Saturday, September 10, 2011
"Because nobody would really react like that..."
This is kind of a rant so bear with me. lol! I've been reading some book reviews on Amazon (not mine) trying to find some books to order because I'm running out of authors. Anyhoo, so I'm reading these reviews and starting to get really irritated with what some of these people are saying. Now, I know it's different strokes for different folks and all, but the biggest problem I'm having in these reviews is when the reviewer says something like "It was so unbelievable because no one would really act/react like that" (my own paraphrase. lol!) Because this is something I've discovered...real people regularly react in ways that are confounding, puzzling, amazing, unbelievable, contradictory, etc., etc., etc. They do things I would never think they would do. Women stay with cheating/abusive husbands. Men stay with lazy/bitchy wives. Couples live together for years without sex or having a real conversation. People divorce over ridiculous reasons like toilet seats (up or down). Customers sue because hot coffee is actually hot. Believe me I could go on and on. So if you want to criticize a book because of poor writing, or editing, or pacing, or character development...great. But to say that the character didn't react like YOU would have reacted is to discount the fact that people are people and liable to react in all sorts of ways. End of rant. Thank you for your time. :)
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Bree, I can easily relate because my heroines and heroes don't react in ways that a lot reviewers seem to expect or like. For example, in Stallion of Ash and Flame when the heroine realized the hero, Trail, was a horse shifter, well, she didn't run screaming because she was familiar with the idea of shapeshifters or skinwalkers. She already held a lot of paranormal beliefs, clearly established in the story. And, also a deep part of her already knew, though not consciously. She did react, of course, but it was somewhat low-key because of the danger she and the hero were facing at the time. So, one reviewer just couldn't believe Seneca's reaction, because, well... she would have run screaming away. Yeah, well, okay, but we're all different, aren't we?
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I mean, Savanna!! One of the things I love about writing is I can have my characters react however I want them to!! With Burn I struggled with how long the heroine should be freaking out about finding the hero was a vampire. I mean, the whole book can't be about the freakout, right? I suppose I could have made her go insane from the discovery, put her in a mental hospital, spend years in therapy, and then eventually get out. But gee, where would be the romance in that? lol!
ReplyDeleteI think I love you, Bree. LOL I'm one of those authors who has been accused of unbeleivability. From what I can tell, it's mixed reactions with my book Taken Hostage. Some love it, while others think that my heroine, Tiffany, falling for her sexy abductor is just downright unbeleivable. Well...it would have been a really dull story if she would have accepted his offer to turn away and go back to her regular life, woudln't it? ;) Besides, I thought I described his hotness in sufficient detail to make it clear that he's irresistable! Hee hee...
ReplyDeletelol! Ranae, I think the hotness factor has GOT to be taken into consideration. But honestly, Ranae, do you read romance novels because they're so freaking realistic and believable. I sure don't!! I like for books to take me out of the REAL and into the FREAKING AMAZING!! So kudos to you and ignore those nay-sayers!!
ReplyDeleteExactly! If romance were just like real life, they'd be boring as hell. ;)
ReplyDeleteI recently read a romance that was as boring as real life, and I can tell you it was awful. Romance is supposed to be escape. Now if only real life was like romance novels....oh, I can dream, can't I? ;)
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