ABNA Publisher Weekly Reviewer
"In this religious-themed thriller more fit for the screen than the page, 19-year-old Sean McMurray is still plagued by the nightmares that led him to attempt suicide, and 17-year-old Kayla Landon is just trying to keep her head above water despite her abusive family. When they meet, he knows immediately that he’s seen her in his dreams. After Kayla’s parents’ mysterious and violent deaths, she goes to live with her aunt in the bucolic town of Oakley, Tex., but this little town has seen its share of tragedy. When Kayla sees a boy’s ghost in her aunt’s kitchen, she realizes that she and Sean are intimately linked and that they will have to battle Satan himself to save themselves and the whole world. There are moments of genuine suspense here, but stilted writing, flat characters, and a laconic pace keep the manuscript from having the impact it seeks."Okay, so...
"...more fit for the screen than the page..." (Hmmm. I've got Spielberg's number here somewhere...)
"...moments of genuine suspense here, BUT..." (Suspense is good, but BUT is never good!)
"...stilted writing..." (Ouch! That. Must mean. I write. Just. Like. William Shatner. Talks?)
"...flat characters..." (Double Ouch! Maybe I should try pop-up books?)
"...laconic pace..." (Triple Ouch! Laconic. I can honestly say I've never used that word in a sentence. Or casual conversation. Or anything. Ever. Oops...stilted writing again!)
I can agree with what they said (kinda-sorta...okay, maybe not)...but I was really hoping for some better words so I could use the review for my queries!!! Saying to an agent, "THE COMING reached the Quarter Finals round in the 2011 ABNA competition, and Publishers Weekly said I have flat characters adrift in a laconic swamp of stilted writing! Want to represent me?" Oh well...it IS my FIRST novel, and I'm glad it made it as far as it did! Looks like I have some work to do!
