I liked the concept of the novel Mort(e) by Robert Repino, a science-fiction tale about an animal revolution against human control over their lives. And there were some strong chapters, especially the first one, which really drew me in, and some others later that kept a focused intensity. Too much of this book though was long-winded world building and summarized action that often felt unnecessary. And nothing much happened with the central concept to illuminate either the human world or animal resistance to it.
The characterizations weren’t all that interesting, and the central motive for the drama, Mort(e) the cat’s love for Sheba the dog, never felt convincing or interesting and seemed mostly an empty shell created to connect together the too-often summarized action. Mort(e)’s name, which stands out so prominently every time it appears, turns on an idea that felt tangential and random and without much power. Ultimately this book depends on a flashy main idea that was not developed in a way that had great significance.
Having a compelling main idea and a visually catchy name for your main character is no substitute for having an engaging story to tell, but an idea like that and an excellent opening chapter might get a writer all the way to a book contract.
