What is your opinion on Dan's character?

Use this forum to discuss the June 2019 Book of the month, "Cynthia and Dan: Cyber War" by Dorothy May Mercer.
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MsH2k
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Re: What is your opinion on Dan's character?

Post by MsH2k »

The character of Dan was never developed in this book. I thought he might have been developed properly in a prior book in the series. Since this was my first book, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I, too, thought his blowing up at Cynthia was over the top. Where is the concern for someone who has “ILOVEDAN” as a license plate! He did collect himself and cared for her when she was sick, but I wonder if he saw her pregnancy prevention pills in the bathroom. He also had to find the letters from Sky that Cynthia stashed under her pillow when he changed her bed. To me, he is a loose cannon and very immature. I can’t imagine her putting up with him for however long they were together.
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Post by ShailaSheshadri »

Dan's character seems not developed well. Though he poses sometimes as a fatherly figure by caring her, he doesn't show much care as a lover. In my opinion, this character doesn't carry much worth.
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Post by Bretagne »

I expected a lot more from a character who's name is in the title. Dan felt like filler character to me. He flipped quickly from being the primary love interest to being a literal villain. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, the execution and motive seemed shallow and lacking. We don't even see him during his big downfall, and I think that shows how little thought was put into him as a character.
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Post by iknwuzoh »

Yes his actions in the book is more like a fatherly attitude than a lover. However we see him trying to get his girlfriend back.
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Post by Felicity Granger »

The author kept Dan in the 'second lead' role. He was the third angle in the love triangle trope the novel was rocking. If Dan had maintained that dependable, confident 'it' guy thing he had going on at the novel's inception, Cynthia wouldn't have felt vindicated when she cheated, and we all know the mess that was.
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Post by Kansas City Teacher »

Nena_Morena wrote: 14 Jun 2019, 21:39 I didn't like almost any of the characters of this book, especially Sky and Cynthia. Dan was a man whose girlfriend kept lying to; he yelled at Cynthia because after she stood him up without calling, she gave him a lousy excuse. He seems like a caring boyfriend, at times too lazy, according to Cynthia; then he suddenly became the villain who risks his job and reputation for getting his girlfriend back. Even though he was more realistic than other characters, he didn't convince me completely.
I thought something similar...thought Dan was not innocent..but how much can a guy take? He was the most realistic character in the book, just like you said.
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Post by Bles »

When I came across the character Dan, I was convinced that he was the best until I read the whole book. The lover part didn't just suite him well. Also, i hated the part where he became too creepy. All the same, the book was amazing.
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Post by ArielKiaira »

Jlprince26 wrote: 06 Jun 2019, 17:06 At first I saw Dan as this strong, independent guy who teetered on the verge of being more like a father figure to Cynthia than a lover, now he's this sappy, lonely, desperate guy who can't get a girl. His character is flawed in so many ways to me. I immediately couldn't stand him when he yelled at Cynthia for missing their date, it wasn't that he yelled at her, it was the tone I could imagine. He acted like her father, not a concerned lover. Anyone else have an opinion on the guy?
I think the author purposely made him look like a douche bag so that the readers wouldn't be so opset about her cheating on him and dating Sky.
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Post by ArielKiaira »

Bles wrote: 22 Nov 2019, 17:15 When I came across the character Dan, I was convinced that he was the best until I read the whole book. The lover part didn't just suite him well. Also, i hated the part where he became too creepy. All the same, the book was amazing.
It just felt so unlike him when his character changed so much at the end of the book.
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Post by ArielKiaira »

Kansas City Teacher wrote: 11 Nov 2019, 17:10
Nena_Morena wrote: 14 Jun 2019, 21:39 I didn't like almost any of the characters of this book, especially Sky and Cynthia. Dan was a man whose girlfriend kept lying to; he yelled at Cynthia because after she stood him up without calling, she gave him a lousy excuse. He seems like a caring boyfriend, at times too lazy, according to Cynthia; then he suddenly became the villain who risks his job and reputation for getting his girlfriend back. Even though he was more realistic than other characters, he didn't convince me completely.
I thought something similar...thought Dan was not innocent..but how much can a guy take? He was the most realistic character in the book, just like you said.
I agree I think the author didn't give nearly as much thought to Dan as she did the other characters. He felt like an afterthought.
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Post by ArielKiaira »

Felicity Granger wrote: 07 Sep 2019, 19:46 The author kept Dan in the 'second lead' role. He was the third angle in the love triangle trope the novel was rocking. If Dan had maintained that dependable, confident 'it' guy thing he had going on at the novel's inception, Cynthia wouldn't have felt vindicated when she cheated, and we all know the mess that was.
I think the author just made up the Dan characters to produce this idea of a love triangle.
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Post by ArielKiaira »

Bretagne wrote: 17 Aug 2019, 11:55 I expected a lot more from a character who's name is in the title. Dan felt like filler character to me. He flipped quickly from being the primary love interest to being a literal villain. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, the execution and motive seemed shallow and lacking. We don't even see him during his big downfall, and I think that shows how little thought was put into him as a character.
I'm litterally convinced the title was just a sad afterthought and has nothing to do with the book.
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Post by Bles »

Honestly speaking, I expected Dan to be a unique and major character in the book but I was sad after reading this book reason being that the character was not well developed. I expected more than what was written about him.
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Post by Hiruni Hansika »

Jlprince26 wrote: 06 Jun 2019, 17:06 At first I saw Dan as this strong, independent guy who teetered on the verge of being more like a father figure to Cynthia than a lover, now he's this sappy, lonely, desperate guy who can't get a girl. His character is flawed in so many ways to me. I immediately couldn't stand him when he yelled at Cynthia for missing their date, it wasn't that he yelled at her, it was the tone I could imagine. He acted like her father, not a concerned lover. Anyone else have an opinion on the guy?
I kind of understood him. He was not free like Sky and he did what he could to love Cynthia. He took care of her when she was sick. It ass creepy when he got jealous and traced her and got Sky arrested. But he had all rights to be jealous. But it is true that his jealousy was too much.
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Post by Mys_Trea »

Dan was an underdeveloped character. So much more could have gone into making him feel like an actual human being we can relate to. He seemed to me like a lazy boyfriend who took his partner for granted. Cynthia was no better for cheating, so she earned no votes from me there. Dan was just all over the place, being complacent one minute, then obsessed the next. His character needed more stability. And charm.
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