Sunday, May 8, 2011

Does age make a difference?

The other day I received a tweet from Alex Bennett who runs the site Electrifying Reviews.  Alex is an incredible high school student who is really making a name for himself in the blogosphere.

I don't know about you, but I jump at the chance to have YA reviewers, because, after all, Asteria was written for YA readers. And so when Alex tweeted last week that he wanted a copy of the book, I went that afternoon and threw one in the mail. Here is his "In My Mailbox" Vlog.  I also have another teen blogger, Myranda Harman, that has requested a copy as well. (pssstt... it's on the way :- ). She is a high schooler from right here in Kentucky. If you get a chance, stop by and say hi to her. She's a real cutie!

Most of Asteria's reviews have come from seasoned veterans, although we have had a couple of reviews from the twenty-something crowd. Overall the feedback has been very positive, but this is the first time high school students, other than Kate's friends, will be sharing their thoughts and opinions.

That made me wonder. Do you think that age brings perspective or cynicism? How do young bloggers view stories differently from their more seasoned counterparts?

6 comments:

  1. It depends on who is reviewing the book more than it does how old they are, I think. There are some reviews written by adults that... you know, suck. But there are also reviews from young people that are the same way. It really depends on who it is that is reviewing a book, not how many candles are on their birthday cake.

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  2. I think that is so true, Alex! I've found that teenagers are more willing to just accept a creative plot line for the sake of the story, whereas adult sometimes are a bit more jaded. Even the elderly crowd views a storyline differently than the middle aged crowd. I love the different perspective all ages bring. And I think all writers hope that it doesn't matter what age demographic the reader is, they just want them to be swept away by the story.

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  4. I agree with you both! Teens are more willing to accept the plot of the story. Alex is right in saying it really depends on the person. I know I have met some adult bloggers who still have the heart of a young teenager and it shows through their reviews.

    Thanks for sending me a copy, and mentioning me in your post! I can't wait to read it! :)

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  5. I agree completely, Beth. I love the diversity of opinions and feelings across the age board. Alex, you're right. Age is irrelevant. I think that's the driving force in Beth's post here. Great reviews come from all walks of life, all ages, and perspectives. I appreciate the insight of each reviewer. Everyone brings something new to the table. Great thoughts, guys!

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  6. Oh this is such a great topic and I was actually just thinking about this. First of all, I've been dying to ask Alex to review my book but too terrified. Ha! *hint, hint, Alex.*

    With my book, most of my reviews have also come from seasoned reviewers, although I try to seek out teenagers to read it because...that's who it was written for. That doesn't necessarily mean I value their opinions over the adult reviewers, just that I do value their opinions highly.

    I think a great mix of young and more matured reviewers is a good idea and I really appreciate the insight of anyone who reads it. I've actually been thinking about this same thing concerning followers and fans...the writer community on Twitter is huge and amazing, but sometimes I wonder if I'm doing enough to reach out to teenagers and young adults. At any rate, great post!!

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