March 3rd - Book Fourteen: The Third Brother

third brother
Originally uploaded by cherubichomer.

Nick McDonell wrote a book called Twelve three or four years ago and it was one of my favorite books for that particular year. He was written up as being the next big American author having published Twelve at the age of only 17. Though Twelve was flawed with a weird and unfinished writing style, the story was good and the characters true. The Third Brother is his second, very much anticipated book. I bought it not because I liked his first book - I find that liking one book of an author doesn't necessarily mean you'll like his/her other books - but because it was a starred review for Kirkus; I usually like books suggested by Kirkus. This book reads very, very easily and it's because he writes like he's still in high school. Maybe it was planned, as the protagonist is supposed to be a first or second year university student - and we all know how poorly they write - but I don't think so. Really, it must be at a grade eight or nine reading level, which doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad book but it does make it a bad book if the plot is poor as well and, well, this book also has a bad plot. I know that writing a follow up book to such a well received first book must be difficult but Mr. McDonell's second attempt is disappointing. Try again, Nick. Or maybe not. I give it 1.5/5. (288pages. Total for the year: 3734 pages)