You've Got Five Pages, The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas by Tad Safran and James Patterson, to Tell Me You're Good.

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! To be blunt, the first chapter of The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas by Tad Safran and James Patterson was infuriating. The first page begins with a lighthearted approach about the worst Christmas present being different kinds of socks--this is relatable and fine. Then the next paragraph goes in a different direction and says the worst Christmas present for two siblings was the death of their mom. This is a shock so early in the story, but also something many of us can relate to. We're even ready as readers to sympathize and perhaps even empathize with the characters. But unfortunately, the exposition establishing this family's situation is so distracting that it turns off any desire to empathize and actually inspires us to abandon those kids to their fate, unread. The narrator wants to be lighthearted about their dead mom--don't worry, they didn't "technically" lose her because she's in a cemetery. Don't worry, she's not a zombie. Don't worry, she didn't spend all her time outside because she wasn't house-trained. What on earth was this supposed to be? Humor? I can appreciate that folks use humor to cope with grief. Again, completely understandable. But we are brand new to this story-world and this family. We want to meet this family and understand them, but we can't if we're only told poor jokes about the family member all of them love and miss so much. If anything, we only learn about the narrator in this first chapter, and what I've learned does not encourage me to stick around and get to know the narrator better. It's a shame, really, because there really are some lovely lines about the family at the end of the first chapter that, sadly, are soured by what came before. Perhaps you are fine with this brand of humor. Please enjoy! As for me, I think I'll see what's on the library's new release shelf next week. Cheers!