Review: Good Story, Poor Writing style.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 31, 2013
Although this book has an extreemly good story premise and I'd really love to read it all the way through, I have a hard time concentrating through grammatical errors, contradictory descriptions of characters & emotions, and structural staging bouncing all over the place.  I can certainly tell the author feels deeply about each situation she writes about, which is excellent; however, after writing with all those pent up feelings they need to be rewritten so the storyline flows better.It was like listening to a best friend tell about the traumatic events suffered throughout her life, over and over again, for the first time since you met her.  She becomes so emotional reliving each situation, you have to calm/interupt her to ask questions, to be able to follow along.Overall, I plan to try to finish this prequel and fight my 'teaching/writing' urges to "fix" the flow, grammer and structure, because it IS an excellent DRAFT.  My suggestion to the author, for what it's worth, have someone or yourself 're-read each page, chapter, or section, out loud, RECORDING it. Then listen to the tape with someone who doesn't know you, stopping it each time you or the other person has a question about what is being heard.  Make a note in the written copy and answer the question, as endnotes for now, then continue with the tape.  Then write your next draft taking all the question and answer endnotes into account, adding and removing from the original draft.  You'll end with a much better, more understandable flow and structure. Grammatical errors, fix the obvious ones using one of the writers guides out there. Most readers can ignore grammar if story, flow and structure take them in a correct and smooth direction.  A great storyteller tells the story so well, you don't give a damn about his/her ain'ts and aren'ts!  They add character.