Breaking Dawn

The conclusion really shocked me.

I'm not sure if there is a limit on how "happy" an ending can be before it becomes sickening, but this book pushes the limits. My mentor mentioned that the ending smacked of deus ex machina, and I mistakenly believed that Edward was going to become human somehow. I had these vague notions running through my head while reading about the Volturi having found an antidote to vampire venom and releasing Edward from his eternal sleepless bondage. However, it turns out that Bella does become a vampire. She has a half-human child, which you would think would make her grow up some but does not. In fact, the thing about Bella is that she is a dynamic character in the eyes of other characters, but she is really quite static in her own head. And, since the story is told from her point of view, she is really quite static for the reader. I grew to like her though, and I maintain that she has an 'everywoman' quality that sets her apart from other heroines of fantasy novels at least. This characterization may be more common in the Romance genre.

What a climax though! Meyer builds the suspense extremely well in this book, and the ending was like something right out of X-Men. All the gifted vampires standing around ready to take on the vampire establishment reminded me of a scene right out of a superhero action flick. I was impressed with the eventual blending of genres. The series really was one of a kind. Over all, I still can't see how I could ever work it into my studies, but I would recommend it to other women. It's an interesting read.