One Dead, Twice Shy

[Kathryn]

Has anyone had a chance to read this yet? It's Harrison's first foray into young adult fiction. The most important thing I can say is that the short story in Prom Nights from Hell should be read before the book. If I hadn't read the story first, I would have been lost from the very beginning and probably very frustrated. I'm afraid that the book will not do too well because of this.

So, has anyone else read the book and what did you think? I thought it was a great start for a new series and, as usual for me, it's Harrison's characters that tip the scale.

[Seth]

I read it. Once Dead Twice Shy was the first thing by Harrison I almost didn't finish(1). But since it's a one-crap(2), I went ahead.

Sadly, it's flat, predictable, formulaic, and lacks all of Harrison's great interpersonal conflict and understanding. The setting and subject are stock, the characters are from the Urban Fantasy Rent-A-Character Temp Agency, and the final tableau can be predicted from about page 50, with each new character having an obvious place in the resolution so as to maximize easy sequels.

Terry Pratchett says that writing YA only requires simplifying the sentence structure(3). Whoever advised Harrison on this suggested simplifying the characters, plot, setting, and conflict instead.

Having said that, if you're a completist you'll get it anyway (I did, after all). If you can bear to, wait for the paperback, although I could see this one never making it to pb.

I hate saying all this. Harrison has been my favorite new writer since I picked up DWW right after it appeared. But what I love about her writing is all missing from ODTS(4).

Oh, and I had a different experience: I haven't read the short in Prom Nights From Hell, but I thought the backstory was explained in loads of detail. Repeatedly. Over and over. Redundantly, even. I had no trouble following the setup (and can overlook the cut-and-paste exposition; she could learn to do more recap in the Hollows books, after all).

One thing that might ameliorate my disappointment would be to recategorize ODTS as Independent Reader rather than Young Adult. When they're separated (which not every outlet or library does), IR targets a younger audience (pre-tween) and expectations are significantly lower. Sadly, it's listed and shelved as YA everywhere I've looked.

1) one-crap: a book easily finished in one sitting; this does not imply a sitting short enough to do in the bathroom, it's just a silly phrase

2) I rarely give up on books in the middle (see my "couldn't finish" shelf, for example), but I do put books down indefinitely, intending to return to them. And I usually do return to them. In this case, I almost put it on my "couldn't finish" shelf.

3) And in Pratchett's case, writing for slightly less-young readers and not targeted to the Unchallenging Twilight Ripoffs crowd, increasing the violence.

4) Actually, all the things I love about her writing are also missing from the back third of WWBC. I had assumed she was taking shortcuts and easy outs so she could concentrate on ODTS, but ODTS clearly required little concentration.

[Kneosha]

I thought that the Madison book was really good. And I own all the Hollows books. I have enjoyed each and everyone of them. I can't wait to see what she does in the new book!