Comments on: Meta: Cover Blurb No-Nos

By: Active Voice » Nobody’s Princess

Active Voice » Nobody’s Princess — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:24:24 +0000

[...] That’s sort of why I like it. Jessica has mentioned the problem with mythological retellings that don’t reclaim characters and storylines, and I’m right there with her. I don’t want to read a story about how Helen was so very [...]

By: Christina

Christina — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:45:35 +0000

I find that if the protagonist is a small hero and revolves around “Oh I don’t have a family and I’m not a good person to save the day” and “Discovers they really are the ‘chosen one’”… then I also find a new book to move onto. The REAL good ones are the new and creative, twisted yet fantastic characters you find in definitely vivid books. Stories as I like to call them, pfft, because even the word ‘Book’ is becoming dry!

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:31:33 +0000

-Mysterious Vampire Love Interests. Blech, it’s gotten so bad that the second I see the word “Vampire” in a blurb I can’t even bring myself to read the rest. Also I’m going to throw Incredibly Fashionable And Sexy Vampires in here too. Ugh.

By: Gillian

Gillian — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:46:07 +0000

Ok, so I often read things from the library that I really would rather not, but it goes with the job. The most unappealing things get a quick flip-through and then put back on the shelf.

I’m getting incredibly sick of:
-Emo-vampires and the girls that love them. I really disliked Twilight.
-Girl discovers she’s a witch and/or has other powers.
-Books that have blurbs claiming, that this is the next Harry Potter or Tolkien. If the words “Move over…” are featured, I’ll put it down.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:27:29 +0000

Here’s another, though I don’t think you see it advertised on cover blurbs: the love interest who’s sent away from the climactic battle, because the hero can’t stand the thought of her being hurt. Blech.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 23:34:43 +0000

Wait, I thought of one, kind of! “I am a mysterious wizened person with information vital to your quest…but now isn’t the time for you to know.” Because there’s usually NO reason for people not to know, except that it would ruin the dramatic tension of the protagonist finding out whatever’s going on later, and that’s just poor planning. Bah, humbug.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:32:43 +0000

Okay, but Swordbird is hilarious.

But yeah, I had trouble coming up with examples beyond the ones I actually encountered. Like, I KNOW I don’t want to read books only about men or books that replay Original Sin without putting any kind of feminist spin on it, and I KNOW those are tropes rather than genres. But abstract examples are harder to come by.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:35:24 +0000

See, this is hard, becomes some things are difficult to tell if they’re genre or trope. I’m not going to pick up anything with an anthropormorphic animal as the protagonist (*cough*Swordbird*cough*), but is that a trope or a genre? Either way, it’s not for me.

Wiseass talking cats — and horses, Mercedes Lackey… — are A-OK with me. Vampires and emo protagonists, on the other hand…