Review: The Merchant of Death

The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I really wanted to like this book. The premise is great, the plot is fun and has plenty of action and twists. But somehow the writing style was a barrier for me. It's written in first person through journal installments. I simply couldn't get into it, couldn't feel close to what was happening. I also could hardly stand Bobby's voice, which is very juvenile and tedious, and because of the journal format, colors everything that happens. I had to struggle to finish. Maybe this setup appeals more to kids - and they are the target audience, so I suppose this could just be one of those kids books that doesn't translate well to all adults.

Then, in spite of my experience with this first book, the actual plot somehow convinced me to read the next two in the series against my better judgement. It's really hard for me to leave a story unfinished, and I would like to know how it all ends. Unfortunately, it didn't improve and I finally decided to stop torturing myself. It's a shame because the story itself has really great potential. The execution is just so boring! I have so much more to read and don't want to waste anymore time feeling these books drag by.



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