If you believe “intricate” magic is exclusive to adult audiences, perhaps you should read more YA and MG. Brandon Sanderson (who, according to your bio, is a favorite of yours) has written numerous YA/MG books with complex, rule-based magic.
“…drops you into the world mid-story without explaining anything like an adult fantasy.”
What a bizarre take. I’ve never encountered a book review that suggests showing instead of telling is actually a bad thing. And again, you say “like an adult fantasy”. What sort of YA/MG books have you been reading? There is no universal requirement for “explaining anything” when writing a story for that age group.
What baffles (and saddens) me most about these sentiments is the apparent pervasiveness of them. Why do so many people regard teens/preteens as imbecilic aliens incapable of grasping or appreciating complexity in the books they read? If anything, writers are too heavy-handed with explanations and oversimplifications—for both young and old readers. Whatever their target audience, it’s patronizing and, quite frankly, poor writing.
P.S. Don’t mistake this as a defense of Caitlyn Sangster. I haven’t even read this book. I just came to the reviews to see if I should try it. Oddly, this one-star review makes me wonder if it actually might be good. Lol.
If you believe “intricate” magic is exclusive to adult audiences, perhaps you should read more YA and MG. Brandon Sanderson (who, according to your bio, is a favorite of yours) has written numerous YA/MG books with complex, rule-based magic.
“…drops you into the world mid-story without explaining anything like an adult fantasy.”
What a bizarre take. I’ve never encountered a book review that suggests showing instead of telling is actually a bad thing. And again, you say “like an adult fantasy”. What sort of YA/MG books have you been reading? There is no universal requirement for “explaining anything” when writing a story for that age group.
What baffles (and saddens) me most about these sentiments is the apparent pervasiveness of them. Why do so many people regard teens/preteens as imbecilic aliens incapable of grasping or appreciating complexity in the books they read? If anything, writers are too heavy-handed with explanations and oversimplifications—for both young and old readers. Whatever their target audience, it’s patronizing and, quite frankly, poor writing.
P.S. Don’t mistake this as a defense of Caitlyn Sangster. I haven’t even read this book. I just came to the reviews to see if I should try it. Oddly, this one-star review makes me wonder if it actually might be good. Lol.