Greetings, humans,
Recently, I sent my debut novel (yes, it’s coming, but there are still things to deal with so hold your damn horses!) to a website/publication called Booklife. They held a contest where they review your work and the top ten novels get placed into the finals and you can win cash and prizes and blah blah blah. The damn thing costs ninety-nine dollars to enter, and I did, I entered it, but it wasn’t to get the grand prize.
Let’s be real here.
It’s my first novel, so there was pretty much no way in hell I was going to score high enough to be in the top ten, and to no one’s surprise, I didn’t. Ha! But I didn’t pay money to come in first (not like I would have turned down the grand prize if I had won, though). No, dear humans, I paid money to get a solid and exciting, or potentially disastrous, review of my novel. See, the folks at Booklife pull no punches. They give you the good (if there is any) along with the bad (once again, if there is any). They also tell you that you have full rights to use their quotes on your book jacket or in your press release. That’s awesome, and also why I decided to fork over my hard earned ninety-nine dollars to get an actual, honest to goodness, real, no bullshit review.
So, here it is, dear humans, my review, warts and all. Enjoy.
Plot/Idea: 7 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 7 out of 10
Overall: 7.50 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: Deck’s medical mystery is an engaging slow burn. A complex web is woven, which at times feels a little unwieldy as the reader follows many point-of-view characters.
Prose/Style: Deck’s prose is taut and unflinching. He manages to create enough intrigue and suspense to keep the reader’s interest piqued.
Originality: Although spooky hospitals and deranged doctors are a frequent subject in horror, Deck’s take on the genre is nuanced enough that it will grab the attention of even the most seasoned horror fan.
Character Development/Execution: A multiplicity of point-of-view characters keeps the reader from becoming truly invested in the outcome of the story until about the latter third of the book. However, Deck’s talent lies in creating a creepy atmosphere.
So, that’s it. Hope that hypes you up for my upcoming project. I also highly recommend you scope out the reviews here. You can find some upcoming great reads for your book clubs or personal use.
Thanks for reading and can’t wait to get my project into your hands!