Elisabeth Nadler > Recent Status Updates

I like where this is going! But, current issue is over-explanation. 1st person present tense is familiar, & as a writer, I've realized that I have to be cautious to not over-explain. I've been guilty of it! MC mentally explains things that the reader would already assume. Leads to drawing the scene out too long, which is common here, & makes things drag.

Next update will explain the name thing I mentioned earlier!

Finally! At around 50% it took a turn & became more interesting. I like the twist it is taking. It could have happened sooner maybe?

Side note. Naming a new character Fukuda is an interesting choice. Yes, I can guess how it's supposed to be pronounced, but I know/worked with people whose humor goes that way, so yes, tough to unthink. Haha! Especially since this book kinda overuses names/titles. More on that later.

This is far more YA than I expected...& slow. I like the "Come find me. Come know me" revealing of God & the Revelations-like dreamscape, but something makes this hard to "feel", if you know what I mean. I think the MC & worldbuild dialogue are not blended in an emotional way. Of course, I might be spoiled by Raena Rood's YA books(her writing keeps you engaged/feeling, even at 3rd person POV)

Still reading, though!

I like that this is first person POV in present tense. It is very well written, and while one already gets a glimpse of the horror of the concentration camp this early in, it is not overwhelming. Yet. I am bracing myself for tears at some point.

My pet peeve strikes: inaccurate medical methods.

It's the defib again!
From a website for defibrillator information/usage:
"An AED(defib) can only be used on someone with a rapid heart rate. You cannot use it on victims with an extremely slow heart rhythm or those whose heart stops beating."
Stopped hearts are treated with CPR & epinephrine.

End rant. Back to reading!

The dreamscape is interesting, and I definitely get Book of Revelations vibes. The frequent use of "Grandmommy" by a 17 year old is still getting to me, but that's a minor thing. So far, well written, decent world building. I like that it is 1st person present tense (my favorite!). Although, I will say that the story is somewhat slow at the moment.

I see why 1 reviewer bailed out early (I'm no quitter!). Lost count of how many times "Grandmommy" is used in the first few pages. I get wanting something new & unique in a dystopian book; something obscure like calling someone Grandmommy. Weird. Different. Could be original & acceptable. But that many times? It makes it "in your face" more than it is unique. But other reviews say it's a great story. Let's find out!

I think I'm beginning to love audiobooks for cleaning/cooking and driving! The book is alright; I've read it before and chose it because it's easy enough that I don't have to concentrate too hard but it's still entertaining. The narrator is pretty decent. Some voices are hard to tell apart. I feel the narrator does not have much range of tones, but I might have become a snob since recording my own books.

Audiobooks are not my norm. With everything going on, I got Audible to listen to books while cleaning in preparation for showings & stuff like that. Or during the long trips to the city (1.5 hour drive).
I also got it so I can listen to narrators for researching styles & quality in order to improve my own narrating skills. & yes, I listened to my own Audible to make sure it was all in order, lol!
More updates later.

Story was good; some flaws. Then things fell apart with consistency. Began as a 200 mile walk.
Day 1: Walked 25mi. "We need 30mi a day to make it" Says a guy "We travel at night"
Day 2: Walked 30mi. By day.
Day 3: Traveling by day again?
Day 5: Guy says they traveled 44mi in 5 days? Says they averaged 9mi. daily.
Day 6: FMC says 62mi left. Later MC says they just reached 63mi.
What?Math ain't mathing. Still reading.

Oh goodness... Just look at my highlights on this book... I love my husband so very much, and he has been going through some struggles that put a strain on things, and stumbling on this book was not an accident.... The whole notion that our "knights in shining armor" need us to pray the armor onto them? Oh my.... I never thought of it that way!

This story is so cute! So, first, this is a young author (maybe 14?) & I stumbled on her when reading her glowing review on another author. When I clicked on her name, it showed that she recently debuted this short story, & I HAD to read it! Mostly because I raised goats when I was growing up, & partly because I was simply curious. I have to say, even though I haven't finished yet, this young author is going places!

Saw this when checking on my book's new release ranking. The cover & premise caught my attention. Totally my forte (former military man, tough woman, both struggling with past)
So far the story is decent. Despite my dislike of short choppy sentences, this author makes it work better than most. Characters are engaging & draw you in. Formatting could use work, mostly needing speech/thoughts separated from main text.

It's been a long time since I read a mail order bride story! I used to devour them when I was a teenager! I've been having trouble investing time in longer novels, so this shorter story caught my eye.

So far, it's a pleasant little romance with the usual "broken hearts need healing". Nothing fancy, lacks a lot of context/character development, but it's a short book, so I expected that. Still, enjoyable so far.

Figured out what was bothering me with this book so far. The FMC POV feels like an instruction manual: survive the wilderness. I can appreciate that 'cause it's not wrong! I love to put real survival methods in my own books, so I appreciate that. The problem: bad guy POV delves into his psyche more than for the victim. While I like seeing the dark vs the light, this feels a little unbalanced. Still reading, though!

Im trying because I like the premise. Like another reviewer agreed, it is really difficult to connect with the FMC when it's third person, & IMHO something is lacking in building a connection with her. I think I feel more when reading the bad guy's POV. I will say that in the FMCs POV there is great world building where you can feel the cold & winter, & the PTSD moments were pretty well portrayed. I'm still reading!

Obviously I'm hooked. I don't usually commit to books and read them this fast! Heck, I hardly read at all these days unless the story captures me... Well... this story captured me. There are abundant writing errors, but I've got plenty of my own in my books! And yes, there are moments where it reads like something from the Dreame Story ap that I used to have on my phone, but this is worlds better. I gotta finish!

I knew it!! With most of the twists in the story so far I had my suspicions, so none of them surprised me, yet they made me happy! But darnit!! I'm supposed to be writing my book today, but I can't stop reading.

Follow up on earlier update: First it was "I loved her too much", then Chap 10 he says they met a couple times but "she never spoke to me", & now I just read that our MMC danced & spoke with her often? With the 2 out of 3 I'll just assume the statement in Chap 10 isn't meant to be there. Which is fine, I still like it so far! And I have suspicions of certain things (plot-wise) & I'm giddy (yes, giddy), to find out!

I am so confused about the MMCs relationship with a mentioned character that hasn't personally come into play yet and might never (but maybe they will?). At the very beginning he says he "loved her too much" and what I just read now was that he only met her a couple times and she never spoke to him. But... I'm hooked now. I need to know everything and how it ends!

My own writing style & reading preference has me struggling with this. Short sentences give such a choppy feel that it makes it difficult to engage with the read. Again, probably because I like my reads (& my own books) to flow from one sentence to another. I know the short sentence choppiness is a style, yet it hurts my brain. Even so, this is honestly well written, and I really like the story so far!

This is interesting! A long time since I've read fantasy (probably LOTR). I felt like I jumped into the middle of a story, not stepped but jumped. A little difficult so far understanding the world this is built in, but I'm guessing all that will be unraveled. I'm excited to find out!
One thing about something in the very beginning. "Get soandso name out of your f'in mouth" had to be a total throwback to Will Smith!