Blue's Book Reviews and Graphics

Book Review: Behind Closed Doors

Behind Closed Doors by ByTheFireWriter

Sorry, I took so long to upload. I had to reread your story a few times to get the perfect essence of the review. I didn't want to accidentally write something stupid and look like an idiot. However, if I still managed to do that, just let me know.

Cover 10/10

The cover is bomb. Moving on.

Description 6/10

This might just be a personal preference, but quote-descriptions don't really grab my attention. I must say, you've chosen perfect quotes for the description, but I would like to know more about what is going to happen in the book. You'll want to write more about the physical plot. Like if you take a look at the description for any romance novel, you'll see that it introduces a plot and emotions. There has got to be things interfering with a romance and there has to be some sort of a hint in the description. Here is something my friend once said (she was probably quoting someone else). "If the description gives away the plot of the whole story, or if you write an incomplete description in order to create a sense of suspense, you have to write a better book."

Ps. I just read the intro and you might want to make that your description.

Plot (8/10)

Now, I don't want to sound rude or offending. The basic structure of your plot can be defined as a trope. I've seen many people use the "new boy in school, falls in love with the female lead and helps her heal" plot premise. But I must say, YOU HAVE PULLED IT OFF AMAZINGLY. Not everyone can turn a trope into an amazing story the way you have. You certainly have a talent for making things your own when it comes to writing. I have reviewed books with this basic structure of the plot, and I must say that yours is so far the best, so far.

Characters

Harry: I can't really judge here, now can I? If someone is reading his fanfic, they probably already think he is perfect. I also do not know enough about the OG Harry Styles so I am unable to compare his personality to the book Harry and see if you've captured his personality perfectly.

Aleah: I love how you've crafted her. From the first few paragraphs, I can already discern what kind of a person she is. She seems to be in depression and finds music to be her salvation. I really love how you showed true weakness and strength in Aleah. I rarely ever see strong yet weak introverted female characters, and I love how you've pulled it off. (I don't mean strong strong, but strong enough to make sure she won't break). Her love of music and the reason behind it is perfect. There really isn't anything more to say.

Extra Note: she is a realistic person with mental health issues. The way you've shown her is great.

Subplot N/A

Personally, I couldn't detect a subplot. If you are planning to add one later on in the story, I would be happy to help. Just DM me and I will be ready to shower you with advice. Also, if you wouldn't mind, could you tag a few authors to spread the word. I would really love the chance to help other authors.

Vibe 6/10

At first, there is a stretch of words and paragraphs relating to the same topic and it gets a little repetitive. It might just have to do with your writing style, but personally, I believe you should quicken the pace a little. Since your story is based on emotion, you should mainly focus on the more important emotions. Also, you can remove the paragraphs about everyday things that everyone does anyway. All in all, quicken the pace a little.

Things I noticed

I noticed you used a number (7). This is grammatically incorrect. You should write it in word form. Your writing style is poetic and beautiful to read. (You should take a look at poetry). I also think that with a few minor fix-ups, your book should be ready to go. You should consider joining the Wattys as a way to see where your book stands. Maybe enter in a few Awards and Competitions you can find all over Wattpad.

Overall

Things to fix:

1. quicken the pace

2. fix the 7 to seven

3. a few typos

4. focus on the correct emotions and spend less time on everyday regular actions.

Example: You don't have to explain someone's morning routine (this is just an example, not taken from your story). The purpose of a story is to tell other people of experiences they probably will never experience. If someone reads about waking up then brushing their teeth, it annoys the reader. It annoys me when I have to read about waking up at 5 am because I hate that more than anything. (Not attacking you, just giving advice. I know criticism is super hard to take, and that's why I try my best to relay my opinions and advice as nicely as I can.)

5. Also I noticed your chapters are super long. On Wattpad, it is best to keep your word count anywhere from 1300-1700 words, only occasionally hitting the >2000 words count depending on the material of the chapter.