Kannada Script Review Shop

73 | Alix | His Gem

Book: His Gem by Blue Sky (BlueSky71874)

Reviewer: Alix J. Cross (by_a_dancer)

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Title [5/5]

The title works well as it fits the genre, indicating the romantic storyline. Especially since it is also about sort of a clash between rich and poor, the title really makes sense.

Cov  [3.5/5]

The cover looks lovely, but in my opinion, it does not quite match the title or content just yet. Keeping in mind that a "Gem" is associated with rather something luxurious and fancy, the font of the title is just blocky while the colour-palette is black-white-brown, reminding me more of a thriller than a romantic story/teen fiction.

Blurb/Synopsis [2/5]

The blurb tells much instead of being descriptive. For my taste, there are too many questions in the end. I'd rather suggest making one, which is powerful, instead of a hundred. Try not to feed the questions to the reader. Rather make sure your blurb gives away enough so those questions pop in your reader's mind instead of actually feeding them to your audience. I should be able to think for myself, instead of waiting for you to tell me what to think.

Genre [5/5]

The story definitely fits into the genre of teen fiction/romance since we are following a high school student as she overcomes her fears and gets together with her crush.

Originality [7/10]

There are a few aspects that make the story stand out, in my opinion. I really enjoy the setting being Seoul, as well as the shy and introverted protagonist. Though it is a little cliché that a shy girl gets the attention of a popular guy, you actually elevate this storyline and really make her a victim of bullying and violence. It's not entirely new or pushes majorly the boundaries of the genre, but it is convincing.

Description [3/10]

Descriptions are tough as they always require a skill that is a constant work in progress. I tried to be as specific as possible, please let me know if you have any questions.

Setting:

Setting descriptions are completely missing. I want to see her room, as it tells me about her personality. I want to see the fancy school to actually understand how high-end it is and how rich other kids must be to afford it. I also want to see her house to understand how tight it is with money and what a contrast it is compared to the fancy school. I want to see the beach to understand why is it her favourite place while smelling the salty air of the ocean, hearing the roaring waves, and feeling the fine sand underneath her bare feet. How does she feel there? Is it comforting for her? Please show us all of that. I need to know how dark and scary is the alley really to understand her fear or on the opposite: her room is where she feels safety and comfort as it is her sanctuary. She must really put a lot of effort into making it really comfy. But those are all just my guesses. I am here like Jon Snow: I know nothing.

Plus, Seoul is a really cool setting, make the most of it!

Characters:

You don't describe the characters. You tell us. She is perfect. He is a jerk. The descriptions of their characters or even appearances are completely missing, even when you say something like: he is the most handsome guy I've ever seen, but as a reader, I cannot imagine him (talking about Lee Jihoon here but meaning all characters).