So there's this one YA book which has an amazing and interesting hook. I started reading it (what else can you do with a book?) Got through the first fifty or so pages. Everything seemed fine. But, I'll admit, I was wondering if anything was ever going to happen. I had a quick peek at the end (I'm SO SORRY about this fault of mine. I'm really trying to fix myself, but I generally can only read books with happy endings, and something told me this book wouldn't have a happy ending.)
My instinct was right. The love interest (I don't know if it's a spoiler if you have no idea what book I'm talking about, but I've always wanted to say this so REALLY MILD SPOILER ALERT) dies.
But to my amazement, this book is the start of a trilogy. I looked up the second book. I accidentally read something about the second book (because not everyone on the internet wants to write SPOILER ALERT as much as me.)
In the second book, the main character moves on to another love interest.
But BOOM. The love interest in the first book ISN'T ACTUALLY DEAD and he comes back SO THERE CAN BE A LOVE TRIANGLE.
I was so shocked when I (cheat) read the end. I could have cried over this character (I didn't, but that's probably because I didn't get far enough into the book to care about him.) This could have been a book which stayed with me, for the originality, for the brilliant twist which really drove in the author's message about love.
But no. The character WASN'T ACTUALLY DEAD and he was brought back so the author could have a love triangle. Seriously, it's like the worst pull-the-rug-from-out-under-you-reader's-feet in the world.
I understand red herrings and the like. But this was like emotional cheating. It would be like that guy in The Titanic dying, everyone crying, but OH WAIT, he's not dead.
I couldn't finish the book. Which made me really sad, because it seemed to have an interesting idea behind it. I just felt so cheated by the author that I couldn't trust him/her anymore.
As a writer, the most important thing is your reader's trust (you know, amongst other important factors like interest and stuff.) Your reader trusts you to take them on an adventure, to make them forget the real world, to excite them. I suppose this is why the whole "I had this amazing adventure but I woke up and it was all a dream" is so frowned upon. The author cheats the reader, and thereby loses their trust.
Is feeling cheated by the author a big deal to you? Have you ever actually felt cheated by a book/film/whatever?
(And in case you were wondering, that book is now sitting in a corner, never to be read by me. Which is a shame, because it had such an amazing hook and the writing was great.)
(UPDATE: I just checked my stats page, which I hardly ever do and I'VE HAD OVER 10,000 HITS SINCE I STARTED BLOGGING IN JULY!!!! This probably isn't a big deal to super people with that many hits in an hour, but people are reading ME!!! This makes me happy. (Oh and HI ASTHA.) )
I'm pretty sure I know what book you're talking about! It didn't bother me, only because I didn't think he was actually dead. I knew he COULDN'T be dead. I liked him too much to let go of hope that he survived!
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I LOVED book number one. It's probably one of my favorite books of all time. So I was THRILLED to read book number two. And it was a total letdown. Not that book number two wasn't good, it just wasn't nearly as good as book #1. So we'll see how book number three is!
But I do agree with you: I hate it when authors do something that seems like a cop-out way to get characters or events to where they want them to be. Annoying!
Was I that obvious about what book it was?? (I don't want to spoil it for people.) It seemed like a great book, but I'm not a big fan of love triangles at the best of times and the way the author set this one up just felt like cheating.
DeleteIt was a great idea though. I've never seen anything quite like it, and loads of people told me how good it was. I really did want to love it.
Yes, I agree: I don't like it when I feel cheated by the author. I also don't like when they employ the same techniques as other writers just to tug at your heart strings... it doesn't feel authentic (you probably don't read a lot of women's fiction at your age, but the big thing they tend to do is put in a friend of the main character who is dying and then dies of breast cancer). I feel like the author is manipulating me, and I don't like it.
ReplyDeleteYES! That is exactly what I was trying to articulate, only in a lot more of a rambley way. Just because humans are (arguably :D) capable of emotions doesn't mean you have to exploit that.
DeleteGood post, Ravena! I really agree, it makes me mad when writers cheat the audience.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of the things that bothers me most about network T.V. Alot of the writing there is manipulative, and based on what the producers think the viewers want, rather than integrity to the story, and it turns me off. I want a story that has authenticity and rings true!
Fyi - I actually don't know what book you are talking about, if that helps. :)
Yay! I wasn't too obvious about it! I know what you mean about TV dramas. Sometimes it's like "yes, please kill off this character for controversy rather than for an actual purpose."
DeleteI sometimes have problems with the endings of books because they're too predictable. Perhaps the book you stopped reading foreshadowed the hero's death and dropped info about how someone might be brought back so the tragic ending had a sliver of hope - but you won't know because you skipped to the end! For shame! lol
ReplyDeleteHehe I'm trying to get over that issue I have. I can't help it! I LIKE happy. Therefore I like happy endings. I can't watch dramas, for example, until the entire season is over. That way I can read up the plot online to make sure I'll like what is about to happen. It's a sickness and one I'm working on regarding books :D
DeleteCongrats on the great stats!
ReplyDeleteI do agree it is not fun to begin reading a book and lose interest, for whatever reason. A picked up a forensic mystery story (I love the 'Bones'-type stories) by a well-known author who had come highly recommended. I was 300 pages into the story before anybody died! I was so disgusted I put it down and didn't pick it up again. I wasn't even interested enough to check out the ending, although I've never been the sort to read the ending of a book out of sequence. I had certain expectations, which the author did not fulfill, and therefore I will never pick up another book by that author. Her loss, not mine. I hope that I never write a story that someone will want to drop halfway through like that.
Thanks for the insight. :)
Thank you! 300 pages? BOO! That doesn't sound like it was fun at all! When I pick up a book I just want to lose myself, and it's a little annoying when the book won't let me! :D
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