Reading Tai-Bo
What did I learn from my reading this week…
This week I read a Christian YA novel that I was really enjoying. I was even prepared to recommend it to my sister-in-law, but decided to wait and see how it finished up. Good thing. The book flopped about half way through. At the beginning the reader is getting really close to the main character as she is trying to choose a suitor and being all annoyed with her brother and stuff…then the author had a terrible tragedy occur and the whole book went all dark and spiritual and allegorical. Now I could tell that it was somewhat allegorical from the beginning, but there was still a story within the extended metaphor. But as soon as things got dark we lost sight of the story and things felt all epic and vast and spiritual, not close and real, like something happening to a real person. Now I’m all good with epic spiritual things happening in stories, but I want them happening to real people that I can root for and feel the full force of events with. When an author pulls back the reader feels at sea. Show me these grand and tragic events up close and personal, then I will feel free to recommend the book.
