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The character arc in my book club's pick flopped hard this month
We read 'The Vanishing Act' by M. L. Reed and the main character Elena started off as a sharp detective, but by chapter 12 she turned into a clueless amateur. Over 6 chapters she forgot 3 key clues she found earlier, and our group spent 20 minutes arguing if it was bad writing or intentional. Has anyone else seen a protagonist change for no clear reason like this?
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thompson.nathan21d agoMost Upvoted
Did you check if the author changed editors halfway through or something? I had the exact same thing happen with a thriller called "Cold Ridge" where the main guy went from a clever survivalist to a guy who couldn't even start a fire without a lighter. It ruined the whole book for me. Feels like the author just gave up on keeping the character consistent and hoped nobody would notice.
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felix_lane9921d ago
Oh man, I totally feel you @thompson.nathan! That exact thing happened to me with a series I was reading where the main character went from being this super sharp detective to missing obvious clues later on. It drove me crazy! It's like the author just flipped a switch and forgot who they were writing about. I bet it has to do with the editor situation you mentioned, or maybe the author just got tired of the character and rushed the ending. Either way, it makes you feel kind of cheated, you know? I've started checking reviews specifically for character consistency before I pick up a new book now.
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