I don't want to name any names but they were from two different writers and they were very similar in their awfulness.
I hate criticizing other people's writing, I really do. It's such a personal thing and everyone does it different and that doesn't make it bad or wrong per se, but let me say that I hated it. They were both the same whereas the sentences were all short, robotic, and there was too much explaining. I can't write out a few sentences from the books here, but I will imitate the writing so you can get my point.
'The hands on the clock pointed to the 3 and the twelve. 3 O'clock. It was time to make supper. David liked to eat the second he got home. I always did my best to have supper ready right at 4 O'clock. He said it was one of the things he loved about me. I'm happy when he is happy so I always start cooking early. I planned to make stuffed chicken breasts. I take the chicken out of the fridge. I get a knife from the drawer and open the plastic wrap. I take out the chicken and place it on the cutting board. Next I take out the cheese and herbs from the fridge. I always use fresh herbs, never dry. It takes me fifteen minutes to make the chicken then forty five minutes to cook, so I will be right on time. While the chicken is cooking I open some wine, and check my phone. I wonder briefly why my mother hasn't called me back yet. Usually she calls me back right away and it has been nearly two hours since I called her and left a voicemail.......'
I think you get the point. It was painful to read. I only bought the first ten chapters of each book and ten chapters ended up being more than enough for me; I have no interest whatsoever of buying the rest of either book. I thought I was detached from my characters because I never write long emotional monologues but these books were a hundred times more distant. It was like having a person's every move dictated to me by Data. No that's not true, because even Data had more personality than these books. Uuuuuggh.
Anyway, I'm just glad they were both cheap. Although at free, I think I still would have paid too much.
New chapter of AMARANTHINE on Friday, as per usual. See you then.