The End

SPOILER ALERT - Do not read unless you have FINISHED Breaking Dawn.

I can't believe it. I finished it this afternoon. I was so intent on finishing today because I couldn't stand the suspense any more. I had to know if they lived or died. So right after school, I set my kids up with a snack, turned on Noggin and disappeared to the family room where I could read - and cry - in peace. Waiting for the Volturi showdown in the clearing was much harder than waiting for the Victoria showdown in the clearning...probably because I knew there was another book after the Victoria showdown. So it wasn't just the outcome of the book; it was the outcome of their lives. When Edward said "goodbye" to Jacob and called him "my brother...my son" I nearly convulsed. That was extremely powerful to me. And more than anything, I was so thrilled to see m'girl Alice come back and take charge of the situation, like only Alice can. She is the most kick ass character I've come across in a long time. I knew she would never abandon her family like that...and I was surprised Edward and Carlisle didn't realize it, too.

This book was tough to get through because I knew it was the end. But I could not have asked for a better ending; better closure. I certainly got what I needed out of the series. Edward's happiness was really my need from the beginning....once his story was revealed and I knew how lonely he'd been for a century. My only complaint was that he was a little iffy there while Bella was pregnant. I wanted to slap him like Cher slapped Nicholas Cage in Moonstruck. "Snap out of it!" I would have liked to have seen Edward have a good cry at some point, and then get the sadness out of his system. Instead of moaning while Bella rubbed his cheek - like a little lap dog. I'd rather he'd lost it and cried his eyes out to Bella (in front of a roaring fire, of course...perhaps while wearing nothing but his Valentino boxer briefs) and then gotten up and punched a wall or something. I just couldn't stand his reaction to her being pregnant. I realized he was upset but come on dude....butch up. OK we've visited this already, no need to rehash it. Anyway - he was so great once Bella was turned, wasn't he? Loved the hunting....loved the cottage...loved how he came around and became "Edward in Charge" again.

I have a lot of googling to do. I've been avoiding all Twilight websites - especially Stephenie Meyer's....because I didn't want anyone to spoil the endings. But now I am ready to explore the books, characters, actors, music, locations, etc etc. I want to take it all in. I also want to read Midnight Sun, which I'm told is Edward's version of meeting Bella. Or at least the first 200 pages or so, until some DOUCHE leaked it to the internet. What a dumbass. We could have had another book by now. But noooo. Now I've got to squint at my computer screen to swoon over Edward in between Facebooking and shopping for new rugs. But, whatever. For Edward, it doesn't seem like a difficult task.

One more thing - here's my prediction. I think we're going to see prequels galore. Hell, you could do a trilogy on Carlisle, alone. How about a book about how Carlisle was turned....and then a book about each of the Cullen children being turned? Except Rosalie. I don't think I'd care. And something tells me Esme's got a powerful story, too....even though she wasn't usually at the forefront in this series.

My sincere and heartfelt thanks to Stephenie Meyer for being such a gifted writer. And for bringing such a wonderful story into my life at a time when I really needed something to come in and stir things up a little. I am forever grateful....