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'{{short description|Fourth novel in the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}} {{about|the novel|the film adaptations|The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1|and|The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2|other uses}} {{Infobox book|<!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books --> | name = Breaking Dawn | title_orig = | translator = | image = Breaking Dawn cover.jpg | caption = | author = [[Stephenie Meyer]] | illustrator = | cover_artist = Gail Doobinin (design)<br />Roger Hagadone (photo) | country = United States | language = English | series = [[Twilight (novel series)|''Twilight'' series]] | subject = | genre = [[Paranormal romance]], [[young adult fiction]], [[vampire fiction]] | publisher = [[Little, Brown and Company]] | pub_date = {{Plainlist| * August 2, 2008 (US hardcover)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stepheniemeyer.com/project/breaking-dawn/|title=Breaking Dawn|website=stepheniemeyer.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)|isbn=978-0316067928 |last1=Meyer |first1=Stephenie |date=August 2, 2008 }}</ref> * August 4, 2008 (hardcover) * February 26, 2009 (kindle)<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com.au/Breaking-Dawn-Twilight-Book-Saga-ebook/dp/B002RI9SC4/ref=pd_sim_1?pd_rd_w=acmHE&pf_rd_p=937712e2-f5f8-45b9-8929-e6e66a5c801d&pf_rd_r=3ZXGC3F5E0DD0W7069H5&pd_rd_r=65df7651-5eed-4287-a1ba-900011ce883c&pd_rd_wg=ZVTPp&pd_rd_i=B002RI9SC4&psc=1|title=Breaking Dawn: Twilight, Book 4 (Twilight Saga)|date=February 26, 2009 }}</ref> }} | media_type = Print (Hardcover, Paperback) <br/> e-Book ([[Amazon Kindle|Kindle]]) <br/> Audio Book (CD) | pages = 756 (hardcover), 700 (paperback) | isbn = 0-316-06792-X | preceded_by = [[Eclipse (Meyer novel)|Eclipse]] | followed_by = [[Midnight Sun (Meyer novel)|Midnight Sun]] }} '''''Breaking Dawn''''' (stylized as '''''breaking dawn''''') is the 2008 fourth novel in [[Twilight (novel series)|''The Twilight Saga'']] by American author [[Stephenie Meyer]]. Divided into three parts, the first and third sections are written from [[Bella Swan]]'s perspective, and the second is written from the perspective of [[Jacob Black]]. The novel directly follows the events of the previous novel, ''[[Eclipse (Meyer novel)|Eclipse]]'', as Bella and [[Edward Cullen]] get married, leaving behind a heartbroken Jacob. When Bella faces unexpected and life-threatening situations, she willingly risks her human life and possible vampire immortality. Meyer finished an outline of the book in 2003, but developed and changed it as she wrote ''[[New Moon (novel)|New Moon]]'' and ''[[Eclipse (Meyer novel)|Eclipse]]'', though the main and most significant storylines remained unchanged. [[Little, Brown and Company]] took certain measures to prevent the book's contents from leaking, such as closing forums and message boards on several fansites and providing a special e-mail address for fans to send in links to leaks and spoilers online. BREAKING DAWN IS SO BUSTING. SO OH JUNK SLAY BRO. LOVE THIS BOOK HEHEHEHEHEHEH. ''Breaking Dawn'' was released on August 2, 2008 at midnight release parties in over 4,000 bookstores throughout the US.<ref name="Falconer">{{cite news |author=Dan Glaister |author2=Sarah Falconer |name-list-style=amp |title=Mormon who put new life into vampires |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/jul/20/news.booksforchildrenandteenagers |publisher=The Observer |date=2008-07-20 |access-date=2009-09-19 | location=London}}</ref> From its initial print run of 3.7 million copies, over 1.3 million were sold in the US and 20,000 in the UK in the first 24 hours of the book's release, setting a record in first-day sales performance for the [[Hachette Book Group USA]].<ref name="Milliot">{{cite news | author=Jim Milliot | url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6584007.html?nid=2286&source=title&rid=&q=twilight | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217125306/http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6584007.html?nid=2286&source=title&rid=&q=twilight | url-status=dead | archive-date=2008-12-17 | title='Breaking Dawn' Breaks Hachette Records | date=2008-08-04 | publisher=[[Publishers Weekly]] | access-date=2008-10-18 }}</ref> The book was highly successful, selling over 6 million copies in 2008, and was the third best-selling novel of 2008 behind ''[[Twilight (Meyer novel)|Twilight]]'' and ''New Moon''. Unlike the series' previous three entries, ''Breaking Dawn'' received mixed reviews from critics. It is also the most controversial book of the series, as adult themes and concepts are explored more directly than in its predecessors. However, the novel was awarded the [[British Book Award]] for "Children's Book of the Year". It was translated in 38 languages with rights sold to over 50 countries. The book has been adapted into a two-part movie, with the [[The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1|first part]] released on November 18, 2011, and the [[The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2|second part]] released on November 16, 2012. ==Plot summary== ''Breaking Dawn'' is divided into three parts. The first part details Bella's marriage and honeymoon with Edward, which they spend on Isle Esme, a private island off the coast of [[Brazil]] that Carlisle owns. Two weeks into their honeymoon, Bella realizes that she is pregnant. Because the fetus is part-vampire, her condition progresses at an unnaturally accelerated rate. Bella and Edward immediately return home to [[Forks, Washington]], where the fetus continues to develop at an abnormal speed, causing Bella severe physical and emotional distress. The second part of the book is written from the perspective of Jacob Black, a Quileute Native American who, like other members of his tribe, can shapeshift into a wolf. Knowing of Bella's wish to become a vampire, he is immediately suspicious when she returns from her honeymoon and the Cullens keep her father, Charlie, from seeing her. Believing the Cullens have broken their treaty not to bite another human, he advances on their home intending to kill Edward. He arrives and discovers that Bella is undergoing a difficult pregnancy in which the fetus is draining her life away. Jacob begs Bella to [[abortion|abort]] the fetus to save her life, as neither Carlisle, a doctor, nor Alice who can see the future, are optimistic about Bella's prognosis. Despite concerns that her pregnancy will be fatal, Bella is determined to continue it, believing she can survive long enough to give birth and then be transformed into a [[vampire]]. As the wolves are telepathic, they hear Jacob's thoughts about Bella. Fearing Bella will give birth to an uncontrollable, bloodthirsty child, they want to kill her and the fetus. Jacob accepts his bloodline as the true pack leader in order to break free from the alpha, Sam's control. He goes to warn the Cullens that the wolf pack plans to kill Bella. En route to the Cullens, Seth Clearwater, a younger pack member, also breaks away and joins Jacob. He notes that once they formed their own pack, they can no longer hear the other wolves' thoughts. They patrol the Cullens' property and soon after Leah, Seth's older sister and the lone female wolf, joins them. Bella enters labor as the baby begins fighting its way out, breaking her body. Edward is forced to perform a cesarean section, saving the baby. As Bella is dying, Edward injects his venom into her heart. Jacob, believing Bella is dead, blames Bella's infant daughter [[List of Twilight characters#Renesmee|Renesmee]]. He goes to kill the infant but instead imprints (an involuntary response in which a shape-shifter finds his soul mate) on her. The third section shifts back to Bella's perspective, describing her painful transformation, finally waking to find herself changed into a vampire. Fully recovered, she enjoys her new life and vampire abilities. Renesmee grows rapidly into a toddler and is spotted at a distance by Irina, a vampire from the Alaskan coven. Misidentifying her as an "immortal child," a human child who has been turned into an uncontrollable vampire, Irina presents her allegations to the Volturi who outlawed the creation of such creatures. As the largest and most powerful vampire coven, the Volturi see Renesmee and the Cullens as a threat and plot to destroy them. Foreseeing their arrival, the Cullens gather other vampire clans from around the world to stand as witnesses and prove to the Volturi that Renesmee is not an immortal child upon Alice's request. Jacob's imprinting on Renesmee has forged an unbreakable bond and mutual protective pact between the Cullens and the Quileute, ending the hatred between them. As local and foreign vampires arrive, the Cullen house becomes the headquarters and training ground for the assorted vampires and the Quileute wolf packs. Bella learns that she is a 'shield', meaning the gifts of other vampires do not work on her, which is why Edward and Aro cannot read her mind. Bella works with the other vampires to improve her skill and shield people other than herself. Upon confronting the gathered Cullen allies and witnesses, the Volturi discover that they were misinformed on Renesmee's identity. The Volturi execute Irina in an attempt to instigate a full battle but are unsuccessful. They bring up the Cullens' pact with the Quileute wolves and the uncertainty of Renesmee's future in an effort to further provoke hostilities, naming her as a threat to the secret existence of vampires. Alice and Jasper, who left prior to the gathering of the Cullen's allies, return with a [[Mapuche]] called Nahuel, a 150-year-old [[dhampir|vampire-human]] hybrid like Renesmee. Alongside him is his biological aunt, Huilen, who explains that her sister fell in love with a vampire and became pregnant with his child, though she died in childbirth. When Nahuel was born, he bit his aunt and made her immortal. Nahuel proves that hybrids pose no threat, and the Volturi agree to leave the Cullens alone. The Cullens and their allies return to their homes in peace, realizing that the Volturi may one day return. When Bella is alone with Edward, she allows him to read her mind for the first time and shares her feelings about him. ==Background== ===Development=== <!-- Forever Dawn redirects here --> Originally, Meyer wrote a book titled ''Forever Dawn'', which was a direct sequel to ''Twilight''.<ref name="forever">{{cite web |url=http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/otherprojects_craptastic.html |title=Forever Dawn |publisher=StephenieMeyer.com |access-date=2008-09-07}}</ref> While the basic storyline remained the same, ''Forever Dawn'' was narrated completely from Bella's point of view, the werewolves and Jacob were "only sketchily developed", Victoria and Laurent were both alive, and there was an epilogue.<ref name="moviefilm"/> Meyer went on to say that she "may post some extras someday if I ever have time to go back through the ''Forever Dawn'' manuscript—it's just as long as ''Breaking Dawn''." The part that took Meyer the longest time to write in ''Breaking Dawn'' was the half-chapter describing the 3 months after Bella's transformation into a vampire because "the amount of time per word put into that section was probably ten times what it was in any other part of the book" and Meyer liked to write minute by minute, but didn't think it would be exciting.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide|first=Stephenie|last=Meyer|author-link=Stephenie Meyer|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|date=April 2011|isbn=978-0-316-04312-0|chapter=A Conversation with Shannon Hale, On Finding Story Ideas|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780316043120}}</ref> Meyer decided to include the pregnancy in her story while she was researching vampires, early in 2003 and came across the legend of the [[incubus]], a demon who could father children.<ref name="moviefilm"/> Bella's insistence to not let her child die was inspired by Meyer's reaction when asked if she would let one of her children die so she could live, which was to deliver the child no matter what the consequences were.<ref name="Chicago">{{cite web|url=http://www.twilightlexicon.com/the-lexicon/personal-correspondence/the-breaking-dawn-concert-tour-chicago-qa/|title=The Breaking Dawn Concert Tour-Chicago Q&A|publisher=Twilight Lexicon|access-date=July 6, 2011}}</ref> Meyer said in an interview with [[Shannon Hale]], published in ''[[The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide]]'', that the birth scene published is a little less grotesque than the one she wrote before editing due to her editor, agent and publisher's requests to "tone down the violence a little". She stated that Bella's pregnancy and childbirth, for her, were "a way to kind of explore that concept of what childbirth used to be" in the past and acknowledged that they were "taking Bella in a new direction that wasn't [as] relatable for a lot of people."<ref>{{cite book|title=The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide|first=Stephenie|last=Meyer|author-link=Stephenie Meyer|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|date=April 2011|isbn=978-0-316-04312-0|chapter=A Conversation with Shannon Hale, On Breaking Dawn|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780316043120}}</ref> Concerning the subject of the relatability of Bella, Meyer admitted that she lost some of her relatability to the character when she became a vampire and said, "every point up until that point in the story [the transformation] I would say I could step into this story right here and I could do everything she could do which made it really fun."<ref name="Seattle">{{cite web|url=http://www.twilightlexicon.com/the-lexicon/personal-correspondence/the-breaking-dawn-concert-tour-seattle-qa/|title=The Breaking Dawn Concert Tour-Seattle Q&A |publisher=Twilight Lexicon|access-date=July 6, 2011}}</ref> Meyer wanted to experience Bella's vampiric experiences and "enjoyed very much" writing about them and wanted to end the book from her perspective,<ref name="Chicago"/> but still thought it was "a little bit harder" as she couldn't step in into the story anymore.<ref name="Seattle"/> In regard to Renesmee's unique name, Meyer wrote that she "couldn't call her Jennifer or Ashley. What do you name the most unique baby in the world? I looked through a lot of baby name websites. Eventually I realized that there was no human name that was going to work for me, so I surrendered to necessity and made up my own."<ref name="moviefilm"/> Meyer states in regard to ending the series: {{quote|''The Twilight Saga'' is really Bella's story, and this was the natural place for her story to wind up. She overcame the major obstacles in her path and fought her way to the place she wanted to be. I suppose I could try to prolong her story unnaturally, but it wouldn't be interesting enough to keep me writing. Stories need conflict, and the conflicts that are Bella-centric are resolved.<ref name="moviefilm" />}} ===Influences=== The plays ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' and ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' by [[William Shakespeare]] both influenced ''Breaking Dawn''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/bd_faq.html|title=Twilight Series - Breaking Dawn - FAQ|publisher=StephenieMeyer.com|access-date=June 1, 2011}}</ref> Meyer decided that Alice would write her instruction to Bella on a page from ''The Merchant of Venice'' to give a clue that the final confrontation at the end of the book would be a mental one—not a physical battle—like the one at the end of the play. It also hints that the novel would have a happy ending for the couples, as in ''The Merchant of Venice''. Originally it was the novel ''[[Jane Eyre]]'' by [[Charlotte Brontë]] that Alice tore a page from, but ''Jane Eyre'' had nothing to do with the story, so Meyer changed it.<ref name="Meyer">{{cite book|title=The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide|first=Stephenie|last=Meyer|author-link=Stephenie Meyer|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|date=April 2011|isbn=978-0-316-04312-0|chapter=A Conversation with Shannon Hale, On Literary Inspirations|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780316043120}}</ref> The idea of imprinting, which existed in ''Forever Dawn'', was inspired by ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. Meyer described it as "the magic of setting things right—which doesn't happen in the real world, which is absolutely fantasy", and decided to introduce it earlier–in ''Eclipse''–so she wouldn't have to explain it later.<ref name="Meyer"/> ===Cover art=== Meyer described the cover as "extremely meaningful" and said that she was "really happy with how it turned out".<ref name="Los Angeles">{{cite web|url=http://www.twilightlexicon.com/the-lexicon/personal-correspondence/breaking-dawn-concert-tour-los-angles-qa/|title=Breaking Dawn Concert Tour-Los Angles &#91;sic&#93; Q&A|publisher=Twilight Lexicon|access-date=July 7, 2011}}</ref> The cover is a metaphor for Bella's progression throughout the entire series; she began as the physically weakest player on the board, the [[Pawn (chess)|pawn]], but at the end she [[Promotion (chess)|becomes]] the strongest, the [[queen (chess)|queen]].<ref name="moviefilm">{{cite web |url=http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/bd_faq.html|title=Breaking Dawn FAQ|publisher=StephenieMeyer.com|access-date=2008-09-07}}</ref> The chessboard also hints at the conclusion of the novel "where the battle with the Volturi is one of wits and strategy, not physical violence."<ref>{{cite book|title=The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide|first=Stephenie|last=Meyer|author-link=Stephenie Meyer|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|date=April 2011|isbn=978-0-316-04312-0|chapter=Frequently Asked Questions|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780316043120}}</ref> ===Title=== The title, ''Breaking Dawn'', is a reference to the beginning of Bella's life as a newborn vampire.<ref name="moviefilm"/> Wanting to add a "sense of disaster" to the title to match the novel's mood, she called it ''Breaking Dawn''. Another reason for giving the book this particular title is that it matches the book's plot, which centers on "a new awakening and a new day and there's also a lot of problems inherent in it".<ref name="Los Angeles" /> ==Release== ===Marketing=== ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' magazine released an excerpt of ''Breaking Dawn'' on May 30, 2008.<ref name="excerpt">{{cite news |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20203238,00.html?iid=top25-20080530-Stephenie+Meyer%3A+Exclusive+book+preview|title=EW.com Excerpt|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=2008-09-07|date=2008-08-05}}</ref> Stephenie Meyer also revealed a 'Quote of the Day' from ''Breaking Dawn'' for about three weeks prior to its August 2, 2008 release. The first quote was released on Meyer's website on July 12, 2008.<ref name="quoteaday">{{cite web |url=http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/bd_quotes.html|title=Breaking Dawn Quotes|publisher=StephenieMeyer.com|access-date=2008-09-07}}</ref> The first chapter of ''Breaking Dawn'', "Engaged", was released in the special edition of ''[[Eclipse (Meyer novel)|Eclipse]]''.<ref name="release">{{cite web |url=http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/breakingdawn.html|title=Breaking Dawn Release Party.|publisher=StephenieMeyer.com|access-date=2008-09-07}}</ref> ''Breaking Dawn'' was officially released on August 2, 2008 through midnight release parties in over 4,000 bookstores,<ref name="Falconer"/> most of which involved costume and trivia contests, crafts, and face painting.<ref>{{cite web |author=Lauren Wilson |title=Teens clamoring for the next 'Twilight' book |url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/series-breaking-dawn-2110774-book-twilight |publisher=[[The Orange County Register|OC Register]] |date=2008-07-31 |access-date=2009-09-19 }}</ref> ''[[Godiva (chocolatier)|Godiva]]'' also made a ''Twilight''-themed [[chocolate bar]], which was released in [[Barnes & Noble]] book stores at the release parties.<ref name="chocolate">{{cite web |url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/07/30/take-a-bite-out-of-the-twilight-chocolate-bar/|title=Twilight Chocolate|publisher=MTV|access-date=2008-09-07}}</ref> A four-city ''Breaking Dawn'' Concert Series, featuring Stephenie Meyer and [[Blue October]]'s [[Justin Furstenfeld]], coincided with the novel's release. The concert series sold out three of its four locations on the day that tickets went on sale,<ref>{{cite news|author=Elizabeth Fox |url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20080729__Twilight_s__last_gleaming.html |title='Twilight's' last gleaming |date=2008-07-29 |publisher=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |access-date=2008-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822143537/http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20080729__Twilight_s__last_gleaming.html |archive-date=2008-08-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref> selling out in under an hour in one city.<ref>{{cite news | author=Maxine Shen | url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/07132008/postopinion/postopbooks/twilight_vamps_it_up_119678.htm | title="Twilight" vamps it up | date=2008-07-13 | publisher=[[New York Post]] | access-date=2008-09-10}}</ref> ===Publication=== Prior to the novel's release, the first three ''Twilight'' books had already sold 8.5 million copies throughout the US<ref name="Milliot"/> and over 2 million copies in the UK.<ref>{{cite web |title=Breaking Dawn wins Children's Book of the Year Galaxy British Book Award for Stephenie Meyer |url=http://www.littlebrown.co.uk/NewsEvents/News-Archive/Breaking-Dawn-wins-Children-s-Book-of-the-Year |publisher=Little, Brown |access-date=2009-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406191554/http://www.littlebrown.co.uk/NewsEvents/News-Archive/Breaking-Dawn-wins-Children-s-Book-of-the-Year |archive-date=2012-04-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Breaking Dawn'' was one of the most anticipated books of 2008 with ''[[The Guardian]]'' noting, "Teenagers across the world are anxiously awaiting the next instalment of author Stephenie Meyer's vampiric series of novels."<ref name="Falconer"/> To meet the high demand, [[Little, Brown and Company|Little, Brown Books]] added a printing of 500,000 additional copies just prior to publication of the title, bringing the initial print run to 3.7 million.<ref name="Milliot"/> The book sold 1.3 million copies in the US<ref name="Milliot"/> and 20,000 copies in the UK in its first 24 hours of release,<ref>{{cite news |author=Alison Flood |title=Dream sales for new children's fantasy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/23/booksforchildrenandteenagers.publishing |work=The Guardian |date=2008-09-23 |access-date=2009-09-19 | location=London}}</ref> as well as 100,000 copies in Canada during its first weekend.<ref>{{cite news |title=Disappointed Breaking Dawn fans organize protest |url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2008/08/08/meyer-protest.html |publisher=[[CBC News]] |date=2008-08-08 |access-date=2009-09-19 }}</ref> ''Breaking Dawn'' debuted at #1 on ''[[USA Today]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s top 150 best sellers list and has gone on to spend over 58 weeks on the list.<ref>{{cite news |title=This week's top 150 best sellers |url=http://content.usatoday.com/life/books/booksdatabase/default.aspx |publisher=USA Today |date=2009-09-13 |access-date=2009-09-19 }}</ref> It was also the biggest-selling children's book of 2008 with over 6 million copies sold.<ref>{{cite web|author=Diane Roback |title=Bestselling Children's Books 2008: Meyer's Deep Run |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6645692.html?q=Stephenie+Meyer+ |publisher=Publishers Weekly |date=2009-03-23 |access-date=2009-09-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008103738/http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6645692.html?q=Stephenie+Meyer+ |archive-date=October 8, 2012 }}</ref> A special edition of ''Breaking Dawn'' was released on August 4, 2009, containing a DVD of the ''Breaking Dawn'' Concert Series and an interview with Meyer.<ref>{{cite book |title=Breaking Dawn Special Edition |date=2009-08-04 |isbn=978-0316044615 |last1=Meyer |first1=Stephenie }}</ref> ==Reception== Critical reception of ''Breaking Dawn'' was mixed. [[Lev Grossman]] wrote, "First, since there's a lot of one-star reviews up on Amazon, let me say up front: I loved ''Breaking Dawn''."<ref>{{cite news |author= Lev Grossman |title=Twilight of the Idols: The Breaking Dawn Review (spoilers) |url=http://nerdworld.blogs.time.com/2008/08/04/twilight_of_the/ |publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=2008-08-04 |access-date=2009-09-19 }}</ref> Cara von Wrangel Kinsey of ''[[School Library Journal]]'' responded with a positive review, describing the book as "captivating" and noting, "While this novel is darker and more mature than the earlier titles, Meyer's twists and turns are not out of character."<ref>{{cite web |author=Cara von Wrangel |title=Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer |url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6586098.html?q=breaking+dawn+captivating |publisher=School Library Journal |date=2008-08-11 |access-date=2009-09-19 }}</ref> ''[[The Charlotte Observer]]'' agreed and called the book "pretty darned good", but criticized the book's length saying, "I wish [Stephenie Meyer] hadn't felt compelled to pack so much into one volume. It should have been two books."<ref>{{cite web |author=Lilah Lohr |title=Last 'Twilight' bite has lots to chew on |url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/books/story/115578.html?q=stephenie%20meyer |publisher=The Charlotte Observer |date=2008-08-12 |access-date=2009-09-19 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Mary Harris Russell of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' also responded with a positive review and hailed the book as a "fun read", noting that Stephenie Meyer "continues to produce witty writing about families, teenagers and popular culture",<ref>{{cite news |author=Mary Harris Russell |title="Breaking Dawn," by Stephenie Meyer |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/books/chi-stephenie-meyer-09aug09,0,6606840.story |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=2008-08-09 |access-date=2009-09-19 }}</ref> while ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' called the book "a wild but satisfying finish to the ballad of Bella and Edward" and gave it a rating of A−.<ref>{{cite news |title=Breaking Dawn |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1623143_1830841_1830843,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080814002345/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1623143_1830841_1830843,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 14, 2008 |publisher=Time |date=2009-08-07 |access-date=2009-09-19 }}</ref> An article in ''[[The Daily News Tribune]]'' said of ''Breaking Dawn'', "Some of the dialog is a bit stilted,... but, if you stay close to Meyer's rich and prodigious narrative, you too might fall in love with its suspense and moving sensitivity".<ref name="tribune">{{cite web |author=Margaret Smith |title=Sun sets on 'Twilight Saga' series with engaging fourth novel |url=http://www.dailynewstribune.com/state/x282404923/Sun-sets-on-Twilight-Saga-series-with-engaging-fourth-novel |publisher=[[The Daily News Tribune]]|date=2008-08-12 |access-date=2008-09-07}}</ref> ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' stated that the main problem with ''Breaking Dawn'' was that, "Essentially, everyone gets everything they want, even if their desires necessitate an about-face in characterization or the messy introduction of some back story. Nobody has to renounce anything or suffer more than temporarily—in other words, grandeur is out."<ref name="PW">{{cite book |title=Publishers Weekly review|isbn=978-0316067928|last1=Meyer|first1=Stephenie|date=2 August 2008}}</ref> In an article by ''[[The Associated Press]]'', journalist Sara Rose wrote on ''NewsOK.com'' that fans of the series would love "engaging characters, great humor, a distracting obsession with beauty, focus on the minutiae of emotions"; however "casual readers may be disappointed with a lot of build-up and little action."<ref name="newsok">{{cite web |url=http://newsok.com/breaking-dawn-has-surprises-but-little-action-as-saga-ends/article/3280307|title=NewsOK.com article|publisher=NewsOK.com|access-date=2008-09-07}}</ref> ''[[The Independent]]'' called the book, "shockingly, tackily, sick-makingly sexist" and said that "Bella Swan lives to serve men and suffer."<ref name="The Independent">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/breaking-dawn-by-stephenie-meyer-917865.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116214851/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/breaking-dawn-by-stephenie-meyer-917865.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 16, 2009|title=The heroine of this vampire tale is woefully anaemic|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=2008-09-07 | location=London | date=2008-09-07}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' graded ''Breaking Dawn'' with a D, criticizing the birth scene and Bella's "unwavering passion for Edward" and having no other goals.<ref name="EW">{{cite news |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20217628,00.html?xid=rss-books-reviews-20080808-Breaking+Dawn|title=EW Review|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=2008-09-07|date=2008-08-08}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' also responded with a negative review, making comments such as, "Meyer has put a stake through the heart of her own beloved creation," and "''Breaking Dawn'' has a childbirth sequence that may promote lifelong abstinence in sensitive types."<ref name="stake">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080702528.html|title=Washington Post Review|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2008-09-07 | first=Elizabeth | last=Hand | date=2008-08-10}}</ref> In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Meyer responded to the negative response of many fans to the book and called it the "Rob Effect"; she said that the fans need time to accept the ending of ''Breaking Dawn'', just as they needed time to accept [[Robert Pattinson]] playing the role of Edward in the ''Twilight'' movie.<ref name="video">{{cite news |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/video/exclusives?lineupId=1155151521&videoId=1717903074|title=First looks|publisher=EW.com|access-date=2008-09-07}}</ref> ===Awards and honors=== ''Breaking Dawn'' was the recipient of a [[British Book Awards|British Book Award]] for "Children's Book of the Year".<ref>{{cite news | author=Hephzibah Anderson | title=Obama's 'Dreams,' Meyer's Vampires Capture 'Nibbie' Book Awards | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=atco4IDHLk44&refer=home | publisher=Bloomberg.com | date=2009-04-03 | access-date=2009-04-11 }}</ref> In the 2009 "Children's Choice Book Awards", the novel was chosen as "Teen Choice Book of the Year" and Meyer won the "Author of the Year" award.<ref>{{cite web|title=Children's Choice Book Award Winners Announced |url=http://www.cbcbooks.org/NewsEvent/details.aspx?id=17 |publisher=Children's Book Council |date=2009-05-13 |access-date=2009-05-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515022500/http://www.cbcbooks.org/NewsEvent/details.aspx?id=17 |archive-date=May 15, 2009 }}</ref> ==Film adaptations== {{Main|The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1|The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2}} [[Summit Entertainment]] announced in November 2008 that they had obtained the rights to the fourth book in [[Stephenie Meyer]]'s series, ''Breaking Dawn''.<ref>{{cite news|author=Steven Zeitchik |title='Twilight' film franchise looks ahead |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ifc7bb2290700c27f4a0ada4363d9b59e |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |date=2008-11-14 |access-date=2008-12-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204062709/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ifc7bb2290700c27f4a0ada4363d9b59e |archive-date=December 4, 2008 }}</ref> The studio greenlit an adaptation of ''The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn'' in April 2010. The film was split into two parts; the first part of the film was released on November 18, 2011,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thresq.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/05/twilight-breaking-dawn-rob-pattinson-taylor-lautner.html |title=Breaking Legal News & Entertainment Law Blog - THR, ESQ |publisher=Thresq.hollywoodreporter.com |access-date=2011-06-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514143051/http://thresq.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/05/twilight-breaking-dawn-rob-pattinson-taylor-lautner.html |archive-date=2010-05-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the second part was released on November 16, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ourtwilightchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/08/final-installment-of-breaking-dawn.html |title=Our Twilight Chronicles: Final Installment of Breaking Dawn Release Date: 11/16/12 - Yikes! |publisher=Ourtwilightchronicles.blogspot.com |date=2010-08-06 |access-date=2011-06-19}}</ref> [[Bill Condon]] directed both parts; Stephenie Meyer co-produced the film along with [[Karen Rosenfelt]] and [[Wyck Godfrey]].<ref name="Condon">{{cite news | author=Nicole Sperling | title=It's official: Bill Condon will direct Breaking Dawn | url=http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/04/28/bill-condon-will-direct-twilights-final-chapter-breaking-dawn/ | publisher=Entertainment Weekly | date=2010-04-28 | access-date=2010-04-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429031411/http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/04/28/bill-condon-will-direct-twilights-final-chapter-breaking-dawn/ | archive-date=2010-04-29 | url-status=dead }}</ref> In July 2010, Summit announced that the film would be shot in Vancouver, Canada, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. [[Maggie Grace]] plays the part of Irina in the film, while [[Mackenzie Foy]] plays Renesmee, Edward and Bella's [[Dhampir|half-vampire, half-human]] child.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mackenzie Foy & Maggie Grace to Play in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn |url=http://thenewsoftoday.com/mackenzie-foy-maggie-grace-to-play-in-the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn/2795/ |publisher=TheNewsOfToday.com |date=2010-09-28 |access-date=2010-09-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101002142447/http://thenewsoftoday.com/mackenzie-foy-maggie-grace-to-play-in-the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn/2795/ |archive-date=2010-10-02 }}</ref> The infant Renesmee was portrayed by a robot. It was filmed at the [[Canadian Motion Picture Park Studios|Canadian Motion Picture Park Studios (CMPP)]]. The film did not follow the book strictly, as many of the scenes were created from scratch to add tension to the narrative. ==References== {{Portal|Novels}} {{reflist}} ==External links== {{Wikiquote}} * [http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/breakingdawn.html ''Breaking Dawn'' page at StephenieMeyer.com] {{Twilight}} [[Category:2008 American novels]] [[Category:2008 fantasy novels]] [[Category:American fantasy novels adapted into films]] [[Category:American romance novels]] [[Category:American vampire novels]] [[Category:American young adult novels]] [[Category:Little, Brown and Company books]] [[Category:Novels about teenage pregnancy]] [[Category:Twilight (novel series)]] [[Category:Werewolf novels]] [[Category:Human-werewolf romance in fiction]]'