Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, #4)

Title: Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, #4)

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Published in: 2008

Date read: 11th December 2012

Score: 4/5

Genre: Fantasy, Thriller, Young adult

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Breaking Dawn" is the fourth and final novel in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga, bringing the story of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen to its dramatic conclusion. SPOILERS

The book is divided into three parts, each from a different character's perspective:

• Bella's Wedding and Honeymoon: The first section is told from Bella Swan's point of view. It begins with her long-anticipated wedding to Edward Cullen, finally uniting the human and vampire. They embark on a honeymoon to a private island off the coast of Brazil. During their honeymoon, a shocking and unprecedented event occurs: Bella becomes pregnant with Edward's child, a seemingly impossible feat given his vampiric nature. The pregnancy is rapid and incredibly difficult, quickly draining Bella's life force and causing her immense pain, as the hybrid foetus develops at an accelerated rate.

• Jacob's Grief and Transformation: The second part shifts to Jacob Black's perspective. He is devastated and enraged by Bella's decision to marry Edward and her subsequent, mysterious illness. Believing she is dying, he initially blames the Cullens. When he learns of Bella's impossible pregnancy and the danger it poses to her, he is horrified. His pack members, led by Sam Uley, decide that the "abomination" growing inside Bella must be destroyed, even if it means killing her. Jacob, however, defies his pack and leaves to protect Bella, forming his own small pack with Seth and Leah Clearwater. He witnesses Bella's horrific transformation first-hand and finds himself unexpectedly imprinted on the new, half-vampire, half-human baby.

• Renesmee and the Final Confrontation: The final section returns to Bella's perspective, now as a new-born vampire. Her transformation grants her incredible strength, speed, and heightened senses, along with a unique defensive power (a mental shield). The child, named Renesmee Carlie Cullen, is born during Bella's near-death experience, and Edward transforms Bella to save her. Renesmee is a rapidly growing, exceptionally gifted hybrid, possessing both vampire powers and the ability to feed on human food. However, her existence is quickly discovered by Irina, a vampire from the Denali coven, who mistakenly believes Renesmee is an "immortal child" (a human child bitten and turned into a vampire, which is forbidden and punishable by death by the Volturi, the vampire ruling council). Irina reports this to the Volturi.

The Volturi, led by Aro, prepare to descend upon the Cullens, intent on executing Renesmee and anyone protecting her. The Cullens, realizing they cannot defeat the Volturi alone, gather vampire allies from around the world to stand as witnesses to Renesmee's true nature and prove she is not an immortal child. This leads to a tense and climactic confrontation on a snowy field, where the Cullens and their allies face the formidable Volturi. The fate of Renesmee, the Cullen family, and potentially the entire vampire world hangs in the balance as they strive to prevent a devastating war through diplomacy and demonstration.

Comments:
Great finale. Incidentally, I have only seen the first film as I am too nervous that they will ruin the books. Perhaps I should revisit that one day.

Books that we've read by Stephenie Meyer (4):
Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1) (2005), New Moon (The Twilight Saga, #2) (2006), Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, #3) (2007), Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, #4) (2008)