Breaking Dawn

Did You Know?

• The infant Renesmee was portrayed by a robot.
• Maggie Grace plays the part of Irina in the film adaptation.
• The film did not follow the book strictly, as many scenes were created from scratch to add tension.

Plot summary

After marrying Edward, Bella spends their honeymoon on Isle Esme, a private island off the coast of Brazil owned by Carlisle. Two weeks into the honeymoon, Bella becomes pregnant after having sex for the first time. Because the fetus is part-vampire, the pregnancy progresses rapidly and causes Bella severe physical and emotional distress. The couple returns to Forks, Washington. Jacob, suspicious of Bella's condition, advances on the Cullen home intending to kill Edward, but upon seeing Bella's state, he begs her to abort the fetus to save her life. Bella refuses, believing she can survive long enough to give birth and be transformed into a vampire. The wolf pack, fearing an uncontrollable child, decides to kill Bella and the fetus. Jacob breaks free from the pack leader Sam's control and, with Seth Clearwater, forms his own pack to warn and protect the Cullens. Bella goes into labor and the baby fights its way out, inflicting life-threatening injuries. Edward performs an emergency cesarean section and injects his venom into Bella's dying heart. Jacob, believing Bella dead, goes to kill the baby, Renesmee, but instead imprints on her.

Background

Meyer originally wrote a direct sequel to Twilight titled Forever Dawn, narrated entirely from Bella's point of view, with werewolves and Jacob only sketchily developed and Victoria and Laurent alive. The basic storyline remained the same as Breaking Dawn. The part that took Meyer the longest to write was the half-chapter describing the three months after Bella's transformation into a vampire, as she wrote minute by minute. Meyer decided to include the pregnancy after researching vampires in early 2003 and encountering the legend of the incubus. Bella's insistence on not letting her child die was inspired by Meyer's own reaction when asked if she would let one of her children die so she could live. The birth scene published is less grotesque than the original version due to requests from her editor, agent, and publisher to tone down the violence. Meyer stated that the pregnancy and childbirth were a way to explore what childbirth used to be, and acknowledged that Bella became less relatable when she became a vampire. Meyer wanted to experience Bella's vampiric experiences and enjoyed writing about them, but found it harder to step into the story after the transformation.

Release

The hype for Breaking Dawn kicked off in late May 2008 when Entertainment Weekly shared an excerpt. For about three weeks before the book hit shelves on August 2, 2008, author Stephenie Meyer posted a daily quote from the novel on her website, starting July 12. The first chapter, titled "Engaged," had already appeared in the special edition of Eclipse. On release day, over 4,000 bookstores hosted midnight parties with costume contests, trivia, crafts, and face painting. Godiva even created a Twilight-themed chocolate bar sold at Barnes & Noble during these events. A four-city concert series featuring Meyer and Blue October's Justin Furstenfeld launched alongside the book, selling out three of four venues on the first day of ticket sales, with one city selling out in under an hour. To keep up with demand, Little, Brown Books added 500,000 copies to the initial print run, bringing it to 3.7 million. In its first 24 hours, Breaking Dawn sold 1.3 million copies in the US and 20,000 in the UK, plus 100,000 in Canada over its first weekend. It debuted at number one on USA Today's top 150 best sellers list and stayed there for over 58 weeks. A special edition came out on August 4, 2009, including a DVD of the concert series and an interview with Meyer.

Reception

Critical reception of Breaking Dawn was mixed. Lev Grossman stated he loved the book. Cara von Wrangel Kinsey of School Library Journal gave a positive review, calling the book captivating and noting it is darker and more mature than earlier titles. The Charlotte Observer called it pretty darned good but criticized its length, suggesting it should have been two books. Mary Harris Russell of the Chicago Tribune hailed it as a fun read, and Time called it a wild but satisfying finish, giving it an A−. The Daily News Tribune noted some stilted dialogue but praised the narrative's suspense and sensitivity. Publishers Weekly criticized that everyone gets what they want without renouncing anything, saying grandeur is out. The Associated Press's Sara Rose wrote that fans would love the engaging characters and humor, but casual readers might be disappointed. The Independent called the book shockingly sexist, stating Bella lives to serve men and suffer. Entertainment Weekly graded it a D, criticizing the birth scene and Bella's unwavering passion for Edward. The Washington Post gave a negative review, saying Meyer put a stake through her own creation and that the childbirth sequence may promote lifelong abstinence.