Breaking Dawn 3/4

Seems like I feel like writing reviews at the three-quarter marks lately.

Okay, here we go. My opinion of Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer in one word would be:

Fun.

I mean, from a fan perspective it's everything you could want and then some. It's not perfect, but it's pretty much an attempt to make everyone happy. Lucky for the die-hard fans - it's quite lengthy. At a few points I felt it being overly long-winded. For example, Bella's condition sequences seem to take forever. And then there are recaps after the experience. Oh boy.

At the point I'm at now, I see one more big event in the book, and I'm not sure it's not going to be anticlimatic. I'm kind of wondering why the Jacob twist wasn't saved for later. I think that rolled in with this last event would have been more satisfying. That would have also given some salt to a very sugary book.

I can definitely see why some people didn't like the turn this novel brought, though it wasn't upsetting to me. Edward and Bella go from the brink of unimaginable possibilities to a very normal seeming life. Almost traditional. Post-happily-ever-after. It's not a bad thing, but it's not really romantic per say. Also, some of the Cullens have lost their mystique for me. Alice seems less refreshing (though I'm still a fan) and Jasper has never quite felt real to me. I cannot figure out why Alice and Jasper are together. Is it just me?

Even so, it's been exciting. I liked the second section of this novel told from Jacob's perspective. I really like Jacob and his world. It was interesting to see things from his side, especially with the shared thoughts dynamic. Good to see Jacob take a stand. Loved the Jacob-Edward mental sparring. Didn't love the Jacob-Rosalie verbal sparring.

I'm definitely interested in Edward's version of the story. Edward is still my favorite and there still seems to be some mystery left there. It would be nice if Edward's story had more of an adult depth to it, especially since he's lived so much longer.