I'm reading "Fallen" by Lauren Kate. I'm about a third of the way in and I really want to love it, but I don't.
I'm starting to lose interest in the story, because it's taking so long to find out what we're dealing with here. I believe they are supposed to be angels of some sort -- perhaps fallen angels -- but I don't even have a clue as to what is different about the main characters yet.
I'm on page 135. Yes, I get that Luce has problems or powers she doesn't understand. Yes, I get that she feels a connection to Daniel. Yes, I get that this reform school she went to is creepy and strange. But when is she going to get at least a hint as to the connection between Daniel and herself and their odd powers? If Kate doesn't tell me soon, I might just give up on the story.
This relates to problems I have with my own writing. I feel like I need to give a lot of back story up front, when I probably could weave some of it into the story and get the characters into their conflicts sooner. At least it doesn't take me hundreds of pages to get my readers there. Geesh!
It's all about striking the right balance -- creating an intriguing story or concept that keeps the reader engaged while giving them enough background that they understand the characters and empathize with them enough to keep reading.
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