Should I bite the bullet?
I have a confession to make:
I have never read any Harry Potter or Twilight novel. I haven’t even glanced at a page from either franchise.
This is a fact that I’m actually proud of – I can look down on the hype from my “above it all” perch and pat myself on the back for my superior taste. After reading Storm Front, though, I realized that I can probably learn something from giving them a gander.
Storm Front is not a novel I would have ever picked up on my own, and though I didn’t like the book itself, I don’t regret reading it. In fact, I’m actually very glad I read it. While there are major differences between my story and Jim Butcher’s, there are some basic elements that are similar (a set of strict laws/code of ethics the hero must adhere to and an ancient order that enforces those laws). ‘It was good to see how Butcher incorporated these kind of background elements into the story.
That brings me to Harry Potter and Twilight – both of those have elements of similarity to my own story. Both contain magic (or supernatural abilities). HP includes an ancient order. Twilight includes ancient/semi-immortal characters that interact with mortals (no, my story does not contain vampires, thank you). Granted, they’re both young adult novels and mine is not – but I am aiming for a “general audience” novel that young adults could read without parents worrying too much about naughty language or content.
I’m beginning to believe that I may have to read them. Maybe not the whole series (because, let’s face it – I am NOT going to be reading the whole Harry Dresden series), but at least the first book. As it is, I’m already reading books that are not necessarily my cup of tea… and in most cases, they’re not nearly as bad as I feared. In some cases, I really enjoyed the read.
I’m still undecided, though, and the only major thing that is keeping me from heading to the library and checking them out (because I refuse to spend money on either series – Meyers and Rowling have made more than enough money, thank you very much) is just my fear. No, I’m not afraid that I’ll hate them… I’m afraid that I might like them and have to read all the books. I don’t know if I’d be able to take that much of a fall off my high horse yet.
We shall see.
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