The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Warramunga's War

Soraya Bayah

Although the sample is fast paced and engaging, I will not continue the book due to it not being a story that interests me. I am not into reading about war, especially one that involves politics even if it is fiction. I did not find errors except for a lack of capitalization after an exclamation mark. I would not have picked up this book from the cover, genre, title, or reviews like OBC, as they all show that it is a book with themes that I do not look forward to reading. I think the events so far seem too forced and narrated in a way that indicates the author does not care about the execution of delivering exciting info. This is because Jacko did not bother to wait for Jamie to even ask him for info, but rather went on and told his whole story in one go. Also, the pacing seems overly fast. These aspects could be bettered. A forced story is never a story that can be enjoyed and can give a reader a sense of engagement. I did enjoy the action and descriptive writing style. I hope the rest of the book gets better, but for the reasons listed above, I will not consider reading it. I will recommend it for fans of war stories though. I wish you luck with the sales of this book.

First Ten review added on July 31, 2022, at 4:57 am by Soraya Bayah.

Stellah Chege

I would have read this book based on the title only. It sounds like a name from an indigenous tribe, which is something I love reading about. Sampling the first ten pages gripped my attention, I especially loved Jacko's encounter with Jamie and I can't wait to learn more about his tribal dance. The OBC review and blurb promised a fun and thrilling book. I did not find any errors and I believe it is professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvement so far. I will buy and read the book.

First Ten review added on July 31, 2022, at 4:51 am by Stellah Chege.

Gabriella H

Neither the cover nor the title attracted me to this book. Therefore, I wouldn't have sampled it if I weren't a part of this program. From the OBC official review, I already felt this book might not be the right fit for me, as I'm currently not interested in reading about war. I found Jack's character easily likable. I also enjoyed the description of how James was stuck hiding behind a rock while being shot at, as it made it very easy to imagine. However, the dialogue after wasn't as interesting to me, and I soon lost interest. Plus, it's still a war story. So, I won't be completing this book. I believe the first ten pages have been professionally edited because I didn't see any errors in them. I have no suggestions for improvements, as I'm just not the right audience. The blurb, editorial review, and customer reviews didn't influence my decision. My decision is based on the OBC official review and the first ten pages.

First Ten review added on July 31, 2022, at 2:48 am by Gabriella H.

Gabrielle Sigaki

The Warramunga's War by Greg Kater is a historical fiction book that brings adventures, action, espionage and the development of a friendship between two men, who were in the Australian troops that fought the Nazi. If I didn't sample this book, I wouldn't read it based on its Official OnlineBookClub review, its customer reviews, its blurb, and its genre since I'm not interested in historical fiction books that bring espionage. The book's cover and title didn't affect my decision. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind and I won't read the entire book because of the reason I stated before, but also because I found the novel's development too slow and with too many details that got in the way of the plot. The book seems professionally edited, but I think it could be improved if the author removed some of the details in order to make the action scenes faster and more dynamic too. Nevertheless, I also enjoyed that the characters seemed complex and unique.

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 10:47 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.

Kaitlyn Canedy

If The Warramunga's War hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day, I would have read the sample of it because I have read and reviewed another book from this series. Although there are close to forty customer reviews for this book on Amazon.com, I did not need to read them to make a decision about reading the sample. I also did not need the official OnlineBookClub review or the description on Amazon.com to know that I wanted to sample this book. The relationship between Jacko and Jamie is hilarious; I had no idea that these two characters met this way. As this is the first book in the series and I have read another book in it, I have decided to finish reading it. I did not find any grammatical errors in the first ten pages, and there was nothing I disliked or thought needed improvement.

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 6:52 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.

AntonelaMaria

I'm not interested in reading war stories. This book has a great synopsis and many positive Amazon reviews. There is an Official OnlineBookClub review too. However, the sample didn't change my mind. I like how the author presented Aboriginals fighting in a war. I don't think I have ever encountered that in books I have read. The book starts with a very intense scene where Munro is trying to avoid being killed by gunfire. I wouldn't change anything about the book. It's not for me, but I'm sure others will enjoy it. I noticed an error at location 100 of the sample. "Just as well I’ve got no grenades in it! he thought." In this case, after a punctuation mark, an exclamation point, there should be a capital letter used later on, or there should be quotation marks. 

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 5:20 pm by AntonelaMaria.

Ntokozo Joy Ndlovu

The blurb of this book made me a bit curious about it, but the cover art and the title made it clear that it is a war novel. I would not have sampled this book because I do not like war novels. The black and white photography on the cover and the overall style of the cover made it seem boring. In the part of the book that I sampled, a soldier is under fire from the enemy when one of his comrades arrives and saves him in a dramatic fashion. I enjoyed that the book kicked off with an action sequence. It was enticing and made me want to read on. However, the sample confirmed the war theme of the book. I did not find any errors in the first few pages I read. I will not be reading the rest of this book because it is from a genre I do not enjoy. The high praise this book got in the OBC review I read was not enough to persuade me to read it.

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 1:28 pm by Ntokozo Joy Ndlovu.

Mariana Figueira

Before reading the book's first pages, I wasn't interested in it because nothing on the cover or the title got my attention. After sampling the book, I don't want to continue reading it because the story didn't captivate me. I like Jacko, he seems like one of those characters that's always happy but has a lot going on inside him. This book seems professionally edited, I didn't see any typos; plus, it has an official OnlineBookClub review. I didn't see anything that needed improvement. Neither the blurb, customer reviews, nor editorial reviews affect my decision not to read the book.

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 11:28 am by Mariana Figueira.

IconReviews

This seems like a comedy and a historical fiction mixed together. I like stories about world wars so I would choose to read it based on the cover, blurb, genre, customer reviews, title, and the official OnlineBookClub review. I like Jack's character. He seems like someone who will find to the death for something he believes in. From the first pages of the book, my interest was piqued. It was highly descriptive and I could imagine the ants crawling up Jack's nose. The sample was professionally edited and no improvements are needed. I will be reading this one because I find the storyline intriguing and it seemed well-researched.

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 10:40 am by IconReviews.

Yvonne Monique

By seeing the book cover, I would not choose this book if I would see it in a bookstore because I don't like war stories. Also, the cover lacks a bit of colour, although this seems to be intentional to show the reader that the story is set in the past. The customer reviews, blurb and OBC review give a thorough description of the book, but do not convince me to read the sample. The sample is well edited and starts full of action. The reader can hear the bullets fly. I understand that Jamie finds himself in a stressful situation, but I did not enjoy the six 'Bloody Hell' that I read in the first two pages. I will not read this book as I prefer other kind of genres, but I am sure that lovers of historical fiction will enjoy this book.

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 8:13 am by Yvonne Monique.

Jen Nghishitende

Starting with an active scene of war with shots fired, this book seems to live up to its title and book cover. However, had I not been part of this program, I would not have read or sampled this book based on the book cover, title, and genre. While I have read the OBC review, I have not seen any blurbs, editorial or customer reviews. Reading these would not have enticed me to buy this book, however, as the genre does not appeal to me. For this reason, I will not buy the book even after reading the first ten pages. I did not find any errors in the first ten pages, and although the genre is not for me, I do like that the book starts with a scene of active war, which may keep readers who enjoy this genre enthralled. Apart from the genre, there is nothing that I disliked, and I thus have no suggestions for change or improvement.

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 4:31 am by Jen Nghishitende.

Rodel Barnachea

Following my perusing the title’s official OBC review and Amazon page, I opted not to purchase the historical fiction novel. I am not fascinated by the friendship that blossomed between James Munro and Jack O’Brien. I am not intrigued by their mission to neutralize the German agents who are in contact with the commander of the Afrika Korps. I am not interested in reading if they would be able to carry out their mission successfully given the insecure location they are in. Sampling the book did not change my mind. I would not purchase it because nothing in the sample convinced me I would enjoy reading the rest of the book. The first ten pages contain Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and a few pages of Chapter 3. What I liked most is when Jacko saved Jamie by carrying him to a hospital. In the sentence “Just as well I've got no grenades in it! he thought” the part “Just as well I’ve got not grenades in it!” should have been enclosed in quotation marks (since in the Amazon sample, this part is not enclosed in quotation marks). Since there is only one minor error, the book still seems professionally edited. I have no advice to offer to the author.

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 3:25 am by Rodel Barnachea.

Vidhi Adhikari

Since I enjoy reading historical fiction, especially those set during war-time, I was intrigued to read Jackie and Jamie's story after reading the description , and especially after going through so many positive customer and OBC reviews. The book had some missing punctuations which should be looked at (Just as well I’ve got no grenades in it! he thought. {add airquotes for dialogue}). That said I loved how the book began right in the middle of an exciting incidents, with bullets firing. Hence, I shall definitely be finishing this book. I would only suggest adding a customer reviews section to better grab the attention of the reader.

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 3:19 am by Vidhi Adhikari.

Shelby Ayres

The title and cover are slightly misleading compared to the blurb and genre, which does not entice me to read this book. The reviews are also scattered which is a little off-putting. Because of these things, I will not be reading the book. I do not think I would enjoy reading it. I liked the descriptive details the author uses to lay out the scene of the 2/5th Battalion fighting the pro-Nazi army. I disliked the dialogue I felt that some of it were forced and did not flow well. In the first ten pages, I found no errors; the first ten pages were exceptionally well-edited. The Online Book Club review that I read had great things to say about the book, but I feel like I would not enjoy reading it.

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 2:34 am by Shelby Ayres.

Kira Bonita Reece

I've always heard the word Warramunga and thought it simply meant people who like fighting and making trouble. This book seems well-researched. I would read it based on the blurb, title, genre, customer reviews, and the official OnlineBookClub review. The cover does not intrigue me. What I liked about the bit I read was the humor it contained. Jack and Jaimie were caught in a crossfire with the enemy, but they found humor in their situation. The sample was professionally edited and the only improvement that should be made is to make the cover more appealing. I will be reading this book because I like historic war stories.

First Ten review added on July 30, 2022, at 1:02 am by Kira Bonita Reece.

Patty Allread

Had I not been part of the OBC program, I would not have sampled or read this book because, though I like historical fiction, I do not like war stories. After seeing the Amazon blurb and the editorial and customer reviews, I understand that there is more to the book than war, but not enough to want to read it.

Now that I have sampled the book, I agree with the other reviewers on Amazon that this is a very well-written book, and I liked how Jacko and James met and interacted. Their camaraderie grew quickly and was very appealing. I also liked that within the first ten pages, the author took the story toward their next assignment in intelligence. I did not find something I thought should be changed or improved in the pages I read.

Now that I have read the official OBC review, which was competent, I see that the book was well edited. I didn't find errors in the pages I read. The reviewer explained what the book was about, and, again, the theme of war was not what I was looking to read.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 11:28 pm by Patty Allread.

Hazel Arnaiz

I will skip this book outside the program. The cover, title, and blurb did not pique my interest. I am unfamiliar with the title. The blurb looks like many things are happening in the story, leaving me clueless about the possible conclusion. Customer reviews are a mix of positive and critical feedback, which I find equally insightful. After sampling, I appreciate that it writes about the experiences of an Australian soldier with native roots. It promotes awareness about the natives. However, the storyline is not for me. I prefer if the presentation of the adventures are vignettes or short stories. This approach allows more focus on the details instead of the chronology and transitioning from one plot to another. Other than this, I have no suggestions. For editing, I did not encounter issues. Likewise, the official OnlineBookClub review is enthusiastic and insightful. It did not change my mind. I will pass.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 10:33 pm by Hazel Arnaiz.

Sushan Ekanayake

The Warramunga's War by Greg Kater belongs to historical fiction genre. The cover page implied that the setting was in the past. The title did not reveal much. The blurb revealed that this was a fiction which related to 'World War era'. The editorial reviews spoke highly about the book, but the customers had mixed opinions. Since the above facts were not very convincing or promising, I would not have sampled this book if I had not been a part of this program.

Then I read the first ten pages, which described how Munro and Jacko met in the battle field in an intense battle situation. The writing was quite impressive, and I loved how the author had described the action-packed scenario. So I decided to continue reading the book.

I loved the way how the author used dialogues between Munro and Jacko to maintain some humour even in a tense situation. I did not see any errors in the first ten pages, and I did not see any area that could be improved. I saw the official OBC review, which gave a clear idea about the book and supported my decision on reading this book.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 9:32 pm by Sushan Ekanayake.

Emy Katherine

As I am not a big fan of historical fiction novels, I would not have read the book based on the genre, blurb, cover, title, editorial reviews, and customer reviews. Surprisingly, reading the first ten pages and the detailed OBC review convinced me to read the rest of the story. It is set in 1941 and follows the eventful journey of Captain James Munro and Sergeant Jack O'Brien as they are sent on a secret mission to Cairo to stop German agents from helping Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps. I thoroughly liked that I was thrown into the action from the very beginning; plus, I found the dialogues realistic and very engaging. The only thing I disliked was that I encountered some errors that were quite distracting. For example, I noticed a missing closing quotation mark at the end of the following sentence: '"Jacko, it really sounds great. Is it a sort of war dance?" (page 9) It should be written "bachelor's degree" in the following sentence: "I completed a bachelor degree in science from Sydney University." (page 15) It should be written "new-looking" in the following sentence: "They were finally approached by a nea-looking officer." (page 17) All in all, I would only suggest another round of editing. 

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 4:58 pm by Emy Katherine.

MsH2k

I read historical fiction occasionally, and I have read the third book in this trilogy, so I would have sampled this book even if I were not part of this program. The cover did not capture my attention because it looked too much like a battlefield, but I recognized the Warramunga name in the title even though I didn’t recognize the author’s name at first. I got lost in the war descriptions sometimes, but I enjoyed the sample pages. It was interesting seeing Jacko’s skills in use, and I liked his personality. It was funny that he could officially call Jamie “Cap” when he was promoted after their initial meeting. I remember Jacko’s sister more from the installment I read, so it will be nice to get more background on him this time. I will buy this book. It appeared professionally edited. I did not notice any grammatical errors in the first ten pages, and I have no suggestions for improvement. Neither the featured OnlineBookClub review nor any other editorial reviews or customer reviews influenced my decision.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 3:46 pm by MsH2k.

Ayomikun Babalola

With an intense situation at its start, it's hard not to become absorbed with this book. Jamie being pinned down under enemy fire could not have been a more perfect opening. Kater uses Jacko to introduce an unlikely solution and a bit of humour into this situation. These elements created a stunning start for this book. The cover, name, and blurb painted a detailed picture of what readers can expect. It's no surprise that the editorial review, and customer reviews only parrot my sentiments on the quality of this book.

In my opinion, there is nothing that needs to be improved in this book. With no errors and an intense opening, this book would usually be right up my alley, but the genre is not one I usually indulge in, and I'm currently not interested in experimenting with my reading choices. Therefore, I won't be buying this book. The official OBC review had no influence on my decision to not buy this book.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 3:46 pm by Ayomikun Babalola.

Ohna Martin

I would give this book a pass, even if I were not part of the program. I do like the genre, but the WWII setting is not really something I am interested in at all. The name and the cover are not really captivating. I found no spelling or grammar errors in this book. The thing about a good book is that it has to captivate me in the first one to five pages, unfortunately, what I find negative about this book is I read the first ten pages and there was no captivating factor that intrigued me to say that I need to finish this book to see what happens. Did James and Jack finish their mission? I do like the authors writing style though, I think it is unique, and I have no suggestions for the author. No other reviews, OBC or otherwise, influenced my decision. This is solely based on the first ten pages of this book.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 3:23 pm by Ohna Martin.

María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda

I don't get what's happening in the picture on the cover, so it wouldn't have caught my attention. The blurb perfectly explains the key players and plot of the story, and I like historical fiction, especially the kind in which "The principal fictional characters interact with actual historical figures and events throughout the story." The ratings are mixed, but I would've bought the book based on my first impressions.
The first ten pages ratified my decision. I love how clever Jacko is and how he lightly but accurately states some big truths, such as how the color of our skin can't determine our nationality: "Jamie asked, “Are you from one of the Indian units around here?” “Naw! Don’t let the tan fool you, Cap. I’m as Australian as you are, or even more so." He's also got quite an amazing origin story. There's much to love about his optimism, too. For example, how when Jamie regains consciousness, he lightheartedly comments, “G’day, Cap. I’ll have you in the loving arms of a pretty nurse in about an hour or so.” It must be incredibly hard to remain optimistic in the middle of a war. I also love how proud he's of his heritage (i.e. "Well, we bushies have to look after you city slickers or you’ll never last the war.") It's not that I don't like Jamie, but, so far, he lacks Jacko's charm. There was nothing I disliked. The only editing mistake I found was in the dedicatory note, which reads: "For Anne .... with love." An ellipsis should be formed only by three dots. However, this could also be interpreted as one of these cases where the first sentence is complete, so one dot is actually a full stop and there would be no mistake, then. My main suggestion would be to design a more eye-catching cover. The official OBC review furthered my enthusiasm for the book.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 3:19 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.

Carson25

I must first be honest and say that I won't buy and read through this book. This is due to the fact that I'm not a reader who enjoys fiction. I discovered that this is the first book in a trilogy after attentively reading the first ten pages. The story of James Munro, a member of the arm engineers during the war, is featured in the book's opening story, which is told quickly. A clear picture of battle is revealed through the conversation between James Munro and Corporal Jack O'Brien, also known as Jacko. This book's daring title really caught my attention. After reading the first ten pages, the book's cover immediately caught my attention as the element I loved the most. Its design pleases me. It accurately reflects the events in the narrative. There was not a single aspect of this book that I didn't enjoy. In addition, the first ten pages I read were devoid of errors. It appears that the work underwent thorough editing. This book doesn't need anything to be improved. I suggest it to readers who enjoy intriguing novels. This book received a lot of favorable reviews from consumers on Amazon and other websites.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 3:11 pm by Carson25.

Chinazo Anozie

I was interested in this book from the title, cover, description, genre, customer reviews, and the official OnlineBookClub review. I can’t wait to read more about Jamie and Jacko’s espionage adventures in Egypt. I will buy and read this book. This book seems professionally edited because I did not notice any typographical errors from the few pages I read. I don’t think anything needs to be improved.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 2:26 pm by Chinazo Anozie.

KafeliKe

Greg Kater's The Warramunga's War seems to be an excellent read. The novel seems to have plenty of action based on the first ten pages that I read. It is a work of historical fiction about espionage and war. The reader is introduced to Lieutenant James Munro, an Australian army officer, and Jacko in the first chapter of the novel. There is a scene of war in the same chapter of the book. Brennan, one of the sergeants, had taken a hit and was most likely dead. This book seems to move quickly. In my opinion, the introduction to this book was its best feature. It had a snappy opening and a high pitch. In the first ten pages, there was not a single thing that I didn't appreciate. Since I don't enjoy reading fiction books, I won't purchase and finish this one. I read the first few pages of the book and didn't notice any errors, so it seems to have undergone thorough editing. I recommend it to those who enjoy fiction books. They have to really love reading this book, which is excellent. On OnlineBookClub, there was a well-written official review that provided information about the book's subject matter. I chose not to finish reading this book because of its genre, not because of the title, cover, or reviews from other readers. The book seems to be fine and doesn't require any additional work.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 2:10 pm by KafeliKe.

Amy Luman

I will not be finishing this book or any of the sequels. While it seems, from the bit I read, to be about friendship, I do not like the war scenes. The cover shows what looks like a military camp, and that is appropriate, as is the title, as Jacko revealed to Jamie that he was part Warramunga. The reviews, including the OBC one and the blurb, assured me that this was historical fiction as well as a war story. I really didn’t like what I read well enough to have a favorite part, but neither can I suggest any improvements. This is probably just perfect for some readers. I also think it has been professionally edited.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 12:35 pm by Amy Luman.

Bertha Jackson

Although I enjoy reading historical fiction books, I would not have given this book any consideration because I am not fond of war books which the cover and title depict. The blurb, customer reviews, editorial reviews, and the OnlineBookClub review did not change my mind about this book. I enjoyed the book's flow and am curious about how Jacko's and James's relationship plays out, but not enough to finish reading the book. I suggest the author provide translations for the parts of the narrative in French. The first ten pages appear professionally edited, as I did not see any errors. I am sure readers who enjoy war stories will enjoy this one, but I am not one of them.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 12:23 pm by Bertha Jackson.

Andrada Madalina

"The Warramunga's War" by Greg Kater is a historical fiction that presents the Syrian campaign against the Vichy French in World War II. I liked the simplicity of the book cover, and I found it suitable for its title because of the illustration of the battlefield. I sampled this book because of its informative blurb and positive editorial and customer reviews. Also, its Official OnlineBookClub review made me curious about the friendship between Jamie and Jack. The book seems exceptionally well edited since I found no errors while reading its first ten pages. I would not improve anything on the storyline because I liked the natural dialogues between Jamie and Jack and that Greg Kater created suspense from the first chapter through an unexpected attack. Nevertheless, I will not buy and read the whole book because I am not a fan of historical fiction about war, and I could not empathize with any character.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 12:11 pm by Andrada Madalina.

Theresa Moffitt

I would not have picked this book up based on the cover alone. I don’t usually like to read books about war. However, the cover art is interesting and would attract readers who like to read those type of military books. However, after reading the onlinebookclub.org review, my interest was piqued. It is described as a historical fiction novel and recommended to readers who enjoy that genre. It is also recommended to readers who enjoy mysteries and romance. After reading the review, I think I would enjoy reading this book. The OBC review was very detailed, so I didn’t need to read any additional customer reviews or blurbs. The OBC review also stated that the book was professionally edited. I agree because I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages. I also didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon. The first ten pages drop the reader immediately into the action. The Lieutenant is under fire and unable to move from his position without attracting bullets. Another soldier who identified himself as a Warramunga came to his rescue. He was able to shoot the man operating the machine gun. The action was fast paced and interesting. The dialogue was also written very well. I liked the author’s writing style. For these reasons, I would like to finish reading this book.

First Ten review added on July 29, 2022, at 12:07 pm by Theresa Moffitt.

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