Breaking Dawn

I left the cover ridiculously large for two reasons.  1) It’s clearer and sharper this way.  2) This book deserves it.

I LOVED this book.  I know there are a ton of people out there who think Stephenie Meyer’s writing is bad and these book are stupid, but there are probably more people who agree with me and say her writing is captivating (I’d like to see her critics write something better) and her books are amazing.  Ahhh, I loved this book.

**SPOILER ALERT**

If you haven’t read Breaking Dawn and you don’t want to know any details, stop reading right now.  I usually try not to give anything away when I’m reviewing, but I’d like to open this book up for discussion and that’s pretty hard to do without discussing any details.

Did anyone else think it was weird (or bad) that there was no huge battle scene at the end?  All that build-up and then . . . peaceful conclusion.  Not what I was expecting, but what I wanted to happen.  Then again, I’m used to Harry Potter where there’s always a huge battle scene and someone has to die.  So let me go ahead and say that while the Twilight saga has been dubbed the next Harry Potter (complete with obsessive fan base), these two series are nothing alike.  I’ll re-read Harry’s adventures when I want something thrilling, and I’ll re-read Twilight when I want love and romance (which, at the moment, I do, so I’m going to take my time and savor every moment of re-reading the entire series).  In fact, I’m going to go ahead and classify Twilight as “teen romance fiction.”  They’re not really romance novels, but only because they’re aimed at teenagers and many, many people would complain (more than they already have) if certain moral values were not upheld.

As for the book itself, I was skeptical when I heard that it would be broken up into three parts, one of which would be narrated by Jacob Black.  However, I was very pleasantly surprised.  Jacob’s book wasn’t my favorite, although I’ve heard it is for many readers, but it was definitely interesting and nice to get another viewpoint when you know Bella’s side of the story would have been all about sleeping and feeling ill.  Meyer really stepped it up a notch when she wrote Jacob’s story, and it was a cool way to understand what was going on from different angles.

Did anyone see any of the plot twists coming?  I’ll be honest: I really didn’t even try to imagine what would happen in this book.  I really wanted to be surprised.  Of course I guessed that Bella would become a vampire (seriously, four books and she doesn’t get her wish?  please.) but I didn’t know if that would include the whole marriage thing and if she was going to be in danger before or after the transformation.  To my delighted surprise, she was in danger for both, and that made for a more exciting conclusion (ahem, middle of Deathly Hallows).

However, I was not expecting a baby, and I have a little bone to pick with Ms. Meyer about which bodily fluids stay with you when you become a vampire and which don’t.   But I digress.  The baby was definitely an interesting angle and I certainly wasn’t expecting it.  I think I liked it, though.  And there had to be some way to get Jacob to stop loving Bella (although I think her being a vampire still would have done the trick – maybe.  Thoughts?).

I was truly sad when the book ended.  I can’t believe the series is over.  I know, I know, Midnight Sun will be out eventually, but that’s just another angle of Twilight, so it’s really not the same (not to say that I’m not extremely excited about its release).  This has been a series that I fell in love with unexpectedly and continue to love through the twists and unpredictable turns it has taken.  I really am planning on reading all four novels again just for the cozy, nostalgic feel of it, and I know I’m going to enjoy them just as much as, if not more than, the first time I picked each of them up.  I still think Edward is perfect and it’s no wonder every girl (maybe a slight exaggeration, but not by much) who reads these books falls in love with him just a little bit (or a lot, probably depending on your age – have you seen the ridiculous amount of Facebook flair dedicated to Edward?).  I still relate to Bella, and think I would have made many of the same decisions she did throughout the books (maybe minus the whole Jacob fiasco in the second and third books).  I love all of the characters, and I think Meyer has really brought them to life throughout the series.  While I know writing another series as long as Harry Potter is not only ridiculous, but unneccessary as well, I still kind of wish she would.  Just so I could hold on to their stories a little longer.

4 out of 5 stars because, without reading the other three books recently, I want to go ahead and say this is my second favorite in the series, after Twilight.

Please post your comments on this book and the whole series.  I’d love to hear what you think!

Stargirl

I just got done listening to the audiobook Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.  I like books that make you smile at the end. 

Stargirl is the new girl in school – new and incredibly different.  For one, she goes by the name “Stargirl.”  She doesn’t dress or act the same as the other kids (as a cheerleader, she cheers even when the other team scores a point).  She’s always doing things for other people and rarely cares what anyone else thinks of her.  Until she meets Leo, that is.

This story is all about finding yourself and sticking to who you really are.  It’s funny, intelligent, and heartwarming, and, best of all, comes recommended by me!  This was a book that I delayed reading because I just wasn’t interested enough to take the time to read it.  The audiobook format works great for books like this because I can have them done in a matter of hours while I’m doing other things.  I love multitasking!

4 out of 5 stars because it’s not my favorite, but it’s still really good.

Step Brothers

 

My husband and I went to see Step Brothers this weekend in an effort to catch up on all the movies we’ve been missing lately.  If you know my opinion of Will Ferrell movies in general, you’ll be able to guess my reaction to his latest movie – good but not the best.  I think this movie is along the same lines as Semi-Pro.  I think it’s funny and I wouldn’t mind watching it again, but it’s not my favorite.  However, I do have to give it up for Ferrell and John C. Reilly.  They have once again created a hilarious duo, and it’s generally hard to have the right chemistry two movies in a row (I can only think of one other couple off the top of my head that can do this – Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan).

Brennan Huff and Dale Doback are two forty-year-olds who are still living with their respective single parents.  As it happens, Dale’s father and Brennan’s mother fall in love and marry, forcing the two previously spoiled boys to live in the same house.  Of course, hilarity ensues.  After some disastrous mishaps (such as Dale and Brennan trying to kill each other and wrecking Mr. Doback’s dream boat) the parents have had enough and force them to get jobs and live on their own.  I don’t want to give any more away, but the story, in my opinion, began to get a bit boring once the two had to become “normal.”  Of course, I’m sure this is the point trying to be made, but I think they may have pushed it a bit too far and made the actual movie boring in parts, instead of only showing the characters to be boring.  I will say, however, that the movie picks back up at the end and finishes strong.

2 out of 5 stars.  Not my favorite comedy by a long shot, but still worth a see.  I’d go to a matinee, though (or wait for it on DVD).