Scan barcode
A review by maddiequinn
Escape From Happydale by Jack Quaid
2.0
Definitely took a while to finish this book and oh my god. This is a real let down for me because I was crazy excited to get this book after searching high and low for it. I liked the mystery of it's 'lost and out of print' ness, and enjoyed the hunt- I couldn't find it at bookstores, second hand stores, or libraries, until I finally caved and resorted to Amazon.
The book starts off alright. it reads like a horror movie, definitely not a book, but given the lore explained at the beginning it was to be expected. However, as I continued to get into the book, I couldn't tell if the sloppy pacing was a lazy author, or just down right bad writing. I mean-- there's a portion of the book where the story actually stops and claims that that portion was 'lost' and continues to jump a considerable amount of scenes ahead to where a giant problem was suddenly, magically, solved.
Not to mention the characters were all terribly two dimensional. Parker is your typical 'not like other girls' protagonist, hiding under the idea of girl power. she had a few good one-liners, but she was abrasive and dickish to be so. Yeah, her parents died, but we never saw the effect it had on her. Same with Nancy, who is the total opposite 'feminist protagonist written by a male' she's soft and sweet and does pretty much what everyone wants, but her fatal flaw is being the most popular girl at school and kissing her friend's crush.
I am all for strong female roles, obviously, but write them well. The minor nurse character had a better background story and development than Parker and she had one major scene before she was never talked about again.
all that being said, I can guarantee I'll read the next two books in the trilogy.
The book starts off alright. it reads like a horror movie, definitely not a book, but given the lore explained at the beginning it was to be expected. However, as I continued to get into the book, I couldn't tell if the sloppy pacing was a lazy author, or just down right bad writing. I mean-- there's a portion of the book where the story actually stops and claims that that portion was 'lost' and continues to jump a considerable amount of scenes ahead to where a giant problem was suddenly, magically, solved.
Not to mention the characters were all terribly two dimensional. Parker is your typical 'not like other girls' protagonist, hiding under the idea of girl power. she had a few good one-liners, but she was abrasive and dickish to be so. Yeah, her parents died, but we never saw the effect it had on her. Same with Nancy, who is the total opposite 'feminist protagonist written by a male' she's soft and sweet and does pretty much what everyone wants, but her fatal flaw is being the most popular girl at school and kissing her friend's crush.
I am all for strong female roles, obviously, but write them well. The minor nurse character had a better background story and development than Parker and she had one major scene before she was never talked about again.
all that being said, I can guarantee I'll read the next two books in the trilogy.