I came across this article by author Terri Ponce via her Twitter feed about what made her put down a book.  With her permission I decided to shamelessly steal borrow her great idea for my own article.

As a book reviewer I like to think I have two great perspectives: one is the average reader and the other is a critical eye for dissecting the elements of a plot, world-building and characters.  I used to think I would be a fiction writer so I have read just as much, if not more, than many authors about how to structure a plot, how to build unique fantasy worlds and create believable characters that people can relate to.  The fact I am also an enthusiastic amateur historian (very amateur) definitely helps in dissecting historical fiction.  At the same time, I am also reading for entertainment and generally know what the average reader will and won’t enjoy.

So what makes me stop reading a book?  A lot of things, as it turns out:

1.  Unrelatable characters.

This is a personal thing, but characters make the story.  I can sort of forgive a terrible premise if the characters are amazing, but I cannot forgive an amazing premise with terrible characters.  Characters generally drive the story forward and although it’s not so bad in third person, bad characters in first person are agonizingly painful.  Why?  Because you’re stuck in their heads with no chance of escaping.

By terrible characters I mean Mary Sues or Gary Stus.  In female characters it means they’re absolutely gorgeous (but don’t know it) so everyone falls in love with them and in fantasy they will have all of the awesome powers or abilities no one else does.  They are basically vessels for the author’s wish fulfillment and it really is tiresome.  As for Gary Stus, think James Bond: beds all of the women, is supercool, always has a witty comeback and knows everything. Continue reading →