Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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191 of 226 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Twilight number 4, 31 Oct 2008
Before I even read this book, I read the reviews for it. I was shocked how everyone ripped it to shreds. Of course in those reviews were spoilers, spoilers that I couldn't believe. I kept thinking do I really want to read this book now! I loved Edward and the Cullen's. Bella irritated me a lot, but I still loved her with Edward. Jacob was never my favorite character, but he was needed to balance out the stories. I didn't want to read this book and ruin my whole view of these characters I've learned to love and hate all at the same time. I'd already bought the book though so I sucked it up and started reading...I couldn't put it down. I kept thinking who ever wrote those reviews obviously didn't read the book very carefully. I absolutely loved this book, and I'm glad I didn't listen to those reviewers. Sure there were flaws, but even book 7 of Harry Potter had flaws!
I decided to talk to some of my friends who were still reading or just finished the book. I asked what they thought, and all of them really loved the book also. I was curious by this and went back online to find more reviews on the book and came to a conclusion...you either love this book or you hate. There is no gray area inbetween. So my advise to anyone who wants to read this book and are unsure...read it and form your own opinion. Don't listen to any of the reviews good or bad.
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157 of 186 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One word: Amazing! *NO SPOILERS* for those of you who havn't read it yet!, 6 Aug 2008
Breaking Dawn is a fitting end to the story of Bella, Edward and Jacob, and all the other characters we have come to know and love. Meyer really has a way with words, painting a scene exquisitly without boring the pants off the reader with too much detail! It is a very long book, and in fact it has three 'mini' books within, from the viewponts of Bella, Jacob, and then Bella again repectively, and yet I felt that every word was required, and I actually wanted more and more - I didn't want to let go of the story, and I read the whole book in one sitting (losing some sleep along the way too). The POW switch to Jacob is interesting, if not a tad irritating at first, because the reader gets that much more of an insight to is suffering and (in his mind) rightful hatred of the 'bloodsuckers'.
There are lots and lots of unexpected twists and turns in BD (perhaps a reason for some of the very harsh reactions against Breaking Dawn - it's not the book many fans expected it to be, however for me it had everything I expected and more, so surely that's a bonus?), with new plot lines and ideas, and new and old characters; in particular, I really felt that the reader comes to know the Cullen family properly, and to love them too. They have always been interesting minor characters in the previous three books (with the exception of Alice perhaps-she was always more of a major character), but in BD they all come to life beautifully.
Some readers would argue that the characters change personalities in BD, Bella in particular; I would say rather that all that she has been through is finally making its mark. She goes through two life-changing events in this book, and comes out all the more stronger for it. She was always stubborn, and I found that her personality developed and sharpened, which seemed a more natural development than if she had stayed exactly the same as the Bella we all know and love in the previous three books.
Other characters that undergoe a welcome development and grow from the 2 dimensional characters that they were before, are Jasper and Leah. We get an insight into both of their actions and behaviour in the previous books, and I for one found Jasper to be all the likeable instead of the cautious and slightly indifferent character we were faced with in Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse.
Not so much as a review from this point but a bit of a rant:
I really don't know why everyone hates the book so much! I think Stephenie Meyer is a victim of her own success, with fans writing their own version of events in their heads and developing Bella and Edward into people that that they never were! I'm not saying the BD is perfect, and neither were the previous 3 books in my opinion, but the characters behave exactly how you would expect them to, in accordance to how Meyer has portrayed them and bulit them up in the previous novels. They are S Meyer's creation, so she can do what she wants with them.
I knew a few spoilers before I read the book, so maybe I enjoyed it more because I was expecting less...there are some aspects of the book that I understand that some people might be less than happy with, with some scenes a bit more graphic than people might be used to. I personally wasn't offended by them and actually thought they added to the tension and drama of the plot, but I know this isn't the same for all readers.
I do, however, truely believe that the plot follows the only path it can (at the risk of sounding corney. I'm trying really hard not to give spoilers here people-harder than you think).
SM knew the outcome of the saga before she even wrote Twilight, and I think that that really shows: everything really comes together at the end, and I could really imagine how life would continue for all the characters beyond the pages. Some people were upset by the 'neat little package', but Hello? reality check: It's a book for teenagers (mostly) and it's S Meyer's first venture as an author; who wouldn't want to exert the power of the creator and make sure everything turns out just the way you want it to?
Sorry, I know im going a bit off the point here, but I can't help it, and if you enjoy BD as much as I did then you'll feel the same! NB: I was fully prepared to hate the book btw, I'm not giving it 5 stars just beacuse so many people have slated it! It deserves every one in my opinion.
Also, just to say, some people have been making a huge fuss about really small things, such as a name and a nickname for example, and I really think that's unfair on Stephenie! Yes, the nickname is a bit...well, yes, stupid, but the characters of the book themsleves admit this! It's not like they're living in a hunky dory world picking flowers and watching rainbows. The main characters react EXACTLY how they should act, and if anyone who's read the previous three books would know their personalities by now and should recognise that as truth. I think people should stop pasting their own faces over Bella and imaginag how they would have done things differently, and just accept that what Bella does is a consequense of her personality!
Not that it isn't a bit annoying but hey...
And back to the review...:
Anyway, enough of the rant. If you cancel your order, or decide not to give 'Breaking Dawn' a chance to even win you over as the other three books have done, all because of some stupid spoilers and rumours and bad reviews, then you will be missing a stunning conclusion to the saga. I'm still thinking about the book now, and when I finished it I actually sat in silence, in awe, for a few moments...please keep an open mind and enjoy BD like it deserves to be enjoyed!! Thank you :)
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64 of 79 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't know what everyone is complaining about, 2 Jan 2009
I purposefully avoided looking at reviews when I bought Breaking Dawn as I had loved the previous books so much I felt it wasn't necessary, also I had noticed that people can't seem to help but include spoilers in their reviews. (Something I feel amazon should police) Having read the book I decided to come back on and have a look at what had been written and maybe contribute myself and to be honest I was shocked. There are so many negative reviews on here and I can't understand it, these people who have clearly not enjoyed the earlier books either, why bother reading the others and then complaining about it?
I absolutely loved this book, as I've loved the whole series. I am not the teen reader it is aimed at but a 23 year old bookworm who can't resist a vampire saga, espeically one with a love twist! I think perhaps the negative reviews stem from people who have just forgotten that its aimed at teenagers and except a deep, heavy and also sexy novel, it has enough of all those things to really suck you in but it remains a teen novel through and through. This isn't a criticism but it is a warning, if you're expecting something more and didn't like the other books perhaps this isn't for you.
I first read Twilight when I saw the film was due to come out and before I could even think I was back on Amazon ordering the others. Breaking Dawn was the one I was most looked forward to, surely Bella must finally become a vampire and I couldn't wait to find out. I started reading this book at 4pm and other than breaking to eat I read straight through until I finished it at 1am...I just could not make myself go to sleep. Then because I'd read it so fast I started it again 2 days later. If you have enjoyed the saga so far then you will love how this turns out. There were definitely some unexpected plot twists which once I got over the shock I thought were brilliant. As to those people who didn't enjoy the Jacob Black POV, I thought it was a brilliant way to explain the story as Bella and Edward would have been too involved in this particular twist to give it the full descriptions it required. I must admit, while I loved Jacob Black in parts of the previous books I became very frustrated with his dark side as a werewolf, I felt in a lot of ways he had become a completely different person, a whole personality bypass but this final book just shows Stephenie Meyer's incredible skill in that you are given more of an opportunity to understand him and he is even given more of a chance to come to terms with what and who he is. His changes become more absorbed and I loved to see flashes of the old Jacob.
I feel I have given a massive review here and not even scratched the surface, in my opinion a fantastic end to the saga, although I can always hope we'll hear more of Edward and Bella in the future. Now I only have to cross my fingers and wait for Midnight Sun which I will pre order as soon as it become available, Edward's POV is probably the most irristable of all! Part of me is hoping Stephenie Meyer will consent to doing all the books from his POV...Perhaps way too much to ask but I can always hope!
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