The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Deape Woods
Because Deape Woods was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Alice Heritage
I was intrigued to sample this book after reading the Amazon blurb because I enjoy books with supernatural elements. I probably won't read the rest of it, however, because the style involves too much telling and some of that is too preachy for my taste. I suspected there might be a religious element to counter the evil forces, and the OBC review was helpful in confirming this, so it did contribute to my decision. This book appears to have been professionally edited as I did not notice any errors. I liked the descriptions as the author had clearly envisioned everything. For example, the mention of a "classic red barn" was a nice touch because I could picture that straight away. I think the writing could be improved if it included less telling. As a reader, I would rather be fed information to work out that the man at the beginning lacked empathy for his victim or that Nora was single and alone. The part about Nora's belief in science is rather laid on with a trowel - it would suffice to say she didn't believe in ghosts. The excursus about hallucinations and medication makes her seem more like a mouthpiece for beliefs the author wants to preach against rather than a relatable character.
First Ten review added on January 16, 2020, at 4:16 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
briellejee
Based on the cover and title, I think I wouldn't have sampled the book. It looks eerie and scary, something I would definitely avoid since I don't like these genres. Both aspects are spooky enough for the fans of such. As for the first few pages, I'm already creeped out with the man, I assume, hiding a dead body. I like how the author built the creepy atmosphere in the Deape Apartment. Stella and Victor's characters are also well-written for the genre. The premise invites the reader that there is something to look forward to and it indicates good writing, which seldom can be found in others. However, as much as I would like to stay and watch what would happen to Nora, scary stories and paranormal activities are not my types because I'm a scaredy-cat. With that said, I will not be reading the rest of the book. I found no noticeable errors and the official OBC review was persuasive enough to tell me to sample it.
First Ten review added on January 16, 2020, at 4:08 am by briellejee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vickie Noel
I think the cover of this book looks mysterious and the title, intriguing. I would have sampled it outside the program. But when I read the OBC review and it mentioned that the plot was paranormal and had ties with the occult, I lost interest. However, while sampling the first few pages, I must admit that I was reeled in. The reason can be attributed to the manner with which the author wrote the introductory part. Apart from its decorative imagery, the suspense was palpable. For example, "The man’s dark, beady eyes squinted as they scanned his surroundings. Grabbing ahold of the metal-handled shovel, traipsed a little deeper into the forest and selected a spot for burial right next to a buck-skinned tree." Still, because of my religious beliefs, I'm very wary about reading this book further as I do not like anything relating to voodoo or suchlike things. I already understand that evil spirits in the dark are real, and I don't need to be reminded about them. I found no grammatical errors in the course of reading.
First Ten review added on January 16, 2020, at 3:23 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover, and title. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I wasn’t into it from the beginning. It started out with a barrel (with what I assumed to be a dead body) being buried. This was a rather creepy start and isn’t for me. The next part of the book contained a lot of description. However, it seemed to tell about the characters and scenery instead of instead of including the reader in the story, which was disappointing. For example, there was a whole paragraph that told what Nora looked like. This style of description also wasn’t for me. I did like that the author started off strong with the first scene that I described before, and I like the amount of research they put into the book. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on January 16, 2020, at 12:49 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
unamilagra
Before sampling this book, I probably would not have picked it up. Despite the glowing OBC review, I am not into stories about spirits and demons. I thought the man burying the body at the beginning created some intrigue. I also liked Nora's character development so far. The only thing that bothered me was the book was a little overly-descriptive in some places. But I am interested enough in the story to keep reading and see where it leads. As far as errors, I just noticed the need for commas around Eleanor to create an appositive clause at Location 121.
First Ten review added on January 16, 2020, at 12:20 am by unamilagra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
LeDiplomatique
The cover page depicting a woman on the run in the woods is one that raises enough curiosity. The title Deape woods caught me off-guard when I realized something spine-chilling and ghostly was happening at Deape Woods. After reading the first ten pages, my curiosity peaked because I wanted to know what Prudence O'Haire was warning the reader about in her writing tone. However, I will not be reading the book because I found it too ghostly. I was shaking and jumping at every sound as I read the first ten pages. The black and white pictures at the beginning of each chapter are creepy as well. I did not come across any errors except a missing comma at location 121; Sweeping her long brown hair- long, brown hair. I most liked the author's ability to create fear with words. Anticipating something to happen was enough to send chills down the spine, thanks to her writing style. I did not see anything to be improved. I came across an official review which was insightful. However, it did not change my mind about reading the book.
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 10:51 pm by LeDiplomatique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Juliana_Isabella
I wouldn't have chosen this book because I don't usually read books that involve spirits or ghosts, but I did see that it had a positive review. I didn't find any grammatical errors in the first ten pages, and I liked how the author used small details to develop the relationship between the mother and daughter as it was told through her memories. However, I felt like the plot of the book still hadn't begun after ten pages, so I don't plan to finish the book.
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 10:29 pm by Juliana_Isabella.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Fu Zaila
The cover is gothic and fitting to the blurb. The review was pretty positive and encouraging, however it did mention that the book follows a biblical approach. The sample was professionally edited. I really liked the writing style. The author's imagery and descriptions were very good and enchanting in a way. I liked how she compared the daffodil hanging it's head to mourning a loss. The mysterious man burying a barrel sounded interesting and suspenseful. I also liked the scene where Nora departs from her father. There wasn't anything I disliked. But I won't be reading this book as I'm not interested in paranormal books.
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 10:02 pm by Fu Zaila.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
winecellarlibrary
Well, I couldn't stop reading at ten pages, so that's a good sign! I lost count of how many pages I read from the Amazon sample. In that excerpt, I only found one error at Loc 146; the book says "chap stick" as two words, when the correct spelling is "ChapStick," as it is a brand name. Even though it has colloquially become a blanket term for lip balm, it still is just one word in any case. I read and enjoyed both they synopsis and the Online Book Club review, but I wasn't sold on reading the book just based on that information. The fact that proceeds from the book are supporting a cause that I am passionate about, paired with the fact that I couldn't put the book down after the first several pages, ensures that I will be reading this book! I already received a free copy thanks to Online Book Club, but I will be sure to read it and feature it on my blog so that others are inspired to purchase a copy! There are two minor changes I would suggest. First, there shouldn't be double-spacing between every paragraph. Second, Nora's thoughts are way too detailed and seem forced. No one thinks in paragraphs like that. It would be better to simplify her thoughts into a couple sentences, at most.
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 9:50 pm by winecellarlibrary.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Ekta Kumari
The book is a supernatural thriller centered on a woman, Nora, who has just shifted in a new home in Kingsman, Oregon after settling her Alzheimer's inflicted father in a permanent care facility. However, she begins to experience intense paranormal happenings in the house soon after shifting there. The book explores how she will face these hauntings, especially when she is not knowledgeable about spiritual matters and doesn't understand the source of these frightening events. I really liked the premise of the storyline, and I love reading thrillers. So, I would've definitely read the book. I also liked the book's cover page. The thing I liked the most in the sampling was the author's writing style, which features excellent use of imagery. Just for an example, here is an excerpt from the book, "Tiny green strands of wild blackberries crawled along the ground like spider webbing wrapping around everything they could get ahold of." Plus, I liked reading about Nora, too. The author portrays her features and thoughts clearly, and the details were enough to create a vivid picture in my mind. The book starts on a high note creating the suspense and anticipation we most often search for in thriller books. As for the editing, I didn't find any errors in the portion I sampled, so I would rate the book as professionally edited. I did see an official review for this read. Lastly, I'll read the whole book as I enjoyed the sample.
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 9:36 pm by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Delaney35
This is not a book I would normally choose to read. I also was not convinced by reviews that I read. It is about a woman who moves into a place that is supposed to be haunted. She does not believe in the supernatural though. However, that gives the evil an advantage over the already hurting young woman who was suffering because of her parent's declining health. The book opens with the depiction of a man hiding a dead body. It then cuts to Nora, the main character, talking with her father who no longer remembered her. The opening was very emotional and well written; I didn't notice any grammatical issues. I think the emotion was conveyed well. The only part I did not like was some of the descriptions were a bit lacking. I think the author described what could be seen well, but left out the other sense. Overall, I will not be finishing this book because I am not a fan of the genre.
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 7:22 pm by Delaney35.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CataclysmicKnight
The cover of this book is excellent. It's very forboding and has a terrific balance of light vs darkness. That alone would've gotten me to look into the book whether it was the book of the day or not.
The first section of the book with a man digging a grave for a barrel was interesting, but I found it a bit tricky to stick with the main introduction to the story until the dog came along. The descriptiveness was terrific and I really felt like I was in the desert with a wandering dog!
Despite owning the book for free, I considered passing up reading the rest of this book until I read the OBC review. The last sentence alone had me interested, quickly summing up that the book is about questioning whether spirits come from good or dark places. That, coupled with the perfect 4/4 star rating, is enough to make me want to read the rest.
I also appreciated that there were no errors yet!
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 6:12 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
AvidBibliophile
The cover art is straightforward and efficiently exudes a sense of danger and suspense. The Amazon product description is appreciatively succinct and persuasively intriguing. I enjoyed seeing the background information included in the preface, since an informed approach is always the most genuinely successful way to proceed convincingly. I also loved the creatively rendered black and white artwork images. While the storyline itself reads smoothly, I feel there are an excessive number of paragraph splits. From a visual standpoint, the quantity of them seems more distracting than it does necessary for clear comprehension of shifting thoughts. I feel that some of the very short paragraphs would look better if they were joined to the one above or below; it would give a less choppy appearance that way. While I'm not generally drawn to reading any sort of fiction with strong religious undertones, I am interested to see how "darker matters" and the occult are balanced with salvation in this tale. At location 79, the word "CONTENTs" appears strangely with a lowercase letter at the end. At location 135, the mention of "chap stick" should appear as (ChapStick) in order to properly give credit as a registered brand name, and "German decent" should be (descent). The one published OBC review gives positive feedback, as do the majority of the 25 posted Amazon user ratings. I look forward to immersing myself into this one further; for it's not paranoia if they're really out to get you!
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 3:19 pm by AvidBibliophile.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mary WhiteFace
The cover depicts a tale of mystery, danger and potential violence. It gave me the feeling of apprehension. Without the first ten program I would not have wanted to explore this book any further.
The author's skills at pulling a reader into the story were impressive. I immediately felt as if I was right there with the large man as he prepared to bury the barrel with its undisclosed contents. I had a creepy feeling through the whole process. The scene switched gears at the precise moment I began to feel that I didn't want to continue reading.
I enjoyed reading about Nora as she dealt with moving to a new town. Once again I was pulled into the story. I felt as if I was with her as she reminisced about her parents while driving to her new home. I especially liked how the author described the passing of Nora's mother at location 127: "The universe wouldn’t wait any longer and requested the freeing of her mother’s soul."
I found the author's writing style enjoyable and free from errors. I have no suggestions for improvements. The OnlineBookClub review agreed with my assessment that this book would appeal to readers who enjoy suspense, mystery, and dangerous drama. I would love to read a book by Prudence O'haire if the premise wasn't so dark. I will have to pass on this one.
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 7:53 am by Mary WhiteFace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Howlan
The cover is a rather conventional display of mystery and horror. Being an avid mystery lover, I was really interested in this book. On reading the first ten pages, I found that I was genuinely interested in the story as well. The foreshadowing the author brings about in this book is amazing. The foreshadowings of impending danger by the sound of the eerie forest and the jet-black raven were excellent. Again, the character of Nora was intriguing. Her denial of supernatural events by her way of logic made for interesting developments in the story. The character of Stella and her suspicious behavior set the tone of mystery very well. So I am definitely intrigued by this book, and I am considering buying it. It is thrilling and addictive, and it is a perfect match for me. No typos were found in the first ten pages. The Official Review was present, and the reviewer rates it highly.
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 7:36 am by Howlan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mrunal Tikekar
The cover of the book is spooky and intriguing. I do not much enjoy books with supernatural elements, so I might not have sampled this book, hadn’t it been a part of this program. I read the OnlineBookClub review and could immediately relate with the protagonist, Nora. On sampling the book, I thought it had all the elements of a supernatural thriller. For example, the weird landlady, the mysterious dog, an isolated house by the barn, were all good indicators of a paranormal tale. I liked the pace of narration the most. Also, I did not find any grammatical errors. So, this book seems professionally edited. However, as I pointed earlier, I do not enjoy books with paranormal themes. The reviews also suggested that the book has a lot of biblical references, which is tough territory for me. Given these reasons, I will not purchase this book.
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 3:34 am by Mrunal Tikekar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shrabastee Chakraborty
I was curious about the title as I was expecting something along the lines of "Deep" woods. However, this makes the title unique. The cover says it all and the blurb is also intriguing. I have a penchant for supernatural thrillers and this book seems to offer exactly that. The official OBC review has a lot of praise for it. The first ten pages, written in a flawless manner, conveys the dark themes from the prologue. It also sets the naivety of the protagonist from the beginning. I am going to read this book.
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 3:13 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Verna Coy
Had I not sampled this book through the First Ten program I would not have chosen it because the cover has a decidedly threatening and creepy feel. For that reason, I don’t intend to read the whole book, although I did receive a free copy through the Online Book Club, thanks. Reading the first ten pages confirmed my early impressions of the book. The first scene is that of someone burying a body of a murdered person. Based on what I read, the book seems professionally edited. I saw no errors in the first ten pages. What I liked most about what I read was the description of the old country home that belonged to the main characters landlady, Stella. It was very quaint and homey. I know that fans of thrillers and suspenseful novels will enjoy this story. I did read the Official Online Book Club review and found it informative.
First Ten review added on January 15, 2020, at 2:23 am by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
The cover and the title matches very well with the content of the book and indicate the possibility of a supernatural element in the story, which made me consider adding it to my reading list. When I read the official review, I got a much clearer idea about the story, which helped to narrow down the possibilities of buying the book.
I read the first ten pages and found the writing style somewhat different, like in the sentence "Tiny green strands of wild blackberries crawled along the ground like spider webbing wrapping around everything...", where somewhat unusual words used like webbing wrapping.
So, a dictionary may be required while reading the book. Even though I got a copy of this book, I may not read this book right now because of the extra time it may require. The book appears to be professionally edited, but still, I feel a few hard to read sentence may be left out.
However, I say that this book would be entertaining and help to expand our vocabulary. I feel that the introduction of Nora's character could have been a bit more elaborate.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 11:37 pm by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Lisa A Rayburn
If I had not been a member of this program, it is still likely that the cover and title would have attracted me to this book, especially the spelling of the title. It suggests old English. That and the misty look of the cover practically yell "supernatural" and that is one of my favorite genres. The author is unknown to me, so that would have had no effect on my decision. Until I read the blurb and customer reviews, I was primed to like and read this book. Then I discovered it seemed to be written in order to depict a specific religion (Wiccan as in witchcraft in the sample) as evil. This, in my opinion, and experience, is decidedly false. The moment that became clear, it was guaranteed that I would not only not read the book, but probably steer others away from it as well. I did not find a review identified as being specifically from this program (on Amazon) but after reading the sample and the other reviews, it would not have swayed me from my decision. If I were to pick something from the sample I enjoyed, it would have to be Mr. Cooper and how sensitive he was to the paranormal happenings. Animals do tend to be more aware of those things than humans. Although the book did seem to be fairly well edited, I did find a minor error in the sample. This was the misuse of the word "fraught," meaning "filled with" - "It was almost as if the stressful, passionate fraught of losing Elenor had brought on the powerful impairment of Alzheimer's." Fraught is not a noun as it is used here.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 11:15 pm by Lisa A Rayburn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Washboard
I sometimes enjoy books from this genre. The title and cover art are both eye-catching. The official review made the book sound well done, but the mention of the Christian overtones makes me think the book is not a good fit for me. I did not notice any errors in my reading. The book starts out with an unknown man burying a body in the woods before jumping into introducing Nora and her recent move with her ailing father. I won't be continuing to read this one, since the official review mentioned Christianity is a big theme in the book.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 10:55 pm by Washboard.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
LV2R
The book cover and title were both good. I like the play on the word “Deape” (deep.) The Amazon blurb summarized the book as Nora moving to Oregon. Her mom has died and her dad has Alzheimer’s, who she helped move him to a Senior Living place. Nora rented a place near the woods. Her landlord tells her that a deceased family member haunts the property. There is evil “lurking” in the Deape woods. I was not sure if I wanted to read the novel or not because it sounded scary. The first ten pages began with a man in the woods, burying something in a barrel. Then the story turns to Nora Miller, a 27-year-old, who had just visited her dad with Alzheimer’s. Her mom died of breast cancer about three years ago. I best liked that when she drove toward her new city in Oregon, she fondly remembers things about her mom (and dad.) This is her first time to move and she won’t have her parents’ support. I think this shows that she will learn how to be independent. The book seems to be edited well; however, “chap stick” is a brand name (Chapstick) and should be one word in location 146: “... tasting her peach chap stick…” The OBC review mentioned that Nora learns how to discern things in life that may look innocent but can be spiritually dangerous. Though I do not like to read about paranormal and evil things, this story of Nora reveals how to spiritually discern matters and protect oneself from demonic harassment. (As it is mentioned by the OBC reviewer.) Therefore, I do want to read the book to find out what Nora learns about the deceptions and manipulations going on around her and how she wards off negative energy.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 8:44 pm by LV2R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jeremie Mondejar
I sampled the book and found it compelling to read on. I usually don't read books on this genre, but the sample intrigues me. The OBC review tells that paranormal is one of the themes about this book, I feel an urge to give this book a try. I am happy this book is free. I like the well-detailed place of Kingsman, Oregon, as Nora made her way to settle in this new place. Right from the start, the story seems so engaging like the paper is blown without any trace of a blowing wind. In the portion, I read, I did not spot any errors. The book seems professionally edited.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 8:06 pm by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
HRichards
I normally wouldn't have picked this book up as the summary didn't really appeal to me. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book since I wasn't too interested in the plot. The sample deals with a mysterious man burying a barrel in the woods and seeming like he's up to no good. Meanwhile a woman named Nora is dealing with her father who has dementia after the death of her mother. The writing is fine and I didn't notice any grammar errors. Those who like mysteries might like this book. I am not too interested in the genre. I read the OBC review of the book and I still feel like I wouldn't be too interested in the plot.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 7:58 pm by HRichards.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mbrooks2518
I'm always interested in books and TV shows that deal with the paranormal, so I definitely would have tried this book even without The First Ten. The first ten pages and the official review just piqued my interest even more, so I'm definitely going to read the rest of the book.
I liked the descriptive language used that gave a chilling affect, like "strands of wild blackberries crawled along the ground like spider webbing" and "the stubble on the man's face concealed wrinkles of disdain." There were no editing errors, and nothing needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 7:49 pm by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Juliet+1
Based on the title, cover, blurb, and OBC review, I didn't think I would want to read "Deape Woods." A story about demons in the woods would have been fun, but when it is all about God saving us from demons, no. I dislike books about religion, especially Christianity.
Reading the first 10 pages confirmed that I would not be reading the rest of the book. The author makes it clear right from the start that this book is about her religion.
I loved the little sketches; they were amazingly well done. The writing was good and the editing looked professional too.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 7:23 pm by Juliet+1.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
I chose to read the book because the author's name was much different from what I normally see, so I decided to check out their book. I liked how the author donates all of the proceeds she makes from this book to children that have been victims of kidnapping; I think that this is very sweet. Religion and supernatural occurrences together does not interest me, so I will be passing on this one. I didn't see any notable grammatical errors in Deape Woods. There were no improvements that I could think of for this book, nor could I find anything that I greatly disliked. The Official OnlineBookClub was full of valuable information and summarized the book well, but it did not influence my decision to pass on it.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 7:03 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Brenda Creech
Upon seeing the cover and title of this book, I would not have chosen it. After reading the official review, I knew for sure it was not a book I would be interested in reading. I avoid any book about the supernatural, paranormal, magic, etc., so the review settled it for me. However, due to doing this review, I did read the first ten pages. Although ten pages weren't enough to give me a lot of information, they did give me a sense that as the book progressed, it would be more than I cared to read. The pages I read were well-edited and error-free. There was no indication there was improvement needed; however, I am not interested in anything that has to do with the subject matter. Therefore, I will not be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 6:19 pm by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'Deape Woods' is a book written by Prudence O' Haire. The title, cover, OBC review and Amazon review did a good job at convincing me to give this book a try.
The sample of the book leads me to believe that it is the story of Nora. Nora moves to Kingsman, Oregan, to be near her father, who she is recently moved to a care facility as her godfather has advanced Alzheimer's. Twenty-seven year old Nora is alone as she has also lost her mother, Eleanor, to breast cancer three years ago. I like the writing style. I found some errors. For example, it should have been “the" instead of “a" in “with a most serious face”. I do not think that it is professionally edited. I will give this book a try as I like reading books of this genre.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 5:47 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Chelsy Scherba
I love that the author is exposing the way demons operate to Christians and the uninformed. This information is not well-understood by most people, but commonly, “ghosts” or “spirits” are in fact the manifestation of evil. I like that the author urges readers to follow God’s lead and learn these answers about the occult, because the church is ignorant of these “hidden” matters. I have experienced these real things so I’m looking forward to diving into this book to see what I can learn from the author. I like the title and the cover image. The review mentioned that the book reveals information in stages, so that sounds intriguing. The book looks professionally edited and I didn’t see any errors.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 4:02 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Laura Lee
Love the cover and artwork. The cover gave me a sense of foreboding. Both the blurb on Amazon and the OnLineBookClub review interested me enough to read the sample pages. I didn't notice particularly any typos or errors, other than a slightly awkward "mid" instead of "middle." Overall, the book had clearly been well-edited.
I like the premise of the story: teaching principles on how to deal with evil through the experiences of a naïve young woman. It's a creative and effective way to teach how to deal with the subject by weaving the principles into the storyline. The reader learns as Nora learns. The thing I didn't like so well was that in her effort to "show" rather than "tell," the author added too many details. It made the story seem choppy. For example, in one paragraph, Stella is described as "bustling" around her kitchen. In that same paragraph, Stella then shuffles as she crosses the room. In the very next full paragraph, Stella glides. It's too contradictory and too distracting. I think it's wonderful that the author wants to be descriptive and bring in details, but care needs to be taken that the details aren't distracting or contradictory. For example, after Stella removes a tray of peach scones from the oven, she "throws" some onto a plate. First, a "scone" is simply the British word for a biscuit. There is nothing special about a scone/biscuit and most are eaten with some sort of sweet condiment because they're dry. Not sure how you'd make peach scones but I do know that you'd never "throw" any that are fresh from the oven onto a plate or they'd crumble apart. The story would flow better and sound less choppy if some of the adjectives were taken out and the focus was kept on what actually advances the plot or increases understanding of the characters.
I am going to take a pass on this book simply because I do not care for reading "dark" subjects that focus on evil, nor do I care for the typical Christian take on such subjects. I'm sure many will enjoy it, though, and benefit from it.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 3:08 pm by Laura Lee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
I wasn't impressed by the cover or title. However, the review made a good impression on me. The sample was enjoyable and the plot easy to follow. A creepy man buries a body in the woods. The next scene shows Nora Miller saying goodbye to her father, who will stay at Green Acres Senior Living. I'm usually in for supernatural thrillers, but I think this one is too creepy for my taste, based on the cover and the general feeling it gaves. I haven't picked up any errors.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 3:05 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nikolas Farmakis
This book is a thriller that contains many references to nature and the supernatural. I would not have read the book based on the title, the cover, or the genre, as I am not interested in thrillers related to supernatural elements. I will not read this book, as thrillers are not in my genre of interest. The book was professionally edited, as I did not notice any errors in the sample I read. What I liked most in this book were the illustrations in the book, as they engage the reader, as well as the intense description of nature in the book. To improve, the author should be more original and creative, as the book is very cliche and unoriginal. The book had an Official OnlineBookClub review, but this did not affect my opinion.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 1:57 pm by Nikolas Farmakis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
I would not have picked this up without the First Ten program because the plot does not sound unique. The cover is average and I am not a fan of the generic title. I liked that the Amazon blurb was short and sweet. The first ten pages seem well edited. I loved the creepy feel of the preface, except I was a little disappointed to see it end by a religious quote. I was not a fan of the inner thoughts of Nora that interrupted every few paragraphs. The OBC review was positive and it mentioned that this book does include religious references to combat demonic spirits. For this reason and also the fact that I do not think this book is original enough, I will not be reading the rest. My one suggestion to the author would be to make the religious references a little more vague, so this book could appeal to all people of faith and not just of one denomination.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 1:31 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaylee Elmer
Deape Woods tells the story of Nora, a woman who has to move due to her father's declining health. The sample I read sparked my interest. I could relate to Nora because my Grampa suffered from dementia recently. However, after reading a review of the book, it says it's about demons and spiritual matters. Those topics don't interest me. The part of the book I read was well written, used great descriptive language and was professionally edited. But due to the demonic aspect, I won't be reading the entire book.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 1:28 pm by Kaylee Elmer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
The cover is illustrated well—I could sense evil in the woods without it actually showing anything. I would not have sampled this book if I had not been part of this program because I don’t like scary books or movies. The title is clever. I know that Deape is the landlady’s last name, but I think it could be a play on words: “Deape” vs “Deep.”
I was surprised by the motivation for writing this book that the author revealed in the dedication and preface pages. I applaud her desire to educate people on aspects of the spiritual world through “entertaining” reading. I recognize that we live in a spiritual world, but I don’t enjoy books about the occult. I was on edge reading the sample pages; I was looking for the dog to do something crazy when she approached him in the middle of the road. This would be a tense read for me. I will not finish this book.
I noticed one grammatical error in the sample pages. At loc 27, for tense agreement it should be “whetted” or “would whet”: They [whet] my appetite for more, but always left me feeling hollow. The featured OnlineBookClub review was excellent, but it had no bearing on my decision not to read this book.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 12:31 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gen_g
I have come across a positive review of this book, and it has piqued my interest. There are a couple of errors present. At loc 50, there is a missing comma in "With God's wisdom and guidance(,) He will..." to separate the introductory clause. I would suggest further editing. I like that the author has seen fit to include his reasons and motivations behind writing this book, like how he realised that, in his 38 years, that the Church and the world in general, generally dismissed the occult and supernatural without carrying out proper research. The author also advocates the necessity for one to continue questioning all their knowledge that they have, i.e., not to remain complacent and to continue learning, and I find that this resonates with me quite deeply. However, I will not be reading the rest of the book, as I am currently not in the market for magical realism (as the world would probably call it, although for the author this is realist fiction due to her belief in the supernatural).
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 11:05 am by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
I am intrigued by the cover of this book and the title. It looks to be a mystery or horror story from the cover. I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. I haven't read a review of this book yet. The first ten pages begin with a man digging a grave and burying a body. There isn't a lot of detail on what happened. The story then jumps to introduce the character of Nora who is visiting her father in an Alzheimer's care home on her way out of town she picks up a stray dog and stops at an apartment she is renting. The first ten pages were well-written and interesting. I didn't see any errors, so I believe the book was professionally edited. I was caught up in this story from the beginning and would like to finish this book.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 10:57 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
I liked the cover of the book and the blurb, although succinct, is intriguing. The reviews are mostly positive and one of them states “Captivating. Will keep you from folding your laundry!!” which was a very candid and convincing way of saying this is the kind of book I love: a page-turner that you can't put down. Just from this I would've bought the book and sampling the first ten pages convinced me further. The opening is very intriguing: who is the man burying? who else is implied in this (I assume) murder? The author states "others" were involved. And why get rid of someone "who was once loved"? Had this person turned evil? So many questions! The language usage is outstanding, for example calling the burier a "rapacious human" or the powerful statements the author makes in brief words, such as "In the end, cancer had won; the family had lost". The book seems professionally edited and I didn't find any mistakes. I don't see anything that needs improvement. The official review hyped me up, even more, mentioning that all the proceeds from this novel will go to a charity cause. I will gladly read this book.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 10:34 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Lorraine De Vos
I am excited to add this book to my reading list after reading the sample pages. Not only is the plot interesting, the writing style is captivating and the genre is definitely something that I would enjoy. I doubt I would find anything that needs improving. I would have chosen to sample this book based on the blurbs, cover and genre. I love how the author builds up the dark night as Nora drives through the desert, it delivers on the scare factor and is a great start to what will inevitably be a story of supernatural activity. The book appears to be professionally edited. The official OnlineBookClub review was excellent and confirmed my desire to read this book.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 10:31 am by Lorraine De Vos.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Cristina Chifane
I haven't read so many ghost stories until now, so I wouldn't have read this book without the first ten program. I'm afraid I might not be so thrilled about the religious side of the story. Otherwise, the title and cover are in tone with the overall plot development as it was described in the Amazon blurb. With mostly 4 or 5 star ratings, Nora's experiences in the haunted house seem to have already reached some of its target readers. Since I love Emily Dickinson, I liked the motto at the beginning of the novel: "Forever is composed of nows." The first pages left me wondering who was buried secretly in the woods. The author also did a good job of describing Nora and her loneliness. However, the description of Nora's trip to her new home was a bit dragging. My guess is I'll soon get bored; it appears the action focuses exclusively on Nora. I couldn't find any editing errors. The OBC reviewer confirms that the editing is excellent. As the OBC reviewer also mentions witchcraft and malevolent spirits, I don't think this is a book I'd necessarily enjoy right now.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 10:16 am by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
I would not have read the book based on the genre. I am not interested in the story of a 27-year-old woman named Nora, who puts herself in a life-threatening situation after moving into a haunted house in Kingsman, Oregon. As I am not a fan of supernatural stories, I did not change my mind after reading the first ten pages and OBC review. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the compelling, fast-paced writing. Also, I found Nora's character quite relatable and intriguing. I did not encounter any typos or grammatical errors, so the story seemed to be professionally edited. Considering this book has great Amazon ratings, those who enjoy supernatural thriller novels filled with suspense and mystery should give it a try.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 10:00 am by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Erin Dydek
I loved the cover and was very interested to learn more about this book. As I read, I enjoyed the suspense created by the sinister man as he buried a mysterious barrel. What was in it and what crime did he commit? I continued reading as the story switched over to Nora, the main character. She is in the middle of moving her father to hospice care for Alzheimer’s and settling into a new home. A dog appeared in the middle of the road while she’s driving out to her new house. This event kept me reading past the first ten pages to find out where it came from. The book appears to be well edited and I enjoyed the fluid, descriptive writing style. The OBC review mentioned paranormal events and witchcraft throughout the book, which did not appeal to me. I will not finish reading the book because of these elements but recommend it to those who enjoy paranormal thrillers.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 9:41 am by Erin Dydek.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I wouldn’t have read it. I’m really not interested in paranormal books and this one didn’t seem to stand out. After reading the first ten pages I didn’t change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. I enjoyed the build-up of tension the book had early on. From the dog, to the description of the woods, to the Deape Woods sign, and even the mysteriously blowing pages, the author set the stage. That being said, I’m just not interested enough in the paranormal genre to read the rest of it. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read, but it did seem well written and edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 8:35 am by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mai Tran
A supernatural thriller told from the viewpoint of an ignorant character sounds interesting. The official review has only praise for the book, which is a plus, but I would have checked out this book regardless. The book seems well-edited, and the illustrations are beautiful. I only wish Nora’s internal comments weren't so distracting because they prevented me from judging the other characters objectively. On the other hand, the appearance of wild animals was certainly unsettling. It made me wonder if Nora knew about them before moving to Colorado. I’m very curious about what would happen next, so I’ll definitely continue reading this book.
First Ten review added on January 14, 2020, at 8:26 am by Mai Tran.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Total ~ 36%
Deape Woods earned a score of 36%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 36% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
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