And while I try hard not to take it to heart, it does have me wondering why she didn't like the book. Specifically, why wasn't she able to get lost in it, like I was.
The thing is, in her review, she talks about a lot of details the book has: the magical characters use wands when they don't seem to need to, the prophesied main character seems to be insanely good at everything (she plays a perfect game of cricket when she just picked up the paddle), etc.
And these are all valid notes. In fact, when I read her notes and thought about it, I realized that I had completely overlooked all of these in my own reading. I was so immersed in the story that I didn't care about the little plot problems along the way. I had suspended disbelief somehow and gotten lost in the story.
But, see, I care about plot problems, too. The book Across The Universe by Beth Revis, had all sorts of issues that drove me CRAZY when I read that book (causing me to revoke its 'scifi' label), but my bookish friend read it and loved it. None of its issues were a problem for her.
So what is it about a story that connects with our imagination, our heart, our deeper self, and has us clamoring for more, even when the story itself isn't perfect? And why did I read the entire Twilight series, when there are several eye-rolling aspects of it that made me want to punch the wall?
The answer? I really have no freaking clue! I wish I knew, because that would be a freaking gold mine. Not the sell as many books as Twilight thing, but the 'what makes people love a book despite all odds' thing.
Something I will be thinking on for a while, I can assure you.
I have not been writing over Christmas break. I have been planning and stewing and germinating, but not writing. Hopefully it will pay off when I go back to work next week. Also, the Cuddlebuggery ladies are back from their hiatus, so I'll have like 6 more hours a week to write. This is good.
One final thing, a present for the new year...
I now have copies of Aeris to give away, too! I've still got a few copies of Compis audiobook left, if you want to get on board with a copy of both for free!!! The audible books cost $15 bucks a piece, I think, so this is a pretty good deal. And already I'm hearing rave reviews about my voice actor, so that's good, too.
Happy Reading and Happy New Year!
