First let me get this out of the way. I was enjoying the Astrid & Veronika book. Very much. Then a situation (well two situations...one sort of small) happened and they put a bad taste in my mouth. One was involving one of the main characters and her father (several years after her mother had died), and that one was written with little detail, but still....certain sorts of inappropriate behavior are best left alone. That just ruined my feelings for the book, and for that, can't really recommend it. The thing is, if I could just flip through the offending pages and keep reading, I'd probably enjoy it. I'll think about it, but today, not so much.
Back in school, I remember in English class learning what a story's climax and denouement meant. High point and resolution. Those terms made sense to me then and I'd do my best to figure out which was which. Fast forward to now and I don't look for books or, for that matter, movies with a strong climax. I like stuff that's mild. I'll hear folks talk about a book just dragging on, with no excitement. Perfect. Life is adventuresome enough for me and my reading is best low-key and ordinary. Just the day-to-day. Or if there is a high-point in a story, I prefer it not to be connected to murder, child abduction, attacks on women, cruelty to animals...you get my point. When I was pregnant with our youngest son, I read mysteries until I was blue in the face. Read series after series. It was my pregnant lady's drug. Mystery fluff was my favorite, and nothing that required me to have to think too hard. I read all of Mary Higgins Clark's books except the one referring to a child abduction. No thank you.
So if an author slips in situations that are intentionally shocking to the reader, then I'll put it down. Call me boring, but that's the way I like it.
