What do you call it?
Feb. 7th, 2007 07:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jmc_bksI just finished an interesting ebook: It's All Relative by J.M. Snyder. In the scheme of things, it wasn't the best ebook I've ever read, but it is unique in my reading experience. With a female narrator and protagonist, I would call it chick lit of sorts; the focus isn't the romantic relationship, although it plays an important role, but a variety of familial relationships. What to call it though? I've heard lad lit and dick lit, but I'm not really sure about either of them.
My thumbnail review: I enjoyed reading about the hero's mental growth, but I think IAR could've used a ruthless editor. It clocked in at ~1300 pages on my ebook reader, 176550 words, which works out to +400 pages in print, but the story itself could've been tightened and told in closer to 300 pages. Some of it was repetitive, and a significant part of the story was left unresolved and purposeless within the larger story. The story is told by Michael in 1st person; obviously it's about his family and their dynamics and grief at the loss of their matriarch, but it would've been nice to get Dan's perspective on the Knapp family and Michael. I don't think I'm going to go looking for Snyder's backlist but if I happened to see one in print or e-format, I would probably pick it up.
When Michael Knapp brings his lover Dan Biggs home to meet his parents, he doesn't expect things to go smoothly. His mother's been trying to marry him off for years, and he isn't even sure his father knows he exists. As the middle son, he's sure that coming out over dinner is the perfect way to finally get noticed. But a phone call interrupts his announcement--Aunt Evie, the family matriarch, is dead. With Dan in tow, Michael follows his family to Sugar Creek, where he spent his summers growing up, to prepare for the funeral.
My thumbnail review: I enjoyed reading about the hero's mental growth, but I think IAR could've used a ruthless editor. It clocked in at ~1300 pages on my ebook reader, 176550 words, which works out to +400 pages in print, but the story itself could've been tightened and told in closer to 300 pages. Some of it was repetitive, and a significant part of the story was left unresolved and purposeless within the larger story. The story is told by Michael in 1st person; obviously it's about his family and their dynamics and grief at the loss of their matriarch, but it would've been nice to get Dan's perspective on the Knapp family and Michael. I don't think I'm going to go looking for Snyder's backlist but if I happened to see one in print or e-format, I would probably pick it up.
