Another image, however this one works better than some of the ones reviewed earlier. With image there is usually an element of setting. We have a desert and the blistering sun. But we have two men who seem barely alive. This raises a question? Why are they in the desert?
Next line answers this. I like the 'one sentence raises a question and the next answers it' formula.
There had been shattering explosions in the distance earlier, and one of them was covered in blood. Although they had been enemies, one of them now held the other's hand, as the lifeblood trickled from him.
The first three lines of this book work hard at hooking the reader. We have a difficult setting, an explosion, and enemies holding hands. One dies.
Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with the novel. The next paragraph and first thing said:
"Cut!...and print."
That's right, it is a movie scene being filmed. The dead man, just an actor, gets up and throws back a cool one. Feel robbed? You should. The writer just did the Ha-ha, made you look! trick. This is as bad as opening a story with a dream, a hallucination, or with an exciting story that has nothing to do with the present boring story you paid money for.
This was going to get a pass but gets an epic fail for its cheating hook. Creating a hook that has nothing to do with the story - unless the book is about the movie being filmed in the first paragraph is pathetically childish. Already a page in and still having not been introduced to the story of this novel, I put it down. I will not allow this writer to waste any more of my time, as she obviously does not respect it.
Verdict: Epic Fail
Sincerely,
Theodore Moracht
No comments:
Post a Comment