Friday, June 28, 2013

The One Hundred (100) Page Rule


The One Hundred Page Rule

Never judge a book by it's cover, but by the first 100 pages


Long gone are the bookstore days for me, sadly, unless you are privately owned. I very rarely enter Books-A-Million after my heartbreaking loss of Borders Books and Music, only because it just simply isn't the same. Sure BAM is in the same spot as Borders, same set up, and well...has the same content inside; I just can't escape how many memories I have in that bookstore. I escaped to the cafe often, became a woman in the 'grown up' section, and ultimately--met my husband. (An employee at the time.) I mourn what once was, and frankly just can't let go.

Also BAM totally wouldn't honor their online price of a new release (8.00 savings), and out of pure spite I purchased the book at Kroger for Godsake. KROGER! But that makes me sound cheap doesn't it?

I like millions of america do most of my book buying at Amazon.com. A few birthdays ago I was given a Kindle because reading on my ipad late at night interrupted my sleep. Upon doing so, I finally gave into the whole e-books thing (after fighting it for so long) and man am I glad I did! I found a whole WORLD of independent books!

Like many of you, you question whether to trust the little paragraph description they say about THE MOST AMAZING BOOK IN ALL THE LAND, so I rely heavily on the reviews of others. I weigh in the stats of it all, "out of four hundred reviews so many are 5, the other are 4 and there is only one 1? Must be good, or at least worth the shot" But often out of curiosity I click that little one review and start there.

You see, I review books often. I'm very outspoken, and feel I voice what I can fairly. For me to give you, a hard working author--someone who has spent countless hours--blood--tears writing this book, one star...that is saying something. My husband refers to me as a very good movie critic because I'm so damn ADHD that if you can keep me entertained for 2 hours, it deserves an oscar. Plus, I'm a Gemini, I can find the good and bad in everything.


Books are the same way. If you can't grab my attention by the first 100 pages (rule sometimes ignored during book club books) then I'm sorry, It's probably not going to get a very good review. (and by good I mean fair and just, not just 5 stars) To me, I feel that the story should start happening by then, you can totally set up the world--character--plot enough to push me through the rest. With Daughter of Smoke and Bone it was somewhere around page 80, and I remember myself going:

"Ok get there faster, get there faster, you are losing me....Holy Shit, that just happened! OMG THIS AMAZING."

And the rest was history, book was finished, review was rounded (on good reads) and I even picked up the second one! So needless to say, I am curious as to what other people think, and sometimes I don't like what I find. Not because of the book bashing (everyone is entitled to their own opinion) and as the amazing Rae Carson told my friend on Twitter.

No book is universally loved.


So let's just dive right into this.


Captive Prince by S.U. Pacat
Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos, but when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave.

Beautiful, manipulative and deadly, his new master Prince Laurent epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Veretian court, nothing is as it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country.
For Damen, there is just one rule: never, ever reveal his true identity. Because the one man Damen needs is the one man who has more reason to hate him than anyone else . . .(see: Amazon.com for more information)


Captive Prince...oh Captive Prince, an amazing, epic, that I highly recommend. Especially if you are a fan of Game of Thrones, and just stories that build into this amazing story that kept you on your toes. It wasn't like anything I've ever read in the genre, it was different and unique. You hear the word 'Captive' and think this is just another BDSM novel, but it's not...it's amazing! You are thrown into this very delicate beautiful kingdom that has a very savage pastime like the Romans, but instead of men fighting each other...they well...they wrestle to who gets to be on top. ;) (Trust me, it's not exactly like it sounds, and totally works) However, in saying this I understand that maybe this wouldn't be what someone expected...or even gets upset that "hey...I wanted a story about sex, this is like Lord of the Rings type shit." I get it. I do. 

But...


Again, authors put so much work into their books (or at least they should) and marking that one little star is pretty much sealing the deal for those of us that really don't know what we are getting into. In this case, I of course wasn't turned away, but just overall appalled that my little buddy here didn't give it the 100 pages that every book at least deserves. Heck, he didn't give it 10 pages! Those one star reviews sometimes can be a life saver like, "Oh man this shit is fraud" or "The book sucked because the pages are missing". You had the chance to be a hero there! 'S' on your chest and everything, but instead you blew it away. Calling anything LGTB Yaoi or Slash also kills me on the inside, but whatever. We all started there.


I can't respect this review, therefore ignore it while making my selection, but if you are going to put down someone's work at *least* give them the courtesy of reading the first one hundred pages.

Make your opinion count, and don't be just something most of us roll our eyes at. I want to hear your thoughts, and understand your point of view. Maybe it will help me reach my own. Understand that sometimes authors (especially new ones) take that long to find their voice. The overuse of words falls away when the story picks up

I always tell my daughter, that an educated opinion is by far most important thing someone can have when debating or voting. Her great grandmother voted for Ronald Reagan because his favorite ice cream was her favorite too! ICE CREAM! Therefore she became a republican be default, and has voted the same ever since. When I questioned her why, as they were small business owners and what President Bush was leaning towards at the time was a huge tax raise for the middle man, she looked at me like I was insane and growing a big purple horn in the middle of my forehead. I had to remind myself that ICE CREAM was what started her theory on politics.


So let's relate that here. That one little star could have made me not purchase something therefore not support an author who in this day and age struggles to put food on the table by little 3 dollar books. In turn they may not write again, forced into the working grind, and I won't get my happy little release into one of their books.

Take care into what you say about something, make your opinion matter, and give someone who worked very hard on something at least the courtesy of 100 Pages. If you don't like it by then, well..you can at least say you tried, and I can respect that.


Also, for the record, President Obama worked at Baskin Robbins growing up and now can not stand ice cream. I still voted for him, and I happen to clearly like ice cream.


;)

~Momma Owl

For more information on the Captive Prince series please check out S.U. Pacat's live journal. Also you can totally read them there for free, but purchase the kindle version! It's worth it. I promise!!!!

Follow me on Twitter @StarryOwlEyes!








2 comments:

  1. I'm totally giving this post a one-star review because the author said everyone coming into LGBT writing did so through slash and yaoi, and I didn't, and oh yeah, because I have a nook and buy through Barnes & Noble!

    Really, though, great points. I'm hard pressed to even give a DNF a one-star, unless it's just a big ol' giant car wreck, which would probably mean it was a free, self-published book. (Not to pick on those, but they have a higher likelihood of having MAJOR problems, but I know what I'm getting into at least.)

    Thanks for the rec of Captive Prince series. I will check it out!

    Carolyn

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    1. Amen to that Carolyn! Thank you for your input. I think that was what got me to really cringe. Don't get me wrong, loved me some 'slash' and 'yaoi' growing up, but when I was properly educated I realized it wasn't just a forbidden fruit, but a way of life! People didn't come into this because they watched cartoons or read fanfiction. Gay people were real! And they wrote great books too! What!?

      (I come from a very small minded little town, where my father threatened to kill me once for speaking to an african american boy in my grade)

      I'm very very selective with one stars, I think I've given one out? If even that? <3

      Thanks for the input again!

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