Review: And that star is only because I couldn't give it zero!
Rating: 1 out of 5
Date: 03 7, 2012
I must admit I am baffled.  I was bored and surfing for a book, saw the rave reviews for this one and thought, well, I'll try it.  So I downloaded the sample, got comfy in my favorite reading spot, and was riveted.  Not because the book was good--it isn't; it is the equivalent of a digital train wreck.  I kept reading, telling myself it had to get better since so many other people loved it.  Right?Oh, so, SO wrong.A reviewer for another book wrote that readers won't have a problem with writing if they just don't expect too much from the writing.  So...the secret to enjoying what we read isn't the author's skill or craft, it's lowered expectations?  Gotcha.Please, do read this book if you don't expect characters, especially the protag, to be developed.  Or sympathetic.  Please read this if you have a loose definition of what makes a hero.  Please read this if you like your female lead to be cursed with Ridiculously Tragic Back Story Syndrome with a dash of Too Stupid to Love disorder.  Please read this if you don't expect too much from a plot:  Abusive, controlling father who is easily fooled by abused daughter who sleeps under her bed to avoid being raped or molested by daddy's drunk friends instead of acting like the grown woman she allegedly is and moving out of unsafe place but who instead goes off to work AND college so she can support his drinking habit yet arranges to spend time with a stranger who sounds crazy but, sheesh, there's just something about him...the English teacher in me demands that I go back and fix that stinker of a sentence, but I won't.  Why, you ask?  Because if you still want to read this book, you'd be better off to just lower your expectations now and get used to such drek.Where have all the editors gone?  Is there anyone left who will proofread material and give constructive advice as to how to fix BAD writing so that we readers no longer need to lower our expectations in order to enjoy what we read?  Is there anybody with reasonable expectations who will say, "Gee, Dear Author, if people are going to be willing to spend their hard-earned money on your work, the very least you can do is work hard at your craft to earn their money."Sadly, in this case, the negative reviews are the most accurate.  I am all for trying new authors, but I don't know how many times I have wasted space on my Kindle for this type of bad writing.  From now on I won't bother reading the reviews--they're meaningless, and I won't try any cheap-y bargains in the hopes of discovering a new favorite. I certainly will also check to see if any author I am interested in reading has self-published the piece since this book seems to be representative of that particular buggaboo. And thank you, Ms. Alli, for making me appreciate the good writers who have space in my library.