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A Romance Writer's Thoughts on Breaking Dawn Part One

I became a fan of the Twilight saga after being introduced to it by my fiancee in mid 2008. Maybe “fan” isn't the right word, at least at first ¨C I have to say that I didn't enjoy the first book. Still, I soldiered on into New Moon, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was gripping and emotional, charged with a bittersweet romance that firmly endeared me to Meyer's creation. Eclipse was better still, and by the time I reached Breaking Dawn I could hardly stand to put it down until the final page had been turned.

It's the same way with the films. Each is an improvement on the last, and Breaking Dawn Part One didn't disappoint. Although I wish the wedding scene had been longer (maybe on the DVD as an extended cut?) and the “werewolf telepathy” bit was kind of embarrassing to watch, Breaking Dawn Part One combined the sense of unconquerable love and the Edward ¨C Bella ¨C Jacob triangle we've come to expect with a chilling and genuinely creepy rendering of Bella's vampiric pregnancy. I was especially focused on the conflict between Edward and Bella here. I truly sympathized with Edward's desire to keep Bella safe at all costs, even if it meant the termination of her pregnancy. Bella found herself torn as well, this time not between Edward and Jacob, but between romantic love and motherly love. The heightened stakes coupled with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's excellent performances make you feel like the pages of the novel have literally been lifted onto the big screen and brought to life. I'm eagerly looking forward to the final installment ¨C and crossing my fingers for a film adaptation of The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, too!

Writers of teen fiction, of the paranormal, and of romance owe much to the success of the Twilight saga. I'm doubly grateful as I count myself as all three. Although the Wandering Stars series eschews vampires in favor of angels and the closest it has to a werewolf is a grizzled, doglike creature named Jezebeth, Stephenie Meyer's writing is in many ways an inspiration to me. Although all the books have been released and the movies are coming to a close, we have now in its wake a plethora of spectacular YA romance from major and independent publishers, established and emerging authors alike.

It's a great time to be a reader.

Marlon Pierre-Antoine is the author of Wandering Stars and its companion novelette, Helena's Empire. Visit www.marlonpierre-antoine.com to purchase and read a free excerpt from the book.