A 2.5

"Please note my reviews are always welcome to be changed as books are updated. This book is definitely not the worst thing I've read but unfortunately, it is riddled with problems that take away from the story the author is trying to tell. I'll begin with the positives as this book does have some. The characters are very much themselves. This is something many writers can mess up and it leads to their characters coming up flat. But, at least for the main characters, there is more flesh to their character bones. This book is very heavy on dialogue. But that is a pretty neutral point. What makes it positive is that the dialogue is clear and true to each character. I can tell who is talking and can imagine each line with their own voice. Again, this is something that many authors actually struggle with. The book overall is very easy to read and you can easily get it done in a night or two. This is not bad necessarily as it helps keep people reading enough to at least finish it. Novels that are objectively written better can be a drag to read and have their stories shelved by many. Now with the negatives. I am bored by this cover and while they do always say to never judge a book by it - I just can't help it when the cover is black with yellow text. A book's cover is important as it is a great way to show the reader what they're in store for without words. I (personally) would have skipped this if not for the fact I was going to for a review. There are a lot of instances where the same word is repeated. This could occur in the same passage but also in the same sentence. Take the opening sentence for your summary "Cameron Cole is a teenager just like any teenager..." You already addressed it so repeating it makes it redundant and sloppy. There are also instances where you don't restate a word, but rather an assumed fact. For example, in chapter 2 you write "I drove to school like I always did every day, ..." So the narrator drives to school. Cool, but we know this already occurs every day of the week because that's when school is in session. So removing the word "everyday" makes the sentence much better. This occurs in multiple instances throughout the chapters. The grammar is also sketchy in some places. Though this can be a creative choice, normally one! and ? is enough to convey what it needs. Even in conjunction ?!. There are also random spelling mistakes thrown about. This book loves to infodump the reader. I understand that this is a very casual first-person narration. However, what I don't understand is all the information after it's loaded over and over on me. Space things out. Don't give your readers information they wont relate to in later chapters. Think of your book as constantly foreshadowing another reference. Too many names, time skips through memories, etc. is taxing on the average reader. I hope this was clear as sometimes these things can be hard to put into words. This book tells you everything rather than showing it - making it hard to stay into the story the author is trying to tell. What I mean by this is that the narrator tells the reader everything and everything comes out as juvenile. For example, when the inciting incident occurs the narrator tells us "I suddenly felt something weird but it went away quickly." What was weird??? Show your readers what's occurring rather than telling us in simple words such as "weird" because objectively I have no idea what this means. This occurs even in the later chapters like when characters speak and we're simply told "she said feeling a bit embarrassed. How does the narrator know if there are no physical signs or moods leading up to it? The author is good with character momentum but needs to work on these other areas to have their work truly excel."