Dawn
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Bella finally gets her wedding day. She does have the sense to be afraid of what will happen to her once she is made a vampire and she's rethinking the time table, much to Edward's delight. They fly to a tiny island and on their wedding night, Bella finally gets what she's been waiting for from Edward, the consummation of their love. What results is far from normal, as Bella has a most unusual pregnancy and that's just the beginning.
Meyer brings the stories all full circles, she ties up all of her loose ends and everyone gets a satisfying conclusion. There were so many problems with the way things were going. Renee and Charlie were going to lose their daughter and Bella was going to have to be forever separated from her parents and everyone she ever knew. Jacob was heartbroken and his future was looking pretty grim, he's pretty much gone wild and rarely returns to his human form. We finally get to see Rosalie at her best and we come to understand why she was resistant to Bella.
I know these books won't make literary history, but I think Stephenie Meyer has given readers everywhere a great gift with these books. I'm hearing about people getting caught up in Bella and Edward's story and reading through the books, it's like Harry Potter all over. My sister in law is devouring the series and purchasing the books as gifts and passing along her copies to be read by friends and family. I enjoyed this series and I'm sure I'll be quick to pick up the next book, which I believe will be told from Edward's point of view. Is is a guilty pleasure when it is shared by so many? I think that Meyer has done an amazing job with these books. Sure, the dialog can be a little flowery, but the sentiment goes straight to a girl's heart. What teenage girl, and grown women, at that, doesn't want to be told that she is someone's reason for living? Who doesn't want someone to love them that much? It's a chaste fantasy that still leaves them all panting for more. A Jane Austen sensibility in a 21st century gothic romance, who would have thought it would work? But, it does and I, for one, am glad that I had the chance to watch it all unfold.
The critics are right and some of the parody stuff I have seen about this series is so funny. None of that takes away from my enjoyment of this book and my delight at how many people are reading the books and can't put them down. That's just the way it's supposed to be. Isn't it?
