Review: Disappointing Pacing and Abrupt Ending
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 02 19, 2014
I didn't *hate* this book, and I hovered over the "it's ok" 2-star rating, but I'm really not okay with the abrupt ending and blatant immediate blackmail to get the second book to find out what happens.WHAT I LIKED------------------* The basic idea of the plot is interesting.* Maddy is an interesting character* Berlin is also an interesting character, and the relationship growing between her and Maddy is well done.WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE-------------------* The foreshadowing is too heavy-handed for me. It found the story more predictable than intriguing.* The basic plot, although interesting (as mentioned above), is also one that's been done many times. In this first book, I didn't see Pirog doing anything to make the plot his own. This may change in later books, but I (sadly) won't be reading later books.* The pacing was too slow for my taste. I like a little more action and a little less explanation in my books. The world development is pretty much all spotty (intentionally) explanation. It's kind of like reading the internet along with Maddy, instead of like reading a book. I do believe this slow pace might have been intentional, but it's just not my style.* The ending isn't an ending - it's a mid-story break. Right after the unfinished STOP, there is a paragraph saying (paraphrase) "Sorry to stop so abruptly, but you'll have to get the next book for more plot." For me, this is reader blackmail. The book is barely long enough to be a novella, and it's so slow-paced, barely anything of substance happens in it. I don't hate all abrupt series endings (in fact I've LOVED some others I've encountered), but I need more in a first book than what Pirog provides in arrival.If you like slow-developing science fiction plots and don't mind abrupt endings in series installments, you may well enjoy Arrival. If you prefer more action in your scifi, this book is probably not for you.