Sorry this review was a bit late, but life's been pretty hectic with graduation speeches and awards ceremonies! Here's the review:
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User- @JustNicole0001
Book- I Never Should Have Kissed Braden McGill
Genre- YA
Link to the book --------------->
Cover- I like the picture in the background, and I think this cover has potential, but the text does not do it justice. The text is small and kinda hard to read, and you use more than two fonts, which makes the text seem busy... but empty at the same time.
Since I see that your story is steamy, maybe some more script text like the one you used for Braden's name?
Title- As someone who had a pretty long title for their book and changed it, I'd advise you to do the same. For a title, you want something short and succinct that a reader can remember.
Because I struggled with this too, I read up a bit on how the 'masters of storytelling' name books, so I'm going to link a site here for you to use as a reference.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-come-up-with-the-best-book-title#why-are-titles-important
Blurb- I really like your blurb. I think it's very well-written, and you do a good job of explaining the premise without giving too much away about the plot.
As a reader, the blurb drew me in and made me want to know more about what was to come, which is everyone's goal, so well done!
First impression- Because I've read your works before, I knew that your writing style is suitable to my taste, so I was not too worried about stepping into this book. You somehow managed to pack in imagery that was so vivid and colorful (and not in a bad words way) into the first paragraph that I was immediately invested in the story.
Characters- Right away, you set up Braden to be a hot, dreamy love interest for Hunter. I think Hunter's voice was very relatable, and the audience is able to clearly see exactly who he is by his inner monologue by the time they're finished reading the chapter.
Plot- Damn... straight into it. At first, I groaned at the 18 minutes of this chapter, but your writer's voice kept it light and entertaining to read. Well done! I enjoy the little details you employ throughout the text to sorta raise tension, like when you mention Hunter's mother dying through a talk with his coach.
Setting- Not sure... however, this isn't as important to note in the first chapter. I really like the descriptions you use, and the imagery makes the scene clear for a reader to visualize.
Other comments- You have a strong grip on all the technical stuff, which is very rare to say here on Wattpad. Although... there is something I'm gonna give you a bit of gripe about, and it's not that important, but it's just something I noticed. You don't really talk about how Hunter looks. Of course, it's very wrong for an author to describe a character in a 'first day, mirror scene,' but I think you could probably mention his hair color in an offhand remark, like, "I ran my fingers through my chestnut hair," or something like that.
When Hunter tells Parker he loves him, it seems a bit uncharacteristic of how you've established him. He seems to be one of the ones who are very prickly in public, but a softie in a private conversation/with someone he likes.
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Again, sorry I took so long with this review. I really enjoyed reading this book, and you are welcome to apply again whenever you like (for free, since I kept you waiting with this review). If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please contact me!
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