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Title: Why all the hype?
Review: I read "Eragon" as part of my own market research as a writer of teen fiction, and fail to see why it is getting praise. It's a far cry from unique, set in a fantasy world like most others. While I was interested enough to find out what happens next, the plot was never really remarkable. Plot "twists" are encountered with a slight nod. The psychology behind the characters is loose and some developments are sketchy (a woman on one side of the world conveniently appears on the other side of the world, and got there before Eragon, though it took him a week). And the ending...wait...that's the ending? I am reminded of my early efforts with managing long plots. I had the beginnings down, but the ends rushed to an impatient resolution. I think this book is 90% hype, and I'm not impressed that he started writing when he was 15. So did I, and while my 500-pages of amateur effort commit many of the same sins as Paolini's published work, it's a better read, and unpublished (thank god!).
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