Tuesday, March 05, 2013

A new student review of Plague in the Mirror

nlsings posted a new student review of Plague in the Mirror . See the full review.

In books, the improbable is allowed to occur.  The reader can suspend disbelief for the story, he or she can believe that time travelling ghosts can pop up out of nowhere, or that best friends can become boyfriends.  Perhaps the reader can even believe that teenage girls can follow their ghost-twins back in time to escape the stress of their parent’s crumbling marriage.  Or that those same teenage girls can meet steamy painters, and fall into a deep, meaningful relationship all during the time of the Black Plague.  But really, are we meant to believe all of this at once?  Even the most imaginative and creative books need some sort of grounding, or at least good writing to carry it though.  Some of the most far-fetched books attain that status by being so realistic, with only one slightly different aspect.  The author can then take this subtle change and run with it.  Simplicity is best.  This book is an overload of ideas, that all collide to create a massive pile up.  I would not recommend it, unless you enjoy being bombarded with a jumble of partially formed concepts.