As much as it pains me to say it, this book really did not to be written and definitely should not have been 600+ pages. I only made it 66% of the way through and was struggling so much to find the motivation to continue that I had to stop right then and there.

I thought the beginning of the book was the best portion and was enjoying Edward’s perspective and the new information presented about the vampires’ backstories, but when I got to the insta-love it was unbearable for me; Edward was so precipitously infatuated with Bella that I felt a keen sense of secondhand embarrassment.

I additionally felt no pull to continue the story because there was no intrigue leading up to any of the events for a reader like myself, someone very well acquainted with the plot. Hopefully if more Twilight universe stories are released, they won’t be reruns of already-existing installments...