I have been waiting for this book all summer. I am not a total Twilight Freak, but I have enjoyed the stories and I was really excited to see how all of the characters and plot twists come together and how she wraps everything up. I picked up my book yesterday at 11:00. I had cleaned my house the day before, done my grocery shopping, and informed Brian that he was going to be a single parent so I could read all day. I finished at about 10:45 last night. Here is what I thought.
It started out SO well. Typical Bella, typical Edward. Alice made me giggle. The wedding was written beautifully. I was really loving where things were headed. Even the honeymoon I was okay with. Then it was like someone else took over the writing for the books. I think that readers knew that s.e.x. was going to be part of this book - in some way shape or form. Seeing as the book is geared toward teens and the author is LDS I figured that the issue would be dealt with tactfully and discreetly. I was wrong. While there was never anything explicit, I was shocked at how often it was brought up. And glamorized. Yes, they are married. No, the "act" was never described. But I don't think that teenage girls need to be reading about how Edward broke the headboard to pieces or about how fantastic Bella though it was. Again. And Again. Stephenie (the author) put a paragraph in there right after the honeymoon where Bella says she is so glad that she waited and made sure that Edward was "the one" and that she can't imagine sharing something so personal with just anyone. I was so happy to read that paragraph and figured that the topic was now done. But then it is talked about and glamorized so many more times throughout the book that I have to think that half the teenagers are going to jump the first guy they find just so they can experience what Bella did.
Next topic. THE WHOLE JACOB SECTION. Blech. I think that Stephenie went a bit "Host" on us here. It was not romantic. It was not pretty. It was disturbing and gross. So she gets pregnant. Super. Great. I don't have an issue with that. The child chewing her way out of the womb? Bella drinking blood to satisfy the baby? Gross. I felt like I was reading The Fly, not this sweet story about first loves. I though the descriptions were graphic and grating. There was a part in there where I thought to myself that if I was reading this book as a stand alone story without the other three, I would have quit reading and not finished it. It simply wasn't interesting or good.
Third. I *did* enjoy the descriptions of her as a new vampire. I thought she did a good job of letting us experience this new body with Bella.
Fourth. The "conflict" and "resolution." I found this to be a HUGE cop out. I loved Eclipse because the tension built and built and built. And there was a REAL climax. I seriously thought in this book that she was just sweeping up all of the loose ends and tying them all up into what she thought was a pretty little package. It left me saying, "What??????" That's IT???? Sheesh. Enter Sleeping Beauty, Snow While, and Disney. After all the disturbing, ugly, graphic scenes from earlier in the book, the Volturi just go, "You're right." And walk away? Ta-da??
Rosalie. I don't know if we were supposed to sympathize with her or not, but I found her really annoying.
And Jacob. Don't get me started. I didn't find it as revolting as some people that he imprinted with Nessie (and I HATE the name). I just found it a last ditch effort to try to make everyone happy. I didn't see anything wrong with him going off and finding himself and being single. Or finding that Leah was his soul mate. But Bella's daughter? Spare me.
So. I didn't hate the book. I just really didn't like parts of it. I am very disappointed in it. I am disappointed in Stephenie. I think she tried to bow too much to what all the rabid fans wanted. The result is all over the place. In my mind, the wedding should have been at the end of Eclipse, he should have turned her into a vampire that night, and they end by running off together into the woods to be blissfully happy. I think in my head, that's how it will be.
Rochelle wants a rewrite. A reviewer I found online says she hopes that this has been one big "Punked" and that the real book will come out next week. I wish it were so.
Bottom line? I feel cheated. I feel like Stephenie let us all down. Especially after I stood up for her to a friend who thought she wasn't a proper LDS writer after hearing about "the paragraph" in Eclipse that I didn't find any problem with. But now I find myself in that camp. Is it fair to hold Stephenie up to those expectations and morals when she isn't writing an "LDS" book? I think so. Especially since her faith has been such a huge part of who she is and has been brought up in most of her interviews. And because she KNEW who she was writing to. She knew that her audience was comprised of mothers, daughters, LDS people, and especially young girls. Even without the sex I think the images that some of the other scenes put in my head were things I didn't want there.
Enough said. I'm stepping off my pedestal and putting on my flame retardant suit. Fire away.
22 comments:
Im finding that people either loved it or hate it there are very few inbetween.
THANK GOODNESS! I completely agree with you. I seriously wish I could have a book club meeting!!! I was SO disappointed in the book! It was missing all of the 'cute' little moments that Bella and Edward always had in the other books. Don't even get me started on the 'Jacob' section of the book. I just skimmed it and whenever I saw Edward or Bella speaking I would read it. And, the baby name??? EWWWWWW!!!!!! The fact that he imprinted on the baby was so stupid, it was just lame. There are a few select chapters that I really liked because they were like the 'other' books! It was just so anti-climactical. And this is it! We don't have another book to look forward to. I'm hoping that the movie won't be a big let down like this book. Also, I really hope that she re-writes all of the books from Edward's p.o.v. Maybe that would redeem her?
As for all of the x-e-x-y (that's our joke name for it!) I was just like ok, this is bizarre. It just kept going on and on....... I thought the one 'paragraph' in Eclipse was much worse, but at least it was over and one with, not dragged through 100 pages! And, I seriously don't think it's that appropriate for younger girls like Gabby & Camille.
Ok, so longest comment ever, but I'm glad that I'm not the only one out there who is thoroughly disappointed in this 'epic' love story.
This felt like a case of the good, the bad, and the REALLY ugly for me. I'm still trying to decide what I really think about it.I do think she tried to tie things up a little too neatly. I mean even Charlie ended up in love and with a grandchild to love. I also thought the end was SO anticlimactic. I really wanted the Cullens and their friends to take out the Volutri and then spend the rest of their lives policing the vampire world themselves. It kind of made me wonder if she really isn't finished with some of this story and she's going to need them later. Sorry to ramble, my head must be fried from all the reading!
Hi Paige.
I linked to your blog once from Shannon B's and came back today to see what you thought of the book. If you don't mind some random stranger's thoughts on your review...
a) Someone who wears a "Team Edward" shirt while sending a card and balloons to an actress on the set of a movie is at least a little bit of a Twilight "freak". :-)
b) I seriously don't know what people expected regarding the "honeymoon" phase. The WHOLE point to their getting married, in Bella's eyes anyway, was the sex. And since it's told from her point of view, I think it's completely valid for that to be a BIG part of what's she's thinking and remembering. And they've been married for only a few months by the end of the book...again, I think it's completely valid for her mind to be still focused much of the time on this new part of her life with the man she is married to and loves deeply. And to say that half the girls are going to go jump the first guy...please! Give them some credit, and don't give a book SO MUCH credit. I don't have any problem with teenage girls knowing that sex between a married couple can be great. In fact, I'd go even further and say it is good for them to know that. Further, I don't think that it is Meyer's job to police who reads the book and therefore gear it to ALL of them. It's a young adult novel, not Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and parents should be doing the previewing and deciding what's appropriate for their daughters.
c) I think your review totally contradicts itself, when in one breath you're saying, "It was so gross and disturbing...where is the sweet story of first love?" and the next you're saying, "Where is the fight? What is all of this Disney fairytale ending stuff?" I think Meyer was trying to give you both, but I guess she just can't win.
d) I don't totally disagree with you. I also thought the book was a bit anti-climatic. There were somegreat parts, there were some not so great parts. But, you know what, oh well. It is a young adult novel. About vampires. Moral vampires. From a relatively new and inexperienced author. How much can you really demand or expect of it?
Okay, I was obviously NOT meant to leave a reply to Leigh's comment. I have tried twice and both times it disappeared. But I do need to say this:
I still maintain that I am not a freak. I think the pictures are misleading. I have read the books once each. I did get into the movie hype because it was FUN. It was filmed here, for pete's sake. I think I would have become a Rambo fan if it was filmed in my backyard. And I get into the hype of the releases because its exciting. It gives me something to look forward to. I'm a SAHM. :)
I think it all boils down to the fact that I am a musical/theater/literary snob. Honestly. I have tried to turn it off and just enjoy things for what they are. To get up and dance like a freak at concerts. I can't. But that is a topic for another post. Or therapy.
And I stand by my opinion that the "sex" references were too much. I do give teens credit. They are amazing kids. But they are bombarded on every side by sexual references, pressures, and images. I hoped that they wouldn't get it from an LDS author. I agree that they need to know that sex between married people is satisfying. But I think that could have been accomplished differently.
Thank you for your thoughts. I really am glad you enjoyed the book. I was worried after I read it that everyone would hate it and I felt bad for Stephenie.
I too am also mixed about this book too and with all those points too. I too enjoyed bella as a vampire too. I feel the ending was copout too with the Volturri...I wanted to see a battle and didn't get it. I think this book is more a stand alone and I think that she was trying to please everybody. I do think more books are coming from other chracters.
Okay, one more quick response, and then I promise to leave your blog!
My first comment about being a Twilight "freak" (your words) was meant totally tongue-in-cheek.
I totally get what you are saying about being a literary snob. I teach English at a major university; you can't get more "literary snob" that that. :-) But I think that only helped me, in the case of this series of books, to NOT expect anything worthy of being snobbish about. Meyer is such a new and relatively inexperienced author, and as such, I think she deserves quite a more leeway with expectations about her and her work than people are giving her. (And people ARE being totally brutal with her over this book.) Plus, as I said before, one look at the genre should lower those expectations...it's a fairly shallow young adult novel about vampires, for heaven's sake. Lighten up and just enjoy it! (Or perhaps seek that therapy you mentioned.) <--Totally tongue-in-cheek again! :-)
Don't get me wrong, after I finished the book, I talked to my sister about the things that drove me crazy about it and how I would have taken the story in a very different direction. But, it's not my story to write. Meyer wrote it the way she saw it, and the way she's seen it ending from the beginning.
And I stand by my opinion that the attention given to sex in the book stays completely true to the character's point of view. Could it have been handled a bit more "delicately"? Sure. But again, not my story to write. Would I let a pre-teen or young teenage daughter read it? Maybe not. Sixteen or older? Sure. Parental guidance is key, as it is with all media today.
I hope I haven't offended you by unloading all of this on your blog. I'm sure you're asking yourself who the heck this chick is. But...you did say fire away, didn't you? ;-)
Did you read the host ?? I did and think she had a tough time writing them both and I do think we were cheated. I wanted to see a battle too. I do hope that she redeams herslef in her other books. I also kept thinking about the other book too...misummers and merchant or fairy tales ??
Sorry for the 2nd comment. I also left my feelings about the book. I was vague but I wasn't as excited about it. I also wanted some more info about leah too. I'm not a fan of the baby name at all.
Leigh,
Isn't it nice that so many of us can read the same book, and due to our pasts and our presents, we can arrive at such different places? I'm not offended. I think it's great that you felt my thoughts warranted not just one response, but two.
I have started about fifteen different responses to both of your comments, and deleted all or sections of them because I didn't want them to sound combative (because I'm not), nor did I want them to sound like I was trying to change your mind, because I'm not. I agree with almost everything you said. :) And while I see the other side and know where you are coming from, it doesn't change my gut reation to the book or what my expecations were.
It will be interesting to see what more of my friends think as the reviews start rolling in. Then I suppose when the dust has settled on that, the movie will come out and it will start all over again! Will you come back to the blog in December and let me know what you thought of the movie?
Ah, these lovely diversions. Sure beats dishes.
Interesting comments...I wondered if some random person wouldn't leave an opinion. I haven't read it yet and don't know when I will get my hands on a copy but I took my chances on your spoilers. Good to be warned.
1. The book totally jumped the shark, IMO, what with the baby and the imprinting.
2. That said, the Jacob section was my favorite to read.
3. I really liked Bella post vampire. I hated hated hated her before, which was one of the reasons I never loved the books the way some of my friends do.
4. Totally agree with you on the sex stuff. I saw all my little beehives at the release party (I go because it's fun, like you!) and after reading the book, I don't like knowing that they read it too.
Well, since you read my blog, you know that I quite loved it -- except for the end.
*As for the Jacob book . . . I actually really liked all the freaky pregnancy & delivery stuff. Maybe I'm strange, but I grew up in a house full of boys. Blood and carnage were two favorite words. :) Also, the previous 3 books were all about the mystery, building the relationship, finding & solidifying the love - that was the primary focus. So we got to enjoy a sweet love story with this vampire thing in the background But once she married into a vampire family & became a vampire herself the fourth book had to be about real-life. A different kind of reality - no more highschool, doing laundry, working at the store, etc. And apparently vampires have pretty freaky lives! ;)
*The thing I did NOT like about the Jacob book was all the wolf-talk between him and Leah. Too much. I started to wonder if this leads to something else later in the book. It didn't. Just a whole lot of talk that lead nowhere.
*As for the sex -- I did think it was a bit much, and I do agree that I wouldn't hand this book over to a teenage girl. But for me I didn't have that much of a problem with it. They waited until they were married - huge bonus points. And the paragraph you mentioned at the honeymoon - I thought it was perfect.
* I also enjoyed Bella as a new vampire -- it was cool to see her so happy & enjoying it as well. And I'm so glad she got to skip past the newborn stage. I was not looking forward to reading about her being blood-thirsty & crazy for years & years.
*The imprinting . . . .creeped me out. I also would have been okay with him running off. It felt to me like the imprinting was Stephenie grasping at straws - trying to find a way that Jacob could still be connected to Bella and have some sort of purpose in the book.
*okay that's all I got for now!
Okay, okay, I know I promised I'd leave, but, obviously, I'm back! I must be a Twilight freak! ;-) No, I really tried to find a way to email you privately through your blog instead, but couldn't, so you're stuck with me commenting publicly.
I just wanted to say that I really don't know why, of all places, I chose to let loose my opinion on your blog. I think it was just from hearing and reading other reviews that were completely over the top (I mean, trying to stage a giant group return of the book in protest?! The reviewers at amazon are ca-razy!), and then coming here where there was an open invitation to "fire away" set me loose. I'm sure you were just expecting your friends to weigh in, and then here comes the crazy stranger! So, sorry about that. If you want to email me, I'll give you my blog address and you can come let loose on me sometime. Deal?
leighness @ gmail . com
Hi, I'm Candy's friend, and she referenced me to your blog to read this review. I must say that I loved your review, and agree wholeheartedly, 100% with you. I mean, every single word. It was a cop-out, and Jacob section sucked, and there was much to SEX. My 12 year old Beehives are reading this book, for Pete's sake. I did love the part when Bella became a vampire, it was kinda cool. Anyways, good job. I'm so glad there is someone who thinks the way that I did.
Well, I've been avoiding this post for way too long, since my book took FOREVER to come. And that sucker was big! I finally finished last night. I have to say I liked it, not as much as the others, but I liked it. I missed the cute moments between Bella and Edward. I did think the huge build up to the end kind of fizzled. It all ended a little TOO neatly. Although I am one that likes all the loose ends tied up, they don't have to ALL have fairy tale endings! Oh well, I guess. I'm looking forward to reading the story through Edward's eyes.
Okay, I'm still the ONLY person on the planet who HASN'T read the books, but from what I've heard from my friends - you're right on the money. It's too bad. I'm sure she got pressured from editors or whoever to finally give the big "pay off" in regards to all the sexual tension - but it sounds like she definitely missed the mark. I had lots of friends saying that they wanted to rip the book out of every teenage girl's hands that they saw reading it. That bad, huh? Looks like she was swayed a bit by the popularity of the series and lost sight of her real fan base. Oh, well...hope the backlash isn't too much for her.
I didn't love the book either. But, I also didn't love the first three books. I've never related to Bella as a character and never found the attraction to Edward that so many did.
I agree with you on the "too much sex" in this one. The first thing about it that blew me away was telling about how she was bruised afterward....although not on purpose, still sounds a little abuse like to me. But it's okay, because we are in love, and he didn't mean to and it won't happen again. Sounds a little too much like what I hear in real life.
I also could have done without the details of clothing ripped to shreds, broken beds, ripped pillows etc....Just too much.
Jacob was my favorite character in the first three books. But not so much in this one, his point of view chapter was boring and the whole imprinting thing just a bit too freaky for me.
I find it just a little sad that Bella is supposed to be this great heroine and yet she isn't strong enough to stand up for herself. She can't live as a singular person without her man. The "love of her life" is someone who is not good for her, who wants to kill her, who knows he shouldn't be with her and yet she isn't strong enough to pull herself away from him. She gives up everything for him. Her family, her best friend, and beliefs (her whole idea of marriage and family, right or not, they were her beliefs) to be with someone who she really shouldn't have been with in the first place.
I do have to say, that this last book wrapped all that up nicely. She still gets to have her family and friends and she learns that marriage and being a mother isn't as bad as she thought.
Thanks for letting me rant on your blog. I think I'm mostly bugged knowing my teenage neices are reading this, and all the yw in our ward....Glad my own little girls aren't old enough to even know what this series is yet.
Now, you can all flame me instead of Paige.
hey! you went to our concert? thanks for attending it! (I saw your comment on Marie's blog) I hope you liked the concert. We had a great time going up there to perform!
~Kristine
http://californiahepworthfamily.blogspot.com
I have been going crazy when I hear about relief society and young women book clubs reading these books. Just because the author is LDS, and everybody thinks that makes it perfecty acceptable, doesn't mean it's appropriate for teenagers. I won't let my 13-year-old, who begs me everyday, read this. I think a HUGE issue in these books is the fact that Bella wants to have sex. Why would I want my kids reading that?
Hey Paige, loved your review and the little debates that have surfaced! I just finished reading the book this morning (finally, I know!) I have to say that I really enjoyed the beginning and then I was a little lost. There was way too much going on and the whole "Jacob's book" seemed like a waste of time unless she was going to write from everyone's point of view at some point in this book. I have to say also that the sex issue was concerning to me. I liked that they waited, I appreciated that one paragraph about waiting until being married. I think what bothered me was the violence that went along with it. I agree that YW need to know that when you're married sex can be a wonderful/beautiful part of your relationship with your husband, not something to be feared or looked at as bad/inappropriate. But I was scared for Belle with how violent the honeymoon seemed to be, and honestly she would not have been able to handle that as a virgin (not to be too graphic myself...) And also, a question some of my friends and I had was this: if vampires have no tears, no blood, etc. How can Edward father a child? Weird. Overall I thought the book was written well in a way to complete the story, but full of a lot more weird parts than I expected. Sorry for leaving such a long comment :)
Hi Paige, I'm Nicole's sister. I just had to add my 2 cents. Interesting book review- I liked your idea of the Cullens overthrowing the Volturi and ruling the vampire world.
Today I wrote a whole blog posting about Twilight- if you, or anyone else wanted to come check that out too.
I'm with you on the Jacob "book". What the ???? That and his sections in new moon (basically the whole book!) almost drove me to tears of boredom and insanity!!!
I also didn't like the unanswered question of Jacob and Leah....that went nowhere. In fact, Leah's whole character went nowhere. I didn't, however, find it disturbing at all that he imprinted on Nessie. (Hate, hate, hate, HATE the names Nessie and Renesmee, seriously, couldn't she have just called her Elizabeth or something?)
I didn't find the sex references to be too much for young ADULT readers, I cannot believe that some parents are letting their teens, NO! TWEENS, read these!
I also felt like the end was a bit of a downer, I most definitely didn't want Jane to live, little brat. But I wasn't bothered to much by the end either. It was a nice, peaceful ending. But if she wanted to tie every little thing up nicely, again, Leah???!? Where'd she go? Who knows?...
Overall, though, I think for a relatively new author she did pretty well for the series. I am, overall, pleased with the series.
Just sharing my thoughts, not trying to persuade anyone to agree with me. ;) I just finished the book tonight, and I remembered this post, came back to read it, and felt like joining in and sharing my thoughts too. :)
I'm SUPER excited for the movie now too, and think the cast is great! I don't see why people have such a problem with Robert Pattinson as Edward. Maybe it's because I saw the cast before reading the books, so I could already visualize them in the roles, but I think he's got the perfect look for the brooding,
ethereal, sensitive Edward. *shrug* Just sharing more of my thoughts... :)
Aaaaaaaaaannnddd...I'm gonna stop now. Blabbering...
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