Claudia Shannon
Beneath the handsome :p cover is a riveting page-turner. K.M. paints this world vividly and even throws in some surprising insights (twists?) about the interconnectedness of the real and dream worlds. Apart from a jarring unfamiliar name near the end (Pluto?) of the book, this book has a place alongside heralded portal fantasy novels.
A highly packed contemporary romance. The opening didn't grab my attention, but the most gripping part of the story is that it highlights the stigma celebrities go through when they fall in love.
I had the misfortune of reading some of the reviews before I finished this free book. I also read rather quickly to get the feel the book rather than obsess over editorial mistakes. Two things are for certain: I couldn't feel anything, and the real killer wasn't hinted at early enough.
The midpoint was perfect. Around the 25% mark, the plot was a little difficult to understand, but it cleared up near the midpoint, and I enjoyed how the writer managed to change the female protagonist's attitude towards the male lead.
Not recommended. Its sins: messy structure, distracting stuttering of the supposed male lead, no hint of the two worlds to save until too late into the book, redundant ideas. I'm not one who does not finish books but I checked the progress bar on my Kindle 10~20 times because I was upset the book hadn't ended.
The prose is extremely terse - if you're a lover of literary fiction, you'd cringe - but the story redeemed itself. The whole time I was wondering whether the vigilante would be caught, but I'm satisfied with the ending. A brilliantly told story.
Desires are scary. Be careful what you wish for. I was reading these hair-raising tales as the super-typhoon is approaching Hong Kong, and they darken my surroundings.
I wish there were diagrams to illustrate her process. I'm not sure about other readers, but I'm less attuned to her style of writing as well.
This is powerful and moving. Well worth the time reading.
It reminds me of The Bride Price, another African-themed novel I read in Form 2 while others picked the more popular books during reading class. That “unpopular” book changed my life.
Overall this book is sensational (in a good way). I like the made-up words “spandexing” and “chastitying”, as well as how a secret hideout becomes central to the story. No spoilers!
It's interesting to read this quite soon after I finished a similar romance novel (“European Tour”, L.V. Lewis, between a rock star and a pop princess). Two concerns: the protagonist's male lover could have been hinted at earlier because it's a bit unexpected to find the romantic element at around 21% of a romantic comedy; and the comic relief embodied by the grandmother figure might have a closer tie to to the central romance, though I felt that wasn't explored deeply enough. On the flip side, though, the book is light-hearted and funny, and the tone of the book, especially after the introduction of the protagonist's male lover, is its greatest strength.
I enjoyed the humorous banter, the adventures, and the heartfelt emotions throughout the story. It's a fun and gripping read in a convincing setting.
Though I wished the emotions had had a greater impact on me.
This is a comprehensive workbook. The in-depth questions are more than enough to flesh out the story and they help in getting essential information from the characters, setting and plot of a novel idea.
My personal experience:
I tried to complete the workbook linearly to flesh out my novel's outline but got stuck at the log line because I had an inanimate character in mind, but not what challenges it faced or its antagonist. There I began to doubt my story idea, so I read ahead and settled down at the setting because I supposedly knew what it was. By the time I reached story structure, I couldn't answer anything consistently. For instance, if a character's goals and motivations are vague, it's hard to give them a mission they must accept. I can find lots of excuses for certain characters not to accept a mission and remain out of the story. Moreover, my original setting implied stakes that were too low. That was when I realised that the exercises built upon each other. The order of the topics matters.
I cried reading this. It's a terrible mystery but it's also powerful. It's heartfelt and it shows us that there's hope for recovery through and through. This is the kind of book that lifts people up.
I appreciate the comprehensive questions to highlight the strengths and strengthen the weaknesses in novels-in-progress. Although it's tough to give each question a long answer, the wordiness is essential, especially for writers who need to get everything down before they begin the first draft like me. Working through the workbook will take time, but the effort is worth it at the end.
Thought-provoking, literally
I like all the prompts and I suppose I'll have plenty of ideas to write about in the near future.
This is an excellent book containing so many insightful questions, one must set aside sufficient time for reflection. I especially like the section on flat arcs, because I have a particular liking for characters who seem larger than life, most of whom follow flat arcs.
A little tip for aspiring writers: I find it overwhelming to try to answer all the questions in one sitting, and I often run out of inspiration before I finish a chapter. However, when I apply the questions to rough drafts of stories, a workable revision strategy emerges and I can keep on answering and clarifying the finer details in my writing.
(One minor point I take issue with is an example in the chapter on the Negative Change Arc: Corruption Arc > First Half of the Second Act. I believe that the protagonist Michael hid in Sicily to assume the appearance of a decent person, until his new wife is murdered. Being a fugitive, he might not have grasped the ramifications of his presence in the Sicilian community, in which he found temporary refuge, until he returns to the USA and fulfils his criminal destiny. But perhaps the author was looking from the perspective of a Michael who had already returned to America, ready to be the next crime lord, because from such a vantage point, marrying the Sicilian girl proves that Michael is ready and willing to be unfaithful to his moral code.)
This is a fun story. I especially liked the bit of dialogue where “experience”, a buzzword in entrepreneurship circles, plays a part. It felt authentic.
(By the way, I noticed this is the 180th book I recorded as “read” on Goodreads, and I like it.)
Sensual and at times spooky, this is a brief romance sprinkled with a teeny weeny bit of suspense. Perfect when you're in the mood for fluttery feels, flirty banter and not-so-light reading.