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On Tenses and Points of View

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my preferred tenses and points of view in the books I read. I’m going to start this post off with a premise that a lot of you may disagree with: third person past tense should be the default for novels. There are a few reasons why I think this, but it mostly boils down to personal preference. The stories I first loved as a girl – the Oz books, fairy tales, The Golden Compass, Harry Potter – were all written this way. To me, stories were things that happened a long time ago in another place, and they were told by someone who knew everything about the story. My more recently-loved reads fall into this category as well: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Glow, Cinder.
I’ve never found third person distancing. In fact, I usually find first person more distancing than third. When I read a first person novel, it always seems to me as if the protagonist is reading aloud their own story to me, telling me about their own adventures. That can be a great story, of course, but it means it’s not my story. It doesn’t allow me to take ownership of it. In a third person story, the narrator is telling me about things that happened to other people – and any of those other people could be me. I’m pretty sure I’m in the minority here, but the characters I feel closest to are almost always not their own storytellers.
Since I consider third person past tense the default, there needs to be a very good reason to deviate from it, and I get frustrated when no reason for it exists. Most of my frustration has to do with the glut of present tense novels in the YA market within the last few years, not necessarily with first person novels. It’s gotten to the point where I will actively avoid present tense novels even if the plot sounds compelling (and plot is almost always the hook that pulls me in). Interestingly, most present tense novels are written in first person (but not necessarily vice versa).
This isn’t to say that all novels need to be written in third person past tense. There just needs to be a reason for the deviation. Novels that handle present tense well tend to be fast-paced and fueled by action. Present tense puts the reader in the moment and forces the reader to keep the pages flipping. It also doesn’t allow much for lingering. Novels that handle the first person point of view well are those where the narrator’s voice is unique and a vital part of the story. Note that this is not necessarily synonymous with character depth.
I’ve compiled a brief list of some recent-ish reads that I believe handled a first person and/or present tense style well. (I considered making a list of books that should not have been written in first person or present tense, but decided it would be too long.) What are your thoughts? Do you have a preferred tense or point of view? If you do, what are some books you think have deviated from your preference and done it well?


Present Tense

  • The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. This is probably the most obvious recent example, and it works because the books are so full of action.
  • The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Again, this works because the book is basically one long chase scene. It also works spectacularly as a combination first person present tense novel since Todd is illiterate, so this format of storytelling makes sense.
  • Blood Red Road by Moira Young. Saba is even more illiterate than Todd, so her narrative has to be the stream of consciousness, first person present story that Young wrote. It couldn’t have been done any other way.
  • The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson. The present tense works best here once Locke and Kara escape the doctor and go on the run. In other words, it works best once it becomes an action novel.


First Person
  • Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. This is a novel told in diary format, and it’s always been a great way for me to experience first person.
  • All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin. I wasn’t in love with this story, but the first person format really allowed me to get inside Anya’s head. Anya’s got a somewhat wry, self-deprecating voice that works well in first person.
  • Clarity by Kim Harrington. Clare’s voice is snarky and sarcastic and she’s wisecracking constantly. It’s a big part of what makes the book so fun to read, and it also makes the first person choice a good one.
  • The Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley. Flavia is a somewhat snotty, precocious, smart, funny,  fearless twelve year old. She is an over the top character and it’s her voice makes these books more than just standard mysteries.

Reviews in the style of Twitter

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With the insane amount of reading that’s gone on for Cybils so far, I’ve had a ton of things pile up for review. Though these reviews go over the 140-character limit style of Twitter, they’re still short and to the point.

Pure Red by Danielle Joseph: This book reminded me a lot of Liz Gallagher’s My Not So Still Life, as both stories portray a girl who is struggling to understand who she is as an artist. Meaning, a little quirky, a little outside the social norms of her school, and inevitably, a little in love with a boy who she believes in unreachable. In this novel, Cassia is really fixated on colors and what the meaning with/behind them is, which was an interesting aspect of the writing itself. But overall, this read was kind of forgettable for me. I wanted more out of the character relationships, especially between Cassia and her father, but there was never an arc to them. More than that, though, it never felt as though Cassia changed from the beginning of the story to the end, other than finally going after Graham’s cute butt, which I heard just a little too much about. That said, this book is clean and the voice is young, so it’s likely a good choice for your middle school readers and those who want a safe pick.

The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow: This historical fiction takes place right at the rise of Nazi Germany and follows Karl Stern. He’s made a deal with the infamous Max Schmeling, a boxing legend, and he’ll be receiving lessons in exchange for one of his father’s paintings. The problem is that Karl is Jewish. Even though he doesn’t look like it from the outside, he is, and it’s a secret he guards to the best of his abilities. He doesn’t always win, though, and when he’s outed as a Jew during a high stakes boxing match, Karl’s world and dreams crumble before his eyes. But it only gets worse from there. This emotional, fast-paced book was engaging and the writing made me fall immediately into Karl’s world. However, I found the passage of time to be a huge issue in this book, as months go by with little to no mention; during an era when life changed literally by the second in Germany, I wanted a lot more out of Karl and his life. The ending was also a complete let down, as it was far too tidy and too easy, and it left a lot of strings loose I wanted tied together a little more. Great for fans of historical fiction, especially of the World War II variety outside the actual war itself.

Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O’Roark Dowell: If ever there were a book to hand off to die hard fans of Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s Dairy Queen series, this might be the one. This story is about Janie Gorman, a girl who is a little different from her peers in more ways than one. When high school starts, she’s determined to make herself fit in, but that’s a little hard to do when you live on a farm and always seem to be bringing that with you wherever you go. Things start to change, though, when Janie learns that being strange is okay and maybe even a good thing. This story is fun and quirky, and while it’s not the strongest written nor have the deepest characters, it’s one that has good appeal to many teen readers. Like Murdock’s book, it’s also a clean read and perfect for younger teen readers and even readers who are a little too old for middle grade books.

What Comes After y Steve Watkins: This story about loss is less about the grieving process so much as it is about resettling post-trauma. Iris’s father’s died, and when she’s sent to live with a cold and unfeeling aunt thousands of miles away, she’s immediately an outcast. Her aunt and cousin are abusive towards her — so much so that they’re put into jail after a violent attack, and she’s sent to live with a foster family. Although this gets a little convoluted-sounding, it’s not. Iris throws her passion and loneliness into taking care of her aunt’s goats, and these become her source of comfort, along with a boy named Littleberry. Though the book was well written, it did drag on quite a while, and at times, it fixated on unnecessary moments that weren’t essential to the plot or character development. Those who like stories of redemption though will appreciate this one. Bonus for a few twists I didn’t see coming in that redemption.

Dreams of Significant Girls by Cristina Garcia: This book follows three girls — Vivien, from New York City via Miami via Cuba; Shirin, from Iran; and Ingrid, from small town Ontario, Canada — as they spend a summer together at a boarding school in Switzerland. It’s a literary novel, so there is little action or movement, but there is a lot of character development along the way. Timing and pacing didn’t work for me, and I found the motivation behind character actions to be completely missing. It didn’t make sense to me why the characters did what they did, since we weren’t allowed into their minds quite enough. This book reminded me a LOT of Nina de Gramont’s Gossip of the Starlings. Wealthy girls who did things at a boarding school because they could just didn’t work for me. That said, some of the writing was downright delectable. Vivien’s obsession with food was clear in the language, and I would have loved to have a taste of some of her meals. The ending of this one, too, was way too convenient. Who knew the girls REALLY had a deeper connection than a few summers together at boarding school? I kind of saw it coming from miles away.

Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams: Set in Zimbabwe at the height of government rebellion, Deo has seen his unfair share of loss and destruction, but it’s when his mother and grandfather are mercilessly killed that he must take his older brother Innocence and get out as fast as he can. Innocence has a mental disorder, making him much less and older brother to Deo and more like a child. The boys escape Zimbabwe and make their way to South Africa, where they’ve paid for the dream of freedom, but they soon learn that that freedom really doesn’t exist. This emotionally-pounding book is a raw look at the terror and destruction in the lives of kids in this part of the world. I had a problem with Deo as a character though, and while the title sort of explains the entire premise of dealing with tragedy, I needed to get to know him more at the front of the story. He didn’t handle his emotions except through running (and soccer), but I needed just a little more to buy that about him as a character. We’re thrown to personal tragedy too soon to understand his coping mechanics. Innocence was a fabulous character and an heartbreakingly real depiction of the state of mental health and understanding. Moreover, there is a lot of back matter in the story about xenophobia, but that doesn’t play quite the role in the book as it could have — and had that been amped up, even with an additional 25-30 pages of writing, this story would have been even stronger. This book will have appeal to readers who like stories set abroad, those who like tales of survival, and those who have read books like Ishmael Beah’s A Long Way Gone. It’s fiction, but it’s based on reality.

All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky by Joe Lansdale

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Don’t let the cover fool you on this one — while the designers would have you believe Joe Lansdale’s All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky is a contemporary rural novel, it’s not. It’s a historical novel, set during the depths of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. This is Lansdale’s first young adult novel, though he has published a host of titles for the adult audience, and that writing experience shines through.

Jack Catcher’s mom dies from an illness (most likely something respiratory-related) when the story starts, and within seconds, we’re also introduced to Jack’s father, who has taken his own life. His father didn’t want to live without his mother, and left a note proclaiming his love for Jack but his inability to carry on. Immediately after meeting Jack’s two dead parents, we’re also tossed into a raging dust storm. Lansdale gives us no breathing room, much like he gives none to Jack. Now all Jack wants to do is get out of town as quick as possible. He has no reason to be here in the middle of Oklahoma anymore.

When the storm passes, Jack’s confronted with a former classmate, Jane, and her little brother Tony, and he learns that they, too, have recently lost their parents. They also want to get out of dodge as fast as they can, but unlike Jack, they have a plan. One of their neighbors, an old man, has also just died (do you sense a theme here?) and Jane knows that he’s got a car. She also somehow had a hunch that Jack might know how to drive, and if they teamed up, they could borrow the car and finally be free. Jack, desperate, agrees to this, and the three are soon in a moving vehicle, leaving the dust-covered plains of Oklahoma behind them.

While Jack suggests going to California, where so many others have found their fortune and new lives, Jane has other plans. She suggests going southeast to Tyler, Texas, where she and Tony have relatives. Going there would ensure a place for them to stay and would get them far enough from where they are.

Except, as Jack and we as reader will learn, what Jane says might not always be the truth.

All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky is a book that is not only realistic in terms of depicting the harsh world of the Great Depression and the heavy, brutal air of the Dust Bowl, but it depicts realistically the relationships that develop among those who are desperate. What stood out to me immediately was the utter drive to live that Jack has — while Jane and Tony also portray this, it’s Jack’s voice the story is told through, and it’s with his story I felt this drive. The weakness Jack’s father showed in the face of losing his wife stands to be the thing that keeps Jack fighting forward; he doesn’t want to be weak and he doesn’t want to give up. He knows that through his own strength he can change his life and do so for the better. He knows it won’t be easy, but he’s willing to give it a chance.

I hesitate to call this a road trip book, but it is a story that’s set on the road. There’s movement as Jack, Jane, and Tony go from their roots in Oklahoma toward their ultimate goal in Tyler. But it’s not an easy road. Along the way, they run into some of the most notorious outlaws of the time, and they’re not willing to go easy on these kids. As if the death of parental units wasn’t enough, these characters will witness even more death. One murder will happen right in front of them, and it’s something with which they just deal. And that’s something I think is what makes this book so strong — the fact that life sucks but these characters soldier on. They certainly process this loss on their own terms, but they know in order to live their own lives, they have to keep moving forward. In addition to their run-ins with outlaws, Jack, Jane, and Tony met people who had less-than-good intentions for them; but, given that they’re strong willed and determined, those will become just parts of their adventure. Their travel experience is a series of adventures and trials that they need to pass.

Jane was, hands down, one of my favorite characters in a long time. She’s tricky. When we meet her in the novel, everything she tells Jack feels authentic. But the further the story moves and the more opportunities she has to interact with other characters and situations, both Jack and the reader begin seeing that Jane might be selling a lot of lies. And they’re not even white lies. They’re full out circus tales — a more-than-apt description that those who read the book will appreciate. She’s tough as nails and she goes after exactly what she wants. For a teen girl during this era, it’s not the norm. She’s bucking that though, and I applaud Lansdale for making her such a great and memorable character.

The pacing in this story is spot on, though the ending is a bit too tidy and a bit too easily-explained for some of the exploits that occur in the second half of the novel. Jane herself calls this a bit of an Odyssey that they take off on, and that is perhaps one of the best ways to describe the tale. Fans of that novel or those looking for a take on that storyline will appreciate this. For me, though, I wanted just a little bit more of that up front. It made the ending weaker because I wasn’t prepared for some of the side adventures that would occur. Jane comes out as a bigger escape artist than I suspected, and she is such in a manner that leaves her companions hanging. It went astray from the character I’d expected, though I suspect for Jack, it made sense. On the whole, though, the writing in this story is tight and tidy, and I think Lansdale, despite this being his first young adult novel, nails the teen voices.

Pass this book off to fans of historical fiction, especially stories set in rural America. I think those who love books like Kirby Larson’s Hattie Big Sky will appreciate this one, as will those who appreciate honest tales of survival situated in real-life events. Fans of great female characters will love Jane, even if they disagree with some of her methods of getting herself ahead of the game.

Review copy received from the publisher.

Variant by Robison Wells

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Benson has been accepted to Maxfield Academy, a prestigious school whose existence means he won’t have to stick around in his dead-end life as a foster kid, jumping from one home to the next. But the minute he arrives at the school, he realizes something is wrong. For one thing, there aren’t any adults around. The kids all teach themselves, receiving instructions via computer. They’re sometimes instructed to complete pointless or cruel tasks, and there are terrible punishments for anyone who breaks rules.
Benson soon realizes that the school is a prison. Anyone who tries to leave is subject to punishment – and some of them just disappear. Benson – and a few allies (or are they allies?) – try to discover what the true purpose of the school is, because it’s definitely not educating its students. They also begin working on a daring plan to escape.
Variant has everything a good sci-fi thriller should: a quick pace, plenty of twists, a good narrative voice, and a few surprises. While I could predict a few of the events (anyone who’s read any amount of science fiction will be able to), Wells still managed to throw me for a pretty big loop near the end, and an even bigger one in the final chapter.
Variant isn’t earth-shaking or life-changing. Benson is well-drawn and most ancillary characters have some depth, but I wouldn’t say there’s much depth to the story as a whole. The writing is taut and propels the story forward, but it’s never lovely or particularly clever. It doesn’t try to be. Variant is a solid example of novel as entertainment. Like Harlan Coben’s Shelter or Ally Carter’s Heist Society, it succeeds because of its clever plot and quick pace.
I’d recommend Variant to readers who like thrillers. It will also have appeal to readers who like dystopias, although this book is NOT really a dystopia. The science fiction element is important, but it’s light and not very complex, meaning people who only have a passing interest in sci fi would have no problem getting hooked. If you like your books page-turners that won’t let you set them down until you finish, Variant is your match.

Three Books That Didn’t Work for Me, Part Two

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I did a previous installment of this a week ago, and I found it such a great way to pinpoint what my exact problems were with certain books that I’ve decided to make it an irregular feature. Below are three short reviews of books I’ve read recently that just didn’t work for me and why.

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

What it’s about: Amy Goodnight comes from a long line of witches, but she’s always tried to play it down, unlike her older sister, Phin, who embraces it. Amy and Phin are ranch-sitting for their kooky aunt for the summer in Texas when strange things start happening. Amy is feeling a sinister presence and seeing a ghostly apparition, and it might have something to do with the bones that were discovered buried near their neighbors’ land. Speaking of neighbors, the one living next door is pretty hot, and he and Amy develop a crackling romance, despite the fact that his family and the Goodnights don’t get along.

Why it didn’t work for me: I mostly found the story boring. A well-told ghost story can still manage to grip me, despite the fact that my interest in them has waned since I was a kid, but the pace here was too slow and the ghostly aspects dull. The mystery was too predictable as well. (I’m really not a good guesser when it comes to mysteries, so when I see the answer coming a mile away, that’s not a good sign.)

Who might enjoy it: The romance between Amy and Ben is awfully cute, so people who like their supernatural stories with a dash of romance – and even a little steam! – will dig it. Big fans of ghost stories will find plenty to enjoy here, but it’s not for the casual ghost story reader.

Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer

What it’s about: Willa lives with her mother, stepfather, and two stepsisters. Her father, whom she has not seen in a long time, has just killed his new wife and children, and the police are worried that he may be on his way to attack Willa and her mother as well. Contrary to the jacket copy, this is not a thriller. The events concerning Willa’s father are resolved very early on, and the rest of the book is about Willa dealing with latent problems concerning her mother, stepfather, and stepsiblings, as well as problems of her own.

Why it didn’t work for me: I picked this up because I thought it would be a thriller, and it wasn’t. But even when I reassessed it as a family drama, the book still failed. I’ve seen other readers mention they thought the writing here was strong, but I felt it was pretty weak. It was mostly tell and almost no show, so despite the short length, I slogged through it. Because of this, I never felt the suspense near the beginning, and I never felt that anything was at stake in the rest of the book. All subplots felt underdeveloped and I didn’t get a feel for any of the characters beyond “She’s the nice one,” “She’s the selfish one,” and so on.

Who might enjoy it: I’ll be honest and admit that family dramas are really not my thing. Readers interested in the unique problems blended families face may enjoy this one, but they’ll have to get past the poor execution.

When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

What it’s about: Felicita is a High-Lammer, a noble from a powerful house. Her best friend, Ilven, has just become engaged to a noble from another house. Ilven is so distraught over the prospect of marrying a stranger and the changes it will cause in her life that she commits suicide – she jumps off a cliff into the sea. Soon, Felicita is faced with the same prospect, but rather than kill herself, she fakes her death and runs away. She falls in with a group of lower-class Hobs and becomes entangled with their leader, Dash. Dash has plans for the city – and it involves dangerous magic called up from the sea, magic somehow caused by Ilven’s death.

Why it didn’t work for me: I thought the world-building was too confusing. What are Hobs? What are Lammers? Why are they called that? What exactly do the houses do? How does magic work, and how exactly was the magic from the sea called? I could tell that Hellisen was really trying to create a unique world, but I mostly felt left in the dark. Aside from that, I had problems with Felicita. She makes the decision to run away from home, but after that she’s very passive. Most of the book involves her simply observing others or being coerced into going places. Near the end, she makes an active decision, but it doesn’t have motive. This is also a book I firmly feel should have been written in past tense instead of present tense.

Who might enjoy it: The writing is often lovely, and it makes for a spooky, atmospheric read. Readers who are drawn to that sort of tone may enjoy this one. I’d also recommend it to readers looking for a unique fantasy world, as long as they don’t mind not understanding a lot of it. 
 
Review copies of Blood Wounds and When the Sea is Rising Red received from the publishers. Texas Gothic borrowed from my local library. Texas Gothic and Blood Wounds are available now, and When the Sea is Rising Red will be released February 2012.