I was disappointed in Breaking Dawn for several reasons: 1) It needed another pass through the editing machine. This book read like an early draft, rather than a polished final one. Scratch that--it read like bad fanfic instead of a "

Oops. Here's my entire comment: I was disappointed in Breaking Dawn for several reasons: 1) It needed another pass through the editing machine. This book read like an early draft, rather than a polished final one. Scratch that--it read like bad fanfic instead of a "real" book. Releasing two books this year was clearly not a good idea. 2) Everyone got a happy ending, regardless of what the previous three books in the series had said about Bella having to make choices and sacrifices. The solution for Jake was an especially huge cop-out. 3) The final big confrontation with the Volturi that had been building since book 2 failed to materialize. What was the point of all the build-up if you're not going to do anything with it? The interview on EW.com where Stephenie bashes her fans is not helping. That's pretty low, to blame your fans for "not getting it" rather than admitting you, as an author, may have made poor choices. I'm not going to return my copy, but I will be a lot more skeptical about any future titles.

Katie, would the disappointing experience of Breaking Dawn keep you from trying her adult novel, The Host, which we gave a starred review in the April 1 issue of LJ?

I read The Host when it came out, and thought it was a superior book to Breaking Dawn. The story was much better, both in terms of editing and content. I don't own that one yet, and will either wait for the trade version to come out, or buy it used. I'll read Midnight Sun from my library before buying it, that's for sure!

I have admittedly not finished Breaking Dawn yet, but I've been having this sinking feeling about the series since the middle of Eclipse, actually. It was just starting to get too terrific. I know, that must sound exceptionally hypocritical from an adult reading a teen fantasy novel, but that's the line I expect my author's to walk, in a way. My expectations of Ms. Meyer's work were incredibly high after she suspended my disbelief with grace and aplomb with Twilight. I was fascinated and found myself involved with her characters instantly. However, now that we "know" Bella and Edward, Alice and Jacob and all the rest, her books are expanding in quantity (of pages!!!) but not quality. She also seems to have forgotten to allow her readers the imagination to fill in some of the blanks on their own like she was doing previously. In Eclipse and now in Breaking Dawn she is dragging us through these long, drawn out scenes for one or two pieces to a 1000-piece puzzle. It is agonizing. I will likely finish Breaking Dawn since I have started it, but I am by no means drawn in the way I was with Twilight where I found myself reading it while I walked to and from my car just to fit in 5 more pages a day. That feeling is just not evident in Breaking Dawn.

Let me start off by saying I have an immense dislike for these books. I truly believe it should have only been one book. The writing quality is poor, there is a glaring need for an editor, and plot development does not exist. BD was the straw that broke the camel's back. The book was drawn out and eventually went nowhere. BD was also entirely inconsistant with Meyer's previously established rules for the universe. Yes, I'm talking about Renesme. Fans proved that Ms. Meyer's rules for the Twilight universe did not allow for a pregnancy like this. Instead of owning up to her mistakes like JK Rowling Ms. Meyer attacked her fans. Which has proven to be a continuous response from her. My thoughts would be get out of the "fandom" while you can because the books are poorly written and frustrating and the author is abusive to anyone who "disagrees" with her.

I think that the biggest problem with Breaking Dawn was the fans - I think that Stephenie Meyer was writing to a specific audience and that audience got what they were looking for - an appropriate end to a fabulous story. Had Stephenie done what people keep criticizing her for not doing - i.e. given the story a not-so-happy-ending or more "

Sorry...here's my actual submission: I think that the biggest problem with Breaking Dawn was the fans - I think that Stephenie Meyer was writing to a specific audience and that audience got what they were looking for - an appropriate end to a fabulous story. Had Stephenie done what people keep criticizing her for not doing - i.e. given the story a not-so-happy-ending or more "

Breaking Dawn is a YA novel and most young adults who read it will like it. Let's face it, there is too much suffering in this world and many of today's teens like the idea of a happily ever after. I agree that the first novel is the best one of the series. However I am not going to go as far as condeming this book because it did not meet everyone's expectations. A writer, in my opinion, should not write to please the fans. They should follow their vision of the story and characters they create. If Meyer felt the need to give her beloved characters a happy ending I say more power to her. This is not classical literature, not Austen or Shakespeare. It is a beautiful story, written for young adults, that happened to speak to some of us grown ups as well. The ending was "cheesy" and the booked dragged, but I must admit that I enjoyed a good old happy ending for once. The one thing that I found somewhat disturbing was Jacob and his imprinting, but I guess it makes sense in the world Meyer created.