Can Flawed Characters Be Too Flawed?

There are certain blogs I read on a daily basis, or at least I try to read them on a daily basis. Some days are better than others. Kind of like me blogging, eh?

But anyway, one of those blogs is Dear Author, I like their book and movie reviews, their link roundups, and basically everything. So, they are a must-read.

Two days ago, they posted a review of Stacia's Kane's new release, Unholy Ghosts. Though the reviewer thought she loved the world building:

This is where my love for Chess Putnam ends, because Chess is a drug addict. I have a serious problem with a protagonist that is a drug addict. I don’t give a shit how magically gifted she is, how awesome she is without being MarySuetastic. If Chess wasn’t such an addicted fuckup I think I could really enjoy the superior worldbuilding, as gritty and ugly as it is, and possibly even enjoy being slightly scared outta my pants at times. I love a good post-apocalyptic urban fantasy, but to have the heroine portrayed as a drug addict makes it a tough pill to swallow.

Because of this, the book received a C rating.

And then it seems all hell has broken loose. I haven't read all the comments on the review thread, simply because I haven't had time. I did read that Ms Kane replied to the problem the reviewer had with the heroine's being a drug addict, and a warning Ms Kane posted regarding the book as well. And hell has broken loose even more. Yesterday, over at Dear Author, there was a post about a The Reader Responsibility to Author Direction and at last count, there were nearly sixty comments on that.

Now, I don't have a problem with the reviewer, or Ms Kane, or any of the responses. I don't really see the fuss over what Ms Kane said, which was basically, the heroine is a drug addict and if that is subject matter you find disturbing, don't read the book. She also posted on her blog a rebuttal of sorts. I haven't had a chance to read it in its entirety either.

But, the point of this post isn't exactly about the review, although I have to confess, it did make me want to read the book and I don't think I've ever read urban fantasy before. Nonetheless, I was intrigued, so I ordered it from Amazon and it should be here tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it!

The point of this blog was that the kerfuffle got me to thinking about character flaws. How much is too much? And I don't mean villains. I believe villains can be as flawed as possible, as evil as possible, as long as their motivation allows it. Any more than that, and you've crossed into cartoon territory.

But what about a hero or heroine? I personally don't have a problem (or, at least, I don't think I do. I'll let you know when I finish Unholy Ghosts) with a heroine or hero who has a drug/alcohol addiction. Now, I could be wrong, but considering Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City books have a LOT of drug use in them, and none of those characters are repentant about it (of course, they are set from the mid-1970s through the early 1980s, but still...)

So for me, I haven't come across a hero or heroine whose flaws are so terrible that it prevented me from liking a story. I've been more annoyed by ridiculous characters (TSTL heroines, for one) and idiotic plot twists that make no sense or go beyond my capability to suspend disbelief, than I have by character flaws. There are books by my favorite authors that I never finished (Johanna Lindsey's No Choice But Seduction being the most recent. Had a plot twist so unbelievable that I closed the book, put it down, and have not looked at it since, and that was last summer.)

But what about you? Would a character's being a drug addict be enough to make you dislike a story?

Another Monday...

And I'm back!

I didn't post on Thursday because what I wanted to post, I just couldn't get to (trust me, it'll make sense in a moment.)

I didn't post on Friday because I was running around trying to find a babysitter because mine BAILED on me at the last minute, and the hubs and I had Springsteen tickets. My mom, the hubs, and I were supposed to go with my brother, his wife, and her brother. So, after some heated arguing over who would stay home with the kids - my mom pulled out the Because I'm your mother and I say so card and won the argument. Or lost it, depending on how you look at it. She sacrificed her ticket (to the Girl - who was thrilled beyond all rational reason to get to see Bruce in concert. She loves him almost as much as I do.)

So come Friday night, me, the hubs, and the Girl (and my brother, his wife, and her brother) were all at Giants Stadium. The concert kicked some serious ass, as Bruce did Darkness on the Edge of Town in its entirety, along with about 20 other songs (including some I thought I'd never get to see him do live.) The rain held off until just before the encore, and even when it fell, no one cared. It was Bruce. It was the Meadowlands. It was awesome!!!! And there is no way I can ever thank my mom - she's the best, she really is.

And that brings me back to why I couldn't post on Thursday.

I received a wonderful review from Coffee Time Romances and More, only some jerk(s) hacked into their system (really, some people need to get out of mom's basement and get a life) and my security software wouldn't let me see the site, so I couldn't link to it.

Here's part of it:

You Belong to Me is a whirlwind of a book. There are so many diverse emotions in this fast-paced book that I was captivated with everything encasing Brenna. Kimberly Nee immediately pulls this reader into the story. I was mesmerized with the whole setting and could share in the pain inflicted on Brenna. I wanted to reach out and console her. The storyline is absolutely real and breathtaking. It was evident that Tony went out of his way to show Brenna how to trust again. The two have incredible energy that slices deep within the pages in this overpoweringly addictive read.

And the rest of the review is right here. Yay!

It's nice to start off the week with a little good news, isn't it?

And now, it's time for me to get to work. Tiger Eyes is thisclose to being ready to go out the door, and I want it off my desk. Now.

LOTTERY

I don't often do book reviews - simply because I don't know if I can ever write a review without sounding like I'm totally gushing or being really snide (when I don't like a book, I really don't like it.) But this was one book that I really want to tell people about because it's one that, as soon as I started reading, I hated putting it down for any reason.

LOTTERY, by Patricia K. Wood, was, frankly, an absolutely terrific read.

I bought it Friday afternoon, began reading it, and finished it Saturday night - and this is while I'm trying to get my house packed up and moved.

The story is about Perry L. Crandall, who has an IQ of 76. He's slow, as he points out, but he's not retarded. He lives with Gram, works at a nearby boatyard, and reads the dictionary to learn as many words as he can, because words are key. Things are tough for Perry and Gram, financially, but they are happy.

When Gram dies, Perry is left alone. He has what he calls "cousin-brothers" and an estranged mother, but they can't be bothered with him and that's fine with him because Perry has a family in his friends, Keith and Gary, and Cherry, the woman he wants to make his girlfriend. However, when Perry wins the Washington State Lottery for $12 million, those cousin-brothers can't try to insinuate themselves into Perry's life fast enough. They still don't give a hoot about him, but want his winnings.

For Perry, winning the lottery means that he can buy a 27" flat screen tv, help his friend Keith repair his boat, and that people who treated him as if he was invisible now want to be his friend. Still, he knows better - he knows which people he can trust and which ones want to take advantage of his situation. Although it seems as if the cousin-brothers just might get their greedy hands on his winnings, Keith and Gary prove what true friendship is by simply watching out for Perry.

I loved Perry - he was innocent and shrewd at the same time and, despite being "slow", he wasn't at all stupid and not at all a stereotype. He was real. His love for his friends, and for Cherry, is his motivating factor - but he does experience jealousy and anger - but his love always wins out.

It had some funny scenes, and there was a twist I didn't see coming, which I won't spoil here for anyone who hasn't read it yet. Parts made me choke up, but in the end, when I closed the book, my first thought was "I have to tell someone about this." And so here it is.

It's a great story about the power of friendship, and love, and I'm looking forward Patricia Wood's next book.

Check out Patricia's blog and see for yourself!