Write On! Forums
Welcome to the forums, WOTeen!

Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Write On! Forums
Welcome to the forums, WOTeen!
Write On! Forums
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers)

3 posters

Go down

Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers) Empty Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers)

Post  Maggie Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:07 pm

So, have any of you read Ship Breaker?

I just finished reading it about a week ago. I was so excited to read it I saved it just for summertime, when I'd have nothing else to do.

And.... I was disappointed.

I don't want to spoil it for any of you who are planning to read it. In fact, I'd like to have some other opinions. However, to sum things up, I think it shouldn't have been published. He has a great world and a great story, but three things really bugged me the whole time I was reading:

1. His actual writing. He needs editing, big time. His sentences didn't flow and he re-used the same words about a hundred times, until I was ready to personally mail him a dictionary. Like the word 'feral'. I've never known a writer to use the word 'feral' so many times.
2. I think the MC was the wrong person. I felt like the main story was about this girl that he rescues. I would have preferred to be in her head, since she was the one with all the secrets and the excitement and the danger at her heels. The MC just felt -- to me -- like he was useless to the story.
3. One of the villains (and a pretty main villain) didn't really have motivation for what he did. He just killed and killed and killed like a destructive machine. There was nothing to make us feel sorry for him or get into his phsychie. I like complex villains, and even better ones that are slightly slightly sympathetic. Or at least have a MOTIVATION for what they do. He had none. At least none I ever picked up on.

That being said, you should go read it and tell me what you think. These things tend to bother me in whatever book I read. I'm kinda amazed Ship Breaker won an award. Now I'm wondering if it's just ME having the problem, or if agents/publishers will lower their standards for a good story??

Sorry about that rant. I had to talk about it SOMEWHERE.


Maggie
Maggie
Level 5
Level 5

Posts : 1802
Join date : 2011-01-29
Age : 29

http://writeonteens.blogspot.com

Back to top Go down

Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers) Empty Re: Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers)

Post  Renée Wed Jun 22, 2011 5:31 pm

Haha, yeah, I've read books/stories like that, with the choppy sentences and useless characters and motivation-less villains. They're called commercial fiction. Razz Just kidding. But seriously, those kind of things bug me--we work so hard to create logical and realistic (as realistic as sci-fi and fantasy can be) worlds and characters that act like real human beings, and then these commercial thrill rides get published with a lot less work. It's just a little bit sad. No

I find though, that when I come to a work with high expectations because everyone said it was good, I end up disappointed. So I generally try to keep my expectations low, so I can be pleasantly surprised instead of let down. It works great for the movie theaters. Smile
Renée
Renée
Level 5
Level 5

Posts : 219
Join date : 2011-02-12
Age : 31
Location : Alaska

http://amanda-the-aspiring.blogspot.com

Back to top Go down

Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers) Empty Re: Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers)

Post  Brigid Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:21 pm

Oh my gosh! I'm not the only one! *hugs Lizzy* Everyone is always praising this book and it got so many awards and stuff and ... I just didn't get what the big deal was. It sounded really cool, and I loved the cover art, and I had such high expectations. But I think you're absolutely right. I didn't like the main character much; the girl was more interesting. I got bored about halfway through the book and started skimming.
Brigid
Brigid
Level 2
Level 2

Posts : 69
Join date : 2011-07-21
Age : 31
Location : MA

http://www.mylifeasateenagenovelist.blogspot.com

Back to top Go down

Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers) Empty Re: Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers)

Post  Maggie Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:43 pm

*hugs Brigid right back* I'm so glad to find another who agrees. I wondered if it was me being really snobby or if there was genuinely something wrong with the book. I'll probably never read it again.
Maggie
Maggie
Level 5
Level 5

Posts : 1802
Join date : 2011-01-29
Age : 29

http://writeonteens.blogspot.com

Back to top Go down

Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers) Empty Re: Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers)

Post  Brigid Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:58 pm

Nah, you're not snobby. Unless I'm also snobby and don't realize it. *shifty eyes* But, I consider myself pretty easy to please. I like most of what I read. I didn't think there was anything too appealing about this book, though.
Brigid
Brigid
Level 2
Level 2

Posts : 69
Join date : 2011-07-21
Age : 31
Location : MA

http://www.mylifeasateenagenovelist.blogspot.com

Back to top Go down

Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers) Empty Re: Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers)

Post  Maggie Sun Jul 24, 2011 8:25 pm

Me too. I'm not uber-picky. Though I admit I haven't even read Twilight yet (I will! I really will!) because it's not a priority. And that's a total attitude thing. Razz I just need to find a time where I feel like wasting reading time. It's hard enough for me to find time to enjoy the GOOD books in my life.
Maggie
Maggie
Level 5
Level 5

Posts : 1802
Join date : 2011-01-29
Age : 29

http://writeonteens.blogspot.com

Back to top Go down

Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers) Empty Re: Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers)

Post  Brigid Sun Jul 24, 2011 8:41 pm

Heeheehee. I know what you mean. It always takes me so long to get to popular books. I didn't read Harry Potter until this year. Embarassed Hehhhh... Twilight I actually read a loooong time ago. I'd never heard of it before, except for from my friend. And then I just got it randomly from the library one day. This was like ... six years ago. And then suddenly, like three years later, everyone was ca-razy about it. I really liked it the first time I read it, but the huge hype is annoying. Still, I thought they were enjoyable. They're not amazing, but they're entertaining. Smile
Brigid
Brigid
Level 2
Level 2

Posts : 69
Join date : 2011-07-21
Age : 31
Location : MA

http://www.mylifeasateenagenovelist.blogspot.com

Back to top Go down

Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers) Empty Re: Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers)

Post  Maggie Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:12 pm

How cool you read it first! And that's OK about HP. My mom wouldn't let me read it until I reached a certain 'maturity level'. But I remember the days before books 5-7 came out. *was a fan at least that far*
Maggie
Maggie
Level 5
Level 5

Posts : 1802
Join date : 2011-01-29
Age : 29

http://writeonteens.blogspot.com

Back to top Go down

Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers) Empty Re: Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers)

Post  Brigid Tue Jul 26, 2011 2:27 am

A-yup. I'm such a trendsetter. Haha. Heh, yeah, I think they probably would have scarred me for life if I'd read them when I was younger. Hmm. Or maybe not. I read some pretty scary stuff. Sometimes I remember something I read a long time ago and I'm like, "Wow, how did I handle that? That book was freaky..."
Brigid
Brigid
Level 2
Level 2

Posts : 69
Join date : 2011-07-21
Age : 31
Location : MA

http://www.mylifeasateenagenovelist.blogspot.com

Back to top Go down

Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers) Empty Re: Ship Breaker Review (no spoilers)

Post  Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum