I recently got pulled into reading this one, lured in by the solid writing quality and interesting premise. I want the last six hours of my life back. This fic is now over 350,000 words long, and nothing meaningful has happened. Seriously, it's pushing Lord of the Rings level word count, and basically all Harry has done is handle canon events better.

 

Tried to read it once, awhile ago. To be fair, the author can write. But I just couldn't keep reading through the fluff. And the borderline paedophiliac relationship was a bit creepy and more than a bit annoying. I'm willing to read pairings that are on the perverse side but usually there is a certain unstated acknowledgment that they are perverse instead of treating it like it's only natural. [FONT=&quot]
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In all fairness, Harry seems to recognize that his love for 11-yr-old Ginny is wrong (and not just because having Harry love Ginny is always, always, in any context, by its very nature, wrong).

 

A bit of heresy (and I apologize if it's been said before--I don't feel like reading 100+ posts about a story I don't care that much about):

NoFP is a very good story in the proper, albeit limited, context: it's a decent intro into fanfiction for someone completely new to it. The story is canon-accurate enough not to shock, yet diverges enough (particularly with its overlap of Indy!Harry and Powerful!Harry) to open a reader's eyes to the possibilities. While we may not agree with the direction the author has taken, the writing is solid, the plot is complex, and the characterizations (except for Luna, who isn't done well at all) are good. It's a safe recommendation, unlike, say, The Office.

Yes, there is plenty to dislike, stuff that by today's standards is hackneyed and annoying. It's a "Do-over" fic where a 30-year-old goes back and pretends he's an 11-year-old, Harry attempts to stick close to canon events, he's angsty and suffering from PTSD, his nemesis is a manipulative!Dumbledore, the pairing is PedoHarry/Ginny Ron/Hermione Neville/Luna, there's copious Weasley worship, good Goblins make cameos, etc. But I can forgive a lot of this because this story also contributed to these ideas becoming cliché and it is the standard with which do-over fics are compared. Culturally, it's significant as one of the five or so fics that nearly everyone who has read much Harry Potter fanfiction has run across.

On a personal note, NoFP was the second or third HP fanfiction story I read. For someone who was starting out, it was a fascinating read, but also the kind of story that didn't age well. (I'd have a very hard time reading it now). Were I to rate it today, I'd probably give a 3/5. 4/5 for execution and quality of mechanics, with a point docked for disappointing me so with such a crappy update rate. (I held the first stories I read to a higher standard in this regard).

 

Yeah, I agree Pers, NoFP was one of the first fics I read, when getting into fanfiction, and frankly, I loved it.

Updates were very far and few between however, and by the time that I actually went to read the last few chapters, I couldn't handle it, it just seemed so cliched and boring.

Now, i'd give it a 3/5, amazing writing, but jesus christ, 350k words, and we are up to 3rd year, not even rowling spend that much time getting to 3rd year.

 

The funny thing is that chapters 1-25 had a decent update rate at about once, maybe twice a month. But now I think the author has lost the will to wright it anymore(from the now horrid update rate) and just wants to get it out of the way.

Never really did like this story to much when I first read it, and still don't, so it gets a 3/5 for complex plot.

 

In fairness to the author, he did write the first 25 chapters while unemployed.

 

Wait, so his excuse is that getting a life interferes with writing fanfiction?

That BASTARD!

But seriously, too bad about the grinding halt ya.

 

Good for him, at least he HAS a job. I've been looking for one this whole year, and still nothing.

 

Hmm, updated again. Once again pretty much nothing happens in this 10k word chapter. A lot of little snippets from over the Christmas holidays. The plot doesn't really advance and it is just another filler chapter.

 

I agree; a disappointing chapter.

What's book on how far he gets before he quits NoFP and Team 8 altogether to pursue his original fiction novels?

 

True, not much happened, but I think we're viewing this with the sort of anxiety that occurs when you've been waiting awhile for something to update. In the grand scheme of the story this will likely blend in, helping to build the world that has been created, as other chapters prior to this have been. More explanation of character motivations and a lessoning of Harry's paranoia.

But it still does leave you slightly bitter when you know you're going to be waiting several months for the next chapter.

But life, shrugs. What can you do?

 

Frankly, how many ff authors can say they got this far and maintained passable plot at all? Yes, its long. Yes, we all wish it would actually go somewhere. But everyone gets writer's block and some authors would rather throw something down onto the page to keep it going than give in till inspiration gets off its lazy ass. Besides, Perspicacity makes a good point in that the author is actually considering moving into the world of actual fiction instead of the non-profit-fan type. One can't just sit down and blow that wad of creative juices on what is truly just a diversion.

Why does it feel like this is the second or third time I've put forth this opinion?

 

I disagree, bro'. The fact that he's trying to do actual fiction further proves that he's not trying with NoFP at all - and that certainly doesn't make it good writing. Yeah, I get that he's focusing his attention elsewhere, but in no way is putting "something" down better than publishing something you can honestly say you put effort into.

Understanding why a chapter is boring doesn't make it any less boring. 2/5

 

One "puts down" fanfiction, not actual fiction. Fanfiction doesn't go anywhere, and if you're really dissatisfied? You can go back an change it.

 

I read this fic for the first time fairly recently, when I was browsing my other fandom of preference (Naruto), S'Tarkan's Team 8 fic is the most reviewed Naruto fic in the entire fandom and I went to read it, I didn't enjoy it particularly went to his profile to see if he had other fics and saw this.

After reading Team 8 I wasn't hopeful, writing is good but not excellent and his plots are again good but not excellent. This is what I would call the bread and butter of fanfiction, something you appreciate very much when you first join the fandom but tire of quickly if you have more experience with the ilk. This and similar fics form the basis for FF.net's popularity.

I didn't enjoy it, my personal opinion is that it waffles and there is a failure to really develop the plot in a satisfactory manner, I'd rate it a 3/5 for my own preference but for those less experienced with HP fanfiction, its assorted hazards and pitfalls and wanting a good read this is a good place to start.

 

Having read a few of the responses I went off and read this one, my overall reaction was; Meh!
It's likeable enough but something just irritated me about it, perhaps it's the H/G semi-paedophile thing but mainly the 'wussy attitude towards the timeline' Harry posses.
Lastly whilst the writing style is good the plot seems to to be taking it's own sweet time getting anywhere.
2.5/5 is my rating.