by Angel (link)
Genre drama/angst, romance
Pairings Zac/OFC
Length 23 chapters
Status Completed
Picking a story completely at random to review can be a risky move on my part, but Teach Me How To Cry was hosted by a well known hanfic site, so I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Writing a story that focuses on an original character can be a risky move on the author’s part, but I’m also willing to give Angel the benefit of the doubt there.
The story begins with a summary of the character’s life up to that point. It’s an overdramatic tale, like so many hanfics are, involving abuse and even murder. At least the plot moves along quickly, helped in part by the short, fast paced chapters and quick scene changes. In a huge, eye roller of a coincidence, Starre encounters an early Hanson performance and realizes Zac is the savior she’s seen in her dreams for years. Fast forward two years later and they’ve met and quickly become best friends… then boyfriend and girlfriend.
It’s a pretty ridiculously over the top plot, and it all wraps up far too neatly (and with some unrealistic legal details) at the end. Angel has a knack for dialogue, though, even if she does take things a bit too far at times just for the sake of being quirky. Her writing is fairly strong, too, with just a few minor errors mostly in the form of mixed up homonyms. A more mature author might have been able to make something better out of such a drama-fest of a plot, but I can’t quite picture it.
Review by Bethany (website)