As a reader, there was nothing wrong with The Next Generation.  The pacing was okay, even if it was stalled with some boring farm expositions that I didn’t find remotely interesting.

The characters were okay.  Judith’s mom, who would prefer her paralyzed daughter to stay at home an invalid the rest of her life, was extremely annoying.  It wasn’t just the fact that she was an idiot (which most of the characters did not hesitate to point out), but most in her portrayal.  It felt forced and unnatural.  The other characters were alright—they weren’t flat but they weren’t three dimensional and real either.  They lacked a certain spark that I can’t really put my finger on.

The prose was also unimaginative.  I didn’t really get a feel of the characters, the setting, or much of anything, really.

The story itself had the potential to be really good: Judith learned to be independent and confident.  However, the juxtaposition of her formerly shy, dependent self and the confident, independent self at the end of the story was constantly and consistently pointed out to the reader.  As a reader, it got old having the author tug my shirt sleeve and exuberantly point out the growth of the protagonist. 

The last half of the novel was a very difficult read for me because there was a lot exposition on farming that did not entirely interest me.  This is a very down to earth story—if that sort of thing interests you, this might be the story for you.

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