Dear Mr. White,
I am a big fan of your work. I have been into The Doctor (Ford, not that guy on British TV) since the folks at Haslam's first introduced us some 10 years back. And I've enjoyed every novel I've read (or listened to on audio) since only 3 or 4 more to go to catch up.
And I started your Hannah Smith series, as well, skipping from the first (Gone) to the third (Haunted), since I came across the audio CD for both. (Yes, I have your 2nd, just haven't gotten to it yet.)
Unfortunately, Haunted just didn't do it for me. I thought the storytelling felt a bit choppy on occasion, and the pacing was uneven almost throughout the book. Other than our lovely protagonist, I had no sympathy for any of the characters and I didn't hate most of the bad guys quite enough, either. (Huh? doesn't instill like, but it sure doesn't do hate, either!) Plus, the biological impact of your instruments of destruction just felt a bit too far out there for my belief system. (Add to that the ecological impact of the herpetological institution in the book made me very uncomfortable, but that was due to my outside reading on the subject rather than what I picked up in the story. You might want to follow up on this in a future novel.) Further, your constant referral to the lead character in your other series by his title / description but not by name is an annoying habit that I really wish you'd cure yourself of, especially considering you have no hesitation about calling his cohort by name in the Hannah Storm series.
Athletes have their off nights; I assume authors do the same. Dissatisfaction with this book doesn't mean I won't be back for the next book in the series.
Your fan,
Andrew
RATING: 2 1/2 stars, rounded down to 2 stars. (Sorry, Mr. White I feel bad about it, but an honest review sometimes means that the reviewer just isn't going to like it. But isn't it over YET? is not a good sensation for this reader to be feeling during the climax of a novel.)
I am a big fan of your work. I have been into The Doctor (Ford, not that guy on British TV) since the folks at Haslam's first introduced us some 10 years back. And I've enjoyed every novel I've read (or listened to on audio) since only 3 or 4 more to go to catch up.
And I started your Hannah Smith series, as well, skipping from the first (Gone) to the third (Haunted), since I came across the audio CD for both. (Yes, I have your 2nd, just haven't gotten to it yet.)
Unfortunately, Haunted just didn't do it for me. I thought the storytelling felt a bit choppy on occasion, and the pacing was uneven almost throughout the book. Other than our lovely protagonist, I had no sympathy for any of the characters and I didn't hate most of the bad guys quite enough, either. (Huh? doesn't instill like, but it sure doesn't do hate, either!) Plus, the biological impact of your instruments of destruction just felt a bit too far out there for my belief system. (Add to that the ecological impact of the herpetological institution in the book made me very uncomfortable, but that was due to my outside reading on the subject rather than what I picked up in the story. You might want to follow up on this in a future novel.) Further, your constant referral to the lead character in your other series by his title / description but not by name is an annoying habit that I really wish you'd cure yourself of, especially considering you have no hesitation about calling his cohort by name in the Hannah Storm series.
Athletes have their off nights; I assume authors do the same. Dissatisfaction with this book doesn't mean I won't be back for the next book in the series.
Your fan,
Andrew
RATING: 2 1/2 stars, rounded down to 2 stars. (Sorry, Mr. White I feel bad about it, but an honest review sometimes means that the reviewer just isn't going to like it. But isn't it over YET? is not a good sensation for this reader to be feeling during the climax of a novel.)
