Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Of course I'm reading Breaking Dawn.


You didn't really expect otherwise, did you? After this and this? I got a few nudges to do something like my Deathly Hollows post... and I hesitated, because I'm not as close to this series as I was to HP, I've only read each book once, unlike HP, where I've lost count of how many times I've read a few of those. I can't promise that there won't be a certain amount of spoilers (Seriously - It's not like I come right out and give stuff away, but you probably don't want to read this if you care about not knowing the ending). Nothing completely revealing, but I'm sure it will be less reaction, and more... I don't know, yelling at the book? Something. And so:


Ooo. Chapter titles! Don't look at them too closely.
Preface: What are these her thoughts as she turns? I didn't think she'd turn...
p 6: Random strangers are talking to her? Since when are there strangers in this series?
p 9: Aw. Jacob hasn't come back.
p 9: Haha! I know all those towns. AND I know how to say Sequim (it's squim. ignore the 'e'). This def. wouldn't be the case had I stayed in Michigan.
p 11: Seth is so cute.
p 13: oo flashback
p 17: giggle
p 19: that was way too easy.
p 35: Creepy vampire story.
p 37: Horrible dream that smacks of foreshadowing.
p 46: I'm kinda surprised this wedding is happening so early.
p 49: And when will it get interrupted?
p 57: yay! Jacob!!!
p 66: ok dude, calm down.
p 75: I want a surprise honeymoon.
p 78: I want a private island.
p 83: Less introspection, please
p 89: This is silly.
p 92: Isn't he like ice cold? Like all over? That doesn't really sound like fun to me.
p 98: that went on too long
p 111: OMG... is she? Now THAT's a plot twist I didn't expect.
p 120: Holy cow, she is.
p 139: Oh, this is interesting! We get Jacob's point of view! Yay! I was getting annoyed with Bella, so this is a relief.
p 143: mahaha! This will be fun!
p 145: who the hell is Paul? God, I can't keep these werewolves straight.
p 152: poor Quil
p 164: I bet you didn't! lol
p 171: Ah. The preface...
p 185: I'm loving the chapter titles! They are soo Jacob!
p 188: "'Did you know that "I told you so" has a bother, Jacob?...His name is "Shut the hell up."' BWAHAHA! Must share with the boy! And she learned it on The Simpsons! Haha!
p 204: YOU are supposed to be the Alpha Jacob!!! Not Sam! Own it, silly boy!

Txt msg break to see where friends are:

Lisa C is in the late 400s and is complaining about the bad writing. I reminded her that Meyer claims not to be a writer, but a storyteller, and Lisa's willing to read 753 pages of story, so there must be something there. She concedes the points and admits she wants to know what happens. And wants to see the movie, even though she still thinks it's bad writing and that it's her professional obligation as a teen librarian to read the social phenomenon. And yes, this was a discussion solely through txt msg.

Sonia is pretty giddy, about 80 pages ahead of me. We mostly talk plot and how we didn't see THAT coming in all our predictive thoughts before opening the book.

p 208: There ya go Jacob. That only took you 4 pages.
p 214: I <3 Seth
p 216: "Circle the wagons, bloodsucker." CACKLE!!
p 228: "Ugh, Leah, you ruin everything!" heh

BFF Sarah calls. Amazon didn't deliver her book on Saturday, so she's without BD. It is very sad.

p 240: "Ice cold Barbie" *smiles*
p 266-7: *giggle*
p 274 Seriously, Alice is practically a non-entity so far in the book. That's unusual.
p 280: mmm, cheese omelet.
p 295: HAHA "I'll keep trying."
p 328: Aw, poor Jacob.
p 331: Ew, no Jacob, you don't.
p 347: EWWWWWW!
p 359: Oh, you have GOT to be freakin' kidding me.
p 386: Well, at least I was right about Snape...
p 394: I get it. Bella and Edward like each other!
p 437: Ok, I'll say it. Renesmee is a stupid name.
p 451: BWAHAHAHAHA!!
p 553: Not to be Dramatic or anything...
p 558: The Merchant of Venice? mmmmkaay...
p 597: Sounds like the muggle deterrents in HP.
p 612: Ferine? What in hell does that mean? Feline? Feral?
p 619: *snort* "lacking incentive" hee!
p 623: You know, I'm liking this vamp camp.
p 626: HAHAHA! Romanian Vampires! It's just not right if gold ole Vlad doesn't get a cameo in a vampire story!
p 628: "Mysteriously delighted" Well, that is curious.
p 634: ooo she's coming to Seattle. 'Bout time. I wonder if I'll recognize anything...
p 642: This is all rather amusing.
p 647: Must find out if The Pacifico is real...Nope. Not that I can tell.

BFF has gotten her copy. Her reaction: "WEEEEEEE!"

p 678: Don't know about you guys, but I'm on the edge of my seat.
p 681: That...can't be good...
p 692: I rather wish someone would call Jane a sadistic troll. Or at least open some good old Molly Weasley vengeance on her butt.
p 711: The Romanian Vamps make me laugh.
p 718: "the peaceful character of this life of sacrifice." What are they, a holy order?
p 718: I think Garrett might be talking himself to death.
p 722: The Volturi are lame.
p 723: Awww
p 724: Aw, man, Esme's so dead.
p 726: Yes, dahling, taunt her.
p 730: Se, if you left you'd still be in power. You don't, and, well...
p 732: Ooo Alice must have found someone...
p 732: Alice! (just had to add one more)
p 739: Well, that was anti-climatic. I really was hoping for more violence.
p 740: Right on, Stephan.
p 751: *eye roll*
p 754: Aaaaand, I'm done.

Quick impressions, but allow me to change and adjust my view as the book sinks in. First part kinda sucked. It was boring, Bella was annoying, and it went on too long. Jacob's POV in the middle ROCKED. His dry, self-deprecating sarcasm picked it up, added humor, and just made me love him. Third part was fast-paced, and I loved the impromptu vamp camp. The ending, meh, I wanted bloodshed. I wanted a more definitive smack down of the bad guys. Overall, I'm happy.

What do you think?

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Woohoo!! You totally made my day with this post! And yes, I agree about Renesmee Carlie (!!) I still kind of want her to be a dream sequence, is that wrong? I can't wait for part two :)

Anonymous said...

OK, Jackie, lots of teen girls are going to want to hurt you. Here's why, I finished BD and should turn it in so the next person on the list can read it (and we know they are VERY anxious to get their copy) but now I don't want to turn it in because I want to be able to go back and look up your comments! I don't want to put spoilers here, but I will say that this book was NOT what I expected. But, for a variety of reasons, now that I think about it, I should have expected it. Is that vague enough? We'll have to chat when you've finished.

Rachel E.

Jackie said...

lol, I should finish it tonight!

Anonymous said...

Now that you finished it I can tell you that I wasn't a fan. It had a completely different feel to me than the other 3. The only part that I really enjoyed was the Jacob storyline, but at the same time I felt like I didn't really get to see Bella changing and becoming a mom without hearing her point of few while she was pregnant which made her shift in personality a little unbelievable to me (and I hated the whole baby storyline anyway.) Also, I thought everything was tied up WAY too neatly. I wanted to see her have to sacrifice something to be with Edward, not have her be born to be a vampire and have no problems changing whatsoever. I wanted Jacob and Leah to be a posibility that was just kind of left out there, not for him to imprint on Bella's baby (I read one person's review where they talked about a future conversation between Jacob and Rennesme, somethign like this, "So, I used to dig your mom and when she was pregnant I wished it was with my kid, then you were born and you were mine, just not the way I had planned" EW!.) Like you, I also wanted a battle at the end. Everything was too wrapped up with a bow for me. There was no grappling like in the other books. Sorry, that was kind of long, I'll stop now.

Rachel E.

Lorie Ann Grover said...

I LOVED your page by page comments, Jackie! Totally cracked me up.

And I missed the bloodshed as well! But I'm satisfied. Jacob is loved and has someone who can receive his love. Well, in 7 years or so...

Unknown said...

Jackie,

Yes, yes and yes! I completely agree, the ending was meh, Bella was annoying, and Reneesme?! No words. Also, I found the whole "oh it's not trouble at all for me to be a vampire, I can still see Jacob and Charlie, and I love Edward even more now" totally lame. Hasn't that dilemma been the crux of the entire series? Even with all that, I did still enjoy it and LOVED this post- thanks :)

Jackie Parker said...

Everything was far too easy. And as a teen I work with said: "Isn't it weird that Bella got EVERYTHING she wanted AND a baby?"

Anonymous said...

Definitely missing that particular angst that made the first two so delicious. I still found it a fast and enjoyable read, but I was a bit disappointed.

Love this entry, btw! ^_^