Characters

• Bella Swan: The protagonist who marries Edward and becomes pregnant with his child. She transforms into a vampire after giving birth.
• Edward Cullen: Bella's vampire husband who struggles to keep her alive during her dangerous pregnancy.
• Jacob Black: Bella's werewolf friend who imprints on her newborn daughter Renesmee.
• Renesmee Cullen: Bella and Edward's half-vampire, half-human daughter who grows at an accelerated rate.
• Alice Cullen: Edward's psychic sister who helps gather witnesses to defend Renesmee against the Volturi.
• Jasper Hale: Alice's husband who helps train the allies to fight the Volturi.
• Carlisle Cullen: The compassionate leader of the Cullen family who cares for Bella during her pregnancy.
• Esme Cullen: Carlisle's wife who welcomes Bella into the family.
• Rosalie Hale: Edward's sister who protects Bella during her pregnancy out of desire for a child.
• Emmett Cullen: Rosalie's husband and Edward's brother, known for his strength.
• Charlie Swan: Bella's father who struggles to understand the changes in his daughter.
• Aro: The leader of the Volturi who views the Cullens as a threat.

Quick facts

• Breaking Dawn was the fastest-selling book of 2008, with over 1.3 million copies sold in the first 24 hours.
• The book is divided into three parts, with the middle section narrated from Jacob Black's perspective instead of Bella's.
• Meyer wrote an earlier version called Forever Dawn that was quite different from the final published book.
• The pregnancy storyline was inspired by Meyer's research on the legend of the incubus demon.
• The cover art features a chess metaphor, with the pawn becoming a queen to represent Bella's transformation.
• Meyer drew inspiration from Shakespeare's plays The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• A robot was used to portray the infant Renesmee in the film adaptation.
• The book sparked controversy for its more mature themes compared to earlier books in the series.
• Breaking Dawn won the British Book Award for Children's Book of the Year in 2009.
• The film adaptation was split into two parts, released in 2011 and 2012.

About the author

Stephenie Meyer is an American author best known for her vampire romance series Twilight. Born in 1973, Meyer had a life-changing experience in 2003 when she woke up from a vivid dream that inspired her to write Twilight. Despite having no prior writing experience, she completed the novel in just three months while caring for her young children. Twilight was published in 2005 and quickly became a bestseller, launching Meyer to literary stardom.

The Twilight Saga, consisting of four main novels, went on to become a global phenomenon. The books have sold over 160 million copies worldwide and were adapted into a successful film franchise starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Meyer's meteoric rise made her one of the bestselling authors of the late 2000s. She expanded beyond Twilight with her 2008 science fiction novel The Host and 2016 thriller The Chemist.

Meyer's Mormon faith has been cited as a significant influence on her work, though she states she does not consciously include religious themes. Her writing style has been criticized by some as simplistic, but praised by others for its ability to captivate readers. Major themes in Meyer's novels include agency, temptation, mortality and eternal life. She has faced both acclaim and criticism for her portrayal of relationships and gender roles in the Twilight series.

Beyond writing, Meyer has ventured into film production and co-founded a production company. She has been recognized on Time's list of most influential people and Forbes' list of highest-earning women in Hollywood. While divisive among critics, Meyer has cultivated a devoted fan following and made a significant impact on young adult literature and pop culture in the 21st century. Her success opened doors for the paranormal romance genre and influenced a new wave of vampire-themed entertainment.