Comments on: 855 and counting … https://www.jenniferestep.com/855-and-counting/ New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:36:24 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 By: Jennifer Estep https://www.jenniferestep.com/855-and-counting/#comment-4578 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:36:24 +0000 https://www.jenniferestep.com/blog/?p=381#comment-4578 Hi, Louise! Hope you are doing well.

I agree with a lot of your comments. All genres, whether they are romance or fantasy or whatever, will feature some of the same plots/characters/themes. There’s nothing new under the sun.

It just seemed to be like both books more or less followed the same path with a lot of the same elements. I’m not saying that’s bad. Just something I noticed.

I did really like Riordan’s use of mythology in the book. He has some clever ideas in there that make the book his own.

If you like the Potter books, you’ll probably really enjoy Lightning Thief. I did. Why wait? Start reading! 😉

No problem about the post being long. Discussion is good! :bub:

]]> By: Louise B https://www.jenniferestep.com/855-and-counting/#comment-4568 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:26:27 +0000 https://www.jenniferestep.com/blog/?p=381#comment-4568 Dear Jennifer,
I didn’t comment immediately on your post because I’ve been mulling over your thought on The Lightning Thief. This book is also on my TBR pile. I have the sequels and am waiting for Book #4 to release in May before diving in. (Yes, I know there are 5 planned books to the series, but I don’t think I can wait longer.)

The Lightning Thief is a young adult story that happens to be set in a fantasy/contemporary world. I think the fact that it shares the same genre as Harry Potter means it will share many of the same characteristics. At a workshop I once attended, the speaker pointed out the purpose the young adult genre was to explore the question of who I(the teenager) am? This implies there will be mentor(s), betrayals and secrets (being on my third teenager in the family, it’s all about angst.) The fantasy (magical) world is the chosen setting.

Many people put down romance because the reader knows the hero and heroine will get together in the end. What a romance reader wants is the exciting journey. It’s part of the conventions of the romance genre.

In the same way, a young adult book has certain conventions it must follow. I don’t know how many young adult books you’ve read, but when I read one, I like the emotional despair because out of it comes something stronger/better for the character–at least in the books with satisfying endings, which is what I prefer.

This post is way longer than I anticipated. Sorry.

Louise B

]]> By: Jennifer Estep https://www.jenniferestep.com/855-and-counting/#comment-4517 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:45:01 +0000 https://www.jenniferestep.com/blog/?p=381#comment-4517 Really? Sounds like a cool article. I’ll try to check it out.

]]> By: Brian https://www.jenniferestep.com/855-and-counting/#comment-4502 Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:21:39 +0000 https://www.jenniferestep.com/blog/?p=381#comment-4502 If you get a chance check out the Jan. 28 issue of The New Yorker. In The Talk of the Town section Nick Paumgarten writes about Art Garfunkel keeping a list of all the books he reads. He started the list in 1968 and has read 1,023.

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