The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Crystilleries of Echoland

Gabriella H

The illustration on the cover looks interesting, and the title has a nice mythical ring. It made the book seem interesting and adventurous to me. The OBC official review and the blurb added to this intrigue, as I became curious about what happened to the twins after reading them, and I wondered why Will was brought back while Emmy was left behind. Therefore, I was eager to sample this book. The first thing that caught my attention in the first ten pages was the beautiful illustrations at the top of the page. I knew I would enjoy sampling this book, and indeed I did. I was immediately drawn into the story, and I felt for Will. I look forward to completing this book, and I like the writing style. If I weren't a part of this program, I would've sampled this book because of the interesting title and cover. I gladly didn't see any errors in the first ten pages, and I believe those pages were professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvements. My decision to read this book wasn't influenced by the editorial review or customer reviews.

First Ten review added on June 8, 2022, at 4:56 am by Gabriella H.

Jeremie Mondejar

I don't understand the title, but I'm happy at the sample. The sample deals with a child who returns from Echoland. I appreciate the different types of characters between in the real world and in that of Echoland. The plot was quite fascinating, captivating and interesting with images embedded on the book. I like the colourful illustration that guides the reader what to think exactly. I decided to read this book after sampling it. The book has an OBC review that gives a valuable information about the book and affects my decision. I didn't notice any typos while sampling the book as well as anything for improvement. The book has a good charisma, especially to those people who enjoy this genre.

First Ten review added on June 8, 2022, at 4:56 am by Jeremie Mondejar.

Manang Muyang

The title and cover surely mean this book contains a fantasy read. The blurb talks about people on Earth being Sounds, with their twin Echoes in Echoland. Wow! I find it difficult to enjoy fantasy reads, so I wouldn't have sampled the book outside the program. True enough, the sample was a challenge to imagine. I guess I am too old to suspend disbelief. I laud the author's creativity in coming up with such a plot, with lucent beings in a "winter wonderland." The accompanying illustrations were enchanting. However, this is not a genre I am comfortable with, so I will have to pass. There were some errors: On page 2, "He talked to himself really; though the bright leaves in the jar nodded as if listening" needed a comma vice the semicolon. On page 3, "But in Alaska winter mornings are as black as midnight" would have been clearer with a comma after "Alaska." I do not think fantasy buffs will want anything changed; I would defer to them. The official OBC reviewer gave a wonderful rating to the book, but the reviewer's wonderment is not something that I could echo.

First Ten review added on June 8, 2022, at 4:55 am by Manang Muyang.

Dzejn_Crvena

When I saw the genre, I was eager to read this book because I love to read fantasy books for children. The OBC review and the sample convinced me to read it when I learned it has a unique setting for parallel worlds. Our mirrored images exist in a different dimension, and they're called echoes. The first ten pages are about Will Cleary and his parents as they find ways to search for his missing twin sister. I like the poetic narration at the introduction of the story. It gave the appropriate mystery for curious readers. I'd like to know how they find Will's twin. The book seems professionally edited, and I don't have suggestions for improvements.

First Ten review added on June 8, 2022, at 4:39 am by Dzejn_Crvena.

Mutai Marshal

The book's title and cover page dissuaded me from reading this book. They suggested that this is a sci-fi novel, a genre I don't like, and, therefore, I wouldn't have read it outside the First Ten program. I found nothing appealing in the novel. There's was hardly anything to grasp as the plot (Will's story was under progression) was yet to settle on a particular scene. I noticed a punctuation error. A conjunction was used after a semicolon (He kept babbling their names: Deá, Damian; and a glowing plant wrapped him round like a diaper of seaweeds.) Other than this, the book seems professionally edited. The OBC review didn't change my mind about this book. Because I'm not looking for a young adult book, I will not buy this novel. I also didn't find anything that needs improvement.

First Ten review added on June 8, 2022, at 4:14 am by Mutai Marshal.

Rodel Barnachea

Following my poring over the book’s official OBC review and Amazon page, I decided not to acquire the young adult novel. I am not fascinated by the fantasy concept of an echo and a sound on which the story heavily relies. I am not intrigued by the “Gravestone Book” and why so many disappearances are happening in the novel. I am not interested in finding out if Will and his parents would succeed in their quest to safely bring Will’s twin sister back home. Sampling the book failed to change my mind. I would not purchase it because nothing in the sample piqued my curiosity or convinced me I would enjoy perusing the remaining pages of the story. The first ten pages contain Chapter 1: The Gravestone Book, Chapter 2: See-Through People, Chapter 3: Sounds & Echoes, and a few pages of Chapter 4: Emmy Disappears. What I liked most is when Damian and Dea explained to Will the concept of “Sound” and “Echo”. I did not note any errors in the Amazon sample. The book seems professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.

First Ten review added on June 8, 2022, at 2:17 am by Rodel Barnachea.

Sou Hi

Even without this program, I would have sampled this. The ratings on Amazon are not very good, but the official review from OnlineBookClub and the blurb look fine. The genre is also my cup of tea.

I like the love Emmy's family has for her. The concept of Echoland is also interesting. I found some minor errors, but the editing is good. I have no suggestions for improvement. Since the sample is appealing enough, I will buy the book.

Error example: Suddenly Will's heart stopped. -> There should be a comma after "Suddenly" (though this may be the author's style).

First Ten review added on June 8, 2022, at 2:10 am by Sou Hi.

Jennifer Garcia 555

I like the cover of this book and the unique title. The description of this book sounded interesting, but since it’s a young adult book that seems tailored to the pre-teen age, I would not pick this book to read. I read an official OnlineBookClub review and the sample pages and found the storyline very unique. I did not see any editing errors, so this book seems professionally edited. I like that the main characters seem to be a boy, a wolf, and a falcon. The fact that he returned home after going missing with these animals is interesting. This book could be improved by making it a little less dark. I feel that the Gravestone book of missing children and the Echos possessing the dead pets may be too creepy for some pre-teens. Teenagers that enjoy unique and creepy stories may enjoy this book. The sample pages did not convince me to read this book, so I will not buy or finish it.

First Ten review added on June 8, 2022, at 1:40 am by Jennifer Garcia 555.

Eunice Geres

I wouldn't have read this book if it weren't on BOTD because it doesn't seem like one I would enjoy. Even though the book cover reminds me of Narnia, I feel like I'm too old to enjoy a fantasy novel like this. There was nothing in the official review that interested me. When I opened the sample of the book on Amazon, I was impressed that the illustrations were very beautiful. It's colored, and while it looked not photoshopped well, it still looks good. I didn't quite enjoy the sample of the book. I feel like Will's emotion in the first chapter is not well-written, in a sense that I'm not convinced. The narration said he was sad, but I feel like it would be more understandable if he were confused, persistent, and full of suppressed energy. He seemed too timid. I only liked the illustrations and sense of magic in the narration, but other than that, I didn't quite enjoy it. Maybe I'm now too old for middle-grade fantasies. I will not continue to read the book. I also don't have anything to recommend, as I believe it was already okay. I also didn't encounter any grammatical mistakes in the sample of the book.

First Ten review added on June 8, 2022, at 1:35 am by Eunice Geres.

KafeliKe

Dew Pellucid's The Crystilleries of Echoland seems to be an intriguing and fast-paced work of fiction. The first section of the book begins with a description of Echoland, a place where the protagonist of the novel previously traveled with his father. He describes a few of the things he recalls about the place. He mentions, for example, the gleaming palace that was brilliantly constructed. The beginning of the novel is the aspect that I liked the most. It had a fast-paced opening, which grabbed me while reading the sample. The only aspect of the book that I liked the least was how it was divided into so many sections. This is evident from the book's comprehensive table of contents. The author should consider reducing them as a way to improve the book. After reading the sample, I noticed that the book had grammatical and spelling errors. It was painstakingly edited. Because I'm not always a fan of fiction books like this, I'm not going to buy and finish the book. Both Amazon and OnlineBookClub have positive reviews for the book. The customer reviews, title, and cover had no bearing on my decision not to finish the book. However, the genre of the book had a significant impact on my decision not to finish it.

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 11:44 pm by KafeliKe.

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 don't like how confusing the beginning of this book is, talking about the wolf and the falcon, and a bunch of characters that aren't properly introduced. This book seems professionally edited, I didn't see any typos; plus, it has an official OnlineBookClub review. I didn't see anything that I particularly enjoyed. Neither the blurb, customer reviews, nor editorial reviews affect my decision not to read the book.

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 10:29 pm by Mariana Figueira.

Owuamanam Eberechukwu

Will stormed into his father’s library to inform him that the flowers they brought the last time were glowing. Will's father was buried in a newspaper when Will came in. After some discussion, Will left, accompanied by his falcon and wolf. The beginning of the book showed that the book was not like our everyday book. I like how the author in the first few pages introduces the type of book she wrote. The cover design and title are appropriate. They are eerie, like the book’s content. I would read and buy the book based on the cover design and title. The pages I read were exceptionally well edited. I have no recommendation for the author. I will not buy and read this book because it’s content is a bit scary and out of my current interest scope. This is my personal thoughts and was not influenced by reviews, comments, or blurbs on OBC or not. 

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 9:42 pm by Owuamanam Eberechukwu.

Diana Lowery

There is nothing about the title or the cover with the boy flying on a giant bird that interests me. The blurb did not show an age level, but I assume the book is for young adults. The OBC review did mention that it was a young fantasy tale. Neither the blurb nor the review convinced me to read the book. I saw a semi-colon error at 27%, "He talks to himself really; though the bright leaf in the jar nodded as if listening." There was nothing I liked or disliked. I am not going to read the book because I do not enjoy YA fantasy books. I have no suggestions for the author

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 5:05 pm by Diana Lowery.

Soraya Bayah

There is nothing to dislike about the sample, except I felt the narration was too fast. This can say that the book is more fast paced. I enjoyed the plot up until now. I would not have picked up this book from the genre, title, cover, or reviews like OBC, as I am not up to an adventure/fantasy read currently. I enjoyed the narrative and found the dialogue between Dea, Damean, and William interesting. I wonder what they are composed of. I have to admit that I like animals more than humans, so I look forward to seeing them return to their animal bodies. I did not find any typographical errors and see nothing could be improved for now. I will consider this book when I am up to a fantasy book. For now, I will skip it. Nonetheless, well written!

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 3:35 pm by Soraya Bayah.

Michelle Menezes

Based on the title and cover, I guessed that the book would be from the fantasy genre. The blurb was interesting, and since I enjoy the genre, I had a positive feeling about the book. I avoid reading editorial and customer reviews, as I like to form my own opinions, but I did read the Official OnlineBookClub review, and it had good things to say about the book. Based on all the above things, I decided to give it a try. After reading the first ten pages, I have decided to continue reading the book. The whole concept about a parallel world being the 'echo' while our world is the 'sound' fascinated me. I liked the element of mystery that surrounded Will's disappearance and return; I can't wait to have all the answers to my questions. I don't think the book needs any improvement, and I didn't notice any errors, so it seems professionally edited.

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 2:39 pm by Michelle Menezes.

Kirsi Cultrera

I found the cover art and the title of this book compelling. In addition, the blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews I saw painted an interesting picture of this book. As I enjoy fantasy literature and mostly like coming-of-age stories, I would have probably at least sampled this book even without this program. The author's writing style was heart-warming, and the way Will's parents were described left me speechless. They seemed to be like shallow shadows of what they once used to be, driven by their obsessions that were caused by the disappearance of Will's twin sister. I'd imagine that any parent in a similar situation could turn out to be like these two. The storyline seemed interesting yet not too complicated for the desired age group. However, I thought the author could have given the reader more time to grasp all the details of the beginning setup before bringing Will back to the Echoland. Other than that, I did not find anything to dislike about this book. The editing seemed appropriate, as I did not catch any mistakes while reading the sample. I read the Official OnlineBookClub review I found but had long before decided I wanted to read the whole book. My opinion did not change; I am looking forward to diving into the Echoland.

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 2:32 pm by Kirsi Cultrera.

Kaitlyn Canedy

If The Crystilleries of Echoland hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day, I would have skipped the sample of it because it is an audiobook. Even though I have seen multiple customer reviews for this title and have read many OnlineBookClub reviews for it (including the official one), I knew this book was not for me. The description on Amazon.com told me that this book was more for teens; this further made me not want to read the book. I liked the narrator for the audiobook; his voice seems to fit well with it. I noticed no grammatical errors in the sample, and there are no improvements I can think of. Even though I listened to the sample and read the official review, I am not interested in listening to an audiobook. Not only this, but I do not think it fits me well. Readers who like fantasy novels may like this book.

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 2:25 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.

Sanju Lali

It was evident from the cover and the title that this is a coming-of-age fantasy story book. I read the OBC official review of this book to know the premise of the story. The OBC official review gave me the idea that this is a fast-paced action storybook about the parallel world. This idea inspired me to read the first ten pages of this book. After reading the first ten pages of this book, I realized that the book was not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors in the free sample. For example, the sentence, "But in Alaska winter mornings are as black as midnight." The same sentence could be as follows. "But in Alaska, winter mornings are as black as midnight." In this sample, I liked the wolf, the falcon, and the glowing plant, who were the faithful companions of Will. They always accompanied Will everywhere. However, the details given in the description of the scenes appeared to be confusing to me because I could not get the whole picture. My suggestion to the author is to go for a round of professional editing and consider describing the scenes with relevant details. Looking at all the aspects of this book, I decided not to purchase and read this book today until the author considers my above-mentioned requirements.

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 2:06 pm by Sanju Lali.

Jorge Leon Salazar

The cover and title seem in keeping with a fantasy story geared towards young adults. I think the target audience should be attracted to this title and cover combination. I'm not a fan of the fantasy genre and am not a young adult anymore. The blurb mentions that Will and Emmy disappear, but Will returns after a week, with a wolf and a falcon. Plus, it expresses that Will must ally with his alter ego in a parallel universe to rescue his sister and save his own life. This universe is a hidden world filled with see-through trees and lucent people. The blurb also comments there is an answer hidden in an ancient book, but many men, monsters, crystal balls, and spying eyes will try to stop the teens. Most of the customer reviews are favorable. Based on these elements, I am not prone to try this book. I found it appropriate that an overview of what Echoland looks like was included. From the beginning, the story catches me in the disappearance of Will and Emmy and the mystery of what happened to her that she did not return with Will. I consider the attitude that their parents adopted to be a symbol of the madness a parent can fall into when losing a child in such a way. I liked the twist in which Deá and Damian turned out to be see-through teenagers from Echoland. They took over the body of the wolf and the falcon. Also, it was striking that Will's nightmares about a fiend were memories of the day of their disappearance. The intrigue of what is about to happen in Echoland is raised that Will is the only one who can stop it. Although I'm not a fan of fantasy, I liked what I read, but I found the essence of Echoland somewhat confusing. In a practical sense, it is a bit difficult for me to assimilate that your reflection is your Echo and you are a Sound. Therefore, I decide not to read the rest of the book. The official OnlineBookClub review highlights the existence of Echoland as a parallel world. The editing looks outstanding since I didn't see anything to comment on. Overall, I didn't see anything that I believe could be improved. In short, I will not read the rest of the book.

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 1:10 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.

Rita Nuncia

The Crystilleries of Echoland by Dew Pellucid is a mystery thriller book most suitable for teens but can be read by adults. The book is about Will Cleary, who at the age of thirteen, leaves home to go on a rescue mission, in an attempt to find and rescue his twin sister. Soon he discovers the Echoland, a parallel world to ours, the wonders and dangers of Echoland, and a way to rescue his sister and the other children. I always enjoy mystery thriller books as they are one of my favorite genres, I was very excited after reading a review on this book and finding out the genre of the book. I would have read it without the First Ten program being the reason. After reading the first ten pages of this book, I am happy to know that I was not mistaken. The few pages which I read are interesting, thrilling, intriguing, captivating, and suspenseful. Therefore, I would love to buy and read the whole book. This book seems professionally edited as I did not notice any grammatical or typographical errors while reading the first ten pages of the book. What I love most, is the plot of the book and how it fits the cover of the book. I do not see anything that needs to be improved. I read an OnlineBookClub official review and it convinced me of how interesting the book is.

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 3:51 am by Rita Nuncia.

Ari Martinez

If it wasn't for the First Ten program, I wouldn't sample this book based on its title, cover, genre, blurb, or Official OnlineBookClub review because I am not a big fan of coming-of-age novels. Also, although the world of Echoland seemed unique, the overall plot didn't interest me. After reading the first ten pages, I will not read the whole book because I wasn't captivated by the world created by the author. As I read, I just didn't feel interested in learning more about Echoes, Sounds, or Fate Sealers. From what I read, my favorite part was when the Crystillery recreated the memory of Will's mother - I felt very sad when I read that Will had never heard his mother laugh. The book appears professionally edited, and I can't think of any way to improve it.

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 2:52 am by Ari Martinez.

Vidhi Adhikari

I loved the spooky title, cover and the detailed description of this book. The genre was right up my alley and the numerous customer and OBC reviews were motivating. So I was ready to read the sample. I did find some grammatically incorrect and awkwardly framed sentences in the text, which should be looked at ('Far, far away in a land few Sounds have ever seen stands the palace of Agám Kaffú'). I loved the illustrations in the beginning of every chapter. However the writing style was not fast paced enough for me to finish the book. Hence, I shall not be finishing this book. I would suggest fastening the pace and simplifying the book's writing style to better grab the attention of the reader.

First Ten review added on June 7, 2022, at 1:59 am by Vidhi Adhikari.

Stephanie Runyon

The cover depicts a blue scene with a dark entity on a cliff, and what looks to be a type of seabird with a person riding on it's back. The impression of this novel is in the fantasy genre interests me, and I would have sampled the story. I liked the ease of imagining the scenery and emotions from Will. The use of hiss and irritate were used instead of said or told; making the story dialogue come alive for me. I believe there is an error in one sentence. “After that, the legendary lunatic spat out his gum, took off his bleeding glasses and forgot to look insane.” I think that the word bleeding should have possibly been reading. I have no suggestions for improvement beyond the minor edit I found. The OBC reviewer listened to the story on the audiobook, so it did not influence my decision to continue reading the book. I didn't read anything online to alter my decision. I am a fan of fantasy stories and the characters in the story were well-developed. I liked watching their interactions.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 11:23 pm by Stephanie Runyon.

Damian Keyes

The Crystilleries of Echoland by Dew Pellucid is a non-fiction novel about William Cleary going on a journey in another dimension to find his twin sister, Emily. I was able to read a preview of the book through Amazon, and I started to get confused by the second chapter. Based on the book title, I already knew that this wasn't my cup of tea; and I wasn't wrong. So, I decided to read the official review of the book on OnlineBookClub.com which provided me with clarity on what is going on, but I knew that the book would be more detailed than a review. If I could compare this book to a popular book series, I would say it has the feeling and same elements as a Harry Potter book. The problem that I have with books like this that take you on a journey in these faraway lands is there are too many moving parts. Maybe I have a skewed imagination, but I can never get in the mood to follow along with stories like this without getting disinterested quickly. I have this same problem with Harry Potter; I can never read the book because I have to have a visual when it comes to fictional stories. That's why I enjoy the movies. I did not find any grammar or spelling errors, so I can tell from the writing style that this book is professionally edited.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 10:53 pm by Damian Keyes.

Hazel Arnaiz

The cover and title suggest fantasy, while the blurb mentions magic and hints at coming-of-age. I am not a fan of these genres. Hence, I will skip this book outside the program.
Customer reviews are a mix of positive and critical feedback. From the sample, I appreciate the imaginative take on parallel worlds. The dynamics of sound and echo as an analogy to these worlds are thought-provoking. However, I will pass on this one.
Fantasy, magic, and coming-of-age are not my usual read. The worldbuilding includes new words and creatures. For improvement, I suggest a glossary for these new terms. As for editing issues, here are examples.

Page 9. Grammar. It seems that the preposition does not fit in this context. Consider changing it to "into."

He remembered diving [in] a halo of light and slowly freezing, until he could not move anymore or breathe.

Page 30. Grammar. It seems that the preposition does not fit in this context. Consider changing it to "on."

Instantly, something [in] the frozen surface interacted with the icy disc.

The official OnlineBookClub review has helpful insights.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 10:38 pm by Hazel Arnaiz.

Gabrielle Sigaki

The Crystilleries of Echoland by Dew Pellucid is a young adult/coming-of-age fiction book that brings parallel worlds that are mirrored. If I didn't sample this book, I wouldn't read it based on its Official OnlineBookClub review, its customer reviews, its genre, and its blurb since I'm not interested in young adult books with coming-of-age stories like this one. 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 story confusing since there were several characters appearing at the same time and without further explanations. Nevertheless, the book seems professionally edited and I liked the fact that the premise seemed unique since I have never read a book about a mirrored world with see-through people. This novel could still be improved if the author explained the characters' actions and backgrounds instead of just talking superficially about everything.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 9:35 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.

Andrada Madalina

"The Crystilleries of Echoland" by Dew Pellucid is a young adult novel that presents the adventure of Will Cleary in a parallel universe. The title and cover of the book didn't surprise me, but the blurb and editorial reviews impressed me. Also, I enjoyed reading the Official OnlineBookClub review, and it determined me to sample the book. The first ten pages seem exceptionally edited. I discovered no single error. I liked the plot with the long-lost twin and alternative worlds and the vivid illustrations. However, I will not read the whole novel because I am not a fan of young fantasy tales and talking animals.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 8:42 pm by Andrada Madalina.

Kira Bonita Reece

This is a fantasy book that showcases a parallel universe. Will and his twin sister Emmy disappeared and only Will returned. Ten years later they are still searching for his sister. What I liked most about this book were the descriptions. The author did a good job of painting a world we can fall in love with.

The sample was professionally edited but was a bit confusing in the beginning. One improvement that could be made would be to include an index of characters and unfamiliar terms.

Books about different realms do not entice me so I would not choose to read it based on the cover, title, blurb, or genre. This book has an amazing official OnlineBookClub review and all positive customer reviews but I don't think they were enough to convince me to read this book.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 3:17 pm by Kira Bonita Reece.

Chinazo Anozie

I was interested in this book from the title, cover, description, genre, customer reviews, and the official OnlineBookClub review. However, I changed my mind once I read the first few pages because I didn’t understand the storyline. For example, I didn’t get an in-depth explanation of how the Sounds and Echoes work, and I also didn’t get what exactly happened to Will and Emmy. The illustrations in the book also made it seem like it was a children’s book (and I’m not a fan of this). I didn't like anything about this book, so I will not buy and read this book. Also, this book will benefit from another round of editing because I noticed an error in chapter two. An example is as follows: “Like burning puddles, the boy’s eyes fllashed [flashed].” I’m unable to provide the exact page of the error because the format I read on Amazon did not have page numbers.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 2:05 pm by Chinazo Anozie.

Amy Luman

I’m going to read this entire book. It’s young adult science fiction/fantasy. Those are two of my favorite genres. I really like how Dea, Will’s wolf, and Damian, Will’s falcon, turn into people in Echoland. I’m still a little confused about sounds and echoes, but I hope to figure it out as I read. The reviews, including the OBC one and the blurb, talked about these things, but didn’t explain them fully. The cover and title told me about the fantasy aspect. I found no errors, which makes me believe this has been professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvement based on the little that I read.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 1:27 pm by Amy Luman.

Timothy Rucinski

The cover is okay, but not enough to spark my interest to check it out further. Although I like muted colors, the typeface and color of the title don't stand out very well, and it suggests an otherworldly fantasy. That's not a genre of interest. The Official OBC Review confirmed my suspicion that this was a fantasy, a young-adult fantasy no less, and it wasn't enough to intrigue me to look further. So, without doing this exercise, I would have never read any of this book. Now that I've read the first several pages, I know for certain that I will not continue. It's not that I disliked anything that I read. This just isn't a genre that rings my bell. There wasn't much of what I read that I found all that interesting, but I liked the concept of Dea and Damian living inside the pets to keep an eye on Will. I also liked the drawings. The book seemed to be professionally edited as I found no errors. I have no recommendations for improvement. And, I read no other blurbs or reviews.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 12:29 pm by Timothy Rucinski.

markodim721

I would choose to read a sample of this book because of the cover and title. I read customer reviews, editor reviews, and the Official OnlineBookClub review but they did not influence my decision. The blurb helped me to see the structure of the book and in that sense, it influenced my quality. The title of the book contains the call of adventure. The cover of the book fits well with the title and contains clear symbolism of the adventure. I’m not going to read the book because I’m not in the mood to read young adult fiction at the moment. While reading the sample I did not notice any errors or typos and the book seems like it is professionally edited. Reading the sample did not change my mind from my original guess. I like the way Will’s mother is described always in her diving suit and always looking lost and sad because it looks authentic. I don't think anything needs to be improved in the book.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 12:26 pm by markodim721.

María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda

What a pretty cover! I don't care much for fantasy books, but I've got to admit it's hard to create such a nice monochrome cover. The blurb is intriguing and way darker than what I would've thought from the cover. I especially appreciate that the author reduced the quoted praises to a minimum. The ratings for the books are mixed and fantasy is not a genre I favor, especially since it seems the protagonist is a little kid, which I don't find relatable. Hence, I wouldn't have bought the book based on my first impressions.
The first ten pages are masterfully written, but the topics and the protagonists are not something I feel interested in. This is a personal preference, since I think the narrative style is praise-worthy. The image of the girl made of mist, for example, is so beautiful is almost lyrical. I also enjoyed the funny childish comments (i.e. "the newspaper smoked like a chimney") and the way the author alternates this narrative style with "adult" comments, such as "as if animals could smile in the first place". It all sparked my imagination and made me feel a little nostalgic. If there was something to dislike, I would point to the fact that suggesting to young ones that getting into a freezing pond is a good idea is dangerous. I can't say it was a personal dislike because I'm way too old to know that's a risky idea, but I noticed. I didn't find editing mistakes. I don't have any suggestions. The official OBC review didn't change my mind.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 11:38 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.

Ayomikun Babalola

I would certainly have bought this book. The cover and title look aesthetically pleasing, and the title suggests it's a fantasy book. As a fantasy lover, I was pleased to check the genre and see that it was indeed a fantasy book. The editorial and customer reviews did not influence my opinion of this book in any way. The blurb is what completely sold this book to me. It created an air of mystery and made me curious to find out what was happening in Echoland. I am going to buy this book. I was a bit confused as I read the story, but the book has enough intrigue to encourage me to buy this book and find out more.

I found at least one instance of an error while I read this book. On page 9, the sentence reads, “But in Alaska winter mornings are as black as midnight.” A comma should have followed the word “Alaska” in the sentence. I loved that the book feels like it will deliver in terms of plot, suspense, and adventure. The first ten pages suggest that the author is an excellent writer. I felt that the illustrations were not subpar. It reduced the quality of the story. I feel that the illustrations can be improved, and the book should be edited again in order to remove any errors. I did not see an official Onlinebookclub review.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 10:17 am by Ayomikun Babalola.

Bertha Jackson

I would not have selected this book outside of the First Ten program because the book’s cover reminded me of "Harry Potter" books, which I am not a fan of. However, the cover and title of the book are appropriate for the genre. The blurb drew my interest with the mention of kidnapped children. Customer and editorial reviews never influence me. The OnlineBookClub review confirmed my suspicion that this book is comparable to "Harry Potter" books. I liked the illustrations at the beginning and end of the chapters. I am curious why Will returned but his twin sister, Emmy, did not. I have no recommendations for the author because the book appears to be professionally edited. I did not see any errors in the first ten pages. I will not finish reading this book because I am not fond of young adult books that resemble "Harry Potter" books.

First Ten review added on June 6, 2022, at 9:43 am by Bertha Jackson.

This book appears to have been Book of the Day more than once. Only responses from the most recent Book of the Day focus group are shown. Older responses have been hidden by default to avoid confusion. If you would like to also view the older first ten responses, you can unhide them by clicking the button below.

Show Older Responses