I hesitate to write this review because I think that it may be very unpopular with many of my friends. I decided to give this book a three out of five. I think I was being pretty generous too. I've been thinking a lot about this book so I'm going to try to list my thoughts about it and hopefully explain the rating I gave it.The book is broken up into three separate mini books. I actually enjoyed most of the first book entitled Bella, though I thought it was a bit predictable, and even a little corny. While reading the second book, Jacob I found myself liking hearing Jacob's thoughts. It was refreshing to read from the point of view of a different character, and I thought Meyers did a good job of capturing Jacob's voice. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Bella and Rose. I thought it was funny to see them working together and taking care of each other.
Now, brace yourselves, because I'm done with the compliments for now. First of all, the book is riddled with typos. It absolutely drove me crazy. It's not just one or two, but many! I know this is a problem with editing, but really!
I absolutely hate Meyer's love scenes. This stems all the way back to the first book, Twilight, when Bella and Edward had a romantic tryst in a clearing in the forest. I just think that she belabors details and I can hardly stand to read them. I didn't totally hate all of the love scenes in this book, but there is a scene (which is NOT a love scene) at the beginning of the third section that made me want to tear my hair out. It was nasty to read, and it just kept going and going.
I don't understand the relationship between Bella and Edward. My sisters-in-law and I decided that they have an unhealthy relationship. He's bossy, and controlling, and she has to change to be what he wants her to be in order for them to be together. Also, I have no idea why they are in love, it honestly just seems that they are simply infatuated with each other. I don't feel like Meyer's ever really explained why they are in love, just that they had an immediate connection. I want more of a reason than that.
I also thought the ending was a bit disappointing, with things resolving too easily and too perfectly.
Now, I know that I have written quite a few negative things about the book, but in many ways I did like it. I couldn't put it down while reading it and a lot of things went neglected around my home. I have been thinking a lot about it since I finished it, and that tells me that I was engaged and interested. So this is why I have given the book a three. Despite my qualms about the book, it did capture my attention.
What did you think?
4 comments:
I felt like you in some ways. Couldn't put it down, but in the end, not a stellar book. I personally didn't like the Jacob part because I never really liked Jacob and his part was too angry and depressing. I also thought the end fizzled without a big apocalyptic fight. I see what you're saying about B & E's love not being normal, but that's actually what I love about it because it's such a fantasy, it's fun to imagine what it might be like.
I am only 2/3 through the book but at this point I totally agree with your review. I must give an author credit for pulling me into a vampire story but let's just sum up by saying I am glad I borrowed the book as I don't need to own a copy. This isn't one I will want to re-read etc.
I hesitate in responding to your review, because I take the opposite approach, but not in the sense that I absolutely LOVE the series and find no fault.
I hated the first two books in the series. The characters were captivating enough for me to be interested in the story line, but I felt overall that she did a terrible job of developing the plot and story line, developed the characters almost to boredom and then decided to add story the last 50 pages...The second book was somewhat better about this but it just flatlined for me. The third book piqued my interest again because it seemed that she actually took a care in what she was writing and didn't just write halfway (there's another verb I'd like to replace this one with, but I am being good).
Now then on to the last book, I actually liked this book because it seemed like it was of a higher calibur of writing than the other three... OK- I have to admit that the typos were killing me too...I hate reading along and then have one stop my train of thought, that just bugged me to no end, but it was so much better in terms of the writing.
Her love scenes are hit and miss for me, sometimes she makes them easy and flows well without the garbage and other times she makes it awkward and almost comical.
I will agree that I liked the first two mini books, and I thought Jacob's viewpoint was definately refreshing.
As to Edward and Bella's relationship I really liked it. I got the idea that it was sort of a mirror image to the imprinting thing that the wolf pack does, and why it was so inexplicable...I kept waiting for Bella to try to explain it that way to Jacob so that it would quit hurting him (see below). I don't really see the control issue, I took Edward's rebukes and guidances more as suggestions to Bella to keep her emotions and reactions in check (I saw that as an age thing, he'd had a hundred plus years to perfect the whole patience thing...I suppose that's why I really liked his character, because it was that iconic patient and selfless person that I am always striving to become) I just didn't see her changing for him. I liked that he challenged her mind to think outside the box and herself personally by making her TRY new things, sometimes she enjoyed it and othertimes she didn't but at least he made her TRY...(Who doesn't need the kick in the pants every once in awhile?) The only change I really saw her character make was to decide to be a Vampire and to decide to become a mother, and he was far from forcing her to make those choices-I saw the other changes in her character and attitude come from HER decisions.
Ok now that I am done defending the book I did have a complaint and that is her friggin relationship with Jacob. I LOVE Jacob. I think he was so down to earth and lovable, I was just really angry with the way that Meyers kept yanking her back into that stupid love triangle, She resolved it, then she put them all back into it again, and then she resolved it...it was tiresome. I just didn't think that the character flaw fit Bella's character AT ALL. She is so conscious throughout all of the books of how her decisions and choices affect those around her and she kept hurting Jacob and she absolutely knew where the lines were and how to quit hurting him. Meyers kept having her repeating the same offenses and I thought that rubbed against the grain of who Bella really is-it was unnatural.
And Finally I agree, the end was disappointing, I wanted the all out brawl with the Volturi- it left it disturbingly unsettled (which does make for another book). She chickened out at the last second. It's like opening a two liter that's been in the fridge overnight...Still looks great, but is terrible without the fizz. I didn't think that it sat right with the trends of the other three books.
I'd give it three and thee quarters stars, not quite 4, but a major improvement from the first three.
(sorry I wrote so much!)
Stephanie, thanks for your thoughts. You write about this book so much better than I do. I can see your point about Edward and I'm going to think about it from that perspective. I just hated that he watched her sleep every night, it seemed more creepy than romantic. I actually liked Bella better when she became a vampire, but I thought it was weird that she had to change in order to be truly happy with him, that's where I was going with that thought.
I do need to clarify that the part at the beginning of the third mini book that drove me crazy was after Bella became a vampire and went on her first hunt. I hated reading about the search and the blood, yuck!
I couldn't figure out what bothered me about the characters until you said they were over developed. You are absolutely right and it is annoying.
Thanks everyone for your comments, even though I didn't love the book, I really love talking about it!
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