There is nothing worse than an anticipated book being a big disappointment.
I just finished a 700-some page book that I bought yesterday at lunch. I've been waiting for this book for a year. I've read and re-read the books predecessors in the series probably ninety times. I love them, I love the characters, the story arc, the tension, every time I read them I feel the thrill of 'What's going to happen next?" I live each moment with my ink friends over and over as I read their saga...
And now I feel like there is a gaping hole where they used to be in my mental library of books I can rely on.
You know, books you can always pick up to be transported into that oddly fantastic not here or there place that only the loved pages can bring you?
Now I feel like I've been suckered punched by the fan-fic era.
this book was not only a disappointment in the end, but about 100 pages in I KNEW it was going to be. It read like a bad fan fiction.
Here are my gripes:
1) Too many new characters are introduced without good explanation of who they are or why they matter
2) Some chapters are written in a POV that the previous books never had been (Boo!)
3) Overly word at points and then suddenly you're re-reading paragraphs to figure out what just happened because it reads like someone forgot a sentence...
4) Characters act out of their previously set morals, obligations, ideals, etc. etc. etc. (Hiss!)
5) The 'new characters' suddenly become very important and you are supposed to care about them for no real reason (Bah!)
6) The author stops taking risks, every move is so calculated - everything on the fence. Every plot move is predictable from page ten. (save one that seriously, just sucked anyway.)
It's like if someone wrote a sequel to Hamlet and Ophelia was suddenly back from the dead and Hamlet stopped being a crazy shit, made peace with his enemies and everyone lived happily ever after. (Oh and Hamlet had all these really talented brothers and sisters that you never knew about that are really vital to the story) What a boring story that would be.
I hate things like this. I hate authors who take too much input from their audience and let that impact their vision.
I'm so pissed. I was seriously on the edge of my seat for this book... and bah. boo. hiss.
Ultimately, my sadness over what feels like loss wins out over my anger at the author.
I love some fanatic, it's such an awesome phenomenon and I love it in a weird way... but this book took all my hopes for what could have been so fantastic and crashed them like a 747 into Everest.
This author once wrote that Romeo and Juliet are only remembered because of their story. If Juliet made the safe choice and moved on after Romeo left- which then leads her to live happily with Paris... would the play still be titled Romeo and Juliet? If Romeo forgot Juliet and went back to his original target (Rosaline) would it have been a story at all, would said story have the same crackle?
There should be a resounding 'NO', here, folks. Wouldn't the point of that statement, coming from and author be that stories cant always wrap things up in pretty bows, cant be predictable and safe... that writing inst about making people happy. About making characters happy. When you place characters in certain situations you cant change who they are into who you want them to be to get the end result you want.
As an author, you cant unpaint a character from a corner when you've pretty much solidified that your character can neither fly or wait until the paint dries to extract themselves. The character either comes out the other side covered in paint, or they deal with the repercussions of staying clean.
Why didn't the authors editor, friends, family, agents, etc. (ETC ETC ETC!!!!!) Remind her that her intention as a writer isn't to please audiences, it's to write compelling and honest work?
This stinks of over thought and too many cooks in the kitchen.
Boo, hiss, bah.
Thanks for listening to the ranting of a mad woman.
I'm having book-icidal thoughts.
I'd like to go back to yesterday morning when my imagination could run wild with 'what-ifs' about what was next. I'd rather be in what-if land forever than have this stinking pile in my brain.
