matthew said:

“I've tried my hand at writing a couple of times and discovered that I don't have the "knack". I have great ideas, sparkling dialogue, but where other people would put these ideas to paper over a 200 page book, I get all my great ideas out in 50. I can't seem to make the great outline of my book unfold over time in a way that give verasimalitude, it all comes rushing out like from a fire hose, and suspension of disbelief is impossible. So why do I mention my shortcoming here? Because this book's author suffers from the same shortcoming in my opinion. This was a great story with some great ideas, and great set scenes and it all just came out too fast.

The beginning is a great example of what I call "Too Excited Syndrome" writing. The author wants our main character Devin to be the alpha of a new pack of outcast gay werewolfs, so in the first 5 pages wondering thru the woods near starvation, Devin just happens to meet another werewolf, Quinn, who is looking for an alpha to lead him, and Quinn just happens to have contacts in a town where a bunch of gay werewolfs just happen to hang out
and don't have a leader, and Quinn just happens to have an aunt who will give the new pack an estate to live on and and Quinn just happens to be so independently wealthy he can give Devin all the money he needs to live so Devin doesn't have to do all that boring stuff like get a job, and this is just in the first 5 pages. I do understand why the author did this, it allowed her to get to what she thought was the "fun" stuff, but I just couldn't bring myself to "believe" it.

If the page count had been double, and the author had found a more measured way to move the story, I think I would have really liked this story.”

posted Saturday, May 3 2008