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Thursday, July 22, 2004

Otherworld

I finished Jared’s first, as yet unpublished, novel this morning. I’m not surprised he has an agent and that there is interest in the book, it’s quite good. Whenever it does get published, the public will be in for a treat.

What I Liked:

  • The characters were pretty well developed. I found that I cared as much for the bad guys as for the good guys.
  • I liked the build up to the climactic ending. Really, the whole story just continued to build to those last few chapters.
  • It’s not a Christian novel as I’d classify it, but there’s a clear spiritual aspect to certain characters and the plot.
  • I enjoyed reading some of The Thinklings names throughout the story. I feel like an insider since I sort of know those guys from their blog!
  • I liked the use of the cold weather to convey the mood.

    • What I Wished Had Been There That Wasn’t:

  • I wish that Molly had been more prominent and more fully developed and the relationship she has/had with Mike was explored a little more. Mike’s despair about her was such a crucial part of the plot, but I didn’t get as full a picture of their marriage as I’d have liked.
  • I like epilogues. There is a bit of one, but I would have liked to know a bit more about how the three main characters (Graham, Steve, and Mike) went on from the story.

    • Other Thoughts:

  • I’m wondering when Jared wrote this. There are some elements that made me think of Columbine (Mr. Black) and life pre-9/11 vs. post 9/11. I’m thinking an editor will want to make some minor edits to those elements in order to be more timely.
  • I noticed some minor typos in the manuscript. wink.gif
  • It’s a short novel, so I’m wondering if his publisher (when he gets one) will want him to flesh out some of the “skinny” parts of the story. By skinny, I mean that there were a few places that I thought were pared down unnecessarily. Maybe not, I just got the sense that there should have been more stuff in places.

    • Overall, it’s a very good book. Thanks for letting me read it, Jared. I look forward to seeing it published! And I’m really looking forward to Black Dog Man.

    Posted by at 11:41 AM
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