Breaking Dawn Wins Children's Book of the Year at Galaxy British Book Awards

Press Release:

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer wins Children’s Book of the Year at the Galaxy British Book Awards

London, 6 April 2009: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer was today awarded the prestigious WHSmith Children’s Book of the Year Award at the Galaxy British Book Awards, the Oscars of the book world.

Breaking Dawn is the fourth novel in the phenomenally successful Twilight Saga – a supernatural romance series in which Bella Swan walks the line between immortals (vampires) and mortals.

Breaking Dawn beat JK Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox, Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight, Francesca Simons’ Horrid Henry Robs the Bank and Claire Freedman & Ben Cort’s Dinosaurs Love Underpants.

Speaking from her home in Arizona, Stephenie Meyer said winning the award was “amazing and phenomenal”. She went on to say how overjoyed she was and thanked all the people who read her books.

Published by Atom (an imprint of Little, Brown) in August 2008, Breaking Dawn has already sold over 400,000 copies in hardback. More than 47 million copies of the series have now been sold – including over 2.6 million copies in the UK - and it has been translated into 33 languages. Last November saw the release of the film Twilight - the first book in the series; a film version of New Moon - the second in the series - is due for release this November.

The shortlist was chosen by the votes of WHSmith’s customers after a month long promotion of a longlist of titles from 6 different age brackets. The public together with the Academy of the British Book Industry then voted for their favourite from the shortlist.

Stephenie Meyer's life changed dramatically on 2nd June 2003, when the stay-at-home mother of three young sons woke up from a dream featuring seemingly real characters that she could not get out of her head. Three months later she finished her first novel, Twilight. The series has since become an international phenomenon, catapulting her to stardom. This year in the UK alone, a copy of The Twilight Saga has been sold every 6 seconds.

Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer

I'm not going to worry about a preamble. If you don't know the background behind Breaking Dawn or the debacle surrounding it and it's author, Stephenie Meyer, then you must have been hiding in a outer Mongolia the past few months not to have been swept up in the sensation that is Stephenie Meyer's meteorotic climb to stardom in the world of amazing book sales.

I received my copy from Atom and couldn't wait to get stuck into it. Before I knew it, I was three hundred pages in, shouting at the characters. I had to put the book down and walk away. I was taking it too personally. I was wanting to write the book. I left it alone the whole weekend, not being able to go near it, giving myself time to cool off. Instead I read other books, but I dreamed Bella and Edward and Jacob. It was not healthy, to say the least.

The story concludes the three previous books, Twilight, Eclipse and New Moon in a way that the author clearly felt she wanted to end Bella and Edward's story. I've not read a single other review, but I know, from others telling me, that Breaking Dawn's received a very mixed response. Some loved it, some hated - there doesn't seem to be a middle ground. I suppose, it is, like the (dreaded HP analogy here) last book in the HP saga - JKR clearly felt that she needed to drawn a line under all these characters so many of her readers have come to love and share their lives with. It had to stop, no matter what! And she gave them closure.

I finished reading Breaking Dawn last night and put it aside. And cried. I cried because the book still spoke of that almost unattainable thing in real life: true love with someone you initially thought so completely unattainable you would never consider taking the chance. It spoke of the author's desire to tie up loose ends and make everyone happy.

We have Jacob who will now forever be part of Bella's life and Bella's father Charlie has to cope with a helluva lot of things that come his way but he gets through the trauma sufficiently to remain his usual dry self. The biggest change of course is in Bella but the story doesn't just centre on her change - we see it a lot of the story more clearly from Jacob's perspective and from some of the other vampires' perspectives and it gives you a feel of a bigger story being told.

Official MFB verdict: I loved it. I also hated it. Team Jacob did not win. Not in the way I wanted it to. But in the end, I could see why it was done this way and I chose (notice the choice of words here) to bow out with good grace, like Jacob, and to consider the impact of the story and the author's decision making process.

Breaking Dawn is a fitting end of this series. Everyone is happy. It all ends on a fairytale ending. The ending is bittersweet ... and yet, yet, I somehow can't shake the feeling that that's not all she wrote, to be honest. There is this feeling of lingering malice...because isn't that what fairytale endings are all about? The fact that the big bad wolf (or vampire) is lurking in the forest, ready to take advantage...or maybe it's wishful thinking on my part?

I apologise - this is not the type of review I usually write. I'm giving scant information about the storyline and am harping on about how it made me feel. Which, to be honest, is where the success in any book lies - how it makes you feel. I laughed, I cried, I sobbed, I tossed the book aside in anger and disgust and I picked it up again and I read it to the very end, because I loved it, irrevocably. This is what storytelling is about - taking a pack of cards, tossing 'em into the air and putting them back together again, to form the perfect package. I genuinely don't mind what other reviews say about BD - it has done what the author set out to do - it drew a line under Jacob, Bella and Edward.

There is a new generation now, afterall, in the Cullens household... who knows what's going to happen next?

Countdown to Breaking Dawn

Peeps, it's almost here.

Publishing date - 04/08/08.

I did try and put up a countdown clock but the software wouldn't work!

So, even better than that, I've discovered that the amazing peeps over at Atom have set up a brand new site for Stephenie Meyer. Complete with launch day events details across the country - with more events being added closer to the time.

Go, support the reader movement and this amazing author. And here is the official website for the movie Twilight.

**Stephenie Meyer News**

Yes, I know, before you shake your head with a big sigh! I am allowed this indulgence and yes I am an utter fan-girl and am squeeling in the inside.

Orbit has slipped in quietly and announced the new cover for Stephenie Meyer's newest offering: The Breaking Dawn.

Isn't it beautiful? Happy sighs. I can't wait for it to come out and let me say: thank heavens it's coming out AFTER the dreaded exam or I would fail my exam miserably because NOTHING would come between me and TBD!

If you go here you can read an excerpt snippet of SM's newest offering and here is an interesting bit about SM teaming up with Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October to do a mini-tour for the release of TBD. Very clever marketing this and will no doubt inspire new fans for both Stephenie and Blue October.

The Host, Stephenie Meyer

I am hugely grateful to Chris over at The Book Swede's blog for hosting my review (getit?) of Stephenie Meyer's The Host published by Sphere, an imprint of Little Brown.

The book took the wind out of my sails and I think I might just be converted to becoming a dedicated sci-fi reader...okay, who am I kidding? But like before, I am happy to admit my prejudice was all in the head, and that I genuinely enjoyed this book. And to celebrate, I'm hoping to review Kethani soon, should Solaris decide to send it onto me after I begged and cajoled nicely on Friday.