Friday, July 29, 2005

Dealbreakers

1 day to go until I'm on a jetplane! I'm heading off soon for New Zealand with a stopover in an exotic Asian location-I may log in from said exotic location if possible. Otherwise, catch you all when I land in NZ in a few days!

While I'm gone, I'd like to leave you with this question - what's a dealbreaker for you with an author, something that would make you never pick up one of their books again? I read a lot of series' and for me, the dealbreaker is usually the death of one of the main characters. I'm not talking about a secondary character but a powerful central character built up over several books. It would be like JD Robb killing off Roarke, Laurell K Hamilton destroying Jean Claude, or Sherrilyn Kenyon doing the same to Ash. (No times three!!!)

This dealbreaking act was done by the author of a mystery series I used to love. It felt like the killing was simply a plot device-the series was lagging so she used it for shock value. As far as I was concerned, it was a betrayal plain and simple - betrayal of the characters she'd created and betrayal of her readers. I haven't picked up another one of her books since and I really doubt I ever will. Because what if she makes me care for another character like she did the first one, and then she does the same thing all over again?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I won't won't won't read a book where the hero has cheated or cheats. On. Any. One.

Also, I will put down a book forever if the hero accuses the heroine of being a whore, or anything else truly degrading. Arguments are one thing, but I wouldn't let my husband call me a slut, so I certainly won't read a hero who does. I don't even like it if they call their exes dirty names.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear! Please don't curse like that! Ash can NOT die--ever! *snicker*!!!

I don't know what it would take. But I'll know when I read it. Killing off the main character is so faux paus!

Nalini Singh said...

Kendra, I take it back ;)

Laynie, hmmm the cheating thing is not a dealbreaker for me in terms of turning me off the author altogether, but it's definitely not the kind of book I like to read in general. And I totally agree with the rest of what you said.

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