In My Opinion

A Bond by Agustwinter

Full title: A Bond |BTS Fanfiction| by Agustwinter
Source: Feedback request
Genre: Fanfiction
Subgenre: General fiction
Fandom: BTS
Mature: Y (blood, death, gore, graphic descriptions of violence, loss of a loved one, mental health issues, murder, strong profanity)
Status: Ongoing
English usage: Mostly UK, but a mix, non-native
First impressions: 36/40
Digging deeper: 81/100
Final thoughts: Complete
Note: Reviewed the first seven chapters only per author request.

Clicking the "External Link" button below the "Continue to next part" button will take you straight to the book.

*****

First impressions total: 36/40

Title: 10/10
So, when I first saw this title, I automatically thought of James Bond. And I knew right away that was an incorrect impression, because the cover and the blurb made that very clear, but that's where my mind went. Do with that info what you will. But, anyway, it's such a great title for this book, because the family bonds are already so strong right at the start of this book, and when "family" expands to include more members, the bond is still there, tenuous but gaining in strength thanks to a very solid foundation.

Blurb/synopsis: 7/10
I love short blurbs, and this builds from the title and cover to show the beauty in simplicity. The hook may not be the strongest one out there, but it's a different kind of hook from a gripping action story. It's more like a gentle call than a shouted order, and for a potential reader looking for a more laid-back story, that's perfect.

A few little grammar notes here: In the first sentence, there's a missing "the" before "bond." I'd probably switch the first "among" to "between," just to further enhance the imagery of something shared that ties siblings together. In the next sentence, it feels like you could be referring to the siblings or the bond, and either way, that changes things a little. If you're referring to the siblings, I'd change "it's" to "they're." If you're referring to the bond, I'd change "blood-related" to "a blood relation."

Also, after the last sentence, I immediately think of Lilo & Stitch, which is a much more appropriate thought for this story than James Bond. As of chapter seven, anyway. 😉

Cover: 10/10
This is a great example of complexity in simplicity. You don't need a flashy, colorful cover, and especially for the theme of this story, you don't want one. The off-white background and simple black used in the graphics and font lends a gentle, calming feel to this, and while the collection of various flowers is far from simple, the snippets from a garden could represent the varied personalities that make up a family. Everybody's different, and those differences can bring them together to make a beautiful whole. The simple cursive for "A Bond" seems to blossom right from the flowers, and your name is clear but unobtrusive. Overall, gorgeous.

First chapter (and everything that came before it): 9/10
Disclaimer: I'm a huge proponent of content warnings, so I love to see that. And the note about characters being rude and acting stupid is very fitting after chapter seven. Well, they're not rude there, but boys will be boys, won't they? 😉

Awards: I always skip these when I'm reviewing, just so they don't influence me, but kudos! This is a great story deserving of commendation for sure.

Summary: This is where I wonder if my James Bond thought wasn't entirely off base. It's a really interesting concept you've set up in the story: students by day, mafia by night. They're like reverse super-heroes. That could certainly throw some kinks into the formation of a new blended family.

Prologue: I like how vague this is. Almost anything could be happening in these two scenes, although there is a distinct impression that these are first meetings between unknown people. With the context of having read past this, I can tell that the first scene is probably right before Ms. Hwang's first meeting with the boys, and the second is Areum's first meeting with Sang Yeob. But as a new reader, all I knew was you'd piqued my interest, which is what you want a prologue to do.