Jungle Rumble

Meyer, Stephanie.  Breaking Dawn.  Little & Brown, 2008.

For years I had refused to read the Twilight books.  Students returning copies to the library would gush about Edward and tell me I just HAD to read them.  So knowing the final book in the Twilight series was being released this summer, I finally gave in.  All I can say is….I cannot believe I waited so long.  I devoured Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse within 10 days.  And waited not so patiently for Breaking Dawn to be published.  Now one of the best things about being a librarian is being able to get your hands on books BEFORE they are released to the general public.  Well…I was able to secure a copy of Breaking Dawn on the Tuesday before it came out.  I read all 756 pages within a 45 hour period.  Part of me wanted to savor it knowing that this was it; there would be no more.  However, how can you put it down when the story is so mesmerizing?  You CANNOT!

I love the series.  It is a timeless story of young love, sacrifice, and finding your place in society.  And although Breaking Dawn was a thrilling final chapter, I have to say I was disappointed.  For three books we learned and accepted that you must sacrifice for love, but it turns out in the Bella’s case she didn’t have to sacrifice anything.  She gets it all!  I hate tidy little endings.  They are not realistic and they don’t leave you hungry for more.  You’ll have to read the series to see my point.  I refuse to give anything else away.

An aside: I have mixed feelings on the movie.  All too often the world the book so vividly creates is lost in translation to the screen.  My fingers are crossed that it is an accurate portrayal.