tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054176333123768144.post66263287669378786..comments2024-02-29T00:47:55.041-08:00Comments on Megan Bostic's Creative Chaos: ABNA Review...and they're not good.Megan Bostichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08811715491350987530noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054176333123768144.post-74903992506824276492010-04-09T22:46:42.053-07:002010-04-09T22:46:42.053-07:00Yes, thank you. I have some other things I'm ...Yes, thank you. I have some other things I'm working on. I will get back to it though. :)Megan Bostichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08811715491350987530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054176333123768144.post-22886772131661835102010-04-05T09:37:40.743-07:002010-04-05T09:37:40.743-07:00I'm going to add my voice to the others and sa...I'm going to add my voice to the others and say that your excerpt was strong and powerful. And I think that the fact you drew such a strong reaction from your reviewers, whether it was in your favor or not, speaks in your favor. It would be so much worse if they were just ho-hum about it, after all. I'm with the people who say to send it out!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054176333123768144.post-70344558219550039402010-04-04T13:51:53.861-07:002010-04-04T13:51:53.861-07:00Megan-I'm with the people here that say these ...Megan-I'm with the people here that say these reviewers are missing it... Kids WANT to read edgy, realistic stuff, and you have that. And the characters may have some stereotypes, but I think that TOO goes with youth--easily identifiable characters fit their understanding of human nature--yes, it's too simplistic--presumably later in the book a few of these really surprise us.Hart Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17599570189253229318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054176333123768144.post-15972765719398049592010-04-03T13:41:39.939-07:002010-04-03T13:41:39.939-07:00Thanks all. I knew it was a crapshoot going in, a...Thanks all. I knew it was a crapshoot going in, and I honestly think these reviewers don't know what's on YA book shelves these days. The first reviewer said some things that could be seen as "right". People have told me there are cliche characters in the book, but where do we find characters like this? In high schools. There are real people like that, and that's why people see them as cliche.<br /><br />The second reviewer did not like the subject matter plain and simple, and that's what they judged me on.<br /><br />Oh well. Bigger fish to fry. <br /><br />Thanks for your kind words and support. :)Megan Bostichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08811715491350987530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054176333123768144.post-16909909288836188872010-04-02T20:43:09.043-07:002010-04-02T20:43:09.043-07:00I'm sorry you got such rough feedback from ABN...I'm sorry you got such rough feedback from ABNA. A very wise person once told me this about criticism: listen to it carefully -- really hear what the critiquer is saying -- and then take what you can use and discard the rest without another thought because it is, ultimately, just an opinion.<br /><br />You know, I think what would have been beneficial for ABNA to do with the YA side of the contest would have been to recruit some teen readers and have maybe one of the two reviewers be from the actual YA audience (though I know these days a lot of adults read YA too).Lisa K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00379245068324225101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054176333123768144.post-39902250447880400852010-04-02T18:25:59.798-07:002010-04-02T18:25:59.798-07:00I haven't read it, Megan, so I can't reall...I haven't read it, Megan, so I can't really weigh in, but I do think it's obvious even from these reviews that you're a talented writer. And finding the person who gets X story is always a matter of click--12 people will have 13 different preferences. I do agree that YA is much, much edgier these days, and oddly enough, like Becky K, I was thinking of reading GO ASK ALICE back in the (stone tablet) day. Edgy and gritty and raw it was--and an enormous hit. Have you queried agents with this ms?<br /><br />Hang in there! I know the road is rough--I also know you have a LOT of fans...jenny milchmanhttp://jennymilchman.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054176333123768144.post-35140644147987863762010-04-02T16:53:33.811-07:002010-04-02T16:53:33.811-07:00Send "Lockdown" to about 20 publishers a...Send "Lockdown" to about 20 publishers and see what happens. What's the worse they can do to you? torture is illegal in most places. I don't know about New York. Be careful.<br /><br />There will always be some part or scene critics don't like. Of my 212 page first book I had one page that had a human / alien sex scene. It was not even graphic. I thought it was humorous, but a critic said "Yuk." <br /><br />LOL.<br /><br />You can't please everyone. Maybe if the aliens watching us from orbit would "beam them up" but that wouldn't do, more critics would take their place. Just keep writing until they move over for you.Walter Knighthttp://www.waltknight.yolasite.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054176333123768144.post-9740610037790979002010-04-02T09:07:30.500-07:002010-04-02T09:07:30.500-07:00Interesting that the two reviews were similar as t...Interesting that the two reviews were similar as that so rarely happens. I agree with James, though, that YA is much more edgy these days. I was just in an independent bookstore yesterday with my 11-yr-old daughter and most of the YA was vampires, bullies and sluts. Obviously there is a YA market for over-the-top writing that deals with difficult subjects. I wonder why it is always adults who review YA books? I'm a member of the Historical Novel Society and in their review publication they often have kids reivew the YA. Maybe it is time ABNA does this.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16276810059497068046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054176333123768144.post-21679547420678542502010-04-02T08:41:15.821-07:002010-04-02T08:41:15.821-07:00Megan, these two reviewers are WAY off, and I'...Megan, these two reviewers are WAY off, and I'm not just saying that because you're a friend, or to make you feel better. <br /><br />The first one is living in a fantasy world--if she thinks teens don't talk or act the way the ones in your book do, she is just completely out of touch. I'm sure parents don't WANT to know what their kids think, say and do, but that doesn't mean they're right. She sounds as if she want to keep her head in the sand, and is afraid that if kids see this, their angelic tendancies (ha) will be overcome...I also had to wonder what she reads herself.<br /><br />The second reviewer had some of the same issues, but I'd guess he was older...things were not like this when he was in school, so he doesn't believe they're like this now.<br /><br />You got the bad luck of the draw, very unfortunately. Please don't let these two people sway your resolve--Lockdown is a good story (at least what I've read!), and more importantly, it is a story that needs to be told. Too many people are like these reviewers, who don't want to see what is in front of them, but kids know how life is NOW.<br /><br />Hang in there!<br />JamesJamesNelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13911429034496684517noreply@blogger.com