Johan Vandevelde (auteur) reviewed Evertaster by Adam Glendon Sidwell
Review of 'Evertaster' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
As a children's author myself I was drawn by the wildly original storyline and the great cover art. 'Evertaster' could have been a wonderful children's book and a potential bestseller, competing with the likes of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. Alas, although 'Evertaster' does have its moments, it failed to enchant me. The characters are all extremely flat and stereotyped, making it difficult for the reader to feel something for them. All we get to know about the main character is that he's eleven and doesn't like normal food. But it's the story that is the real problem. 'Evertaster' is riddled with obvious coincidences which solely exist to make things easy for the characters (sure, everyone has a rich aunt with a private jet in her backyard and a butler who happens to be a pilot, don't they?). Yes, Guster and his family encounter some difficulties on their quest, but …
As a children's author myself I was drawn by the wildly original storyline and the great cover art. 'Evertaster' could have been a wonderful children's book and a potential bestseller, competing with the likes of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. Alas, although 'Evertaster' does have its moments, it failed to enchant me. The characters are all extremely flat and stereotyped, making it difficult for the reader to feel something for them. All we get to know about the main character is that he's eleven and doesn't like normal food. But it's the story that is the real problem. 'Evertaster' is riddled with obvious coincidences which solely exist to make things easy for the characters (sure, everyone has a rich aunt with a private jet in her backyard and a butler who happens to be a pilot, don't they?). Yes, Guster and his family encounter some difficulties on their quest, but nothing that puts the reader on the edge of his/her seat. Another problem is the believability. When writing a wild fantasy tale like this, you should make sure that it is firmly rooted in a very real world, with realistic and believable characters. Although Harry Potter is pure fantasy, it is also connected to the real world in such a way that the reader believes every word on the pages. It is at this point that 'Evertaster' fails, making it a simple succession of unbelievable and oddly convenient coincidences.
Now, don't get me wrong. I do think that Adam Glendon Sidwell does have genuine talent to write a great story. I only have the feeling that 'Evertaster' was written way too fast and that I'm only reading the first rough draft. If someone showed me this manuscript, I would say: 'Good story, now go rewrite it and make it great!'