I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly . . . For me, KOTLC is one of those series that you've sort of grown out of, but you keep reading it because your already emotionally attached. I also would like to say, I present my opinion with nothing but respect. I realize I can get a little heated when talking about what I like/don't like in a piece of media. Everyone interprets fiction differently, and has different taste, these are just my thoughts.
(spoilered for length)
I definitely don't think that Shanon put any malice or illl intent into any of these issues, I just think it might be a lack of in-depth thought over some things. It feels half-fleshed out, and that leads to holes and other problems. Like others said above, I totally respect her as an author and I think what she's achieved is really cool--I just think her writing could be a little more thought out. Either that or I'm thinking about it too hard/ my biases are just huge in this one/ I'm thinking about it irrationally. What are your thoughts?