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Five Minutes (Chapters 1-5) @helloitsmeabby_

Five Minutes - (Chapters 1-5) by helloitsmeabby_

Reviewed by AmyMarieZ

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Overview: Five Minutes is a story about Veronica Pryde, an up-and-coming actress who finally landed a part in her first big movie. Unfortunately, her excitement and euphoria are crushed when she is sexually assaulted by the director of the movie. The story follows Veronica as she tries to recover from the horror she experienced and piece herself back together.

Grammar: Grammatically, Five Minutes is nearly perfect. With the exception of one or two typos, there are no noticeable grammatical mistakes.

One odd thing with wording of sentences is that pronouns are used very frequently, especially in the first chapter. At times, the use of pronouns leads to slight confusion and uncertainty about which characters are doing what, or who is being referred to. This is particularly noticeable at the beginning of paragraphs where "he" or "she" is used when there are multiple characters that it could be referencing. Although it is easy enough to determine who is being referred to based on context, the story might read more smoothly if names were used in place of some of the pronouns for clarity.

Pace: For the most part, Five Minutes reads at a real-time pace. The first two chapters show the main character Veronica and her friend Sallie at a party in New York City. The balance of dialog, description, and action during these chapters is well done. It is easy to imagine the scenes playing out like a movie. Chapter three shows Veronica waking up in her room very hung over, and David coming in. This scene is a very sensitive scene because Veronica is sexually assaulted by David. The pacing of the scene is quick and feels somewhat rushed. In some ways this makes it hard to visualize it actually happening. However, it also gives the scene a disconnected and frightening feel that is effective at showing the disturbing nature of what is happening.

Chapter four shows Veronica's first response to what has just happened to her. At the beginning of the chapter, her feelings and thoughts seem rushed. However, when she calls her husband, the scene takes on a more natural pace. Chapter five shows Veronica returning home to LA, and her husband coming home to find her out of it. The scene on the plane flows at a natural pace, but the scene when her husband comes home seems slightly rushed. A few more details and descriptions might make this scene easier to visualize.

The plot progresses at a quick enough pace to keep the story interesting, but not so fast that it feels rushed. The story begins slightly slowly, setting up the characters and their background. However, a feeling of dread persists throughout the first two chapters that keeps the reader concerned about what is about to happen. Chapter three is where the plot really gets going, when Veronica is taken advantage of by David. From there, the plot progresses to show how Veronica reacts to what has just happened. Each chapter develops the story further, keeping the reader interested in continuing to see what will happen next.

Character Development: The characters in Five Minutes are realistic and have depth and dimension. Additionally, each character is very unique, from the spunky and out-there best friend Sallie, to the slightly more reserved but ambitious Veronica, the scum-bag creep David, and finally the caring and concerned husband Ralston. The personalities are clearly shown, making it easy to keep track of and differentiate characters from each other.

One exceptional piece of character development in this story is how Veronica's reaction to the horror she experiences is shown. She shows feelings of misplaced guilt, desperation, regret, and denial simultaneously. Although it is clearly impossible, she is so distraught that she actually wonders why she couldn't just go back in time to before it all happened. She wonders if it was somehow her fault, if there was something she did wrong to deserve what happened to her. Veronica also wants desperately to talk to someone about what she has just gone through, but finds it impossible to actually get anything out. Her thought process is so realistic and heartbreaking that it is unsettling to read. However, the fact that it is so disturbing adds to the effect and message of the story.

The only suggestion for improvement with Veronica's character development is including a bit more of her initial thoughts and feelings right at the beginning of chapter four before she calls her husband.

In general, all of the character's personalities are clearly shown through their actions and dialog. However, at times, the narration seems to tell what their personalities are like in addition to showing it. The telling is largely unnecessary in this story, as the reader can clearly see what the characters are like from their actions and dialog without needing any direct statements about them.

Vocabulary/Description: The vocabulary used in Five Minutes is varied and diverse and fits well with the writing style. In general, the narration flows very well, with only a few exceptions of awkwardly worded sentences and occasional repeated words that create an echo.

The level of description in the story is well done. It is easy to visualize every scene. The descriptions of characters are clear and well placed. However, at times, descriptions seem to "tell" what is going on in the scene, rather than "show" it. While the amount of telling is not excessive, it is noticeable. A few locations of note would be the scene setting of the party at the very beginning of the first chapter, the scene setting when Veronica walks out onto the balcony, and when Veronica is on the plane and considering talking to Sallie about what happened.

Plot: The plot of Five Minutes is one with a lot of meaning and importance. The story focuses on the protagonist Veronica and how she (hopefully) recovers after being taken advantage of by a man she works for. The story has a message of how important but also how difficult it can be for a woman who is sexually assaulted to speak up about it.

Although the main purpose of this story seems to be the message behind it, the plot itself is still highly interesting and engaging. Veronica is a character that moves the story. The realism of her drives and ambitions brings the plot to life. Rather than seeming like a generic story, the plot is rich with the unique personality each character brings to it. Even though the idea of the plot seems fairly straight forward at this point, and in some ways predictable, the way it is told and shown makes it a read that will keep the reader at the edge of their seat routing for the main character and hoping she is able to overcome!

Summary: Five Minutes is a story with an important message about the importance but difficulty of coming forward after being sexually assaulted. Although the story's main purpose seems to be conveying this message, the story itself is full of suspense and interest. The excitement and details in the plot make it an edge-of-your-seat read.