Samantha Newburg

A Half Orphan

Well! I like that you didn't overdo the tension between the leading women or the families, and you gave us a few unexpected turns to keep us reading. The plot unfolds steadily and the story has a nice pace to it. It was easy to read and well-written; the grammar and punctuation issues are easily fixable. I quite enjoyed this story. I probably cringed and cheered in equal measure... I love the themes that were brought out and the message that you sent through this story.

A Diary of Eternal Memories

I loved the introduction of poetry! Just when I was wondering how a diary was going to be incorporated (and when), she gets that poem and it’s as if the mystery writer has read her diary and is speaking back to her... maybe I’m being romantic, but that’s the promise I found in the first three chapters. The plot hasn’t really developed yet and there are some issues with grammar and punctuation but I can still tell the author has something life changing in store for our little outcast... Also, I like the little quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

Spyglass Series, Chapter 1 Review

Given that it is only the first chapter of the story, I don't have much to say about the plot. It is, however, described in the blurb and it suggests that the rest of the story will be exactly as stated. Admittedly, I'm curious about Mrs Jacobson and the direction she will take the story.

The writing style seems relatively simple and I appreciate the descriptions of the surroundings. Since we are reading the story from a teen's point of view I can't be sure if the simplicity is meant to help us get into Ronnie's head or not, but it's not an entirely bad thing. It ensures that readers won't get confused.

I think some attention needs to paid to the running sentences and the spelling mistakes but overall there could be a nice story in the making. Hopefully the details will unfold in the coming chapters because I love a good mystery!

Gaslight Girl

There is a great and emotional story hidden in this short "memoir". The way it is written made me wish for more of the actual story and maybe less of the future triumph that is alluded to here and there. The reader is drawn in by wanting to know what the girl's experiences actually were. We know she felt pain, we know she struggled and yet was strong, but we long to discover more. It would've been great to know her name and maybe hear her thoughts as a ten-year old, to understand how it is she really internalised all that happened to her. All this being said, it is a nice written piece! You kept me curious the whole time.

It Draws You In

Though not a story I would normally choose, the author captures the essence of teenage angst and budding love well. J. Rose created a world and a system and then threw it into chaos for your entertainment. There are parts of the story which make you question whether you know the purpose of certain characters in the story, which is great. The plot isn’t too original but the detail of the characters experiences make up for that. With what I expected to happen only occurring in the final chapter, the writer draws you into the next book. Clever little trick...

There are some grammatical issues which made parts of the story hard to follow and I didn’t particularly enjoy the switch in perspectives and the tenses but overall it’s an interesting tale.

Wicked Little Thing (chapter review)

Well, that is quite the story! I read the first four chapters and it has enough in it to make you wonder just what Grin is. The concept leaves the reader curious and yet the direction of the story isn't yet clear.

This is a story for those who don't mind the Christian faith being mocked by an other-worldly creature with a snarky sense of humour. The main character is a contradiction and a comedian and so far the story plays on stereotypes without being predictable. A fun, shady read.