Breaking Dawn: Not Epic Win, Not Epic Fail; Just Right
The time has come to express everything Breaking Dawn related. So now I say...
MASSIVE SPOILERS BEHIND THE CUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have been warned...
Ok, so first I'll start with my very long day. I got to Borders at 9:30am and was #20 in line for the book. YAY!!! It was a long, boring and desparing day, but finally it was midnight and I had Breaking Dawn in my hands. I was home by 12:30 and I read chapters 1 and 2 before bed, the rest I read non-stop from 9am until 2am today. So here we go...
I start by saying this. If Twilight was about finding love, New Moon was about losing love, Eclipse was about choosing love; then Breaking Dawn was about protecting love.
The book started out amazing and totally in key. Bella and Edward together. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, it was just Bella staring at Edward. No one else mattered, they were there they were together. But that was the end of Bella and Edward's story right there. The rest of the book was about Bella reaching adulthood completely and being ready to become a vampire. This was stated in the quote before book one. From there on, I'm sure none of us were expecting ANYTHING that happened and I know nobody didn't. Well, except those that spoiled themselves, but luckly I wasn't one of them and I glad I wasn't. I would've been WTF?! from the very start and wouldn't have enjoyed the book or appreciated it the way I did.
A lot of people are complaning about the sex scenes, but I think SMeyer handled them perfectly. With grace and tastefulness. As much as we all wanted plenty of SMUT, and I am one of those, these scenes were plenty and beautiful and just right. Edward and Bella's first time was just lovely and then Edward being so depressed over her was so typical of him and I love him. I still haven't been able to get the picture of a beautiful naked Edward in the beach out of my mind... *sigh*
I knew the plot would have to do something with children since Bella had that horribly scary dream at the beginning of the book, but then things started to turn for the unexpected. It wasn't until I realized Bella was eating huge amounts of food and that she got sick from the chicken that I knew something was way off and then I realized and my reaction was somewhat along these lines: "OMG WTF SHE'S PREGNANT?!". I didn't know what was going on, I was so confused and then Edward went into shock and so many strange things started happening, but what hurt me the most out of all the book where the words Edward spoke about taking her home and getting the thing out of her. I hated him so much at that moment. I know understand he's reasons, but I felt exactly like Bella did, completely abandoned and I would've done the same and call Rosalie to protect me. I don't know if it's because I'm very maternal person, but this book touch me in so many ways the rest of the books did not.
Then things got even weirder. Suddenly it was book 2 and everything was from Jacob's perspective. I was terrified. I don't like Jacob! But let me say, I am so glad SMeyer did this. Without this chapters I would've never understood Jacob the way I do know and I would have never got to, dare I say it, LIKE him. Plus, these chapters would not have worked from Bella's perspective. She was bedridden all through them and it would've been very boring, but with Jacob SMeyer managed to tell us what was happening with him and Bella all at once. These were some of the funniest and saddest chapters ever. I absolutely hated Sam and his hyprocritical thoughts and I was rooting for Jacob to finally do something for himself and stand up against Sam as the true leader, and I'm so glad he did. And I'm glad that Seth and Leah followed him. I loved the Jacob/Leah relationship and I was almost positive they would end up together, that didn't happen. I wish that they had wrapped up whatever they had, but Leah seemed comtempt with being by Jacob's side and that's all that matters. Watching Edward in so much pain during this chapters was the hardest thing ever. I wanted to understand him, but I also hated the way he thought. I understand that he would do anything to protect Bella, but to go far as to killing his child was hard to understand. I have a new appreciation for Bella, because she was able to stand up for herself and against the love of her life to do what was right and that deserves some applause. It was so hard to watch Bella being sick too, we've never seen her like that before and I had no idea where this all would end. I could just hope for the best. Watching Jacob's pain about being hurt by Bella and not being able to find his soulmate was heartbreaking also. The scene where Edward finally accepted the baby was absolutely beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes. Something as simple as pure unconditional love can win anyone over and that was the child's gift. And then Jacob running away in Edward's car was so devastating, he needed to get away, he needed to find HER and it was heartbreaking when he didn't.
The birth scene. Oh god, the birth scene. It's probably the most horrible thing I've ever read and I mean that in a good way. I am deathly afraid of dying in childbirth and I was deathly afraid for Bella AND the baby. The blood, everything. It was so real that I felt nauseous. This was probably the most violent and mature scene in the book. Then Bella was dying and I was freaking out and I think I just screamed "EDWARD BITE HER ALREADY!" and he did. It was perfect and beautiful in it's own perverse way. Then Jacob is freaking out, he goes downstairs, he gets ready to take revenge and kill the baby and then he see her and BAM! I gasp like I'm choking for breath. I didn't expect in my wildest dreams that Jacob would imprint on EDWARD AND BELLA'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER!!! The imprint scene was probably the most beautiful scene in the book. I just loved how it was written and the emotions, it was perfect.
Then we go to book 3 and back to Bella's POV. The first chapter with her describing her change and the feelings and about wanting to hold her daughter was so beautiful. And then she wakes up and she is beautiful, and all she can do is stare at Edward and it was perfect. Vampire Bella is made of awesomeness. I love that her first instinct was to hug and kiss Edward like she never has before, before the blood, before anything else, Edward was all she wanted. And then the hunting, DEAR GOD THE HUNTING! I never knew hunting could be so...sensual. Edward and Bella drinking blood, Bella's dressed all shreded up, racing through the woods, making out; I don't think I could've asked for anything better than those few moments of happiness they enjoyed purely. Then it's time to go home and see the baby again. Bella is ready as she should be and then there's Renesmee. I <3 Renesmee. She's adorable and intelligent and perfect and I just would love to hold her. She spreads love like a contagious disease and it's fantastic. This world needs more love than we know and it's fantastic that even a vampire can give that gift. Then Bella realizes that Jacob has imprinted on her daughter and goes totally batshit!Bella on his ass. It was VAMPTASTIC! Best line ever: "You nicknamed my daughter after the Loch Ness Monster?". EPIC WIN!!!!!!!!! Nessie totally won over my heart. And I love over protective Dad!Edward, he's exactly what I would've imagined him to be as a dad.
The cottage that Edward and Bella live in is absolutely beautiful in my imagination. And I adore that Bella desires Edward more than anything else, they go at it like bunnies all the time and I love it! XD
Then things start going wrong, because we all knew the Volturi HAD to come in at some point and they did. They came to take Nessie away and everyone got together to fight for her. I loved how all the vampires came together to protect her, all hesitant until she showed them her unconditional love and innocence. Also, Bella extending her powers of shielding to protecting everyone she loves was extraordinary. She was determined to get it right. Alice and Jasper leaving broke my heart, as did the pain Bella went through preparing herself to die and leave her daughter behind. Oh! Before I forget, I LOVED Charlie's reactiong to "sorta-kinda-knowing" about the vampires. I'm so glad he's still alive and happy because everyone knows I <3 Charlie. The Volturi come and I'm tensing and crying as everyone says their goodbyes. I don't want anyone to die, I'm so scared. But then Alice comes in like the wonder she is and everything is resolved once more. I was kind of dissapointed that there was no big showdown, but I am positive the Volturi will return soon. Their interest in Nessies is too great.
The last scene where Edward is finally able to read Bella's mind completely turned me into a weeping child.
I thought about this book so much over the day, I thought over and over about what I would write in this review. At first I wasn't sure if I actually liked it or not, but after thinking things over I think I like it more than I ever thought I would.
This story is not about Edward and Bella, their story ended when they got married. This is Bella's final step into adulthood, complete maturity and readiness to turn into a vampire. She reaches that state through motherhood and that concept alone is beautiful. This is the story of Bella and Renesmee. The result of Bella and Edward's unconditional love. That's probably why so many people hate it; many aren't in the age to appreciate motherhood and love for a child, many hate the fact of a baby in the Edward/Bella fix, and many just hate the fact that half the book is from Jacob's POV. All these facts I love and I love that SMeyer completely messed with our minds and took the risks she wanted. Because at the end of the day it's her book and love it or hate it all that matters is that she write if for herself and not with the expectations of all of you ungrateful fans out there. It's fine to hate the book, just don't hate on the author that gave you such wonderful moments, it's very disrespectful. Not just to SMeyer, but all authors out there. Because, as it should be, she writes for herself, not for us.
I'm not suprised by the negativity, not really. I expected it, since it started even before the book came out. And it seems to be becoming a trend to hate on the last book of the series. Sad but true. What I didn't expect was the bashing and complete hate towards, not the book, the author. How more disrespectful can you get? I am an author myself and even I feel how unfair that is.
I think this fandom has been slowly taking turns for the worst over the last few months. They disect everything negative about anything we get before they can even consider the positive side of things. And I swear to God, If I see someone else say the words EPIC FAIL ever again I will rip their head of Bella style. I've never hated those two words more in my life. -_- I just hope the few and good fans remain and that the fandom doesn't go completely to the dogs.
Anyway...back to BD. In the end, everything ended as it should be. A baby, Edward, Bella and Jacob happy and together, forever, happily ever after...what more can I ask for?
BD is not my favorite book, neither is it my least favorite. It's Not Epic Fail, or Epic Win. It's none of those things. It is what it is, it is what it was meant to be, it is just right. And for all those reasons that outweigh the bad things, I completely adore this book in my own way. :)
Some more notes:
-Rosalie. I hated her. She was such a bitch all thorugh the book, I never had anything against her character until then. But, I guess that's what she does when she has a child to protect... *shrug*
-The name Renesmee...seriously Bella?! WTF! Completely unoriginal. I was rooting for Elizabeth myself.
-I love Bella more now than ever before.
-Thanks Bella for making me desperate to have things. First it was engament, then it was marriage and now it's children. I am desperate! O_O
Now that the saga is over, I thank God I discovered it. It gave me a new output on life. Sometimes I was desperate to find money to get through life, desperate to finish school, always short on time, etc. After reading Twilight I realize that life isn't only about superficial things, it's about unconditional love and enjoying the time you spend with your loved ones. I think I needed that lesson and SMeyer gave it to me. So if you ever read this Stephenie, from the bottom of my heart, Thank You. :) And please don't listen to all those crazy fans. XD
Even through all the crazyness of this fandom, I never regret joining it.
Now I will wait for Mindnight Sun desperately!
BTW, If you're commenting with HATE COMMENTS, I'd rather you didn't comment at all. It's fine to express your opinion, but no hating please.
I probably forgot to write a lot of points, but they'll come back to me.
Hope you enjoyed BD! Until next time! :)