Alright, so another pretty massive format change. I am removing the summary portion of these reviews, as they just take up time to write and they don't add anything to my opinion of the book. These reviews are made to show my opinion of the books change as I continue reading them. So, I'm cutting that part of the reviews out. So let's get to it then!
So, what did I think of this section of the book? Well, I think I have finally found a way to word what I think is the main problem with this book. The biggest issue that I have with Tunnels is the rapidly changing and sloppily executed pacing of the story. Honestly, if they could fix the pacing, this book could be really, really good. When this book was first released (prior to much critical review), it was hailed by many readers as the next Harry Potter, but then reviews started flooding in, with one of the main criticisms being the pacing of the story. The story focused so much on build up, and now the best part of the book (exploring the 'Hogwarts' of this novel and learning how this new world operates from a foreign perspective) feels condensed because of the length of the first act of the story. It annoys me that a story with so much promise did this, pretty much killing the enjoyability of the novel.
Apart from the abhorrent pacing, what do I think of the book so far? Well, easily the best part of this section was the relation between Will and his new family. In this section we are introduced to his grandmother, who overall acts really sweet to him, and a friendly uncle named Tam that really seems to be a kid at heart. Both of these characters are so much more interesting than the bland characters like Chester (which has kind of been forgotten...) who really did have much personality other than being...nice. For example, we learn in one of the chapters that Tam sometimes ventures to topsoil (even though it is forbidden by the Styx), and Will and Cal discuss how Will wants to go with Tam and escape from the underground, and Cal says that he would want to follow along. That's pretty much everything I have to say about these chapters.
'Till Next Time, Adventurers!
No comments:
Post a Comment