Do you think the story was plot-based or character driven?

Discuss the October 2017 Book of the Month, Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon.

View Strong Heart on Bookshelves

View Strong Heart on Amazon
User avatar
gali
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 53652
Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 07:12
Favorite Author: Agatha Christie
Currently Reading: The Suite Life
Bookshelf Size: 2287
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gali.html
Reading Device: B00I15SB16
Publishing Contest Votes: 0
fav_author_id: 2484

Do you think the story was plot-based or character driven?

Post by gali »

Do you think the story was plot-based or character driven? I think it was plot-based as the characters weren't that deep, with the exception of Sara and Myra.
A retired Admin/Mod

Pronouns: She/Her

"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)
User avatar
Ferdinand_Otieno
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 3369
Joined: 03 Jun 2017, 12:54
Favorite Author: Victor Rose
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 1749
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ferdinand-otieno.html
Latest Review: Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker
fav_author_id: 78026

Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

The story had aspects of being both plot-based and character-driven. The generational connection of a grandparent taking so trek with their grandchild drove the character-driven sections while the danger of Sarah disappearing forever drove the plot-based sections.
User avatar
gali
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 53652
Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 07:12
Favorite Author: Agatha Christie
Currently Reading: The Suite Life
Bookshelf Size: 2287
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gali.html
Reading Device: B00I15SB16
Publishing Contest Votes: 0
fav_author_id: 2484

Post by gali »

Ferdinand_otieno wrote:The story had aspects of being both plot-based and character-driven. The generational connection of a grandparent taking so trek with their grandchild drove the character-driven sections while the danger of Sarah disappearing forever drove the plot-based sections.
Well put! You got a point.
A retired Admin/Mod

Pronouns: She/Her

"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)
User avatar
Heidi M Simone
Official Reviewer Representative
Posts: 7054
Joined: 17 Jul 2015, 20:19
Favorite Book: Harry Potter
Currently Reading: Beyond the Wand
Bookshelf Size: 556
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-heidi-m-simone.html
Latest Review: Lugares Amables by Lidice Megla
Publishing Contest Votes: 27
fav_author_id: 0

Post by Heidi M Simone »

I think it was more plot-driven, just because I didn't really feel any real connection with the characters and I felt their background stories were presented a bit too thin.
Heidi
Official Reviewer Representative

"There is nothing as powerful as a mother’s love, and nothing as healing as a child’s soul." – Unknown
User avatar
Quinto
Posts: 1260
Joined: 01 Aug 2017, 01:14
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 704
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-quinto.html
Latest Review: The Longfellah's Son: An Almost True Irish Story by Michael Cassidy

Post by Quinto »

In my opinion, the author story here is primary. His projection of the importance and relevancy of the Indian culture and its perpetuity is key, even in the face of the encroaching modernity. Characterisation come second.
User avatar
Ashiyya Tariq
Posts: 2181
Joined: 17 Mar 2017, 02:17
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 235
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ashiyya-tariq.html
Latest Review: Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath by Randy Miller
Reading Device: PDF

Post by Ashiyya Tariq »

The story is mainly character-driven .we found every character connected with the other. Characters of Sara and Tom are quite dominant in a story. Which makes even plot character - driven.
Make your ideals high enough to inspire you and low enough to encourage you.

📕📖📰📓📕
User avatar
Amagine
Posts: 5441
Joined: 04 Mar 2017, 19:27
Favorite Author: James Patterson
Bookshelf Size: 721
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-amagine.html
Latest Review: "Salome and Gogo visit Soweto" by Cora Groenewald
Reading Device: B00IKPYKWG
fav_author_id: 3251

Post by Amagine »

I think it was plot-based. I really like character driven books but this book had more plot than character development. That's probably the reason I didn't connect with it as much as I would have liked.
"Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude." -A.A Milne

"I am grateful for all the books that sparked my imagination." -Unknown
Latest Review: "Salome and Gogo visit Soweto" by Cora Groenewald
User avatar
Mallory Whitaker
Posts: 560
Joined: 14 Jul 2015, 15:16
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 98
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mallory-whitaker.html
Latest Review: Color Me American by Silvia Sama-Lambiv

Post by Mallory Whitaker »

I think it was more plot-driven because, like you said, the characters weren't all that deep. Well, unless we're counting the Olympic Peninsula as a character because, man, did he describe that with vivid detail and give it a real personality.
User avatar
Amagine
Posts: 5441
Joined: 04 Mar 2017, 19:27
Favorite Author: James Patterson
Bookshelf Size: 721
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-amagine.html
Latest Review: "Salome and Gogo visit Soweto" by Cora Groenewald
Reading Device: B00IKPYKWG
fav_author_id: 3251

Post by Amagine »

Mallory Whitaker wrote:I think it was more plot-driven because, like you said, the characters weren't all that deep. Well, unless we're counting the Olympic Peninsula as a character because, man, did he describe that with vivid detail and give it a real personality.
Right! :lol2:

The setting had more life than the characters. He's very talented at setting the scene of a story.
"Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude." -A.A Milne

"I am grateful for all the books that sparked my imagination." -Unknown
Latest Review: "Salome and Gogo visit Soweto" by Cora Groenewald
User avatar
gali
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 53652
Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 07:12
Favorite Author: Agatha Christie
Currently Reading: The Suite Life
Bookshelf Size: 2287
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gali.html
Reading Device: B00I15SB16
Publishing Contest Votes: 0
fav_author_id: 2484

Post by gali »

Amagine wrote:
Mallory Whitaker wrote:I think it was more plot-driven because, like you said, the characters weren't all that deep. Well, unless we're counting the Olympic Peninsula as a character because, man, did he describe that with vivid detail and give it a real personality.
Right! :lol2:

The setting had more life than the characters. He's very talented at setting the scene of a story.
lol The setting was well drawn indeed.
A retired Admin/Mod

Pronouns: She/Her

"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)
User avatar
Amagine
Posts: 5441
Joined: 04 Mar 2017, 19:27
Favorite Author: James Patterson
Bookshelf Size: 721
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-amagine.html
Latest Review: "Salome and Gogo visit Soweto" by Cora Groenewald
Reading Device: B00IKPYKWG
fav_author_id: 3251

Post by Amagine »

Quinto wrote:In my opinion, the author story here is primary. His projection of the importance and relevancy of the Indian culture and its perpetuity is key, even in the face of the encroaching modernity. Characterisation come second.
It's definitely true that his primary interest was about the projection of the culture. Everything else came second.
"Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude." -A.A Milne

"I am grateful for all the books that sparked my imagination." -Unknown
Latest Review: "Salome and Gogo visit Soweto" by Cora Groenewald
User avatar
MrsCatInTheHat
Posts: 3817
Joined: 31 May 2016, 11:53
Favorite Book: Cry the Beloved Country
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 376
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mrscatinthehat.html
Latest Review: Marc Marci by Larry G. Goldsmith
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU
Publishing Contest Votes: 0

Post by MrsCatInTheHat »

The story was definitely plot driven but towards the end, I could see a little more of the characters driving the story.
Life without a good book is something MrsCatInTheHat cannot imagine.
User avatar
Georgialouise
Posts: 74
Joined: 11 May 2017, 09:04
Currently Reading: The Watchmaker’s Doctor
Bookshelf Size: 67
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-georgialouise.html
Latest Review: A Bloody Book by Chris Bowen

Post by Georgialouise »

I think it is a mixture of both, although there was no back-story to the characters, the reader had the chance to grow with them and experience everything that happened to them. And the settings for the story were very well developed.
User avatar
Bluecobia
Posts: 342
Joined: 08 Jul 2017, 12:19
Currently Reading: Game of Thrones
Bookshelf Size: 55
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bluecobia.html
Latest Review: The miner by F.Robert

Post by Bluecobia »

I would say that the story is predominantly plot based. People learn and change but the plot is stronger.
Latest Review: The miner by F.Robert
User avatar
BoyLazy
Posts: 808
Joined: 26 Apr 2017, 23:01
Currently Reading: Temptation Trials Part II
Bookshelf Size: 122
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-boylazy.html
Latest Review: Heartaches 2 by H.M. Irwing

Post by BoyLazy »

The story plot was so interesting that the characters - even though they were strong and well developed, they had no chance to compete with the plot of the story.
Boy Lazy
Reviewer | Blogger | Influencer
 
Post Reply

Return to “Discuss "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon”