I confess -- I am one of those people that have to finish a book once they've started it. I actually can name the books I haven't finished (Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and What Happened Before He Shot Her by Linda George). I even finished Patton for a class after the teacher had told us we could stop. I thought I had overcome this trait. But then I forced myself to read 296 pages of a mystery hoping with the turn of every page that it would "get better". It didn't.
Now, finally, a book that justifies this flaw. Savvy, Ingrid Law's first book, is a true gem. And if I hadn't forced myself to continue reading it until after the first 90 pages, I might have missed it. At first, the book seems to follow a tried and true formula, making for very little in the way of an interesting plot. But then the book soars. It is full of twists and turns and wonderful fully developed characters. And messages good for readers of all ages, although we older readers will see them more easily.
The only bad thing about this is that I may have to give Twilight another shot - I only got through the first 16 pages the first time. Do I think it's another Savvy? Not by a long shot. But doesn't every book deserve a second chance?
I do believe books need a second chance ... don't we all? I picked up "Twilight" two years agom right after I received about 40 student essays on the series. I remember thinking, If this many young people lovethis series, there must be something I need to know about what it is suggesting to teens. I remember going home and grabbing a side seat on the couch and flipping the to first page ... reading ... and then walking into my office where I dropped the book on the bottom shelf and din't look back. Well, not for six months. When I returned to the book, I actually got into the tsory because was incrdibly curious to learn WHY there is a such a massive following. I still dislike the book, as a whole, but I did feel a certain satisfaction when I finished. I always get that sense of accomplishment after reading--I guess it's sort of an addiction.
ReplyDeleteOne more ... I put King's "The Stand" down about three times before I listened to the advice, "Once you get past the forst 150 pages, you will not put the book down." The acvice was correct. I remember walking down the sidewalk in Manhattan reading the book; I remember avoiding other responsibilities in order to read more.
I ama big fan of giving books second a chance.
PS ... Give all of my posted comments a second chance. I wish there was a way to go back and edit all of my typos--UGH!
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Savvy from the start, but that may be because I listened to it in the car during my commute (anything that takes my mind off of traffic can't be all bad!) If I have time, I may read the sequel, Scumble. (I need to finish all the other nominees first, though!)
Have you heard of the Reader's Bill of Rights? (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/19297 )
Unless it's an assigned book for a class, you don't have to finish anything!
As for Twilight, I tried to read it because so many students loved it & raved about it. I couldn't do it - it's just bad writing. Forget the bad plot & depicting stalker behavior as romantic, it's bad writing. Any writing who uses the word "literally" as many times as Meyer does needs to take some writing classes.
Oh, ignore me. You also have the right to not defend your tastes!