Don't Stay Up for Breaking Dawn: Meyer's Last Twilight Book Fails to Please

Anticipation for the final book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, has been growing since the release date was announced last year. Twilight tells the story of Bella Swan, a heroine who just so happens to fall in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen. Throughout the first three books in the series, Bella has to choose between Edward and Jacob Black, her best friend who moonlights as a werewolf, begs Edward to make her immortal like him, and has to risk losing her family forever. What I liked most about the first three books was seeing Bella debate, rationalize, and ultimately make decisions that best suit her. She seems utterly human at times and overly lovesick and emotional at others; basically, she is a character that any teen girl can relate to.

I looked forward to Breaking Dawn because I believed Meyer would end the saga on the same note that it began. I was waiting for suspense, romance, and more analysis of the complex relationships that had already formed. Sadly, I was deeply disappointed in the fact that Meyer really only delivered on the romance angle.

Breaking Dawn begins days prior to Bella and Edward's wedding, an event that she is dreading. She seems set in her decision to become a vampire, though Edward's part of the bargain included getting married as well. The wedding goes beautifully, save for a visit from Jacob, who has been away from their hometown of Forks. When he realizes that Edward and Bella have plans to take their romance to the next level, he reacts very poorly. The rest of the book follows the path of Edward and Bella's honeymoon, her rapid pregnancy, and the worry that she and the Cullen family will be killed by the Volturi, an ancient clan of vampires who have created a code of laws and conduct.

There are some strong points in the novel, but they are negated easily by the ridiculousness of many key plot points. Bella's pregnancy, which produces a half-baby/half-vampire hybrid, seemed a bit forced a times, especially when the Cullen family figures out the only way to keep Bella alive during the difficult, two - week pregnancy (hint: they use a very popular vampire drink). The resulting child, who receives the ridiculous name Renesme (a combination of Renee and Esme, Bella's mom and mother-in-law - get it?), possesses the ability to tell people her thoughts telepathically. Not the best plot point, as it takes up a bulk of the story.

The switch to Jacob's point of view is a bit distracting, even if it does offer another voice in the novel. It seems more practical to switch to Edward or even one of the Cullen family members, who would be more affected by this event. However, Jacob is involved in a key plot point, in which he "imprints" on Renesme, meaning that she's more or less his soulmate. Kind of creepy that a teenage boy can imprint on a newborn, but it's Twilight. To read Twilight, you already have to suspend your disbelief.

Perhaps what bothered me the most is that Bella didn't change much by the events that took place throughout the course of the novel. True, she was eventually turned into a vampire, but it seemed unrealistic how every plot point was neatly wrapped up. I like the anguished Bella, the one who frets over every minute aspect in life. Also, the ode to Bella-the-martyr became incredibly annoying as the text went on. Although likeable, I hardly pictured Bella as great as her friends and family made her out to be. If anything, some might even call her selfish, as many decisions she makes but herself first.

I hate to admit my disappointment for a book I was so anxiously looking forward to. However, Meyer's website has announced the publication of Midnight Sun, an Edward-centric text that retells the series from his point of view. The preview chapter looks more like the Meyer I know and love: witty, short and somewhat choppy sentences, and utterly readable. Perhaps the hype of Breaking Dawn set my expectations too high, and perhaps no reader can be satisfied when a well-loved saga comes to an end. Sadly, in the case of Breaking Dawn, I felt like I had read a loosely structured and long-winded tale that was complete with a happy resolution that no reader expected.