Disclaimer: I do not own any of the stories to come, nor am I one of the authors. They are all excellent writers and deserve due credit. The following stories are carefully selected from the hundreds of Lily/James fics I have read, selected for their writing style, grammar, plot, and interesting-ness. - for lack of a better word…sorry =.=
Story Title: Once Again
Author: Charlotte Donahue
Category*: Tragedy
Summary: Divided into three parts, "Once Again" is a bittersweet one shot told in McGonagall's point of view. This story nearly made me cry, it was so touching. "Once Again" is not the typical Lily/James romance, but because of their large influence on "Minnie's" life, I included it to my list of stories. (Don't worry though, more romance story reviews are to come ;)) In this one shot, McGonagall reflects on three sets of hazel eyes, green eyes, black hair, and red hair. (This is actually where I got the inspiration for my story title.) The first set, James and Lily, were her favorite students, and their mischievousness and curiosity, respectively, were to her, quite incomparable. Until Harry Potter arrives at Hogwarts, the mix of both his parents. The generation afterwards is more of the author's invention, with a pair of twins that are James and Lily look-alikes. This beautiful ficlet is well written, with sentence structure and style to complement the plot. Although "Once Again" is classified in the "tragedy" category, its ending is sweetly tender.
Characters:
~Professor McGonagall- She is the narrator for this story, an uncommon choice, but it only serves to add to the style of the story. Her emotions and thoughts guide the main course of the story, reflecting wistfully back on her favorite students, James and Lily. Even when talking about the next two generations, she still links them back to her original favorites. Due to the depth of her emotions towards the first pair, the reader feels her pain and anguish when she learns of their death.
Note: I will not include all characters. Just the main ones and those that stand out as particularly interesting.
Uniqueness: The style this one shot is written in is unique- short sentences in centered font. This contributes to the tone of the story. The fact that McGonagall tells the story also is unusual. Her narration allows the reader to feel the sentimentality of a teacher, reflecting back on her favorite students. The twins of the third generation are the author's invention- James Tristan and Lily Charlotte. Yet their remarkable resemblance to the original two help the readers connect emotionally to what McGonagall, Flitwick, Remus, and Snape feel. Charlotte Donahue is an exceptional writer, talented especially in her use and placement of words in sentences, thus creating powerful sentences. This talent is demonstrated in her one shot, "Glimpse", as well, which I may or may not be reviewing. (Depends on my time.) Check it out!
*by "category", I mean the category the story is classified as on
Go on and read this story! And I hope you enjoyed "Dorm Room." More reviews of longer stories are to come, so stay posted.