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Customer Review

155 of 161 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars A clearly novice work that should not have been published, February 24, 2009
This review is from: Maradonia and the Seven Bridges (Paperback)
I tried to read with my younger sister and we were gravely disappointed.

Here are our reasons:
1.) The story is cliche and brings nothing new to the table. We have super special kids going to another world to save the day from an "Evil Empire." (Yes, that is what it is called.) Yawn.

2.) The grammar and syntax are atrocious. May the literary gods help us if this is how teens are writing these days. Words are used without regard to nuances of meaning and tone. Additionally, it is as if every name is in quotes. Why? The poor ellipses would like to protest their abuse as well.

3.) The author chooses to use exposition to describe events that are intended to be tense and exciting. The lack of actions makes it, in my sister's words, "boring."

4.) The formatting distracts from the writing as the lines are very short, only several words long. The text is not justified and the ragged edges detract from the presentation.

Every one is going crazy over child prodigy authors and this one doesn't deserve your hard earned money. In case you just think I "dont kno a good book" or am "jelous," I suggest you go to the author's website and download the first 40 pages to read. That would have saved me the embarassment of my 7 year old sister telling me, "This book is so bad. I could write it better." She'll never let me live this down.
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Tracked by 4 customers

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Showing 1-10 of 23 posts in this discussion
Initial post: Feb 24, 2009 10:52:31 PM PST
The Warlock says:
I agree. I read the excerpt from her website and man was it atrocious. It's also self-published so what can you really expect: something half-way decent?

In reply to an earlier post on Feb 25, 2009 4:54:50 AM PST
SableSeal says:
Yeah, I walked into that one. Live and learn.

In reply to an earlier post on Mar 3, 2009 11:26:37 AM PST
Lawshear says:
[Customers don't think this post adds to the discussion. Show post anyway. Show all unhelpful posts.]

In reply to an earlier post on Mar 10, 2009 4:14:14 PM PDT
A.J. Raffles says:
Books are judged on their own merit, not "good for an 11-year-old". If it's only good for an inexperienced, 11-year-old author, then it shouldn't have been published. There is no reason to cut an author a break if their writing is inferior. If someone "publishes" something, and asks for money for it, the reader has a right to expect quality, and if that quality is not present, we also have the right to voice our opinion.

In reply to an earlier post on Mar 12, 2009 6:53:34 PM PDT
[Customers don't think this post adds to the discussion. Show post anyway. Show all unhelpful posts.]

In reply to an earlier post on Mar 13, 2009 9:22:06 AM PDT
The Warlock says:
She won't be on the best seller list because self-published writer never go on that that list. Other reasons:
1. Her writing sucks.
2. The book ripps offs Narnia.
3. The only place to buy the book is from the website. The majority of people who buy books buy them from book store because they see it and read a few pages, Amazon.com recomendation lists, they see reviews of them in magazines and newspapers and from book club flyers.
4. The book has NO advertisement excpet from two small town newspapers. It won't sell enough to even get a mention in the New York Times.

In reply to an earlier post on Mar 18, 2009 10:15:58 AM PDT
Swank Ivy says:
It's common for people to try to defend young authors against criticism when they write substandard stuff. I'd like to say, for the record, that of COURSE young people should write books and of COURSE their efforts should not be mocked when they're just trying to learn.

That protection ends when they publish their books (even if it's through a vanity press, like this teen did), and all excuses go out the window.

The world of publishing is NOT a developing artists' gallery. She does not have to be perfect on her first voyage into writing a book. She just shouldn't publish if she's not ready. AND, if she wants to play with the big boys (and get paid like them), she can and WILL be subjected to the rather ruthless reviews of the Internet. Do you think it would do this child a favor if everyone kissed her butt just because she finished a book and someone paid to print it? NO. What this would do is make her think she's written a GOOD book. It will also make her think she doesn't have much more to learn.

I wrote two books before I was fifteen. It isn't particularly rare for creative kids to do this. To this day I thank my lucky stars that nobody tried to force my juvenile scribblings into the public eye before I knew better. When children do this before their writing style has reached a passable level, they're irrevocably attaching their embarrassing literary toilet training to their real first and last names. It's a recipe for very little besides a train wreck of a writing career in the future.

Regardless of whether this young'un grows up to be a bestselling author (umm, just based on what I see here, that's doubtful, but it could happen), everyone who criticizes it has EVERY RIGHT to do so. Your attempt to shame those of us with standards for applying them to a poor little girl is very inappropriate. It doesn't matter if she later succeeds; this book is being judged on what it is NOW, and no one should have to cut someone a break for being a child when said child has stepped into the adults' arena and has made her expectations to be paid like an adult apparent.

In reply to an earlier post on Mar 18, 2009 3:53:44 PM PDT
The Warlock says:
Here's a good book for Ms. Tesch: The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones. It's basically a book that lists the overused fantasy cliches. Tesch uses a whole slew of them (not to mention her writing is atrocious).

In reply to an earlier post on Mar 26, 2009 5:52:47 PM PDT
Last edited by the author on Mar 26, 2009 7:11:35 PM PDT
SableSeal says:
Ms Dallaire,

I am still not sure how you found my wish list as I searched myself and it didn't come up. Also, I had not heard of "Lolita" until you metioned it.

Edited to add: Ah, I figured out the book to which you were referring. It was a book called "The Lolita Effect: the media sexualization of young girls and what we can do about it." A far cry from "Lolita," no? If you wish to attack my character at least get your facts straight first.

I will judge books as I see fit. Should Ms Tesche ever become an established and successful author, I will give her what praise she earns. She is not there yet, nor should she have published a "rough, unedited first-run."

In reply to an earlier post on Jan 16, 2010 8:57:25 PM PST
Honestly, I wrote very well for an eleven year old, too. Better than this, actually. I am so, so thankful now that I never sought publication. It would have been mortifying to me now at 27, now that I can really write, if people saw my earlier efforts.

I have no doubt Gloria Tesch has the drive/passion to be a writer one day. I just think she's making a huge mistake pushing it this early when her writing still needs so much work. Her parents are doing a disservice putting this out there for the public gaze at this stage of life.
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