Friday, July 23, 2010
A Cat Named Cricket
It's time to step away from reviews for awhile, and work on some of my own writing. Way back before NaNo started last fall, I wrote a short story called Cricket. I posted a little tidbit on my other blog, and received more responses than I expected about "when are we going to see the rest?" I also posted a couple scenes here back in February, with a similar amount of pestering. ;) Well, here's the whole thing:
I'd love to hear what you think!
There's a trick though. You have to be given permission to view the documents there. If I am giving you access to my hard work, it only seems fair that I at least know who you are. If you give me a shout in the comment section, I'll add you to the list. I've already anticipated several of you. The good news is that I think we'll only have to do this once.
I'd love to hear what you think!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Fablehaven
The basics:
I thoroughly enjoyed these books by Brandon Mull and would recommend them to anyone who likes the fantasy genre. There are elements that are a little darker than some people might like, but there was also a levity present that made some of those same parts almost comical. The writing was clean, the characters were compelling, and I loved the idea of the preserve. It made me wonder if this wasn't the inspiration for the Sanctuary series on SyFy.
Throughout the series, the younger brother, with good intentions, continually goes against his grandparents orders and ends up bringing the world to the brink of disaster. His sister steps in, upstages him and sets things right (in the same way each time). By the end, we've seen a great deal of personal growth and Seth proves his worth...and his sister steps in and upstages him again. My complaint is that Seth was never allowed his place in the sun. The pattern became too predictable.
I also thought that the way the author dealt with the parents was a bit awkward.
Many times, in children's novels, the adults are moved out of the way so that the younger characters can solve problems and be the heroes. This series seemed to have a little trouble with that. Although Seth and Kendra do some amazing things, the answers ultimately come from adults.
I would be interested in hearing what others think after reading these books.
- Fablehaven-356 pages
- Rise of the Evening Star-456 pages
- Grip of the Shadow Plague-487 pages
- Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary-535 pages
- Keys to the Demon Prison-593 pages
I thoroughly enjoyed these books by Brandon Mull and would recommend them to anyone who likes the fantasy genre. There are elements that are a little darker than some people might like, but there was also a levity present that made some of those same parts almost comical. The writing was clean, the characters were compelling, and I loved the idea of the preserve. It made me wonder if this wasn't the inspiration for the Sanctuary series on SyFy.
Throughout the series, the younger brother, with good intentions, continually goes against his grandparents orders and ends up bringing the world to the brink of disaster. His sister steps in, upstages him and sets things right (in the same way each time). By the end, we've seen a great deal of personal growth and Seth proves his worth...and his sister steps in and upstages him again. My complaint is that Seth was never allowed his place in the sun. The pattern became too predictable.
I also thought that the way the author dealt with the parents was a bit awkward.
Many times, in children's novels, the adults are moved out of the way so that the younger characters can solve problems and be the heroes. This series seemed to have a little trouble with that. Although Seth and Kendra do some amazing things, the answers ultimately come from adults.
I would be interested in hearing what others think after reading these books.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Restraining Order
Have you ever struggled to think of something positive to say about something you really didn't like? Like liver. I feel that way about a book I recently purchased and read. It was a YA christian fantasy story, so I was excited when I discovered it. I did manage to finish it, but only by force of will.
I'm sorry to say that I will never let the girls read it. First of all, the writing was terrible and I don't want them reading bad writing until they are old enough to evaluate it objectively and not emulate it. Secondly, the story crossed a spiritual line, of sorts, and I don't want them exposed to the concepts that it presented.
But this book brings up other questions for me--those of ethics in critique.
Do I have the right to evaluate another's work? I am not a published author. Am I qualified to pass judgment as I do? This is the easy question, and the answer is simple for me. I am not a published author, but I am a voracious reader. Even without any further study into the art of writing, this gives me the basis upon which I can review and make recommendations. Constant exposure to friends makes recognizing the enemy easy. Besides, everyone is allowed to have an opinion.
But what about when that opinion might cause someone harm?
I made it no secret how much I disliked Twilight, and I am not alone in my opinion. However, Stephanie Meyer is already a huge success as an author, even if the reasons are beyond my comprehension. My negative review is not going to damage her. In fact, because of her success, it might even make some people curious enough to read the book for themselves to see what all the fuss is about.
But the book that I refer to today is this author's very first published work. There has not been time for the success or failure of this book to be determined. What I say could possibly make an impact. At least it could if more than three people read this blog.
I am also taking into account that this is the very first fiction story that her publisher has ever released. Their entire catalog is inspirational and self-help type books. To some extent then, an engaging narrative and natural sounding dialogue is outside their realm of experience as well*. So some of the responsibility is theirs.
Every problem in this book could be fixed. It is also possible that this author (and publisher) will grow together and create something amazing in the future. And so, allowing for the learning curve, I think a little critical restraint is in order.
And some day, I might be on the receiving end.
*I am Not saying that non-fiction is not engaging. I am saying that different rules apply to fiction writing.
I'm sorry to say that I will never let the girls read it. First of all, the writing was terrible and I don't want them reading bad writing until they are old enough to evaluate it objectively and not emulate it. Secondly, the story crossed a spiritual line, of sorts, and I don't want them exposed to the concepts that it presented.
But this book brings up other questions for me--those of ethics in critique.
Do I have the right to evaluate another's work? I am not a published author. Am I qualified to pass judgment as I do? This is the easy question, and the answer is simple for me. I am not a published author, but I am a voracious reader. Even without any further study into the art of writing, this gives me the basis upon which I can review and make recommendations. Constant exposure to friends makes recognizing the enemy easy. Besides, everyone is allowed to have an opinion.
But what about when that opinion might cause someone harm?
I made it no secret how much I disliked Twilight, and I am not alone in my opinion. However, Stephanie Meyer is already a huge success as an author, even if the reasons are beyond my comprehension. My negative review is not going to damage her. In fact, because of her success, it might even make some people curious enough to read the book for themselves to see what all the fuss is about.
But the book that I refer to today is this author's very first published work. There has not been time for the success or failure of this book to be determined. What I say could possibly make an impact. At least it could if more than three people read this blog.
I am also taking into account that this is the very first fiction story that her publisher has ever released. Their entire catalog is inspirational and self-help type books. To some extent then, an engaging narrative and natural sounding dialogue is outside their realm of experience as well*. So some of the responsibility is theirs.
Every problem in this book could be fixed. It is also possible that this author (and publisher) will grow together and create something amazing in the future. And so, allowing for the learning curve, I think a little critical restraint is in order.
And some day, I might be on the receiving end.
*I am Not saying that non-fiction is not engaging. I am saying that different rules apply to fiction writing.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Wickit Chronicles
The basics:
- Ely Plot-128 pages
- Fen Gold-128 pages
- Ice Road-136 pages
- Witch's Bell-128 pages
I am impressed with the author's ability to stick to such a consistent page count. That takes some disciplined editing. I am looking forward to reading some of her other books.
Sorry, no stamp for this one.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The basics:
Where to begin? The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is masterfully done. I enjoyed every page. Plot, characters, dialogue, setting--this author has them all down. Such a delightful modern twist on ancient Greek mythology. I'm trying not to gush, so to keep it brief: you really need to read these for yourself. Before watching the movie.
As a mom, I really appreciated how Mr. Riordan kept these books kid friendly*, in spite of the underlying (or not so underlying) theme of battles and good vs. evil. Even in scenes of fighting and war, the gore is kept to a minimum or glossed over completely. It has been awhile since I read them, so I could be forgetting something, but that was the impression I had at the time. When so many books seem to be trying to introduce new levels of graphic horror, it was refreshing to read something that left a veil in place.
Will there be a stamp? Of course.
*This does not mean that you should not read it first and judge for yourself whether or not it is appropriate for your children. Bear in mind that I was also reading the Vladimir Todd Chronicles at about the same time and it could just be a comparison issue.
- The Lightning Thief-375 pages
- The Sea of Monsters-279 pages
- The Titan's Curse-304 pages
- The Battle of the Labyrinth-362 pages
- The Last Olympian-381 pages
Where to begin? The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is masterfully done. I enjoyed every page. Plot, characters, dialogue, setting--this author has them all down. Such a delightful modern twist on ancient Greek mythology. I'm trying not to gush, so to keep it brief: you really need to read these for yourself. Before watching the movie.
As a mom, I really appreciated how Mr. Riordan kept these books kid friendly*, in spite of the underlying (or not so underlying) theme of battles and good vs. evil. Even in scenes of fighting and war, the gore is kept to a minimum or glossed over completely. It has been awhile since I read them, so I could be forgetting something, but that was the impression I had at the time. When so many books seem to be trying to introduce new levels of graphic horror, it was refreshing to read something that left a veil in place.
Will there be a stamp? Of course.
*This does not mean that you should not read it first and judge for yourself whether or not it is appropriate for your children. Bear in mind that I was also reading the Vladimir Todd Chronicles at about the same time and it could just be a comparison issue.
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Inheritance Cycle
The basics:
The Inheritance Cycle* will be a series of four books, when the final volume is published. At this time, there is not any advanced info on when that will be--that I could find.
This is an epic story about a boy who finds a dragon's egg, becomes a Dragon Rider and must unite the various races, rescue the dragons and save the world.
Each volume is roughly the size of carry-on luggage, but the storytelling is dynamic and I didn't really mind. The characters are engaging, and the descriptive passages were interesting. There are enough subplots to justify the length--most of the time. I really enjoyed how he gives voice to the dragons' thoughts (book 3). In fact, I really enjoy the author's writing style, as it doesn't draw attention to itself, but merely supports the story.
I'm looking forward to the conclusion.
In our library, this series is in the YA section--probably because of the age of the main character. However, if you could give books a rating in the same way as movies, I'd have to rate these "R". There is a significant amount of carnage and gore (The world is engulfed in war and they are books about dragons, after all.)
*I'm including the links for informational purposes. I have not explored either site (except to look for a release date for book 4) and don't know what they contain. I can read epic tomes, but I don't have time to immerse myself in the online cult-like following of these various series. A person could make a career out of The Lord of the Rings culture alone.
PS-There will be a stamp.
- Eragon-503 pages
- Eldest-704 pages
- Brisingr-763 pages
- ???
The Inheritance Cycle* will be a series of four books, when the final volume is published. At this time, there is not any advanced info on when that will be--that I could find.
This is an epic story about a boy who finds a dragon's egg, becomes a Dragon Rider and must unite the various races, rescue the dragons and save the world.
Each volume is roughly the size of carry-on luggage, but the storytelling is dynamic and I didn't really mind. The characters are engaging, and the descriptive passages were interesting. There are enough subplots to justify the length--most of the time. I really enjoyed how he gives voice to the dragons' thoughts (book 3). In fact, I really enjoy the author's writing style, as it doesn't draw attention to itself, but merely supports the story.
I'm looking forward to the conclusion.
In our library, this series is in the YA section--probably because of the age of the main character. However, if you could give books a rating in the same way as movies, I'd have to rate these "R". There is a significant amount of carnage and gore (The world is engulfed in war and they are books about dragons, after all.)
*I'm including the links for informational purposes. I have not explored either site (except to look for a release date for book 4) and don't know what they contain. I can read epic tomes, but I don't have time to immerse myself in the online cult-like following of these various series. A person could make a career out of The Lord of the Rings culture alone.
PS-There will be a stamp.
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