In the summer, I posted about Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series - a juvenile fiction about vampires that I (along with millions of teen girls and their moms) became a touched obsessed with. I anxiously awaited the final book of the series, Breaking Dawn. Alas, it did not live up to my expectations. I really liked the first three books, but as I hear Edgy Mama say - "She really needs an editor!" It's a shame when someone becomes a big success that editors aren't willing to pare down or help reshape a book that really needs it.
And it wasn't just the length - the storyline just got weird. Bella has made her choice between gorgeous vampire Edward and rebellious human/wolf Jacob. I was fine with that. Gotta move forward in life, right? Yet, once that decision was made, things just got weird. Edward lost his dangerous mojo and was simply a boring, smitten, emasculated vampire. Bella, only age 18, suddenly became a strong, independent, and quite mature grown woman. And who didn't want Jacob to get a real life? He deserved it. The characters I grew to know so well just weren't the same people. The storylines didn't make sense because they weren't really the same people. Consistency is a must! Innovation yes - but once a character is fleshed out, how can they suddenly be a very different person?
Nessie (if you read it, you'll find out who she is) was just weird. I must say that Meyer still paints vivid images (can't wait to see them translated onto the big screen with The Twilight Movie next month). And I enjoyed the exchange between Jacob and Rosemary. But the rest was disappointing. Sad way to end something so promising.
My grade - C-
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