The Sapphire Talisman by Brenda Pandos

GoodReads Synopsis: With the local vampire coven decimated, Julia and Nicholas try to begin a somewhat normal life together. Bound by secrecy from a shape shifter determined to see Julia’s world-saving prediction come to fruition, Julia isn’t allowed to tell Nicholas the leader survived, ransacking her happiness with guilt. When Alora returns, bent on revenge, the reunion forces Nicholas and Julia to choose what they are willing to live and die for.

Kathy’s Review: I enjoyed this one much more than the first. The relationship between Julia and Nicholas is a lot more believable, maybe because going into it their already in an established relationship. A love triangle does develop during the story, which ended up making Julia seem kind of fickle. But there is a fun twist in their relationship that keeps them apart and makes you wonder what their future will hold. There is a lot more action and a few new characters as well as some old favorites. I’m glad I decided to keep with the series, it’s a fun break.

I also really like how clean these books are, and especially that Julia makes a point of “waiting for marriage”, it’s refreshing to see a YA character have morals. While there is vampire violence the books are pretty clean.

Bookworm Rating: 4

Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: December 2010
One Word Review: Good
Author Website: www.brendapandos.blogspot.com

Reading Order:
Book One: The Emerald Talisman
Book Two: The Sapphire Talisman
Book Three: The Onyx Talisman

The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos

GoodReads Synopsis: To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves.

Kathy’s Review: I guess I enjoyed this one. I’m still wavering between my rating. I really wanted to like it, and for the most part I did. I guess the one thing that bothered me most was the relationship between Julia and Nicholas. It just wasn’t that believable for me. I just can’t believe Julie would be so into a guy that she only interacted with for about an hour. They kind of had a conversation and the rest of the book we hear about how much she wants to be with him and only him. Even with her special abilities it was hard to believe. But, if I overlook the “love-at-first-sight” angle, I did enjoy the story. I liked the different take on vampires and their origins. After reading reviews for the next two books I’m actually pretty curious to see what happens. I thought it was pretty well written, but felt the dialog at times was a little lacking. I guess any vampire book nowadays is really going to remind me of Twilight. If you like vampire stories then you will probably enjoy this one.

Bookworm Rating: 3.5

Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: March 2010
One Word Review: Good
Author Website: www.brendapandos.blogspot.com

Reading Order:
Book One: The Emerald Talisman
Book Two: The Sapphire Talisman
Book Three: The Onyx Talisman

Fateful by Cheri Schmidt

GoodReads Synopsis: A huge fan of Jane Austen, Danielle hopes to find her own Mr. Darcy when she leaves Colorado to attend art school in London. Of course she knows it's silly to wish for that, naive even. But she's met enough males who lacked respect for women, a growing trend it seemed. And at nineteen...well.... However, on only her second night there she gets lost and is threatened by a stalker who proves to be immune to her martial arts training. Before she is completely overpowered, she is then saved by Ethan Deveroux. While Danielle does find the romance she seeks in Ethan, he's no Mr. Darcy. Her hero is held by a spell which fractures their chance at a happy ending. During the day Ethan is closer to mortal than immortal and can date her like any other man. Yet, as the sun sets, the powerful magic of an ancient curse returns and the evil of that spell is revealed. When that magic begins, Danielle's fairytale romance ends because Ethan Deveroux is a vampire.

Kathy’s Review: Yes, it sounds similar to Twilight, but it’s actually got an original take on vampires. The only similarity is that Ethan is a vampire and Danielle is not. I liked Schmidt’s take on vampires, I thought it was more believable and I liked that there was some hope that they could maybe change. It made it more believable that there would be good vampires, etc. I also really liked that both Ethan and Danielle not only had high standards, but they also believed marriage was a positive thing (something Bella could learn from).

There were only a couple things I didn’t like. Ethan chuckled a little too much. Ethan tended to carry Danielle an awful lot, she says she can walk, so let her walk. =) Lastly, I didn’t see why Lucas would be after Danielle right off the bat like that. I know Ethan interrupted his attack, but I wanted a little more motivation for Lucas and Celeste to be after Danielle.

Thanks Cheri for sending me a copy to review, I enjoyed the story and thought it was a fun escape. I look forward to seeing what happens with Danielle and Ethan after how things wrapped up in Fateful.

Bookworm Rating: 4

Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: April 2011
One Word Review: Entertaining
Author Website: www.cherischmidt.com

Reading Order:
Book One: Fateful
Book Two: Fractured

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

Genre: YA Fiction

Author Website: www.richellemead.com

One Word Review: Good

First Line: “Once when I was in ninth grade, I had to write a paper on a poem.”

Synopsis: “Dimitri’s heart has gone dark. Now Rose must journey to the ends of the earth to find--and kill--her one true love... Or has the time come to join him? The recent attack on St. Vladimir's Academy devastated the entire Moroi world. Many are dead. And, for the few victims carried off by Strigoi, their fates are even worse. A rare tattoo now adorns Rose's neck, a mark that says she's killed far too many Strigoi to count. But only one victim matters . . . Dimitri Belikov. Rose must now choose one of two very different paths: honoring her life's vow to protect Lissa—her best friend and the last surviving Dragomir princess—or, dropping out of the Academy to strike out on her own and hunt down the man she loves. She'll have to go to the ends of the earth to find Dimitri and keep the promise he begged her to make. But the question is, when the time comes, will he want to be saved? Now, with everything at stake—and worlds away from St. Vladimir's and her unguarded, vulnerable, and newly rebellious best friend—can Rose find the strength to destroy Dimitri? Or, will she sacrifice herself for a chance at eternal love?

Kathy’s Review: So, if you haven’t read the other books you may want to read this review with caution as there may be spoilers. So, Blood Promise was a lot better than Shadow Kissed, in my opinion. It was fun to get outside the Academy and see the world a little (although there were many times when Rose would “visit” Lissa, so we were still kept up to date on everything going on back at the VA.) Rose is as consistent and tough as ever. I enjoyed her journey, and things really picked up about 300 pages in! Which brings me to Dimitir…oh, Dimitri! To be honest, I really didn’t like him in this book, obviously isn’t quite himself. Three words that come to mind are: Creepy, sad and…hopeful. I’m hopeful that things will somehow work out, but I know it’s a LONG shot. This book ends with a little more closure than last time, but defiantly still left me wanting more. Look forward to reading book five (and I’m still wondering about the length of the series…).

FYI…As usual there is some swearing (at least one “f” word), and this book has a lot more sex in it, although no one actually has sex…if that makes sense?

Reading Order:

Book One: Vampire Academy
Book Two: Frostbite
Book Three: Shadow Kiss
Book Four: Blood Promise
Book Five: Spirit Bond
Book Six: To Be Announced

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Genre: YA Fiction

Author Website: www.richellemead.com

One Word Review: Okay

Synopsis: “Is Rose's fate to kill the person she loves most? It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Mason's death, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She has dark flashbacks in the middle of practice, can't concentrate in class, and has terrifying dreams about Lissa. But Rose has an even bigger secret . . . .She's in love with Dimitri. And this time, it's way more than a crush. Then Strigoi target the academy in the deadliest attack in Moroi history, and Dimitri is taken. Rose must protect Lissa at all costs, but keeping her best friend safe could mean losing Dimitri forever.” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: This was just okay for me. I still liked Rose, she is a pretty consistent character and yet has matured quite a bit since the first book, although she can still be impulsive at times. I like Dimitri as well, but they are hardly together so that’s a little disappointing. The overall story kept me interested and it moved along well. Some things seemed a little repetitive and I thought the book was longer than it needed to be. There really isn’t a whole lot of vampire stuff, especially in the first half; you’d almost think you were reading about any high school setting. The storyline was kind of predictable so I wasn’t surprised with how everything panned out but the ending is definitely a cliff hanger and left me wanting more. I admit, I’m a little nervous at the length of this series. I normally don’t like series that are more than four books long. They sometimes lose something along the way and I’m hoping that book four will be a little better than book three.

Reading Order:
Book One: Vampire Academy
Book Two: Frostbite
Book Three: Shadow Kiss
Book Four: Blood Promise
Book Five: Spirit Bond
Book Six: To Be Announced

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Genre: YA Fantasy

Author Website: www.richellemead.com

One Word Review: Good

Summary: “It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians--including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if handto- hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks....This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price.” -GoodReads

My Review: I think I enjoyed this book a little more than the first. Maybe it was because I knew what to expect. It was actually pretty similar than the first but there were a few things that were different. In the first Rose and Lissa kind of have a weird bond which causes Rose to “enter” Lissa’s mind and experience what she is experiencing. It happened in this book but nearly as much, so that was a good improvement. A lot of the vampire elements in the first book weren’t as prevalent in this book either, so again that was nice. Rose’s character has grown a lot and is becoming more mature and responsible. I enjoyed her character a lot more this time around. There is some good romantic chemistry, although not enough as I would like. Overall, it was a good read and I’ll definitely continue with the series.

Like the first book, there is some violence and some swearing.

Reading Order:
Book One: Vampire Academy
Book Two: Frostbite
Book Three: Shadow Kiss
Book Four: Blood Promise
Book Five: Spirit Bond
Book Six: To Be Announced

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Genre: YA-Fiction

Author Site: www.richellemead.com

First Line: “I felt her fear before I heard her screams.”

One Word Review: Good

Summary: “St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . . Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.” -GoodReads

My Review: Before Twilight I had never read a vampire book. Now, I seem to be reading them a lot. Overall I enjoyed Vampire Academy. Unlike Twilight, it really had the feel of a vampire novel. It had a lot more vampires, more blood-sucking, human “feeders”, etc. Because of all this it really had darkness to it that some of the other “soft-vampire” books don’t have. Honestly, it was almost better that way. After all vampires are suppose to be creepy and evil, right? I liked the different vampire groups, history and background that Mean created. This is the first in a series so there was a lot of set-up for the next book. I admit, I was a little bored through some of it, and it wasn’t until the end that things really started to pick up and actually make me want to go pick up the second book.

There were a few things that I didn’t like. At first, and through a lot of the book, I just didn’t like Rose. She is cocky, brash, and a little easy (although, I guess she does have some standards since she hasn’t “gone all the way” yet). She starts to take her role more seriously and she did start to grow on me. By the end I was a fan. I liked the relationship with her and Dimitri. However, the relationship with her and Lissa was at times a little creepy. I didn’t really care for the passages where Rose would fall into Lissa’s mind, kind of weird.

I should mention, there is quite a bit of swearing, horny teenagers and lots of creepy vampire images.

Reading Order:
Book One: Vampire Academy
Book Two: Frostbite
Book Three: Shadow Kiss
Book Four: Blood Promise
Book Five: Spirit Bond
Book Six: To Be Announced

Evernight by Claudia Gray

Genre: YA-Fiction

Author Site: www.claudiagray.com

First Line: “The burning arrow thudded into the wall.”

One Word Review: Okay

Summary: “Bianca wants to escape. She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in. Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him. "I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would." But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.” -GoodReads

My Review: This was just okay for me. I wasn’t really sucked in and about halfway through I kind of gave up and just skimmed the rest. Towards the middle there was a twist in the story, it probably would have been a good twist but it kind of went against the image of Bianca that Gray had built. That of an outcast not like the other kids at school, etc. I thought the twist made Bianca more like her classmates than anything else and if this had been made clear from the beginning then I think I would have enjoyed the story more. I’m trying to be vague so I don’t give away spoilers and probably not making much sense in the process.

As for the romance in the story, I just wasn’t feeling anything between Lucas and Bianca. From the first chapter, if just felt off for some reason. Bianca’s feelings for Lucas came too quickly without a lot of substance. We were told how she felt about him but I just couldn’t feel anything. I thought there was more chemistry between Balthazar and Bianca. Anyway, having read Jessica’s Guide and being blown away, I was a little disappointed in this story. Maybe I shouldn’t read too many vampire stories in a row?

Reading Order:
Book One: Evernight
Book Two: Stargazer
Book Three: Hourglass
Book Four: Afterlife

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Genre: YA-Fantasy

Author Site: www.bethfantaskey.com

First Line: “The first time I saw him, a heavy, gray fog clung to the cornfields, tails of mist slithering between the dying stalks.”

One Word Review: Emotional

Summary: “The undead can really screw up your senior year . . . Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit into Jessica Packwood's senior year "get-a-life" plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he's her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius's soul from eternal destruction.” –GoodReads

My Review: Loved it! I’m actually a little speechless about this one, or at least I don’t know quite where to start. I thought this was very well written, you could literally feel all of Jessica/Antanasia’s emotions as you follow her along this amazing journey. When Lucius first arrives you can’t help but hate him. He is SO arrogant, possessive, creepy and talks very formal. As the story progresses his character really develops, and not always in the best way. I loved that when they first meet Jessica isn’t totally overwhelmed by his amazing looks. She actually keeps her head about her and doesn’t give her heart away so easily. We are able to go along with Jessica as she slowly falls in love with Lucius, but is it all a little too late? While she has been pushing him away he has found comfort in the arms of another girl! I admit, this part of the story was very well done, I could feel Jessica’s confusion and pain and I can’t say any more without giving away spoilers. Anatanasia and Lucius have great chemistry together; both are strong-willed and push each other like no one else has. I liked when Anatanasia finally comes into her own and accepts her history.

I was worried this was going to be too much like Twilight, and if you’re worried don’t be. The story is different. Jessica is definitely not Bella and Lucius really gives Edward a run for his money! The book ended pretty well. I wish there had been an epilogue, mainly because I just didn’t want the story to end. It’s one of those books when you’re not even halfway through you're already hoping it doesn’t end. If you're looking for a light read, this isn't it. If you're looking for suspense, passion, drama, suspense, humor, and did I mention suspense? Then this is the book for you!

I’m off to email the author to request a sequel!

Other Reviews:
Karin’s Book Nook
Okbo Lover
The Story Siren**

Okay, I had to get a few things off my chest so I added a "spoiler" section in the comment area. I probably give a lot away, so read at your own risk.

Faerie, Vampire, Werewolf Reviews

I tend to read a lot of YA Fantasy novels, usually about fairies, vampires, werewolfs or your more traditional fairy-tales (or re-imaginings). More for myself, I decided to keep track of the different books (I love making lists), and I thought you might enjoy it as well. I'll be updating it as I go. As with our Previous Reviews, the titles with a "*" are ones that I really enjoyed and would recommend to others.

FAERIE/FAIRY/FAE
*Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Faerie Path by Frewin Jones

Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull
Spell Hunter by R.J. Anderson
Wings by Aprilynne Pike
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

RE-TELLING (Fairytale, Mythology)
A Kiss In Time by Alex Flinn Beastly by Alix Flinn

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

*Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt

*My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

Oh.My.Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

*Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguie

*Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

VAMPIRE/WEREWOLF
Awakening by Kelley Armstrong
Awakening by L.J. Smith

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Have read but not reviewed on BWN)
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Have read but not reviewed on BWN)
Evernight by Claudia Gray

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
*Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (Have read but not reviewed on BWN)
The Struggle by L.J. Smith
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

*Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Have read but not reviewed on BWN)

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

The Struggle by L.J. Smith

"Damon: Determined to make Elena his queen of darkness, he'd kill his own brother to possess her. Stefan: Desperate for the power to destroy Damon, he succumbs to his thirst for human blood. Elena: Irresistibly drawn to both brothers, her choice will decide their fate. The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them." -GoodReads

This book literally picks up right where book one leaves us. In this installment we get to see a lot more of Damon. I know Damon is evil and everything, but there is just something very alluring about him. I’m still rooting for Stefan of course, but Damon started to entice me with his bad-boy self! Maybe his “power” is able to captivate the reader as well as the intended characters? I enjoyed this story a little more than the first book. Elena is a lot more approachable now and her character is really growing on me. I was frustrated that she was keeping so much from Stefan, but I can understand why she was doing it. Stefan wasn’t around as much in this one, but when he and Elena were together I felt better chemistry from them then in the first book. He also seems more in love with Elena now, as opposed to just loving the memory of Katherine, which was good to see.

I was very frustrated with the ending, if you could call it that. It ends right at a total climax with absolutely no closure! I suppose the first book did as well, but I already had the second book on hand so it didn’t bother me as much. The only other thing that is disturbing is all the blood-swapping that goes on in this one, pretty disturbing! I guess since we’re dealing with vampires it’s going to be expected.

Book One: The Awakening

Book Two: The Struggle

Book Three: The Fury

Book Four: Dark Reunion

Book Five: Nightfall

Book Six: Shadow Souls

Book Seven: Midnight

The Awakening by L.J. Smith

"Elena: Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan. Stefan: Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion. Damon: Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him. The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them."
-Good Reads

Oh dear! What was I thinking reading another vampire series? I just want to say that this book was published in 1991, long before Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. There are quite a few similarities; it’s odd that Meyer’s hadn’t read these books before. Just wanted to get that out of the way before I got to my review.

Elena is starting her senior year in high school. She lost her parents in an accident a few years before and hasn’t quite been the same since. She is gorgeous, popular, and use to getting whatever she wants. So, when the new guy in school, Stefan, totally snubs her multiple times, she makes it her life mission to win his heart. Stefan on the other hand has just moved to Fells Church, VA for a little peace and quiet as he tries to outrun the memories of his long-lost love, Katherine. Besides his memories of Katherine, are his equally painful memories of his elder brother Damon who tried to woo Katherine away and it now appears he has set his sights on Elena.

Elena and Stefan have okay chemistry for me. It kind of felt like Katherine was this annoying third-wheel. From his memories, I couldn’t really gather what was so great about her, besides her looks. She knew how Damon and Stefan felt about one another and made matters worse by choosing to be selfish.

Elena comes across as a snob at first, she gets a little better as the book moves on, but still I’m wondering what they like in each other besides looks. There wasn’t as much relationship development between them before they confess their love for each other to really feel legitimate. At this point it just feels like Elena has a really deep attraction, and for Stefan a remembrance of Katherine (again, the awkward third-wheel), and nothing really substantial…yet.

Having said that it was still a very captivating read, I finished it in one sitting and am eager to get my hands on the rest of the series. I hate to say it since it’s really not the same, but if you like Twilight then you will enjoy this darker variation.

Book One: The Awakening
Book Two: The Struggle
Book Three: The Fury
Book Four: Dark Reunion
Book Five: Nightfall
Book Six: Shadow Souls
Sook Seven: Midnight

Below is what actually made me notice and want to read these books. The CW is starting a new show this fall based on this series. The preview looks amazing (although in the book Elena has blonde hair, I like it better dark.).

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

I just want to warn you that this is a long review and does contain spoilers.

I have so many mixed feelings about this book. I know how hard it is for an author to come up with a final book in a series, there are so many expectations and there is no way to make everyone happy. Having said that, give me a break! This book was crazy and definitely my least favorite of the series. The book was way too long, although I don’t mind long books if things are happening, but nothing happened for the majority of the book. I think the only reason why I kept reading was because I was so curious about what would happen with everyone.

LIKES:
-I enjoyed Bella and Edwards wedding. I know a lot of people are upset that they got married “so young” I am really glad they got married. When people are in love they should get married, and they definitely should be married before having sex. So, I was very glad that SM had them married before they did anything.
-Through four books Bella has gone through some pretty upsetting things, had heartbreaks and a lot of stress in her young life, so I was happy that she did get everything she wanted. She finally married Edward, became a vampire, had a baby and was able to maintain her relationship with her dad. It shows that we should have hope and that if we work hard and make the right choices that things can work out the way you want.
-I liked that Bella finally became a vampire and I enjoyed reading about her transformation and how she was able to transition. I liked that she was able to adjust so quickly. I also enjoyed that she was finally confident and was stronger than Emmett and Edward.
-Originally I was really surprised that Bella became pregnant (I didn’t think Edward had it in him, so to speak). After adjusting to the idea I liked that Bella and Edward would be parents. I also liked it because so many Jacob fans said she should go with him because she could have a family with Jacob…well Ha Ha Ha, she had a baby with Edward!
-So many people complained that Bella didn’t go to school first. Well, duh. You don’t have to chose between getting married and going to school, you can do both. Bella will live forever she can get 100 degrees if she wants. I liked that she chose to get married AND go to school, again its not one or the other and getting married doesn’t ruin your dreams.
-I liked that Bella was finally able to share her thoughts with Edward and that they were able to live happily ever after. Just remember it’s a fiction love story, so of course they should end up happily ever after!

DISLIKES:
-Jacob. I’m sorry I’m just not a fan and I was very disappointed to see a whole section written from his perspective. I don’t really care what Jacob is thinking because he only thinks one thing “I Love Bella”. I was a little sick of his obsession with her. Nothing much happened in his part, other than he imprints on Renesmee. WHAT!?! Did SM honestly have him imprint on Bella’s daughter? So Jake is the son-in-law to Edward and Bella, that’s just the stupidest thing I have ever heard of. My friend Jessica has a perfect solution to this problem…. While Bella and Edward are on their honeymoon they come across the vampire/humans and rescue a baby that was being hunted or something. They adopt the baby and bring it back with them to Forks. Jacob imprints on that kid and then Jacob and Bella can be friends and we can avoid the whole mess of Jacob falling for Bella’s daughter. (Jessica said it better than me, but you get the idea).
-I didn’t like the name Renesmee. Its hard to say, spell, remember, read, etc. I also didn’t like that if it was a boy she was going to name him “Edward Jacob”. Its like Bella has no feelings for her husband at all. You just don’t name your kids after ex-boyfriends.
-I missed Alice. She was gone for the majority of the book and mostly replaced with Rosalie. Who likes Rosalie, she is a horrible “person”, so bitter and self-centered.
-There was hardly anything going on between Edward and Bella, other than sex. The tention is gone and as Jessica says, reading about married people can be boring.
-Bella and the fake IDs. Really, what’s the point, it took up way too much time with no end result. Just a waste and pretty boring to read. I guess you add chapters like that in to make the book longer?
-There is a huge build up for the confrontation between Cullen’s and Volturi. I enjoyed all the other vampires coming into town and hearing about their special abilities. It was interesting hearing how powerful the Cullen’s are considered in the vampire world. So I was expecting a big fight when the Volturi came to town. But what happens…. NOTHING. They have a little chat and then go home.
-Although Bella’s superpower was kind of cool, I think it could have been better. Like she could have been able to absorb others powers and use them, instead she just makes a shield.

So, overall I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars. I think the Twilight series would have been better as a trilogy. It is worth reading Breaking Dawn, it kept me reading and it has been fun discussing with friends.

Reviewed by: Kathy