Monday, August 18, 2008

Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn
by Stephenie Meyer

The fourth and final installment of the Twilight Saga told from Bella's point of view is the largest of them all; however, it's not the best.
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All of the plot points of the first three books get tied into a nice bow in this book that has Bella getting married, having a baby, and turning into a vampire, all before the halfway point of the book. While it's fun to read about all the different vampires out in the world, there are far too many mentioned to make this book easy to understand. It's over-complicated and sometimes confusing with all the different personalities vying for face time.
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Most difficult is that the ability to relate to Bella is lost almost at the start of the book and Edward is basically a side-note. The key to the first three books was the relationship between the two, but after they are married, things shift drastically and the entire dynamic shifts with it. And while the entire idea of vampires really existing isn't realistic, the book takes it beyond vampires living in our world and makes it almost like we're living in their's. Even Bella's human friends serve only as background at the wedding and are never heard from again.
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While the first three books were appropriate for middle school, this final book isn't. There had even been talk by Meyer's own publishing company of putting a warning label on the books for parents of children under 15. It's very graphic and even a little gory. While it's good to read this book to find out the end of the story, it may not be worth the cost of purchase unless you're a die-hard fan.

Impossible

Impossible
by Nancy Werlin

Lucinda Scarborough is your average teen just trying to get ready for Prom. What she doesn't know is that she's also the victim of a curse that has haunted her family for generations. When one of her ancestors rejected the love of the Elvin King, he cursed her and her children. Now, when a Scarborough daughter turns 18, she becomes pregnant and goes insane upon the birth of her daughter. The only way to stop the curse it to perform three seemingly impossible tasks described in the song "Scarborough Fair".
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But unlike her mother, her mother's mother, and all the other Scarborough girls before, Lucy isn't alone. She has her best friend, Zach, and her foster parents, all of whom believe her and will do anything to help her break the curse.
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The story is new and original, but the characters are not well-developed. And though the book is good for a quick read, don't expect the characters to stay with you once you're done reading.

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