Story Time

Story Time by Edward Bloor is about two kids who attend a cruel, abnormal school. After their neighborhood is swallowed up by the Whittake Magnet School District, Kate and her Uncle George (who is two years younger than Kate; the family set up is a little bit different) are forced to attend this school. George and Kate are astonished as they unearth what actually occurs in the Whittake School Building; students are force-fed protein shakes to supplement their intelligence, their classes don't teach anything but rather bombard the students with standardized tests, and teachers are fired periodically for promoting creativity or defying the curriculum or always giving standardized tests. Even worse, a demon is loose in the building, poised to pounce on innocent people in the Whittaker School Building.

So far, I love the book. I love it for several reasons. First, the plot is crammed full with action. Second, the book hovers around a great plot, that is really gripping. Third, the author's writing is suffused with great metaphors, which help you visualize the author's writing better.

However, their is one reason I dislike the book. When a book has a suspenseful plot, I crave a fast-moving writing style. However, Edward Bloor's writing style is slow, with each paragraph concentrating on one simple action or event. To me, the paragraphs feel like many identical ways of describing one thing that have accumulated.

The bad thing that this writing style prompts is that when a suspenseful or event full of action occurs, the slow-paced writing will make the event seem less exciting.

Overall, the book is great, though.