Review: Kill Dress by John Young
Reviewed by Denise G.
The short novel Kill Dress by John Young is his first, and is about a dress that has mystical powers over men. The story opens by introducing us to five young women who work, rest, and play together in New York City. One of them has recently had her heart broken, precipitating a trip to Louisiana for some relaxation. While there, Kim (the wronged girl) meets an elderly lady who makes her the perfect dress to attract men with. The only problem is that the dress seems to stir some dark emotions in people.
Whenever I read someone’s first published book, I want really badly to like it. This book had a good plot, though it could have been more fully developed and expanded upon. I’m not sure why he decided to put so many characters (roommates) in the story, when fewer would have sufficed. The characters were not developed enough so that I felt any relationship or empathy for them, and they quite easily could have been. Also, there a couple of distracting things about the author’s writing style: the same things kept repeating (as in, they got up and went to work, etc…) and everybody called everybody else “girl”all the time! People just don’t talk that way in real life. A good editor could have (should have?) whipped this book into what it was meant to be.
Overall, even with the minuses mentioned above, Kill Dress is still a suspenseful story that is worth a quick read. Pack it in your beach tote during the few remaining summer days and you can read it in the sun in just a few hours. Hopefully, John Young’s next book will be a little longer, a little better developed and edited soundly.
Visit John Young’s website for more information.
With a diverse but unsatisfying career background, Denise made the decision to pursue what she loves: writing! Her first novel, of course, is in the works. More info about her is available at her blog http://makemoney-writingonline.blogspot.com.
This book was provided free of any obligation by John Young. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
Category: Contemporary, Literature & Fiction
LOL I love the cover. It makes me think of my Aunt Blanche’s gray satin and rhinestoned dress. She loved wearing to parties at different embassies and being the center of attention for droves of men. She left the “magical” dress at our house one time and I had lost a lot of weight recently but I could not slide the dress over my generous hips. I think that her dress might make for a more interesting story than this author’s!
Carol Wong
Rats! I’m sorry to read that this book didn’t quite meet the mark. As soon as I read “a dress that has mystical powers over men” I was pretty interested. It has a little bit of magic, fashion and hints at a dark side. That all sounds good!
But obviously the reviewer didn’t rate the book highly. What really turned me off is his comment that one character repeatedly said “girl” to the others. Blech, just blech. I guess I will reread the comments made before mine to find a book I would be better suited to.
Maybe the author in doing his book research knows someone who says ‘girl’ all the time. A little of that stuff goes a long way.
Awesome comments, RivkaBelle and Sharon! I agree with both of you. RivkaBelle, I also tend to pick up on the typos and plot flaws and can get very frustrated with it. Sharon, I agree that it seems like more and more publishing houses are shooting out poorly done novels, which can often distract from the gems also coming out (it is so hard to shuffle through the fray and find the gems sometimes!). I can only assume they do it because they are trying to get as many out as possible to increase profit. Forget the cover or the flaws in writing…a mystical dress? Yeah, not my cup of tea.
Actually, I liked the concept of a mystical, magical dress. Dorothy had the same thing going on with a pair of shoes.
I read “Wish” over the summer, about magical dresses that granted one wish each … That idea was cute and fun – and Alexandra Bullen did a great job of having the story be ‘serious’ instead of just ‘fluffy’ … So I think dresses or shoes or sunglasses or what-have-you that have ‘powers’ can work in a story. IF the story has been developed properly.
Yes, magical sunglasses, that is the ticket! Worked for Jackie Kennedy and Tom Cruise. As for shoes, there was also Cinderella.
This is gonna sound kinda strange, but I’m really glad this is not a book I’d feel compelled to pick up and read! Now let me explain why: my brain has an annoying habit of reading almost everything with an editor’s eye — picking up on typos, inconsistencies in story/details, general mechanics, etc. If the story is good enough, I can normally shut the brain up enough to keep reading. If the story is ‘bad’, I don’t always make it to the end. So to know that this one could have really used some more editing — it would not be something fun for me to read.
The title is interesting though, and I bet it will get some attention. 
Know what you mean Rivka as I seem to be proof-reading all the time, even though I need a proof-reader also. But I was a journalism major before I switched to nursing so proof-reading and writing are built into my hardwiring.
I tend to finish every book I start so I do not feel compelled to keep it until I finish it. I can always use more space on the bookshelves.
I tend to get a lot of my books from the library (especially if it’s something I think I want to read but am not super-sure about liking enough to own), so if I don’t feel inclined to finish it, I have no qualms about sending it back … Now if it’s a book I’ve purchased or was given, I try a little harder to either A] finish it or B] find a REALLY good reason to ‘justify’ not finishing it. Then I figure out what to do with it, haha …
I think that libraries are great for being able to select books and reject what you do not want to finish. I have friends who swear by the library as the only way to get what they want to read. I do not like the time constraints of the library’s schedule, time limits on returns and the street people around the library. But I love the idea of a library, I just never use it.
I get most of my books from a local charity thrift store that charges .99 for a paperback and 1.49 for a hardback. I also get review copies for my blog from my on-line book club or from the publisher. I do not ask the publishers for books however, unless I know I will read them right away. My last source for books is usually Ebay and Alibris as I read a lot of older publications.
Because I own the books I am reading, I have to finish them to recycle them.
Many novellas are short and sweet, but being concise requires a book to be well-written to rapidly convey the story. I am sure I have said this, or some version of it before here on Luxury Reading, that we are being inundated with poorly written novels with seductive covers. It is not the fault of the authors, but rather the publishers, who think good enough is good enough.
We owe it to ourselves and our fellow readers to not buy poorly written books. I personally will never buy a Nicholas Sparks novel again because my standards are higher than his editor’s.
Sharon Young recently posted..And the Emmy Winners for Best Actor are-
Sharon, I would not agree with you more about Nicholas Sparks. When someone tells me they are a fan, I actually cringe. But I keep my opinions to myself, because everyone should be allowed to have their own taste without being ridiculed.
Oh, I don’t think of it as ridicule if someone thinks an author that I like is terrible. But I really appreciate you acknowledging that I am not alone with my Nicholas Sparks assessment. I thought it was just me. I do think he has great plot ideas.
I am intrigued by the concept but not sure if I will try it.