The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for High Flying
Because High Flying 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.
Ekta Kumari
The book is centred around Skylar Haines who struggles with her anxieties, though she finds pleasure and an adrenaline rush in being a pilot. One accident during an airshow changes her fate, and she goes back in time to get an opportunity to change her family's destiny for the better. I found the premise interesting, and I also liked the cover page and the title, so I would have read the book even if it wasn't a part of the top ten program. The thing I liked the most while sampling is the author's writing style and the slow building suspense as a part of the narrative. I also like how the story is summarised through a poem at the beginning of the book. As for the editing, I would say the book is professionally edited as I didn't find any errors in the portion sampled. I'll read the entire book as I enjoyed the part I've read so far. I've no other recommendations for improvements. I didn't see an official review before sampling, but that doesn't affect my decision to read the book.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2020, at 4:59 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
va2016
The cover and the title do not convey adequately what the book is about. There are 105 Amazon customer ratings with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, which is great. From the Amazon summary, I figured out that it is a time travel themed book. As I am not interested in time travel books, I would have skipped sampling the book if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing how Skylar cuts her skin with a blade. As I found the writing to be too gruesome, I am not going to read the book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. I didn't find any grammatical or mechanical errors. I didn't like anything specifically about the book nor do I have any recommendations for the improvement of the book. Although the OBC review of the book is not available for me to be seen, my decision to not to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2020, at 4:58 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
evraealtana
The cover is interesting, though at this point I'm not seeing much connection between it and the content of the sample. I didn't care for the poem at the beginning of chapter 1, since it didn't seem to have any deeper meaning than just to tell a brief story that, at least at this moment, doesn't have any context. (Also, the line beginning "A dark storm" broke the poem's cadence; that line has one too many syllables.) The self-harm scene at the beginning felt overly dramatic, particularly in her grandfather's disgusted reaction. I don't like high school drama, so Skylar meeting Roxy and Adrian and her impressions of them was boring to me. I will not continue reading, but given the official OBC reviewer giving the book a favorable rating marred only by errors, I guess some readers would appreciate it, even if I am not one of them. I noted two errors in the first ten pages: a missing hyphen in "lightning fast"; and a second missing hyphen in "the most talked about duo" (talked-about).
First Ten review added on November 26, 2020, at 4:55 am by evraealtana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
psychopathycathy
If I had not read the sample, I would have read the book as the cover looks really great and the blurb looks interesting. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. It was really jarring to start the book off with a cutting scene and I think I could have used a trigger warning, but other than that I enjoyed the writing style. I liked that we got a few paragraphs of background introducing Adrian, the AI app, and other technologies, and then zoomed in on a few scenes. It was professionally edited. I did not see an official review but that did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2020, at 4:12 am by psychopathycathy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Aubrey Lewis
The overall appearance of the book is intriguing and a bit eye-catching, in my opinion. When I read through the official OBC review, I was instantly interested in the story when I reached the time-travel part in the summary since I usually like plotlines such as this. If I weren't a part of this program, I think I still would've read the sample since the book's cover, genres, and summary interested me enough to want to check it out willingly.
When I finished sampling the first ten pages, I decided to read the rest of the book. The contents seemed professionally edited so far, and I really like the author's writing style, especially her way with words. The self-harming scene right at the beginning of the book disturbed me and I almost stopped reading, but I plowed on and didn't regret it. In fact, I was so immersed in the contents that I didn't even realize that I reached the end of the sample already. It was really unfortunate about what happened to two of Skylar's friends, Adrian and Roxy. They were very dear to her and those incidents just had to happen. I wonder if she'll be able to save them if she changes history when she goes back into time, because I'm actually hoping for this.
In conclusion, I'm definitely reading more of this one. Since I enjoyed the sample so far, I don't think there are any improvements the author needs to make.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2020, at 3:21 am by Aubrey Lewis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
MeganDJ
If I hadn't read the first 10 pages, I would not have picked up this book going on the cover and title alone. I am so glad that I had the opportunity though, as it is so much more than what I previously though. The introduction touches on a lot of major mental health issues which was a shock as I was not expecting it. Having come from a dark place myself, I believe that I would find the rest of this book relatable and fascinating, so I would like to continue reading it. I could not find a single error in the first 10 pages. I liked that the author doesn't shy away from difficult topics, and I can honestly say that there is nothing that I would improve upon. I did not see an Online Book Review, but I don't think it would have influenced my decision.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2020, at 2:39 am by MeganDJ.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
xsquare
I definitely would’ve sampled the book based on the compelling blurb. The lack of an official OBC review did not really affect my choice; the strength of the blurb alone was enough to convince me. My favourite part of the book is the writing style; I did not see any typos. However, I found the time skips to be quite confusing, and I’m not sure if the issues discussed in the book are going to be handled with the appropriate amount of care. I won’t be reading the rest of the book as it’s a little too dark for my taste.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2020, at 2:32 am by xsquare.
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. I didn’t think I’d like the story about her traveling back in time and trying to change things. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I liked the poem at the beginning, and the description of Skylar’s feelings was great. However, I didn’t like the curse words already used within the book. I personally thought it was unnecessary. I also wasn’t really into the story. The emotions Skylar felt when she was cutting herself were too much for me. There isn’t anything that needs to be improved. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2020, at 1:50 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Aditi Sapate
From the title, cover and genre, I didn't get a clear idea of what this book is about. I probably wouldn't have chosen to read this book based on that information. The absence of an official OnlineBookClub review too left me lost. When I started sampling the book, I realised that this is a psychological thriller. I liked reading about Skylar and Adrian's friendship. However, I did not enjoy reading the gory details of Skylar hurting herself. As I'm not a fan of psychological thrillers either, I will not continue reading this book. The sample did not contain any grammatical errors as far as I read it.
First Ten review added on November 26, 2020, at 1:30 am by Aditi Sapate.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
winecellarlibrary
The cover is exciting and eye-catching. It would have prompted me to check out the book. The synopsis on Amazon was intriguing. Unfortunately, though an official OBC review has been done on the book, it must not have been published yet as I am unable to read it. The lack of a published review left me feeling a bit unsure about this book as I rely on OBC reviews quite heavily.
However, the first ten pages absolutely captivated me. In fact, I read the entire available sample. I'm buying this book now, as I type this, so that I can finish reading Chapter 3.
My favorite part of the book is how raw it is with emotion. I have never been a cutter, but I have close friends who have been. I have also experienced the sudden death of my best friend. I was easily able to empathize with Skylar. I don't have any suggestions for improvement, besides perhaps including a trigger warning in the synopsis. I noticed a trigger warning in the Author's Note, but it was not until I purchased my copy that I discovered it.
I noticed a couple minor errors in the first several pages, but the editing looked good overall.
Page 5: "Her voice trembled, 'What do you want?'" (This is not a dialogue tag, so a period would be more appropriate than a comma.)
Page 15: "Yeah. But I'm not so sure you could call this a "secret admirer" situation." (Instead of double quotation marks, it should be single quotation marks around "secret admirer" as it appears within a quote.)
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 10:06 pm by winecellarlibrary.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Howlan
The cover looks pretty. The synopsis gives us a general introduction to this book. In the first ten pages, we are made familiar with Skylar Haines, who self-inflicts wounds on herself to calm down when she is in a bad state mentally. The story goes into how she makes friends with her neighbor Adrian and his cousin Roxy. Roxy and Skylar become good friends, but Adrian hangs himself. Back into depression, Roxy distances herself from Skylar, and she is forced to face the situation alone. Six weeks later, Roxy comes back to Skylar, and they makeup and promise to visit an airshow on her birthday. The narration is decent. As far as the story is concerned, it does not catch my interest. There is no 'hook' to pull the reader's attention. The story does not feel pretty convincing considering there is time travel involved, and the Amazon customer reviews label this book interesting but not well written. In the absence of an Official OBC Review, I do not know how the story will turn out, so as the first ten pages do not spark my interest in the story, I am not going to buy and read this book. No typos were found in the first ten pages. For improvement, I feel the first ten pages need to convey what the reader can expect in the story. Character introductions are good, but the first ten pages need to gain the reader's interest which was absent in this book.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 9:52 pm by Howlan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gabrielle Sigaki
High Flying by Kaylin McFarren is a psychological thriller with suspense, time travel, and a lot of adventures. If I didn't sample the book, I would read it based on its genre since I enjoy reading books with time travel, mystery, and crime. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind, and I will buy and read the entire novel since I thought that the novel seemed dynamic and the thrilling plot attracted me, which was my favorite aspect. It seems professionally edited and there's nothing tk be improved in it. However, this book didn't have an Official OnlineBookClub review, so I was unsure if this book was indeed unique and dynamic since I prefer to read the reviews of a book before buying it.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 9:19 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Alice Ngugi
Skylar is a teenage girl struggling with identity in a world she barely fits in. Under her grandfather's care, she is unable to have a confidant with whom she can share her deepest, darkest thoughts. She is sick,in pain, and believes that physical pain numbs emotional paid. I loved this book's introductory note the most. It hints at what the book is all about in a poetic manner. The title also summarizes what I feel is the main theme. Based on the first ten pages, this seems like quite a promising book and I would love to read it all. It seems like it was professionally edited, I noted no errors. The review by OBC added more sparks to my interest. I would have bought the book without sampling the first ten. I do not suggest any improvements.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 6:49 pm by Alice Ngugi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Vickie Noel
I'm not sure I would have read this book outside the program based on its title and cover art. The storyline isn't easily discernable at first glance. However, reading the sample has completely changed my mind. I fell in love with the story and McFarren's writing style. I could feel Skylar's pain and resonate with her thoughts. I like that the chapters are titled and that each one has a suitable, accompanying quote. The book is professionally edited. However, I saw some minor comma errors. The author didn't use the Oxford comma (which has been present throughout the book) in this sentence, "There was no humor evident in the emptiness and numbness threatened to creep in and overtake her." Apart from this observation, I have no recommendations for improvement. I did not see an OBC review, but my interest wasn't dampened.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 4:07 pm by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mbrooks2518
The summary of this book did intrigue me, so I would have read the sample without The First Ten. I liked how quickly the author was able to make me interested in Skylar's character. The pain she deals with which leads her to cutting make her a very sympathetic character. However, reading the first ten pages did not make me interested enough to buy the book.
I did not find any editing errors, and nothing needs to be improved. The lack of an official review did not affect my opinion.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 2:51 pm by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
SweetSourSalty AndSpicy
Outside the program, I will not sample this book. I thought it was a war story because of the vintage airplane. The title said High Flying, but the aircraft was landing because of a storm. The title suggested achievement or success, and yet, the image was showing a tense situation. I am not sure if the contrasting elements were intentional. From the blurb and customer reviews, I gathered it was about a girl who was transported back in time and had a chance to work out her family issues. I think this kind of story is quite familiar. The storm also reminded me of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Most of the time, I find similar plots leaning on the psychological aspect and not much on the time-traveling part. I prefer the latter to the former. I was also looking for a different take on the story. Sampling the first ten pages confirmed my initial guess. The story seemed to focus more on psychological issues. An author’s note mentioned the topics presented in the book. It prepared the readers about what to expect from the story. I liked this thoughtful addition. Despite the warning, the start of Chapter 1 was unsettling.
As for editing, I noticed an error at location 59.
“Lastly, I’d like to thank the [follow] people that have managed to keep me sane, on the plane, and out of the pouring rain: Melisa McPherren, Tami Arashiro,”
There were also some missing commas, but not distracting. I still suggest fixing the editing issues. I did not find an official OnlineBookClub review, but it did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 8:28 am by SweetSourSalty AndSpicy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AnnOgochukwu
What caught my attention when I saw this book was its graphic cover page. A mental combination of the cover with the title and genre seemed interesting, and based on these factors, I would have considered sampling this book even if it wasn't for this program.
However, from my sampling, I have decided that I wouldn't be reading this book. I enjoyed only the first four pages, which gave a detailed description of a distressed teenage girl making cuts on her arms because "pain numbs everything." Up until this point, I was eager to read this book. However, the subsequent pages were incomprehensibly fast-paced. I found it hard to keep up with what was going on, and I had read the shifting point (from the slow, detailed, description, to the fast-paced narration) several times. So I lost interest in the book.
There was no OBC review on this book, I wish there had been, it would have helped me learn more about this book. The Amazon reviews I saw spoke approvingly of the book, although some mentioned the exact reservation I have about this book. One review read, "There are some portions of the book may seem hard to follow given by how brisk the prose and narrative can be." This statement perfectly explains how I felt after reading the first ten pages; I understood and enjoyed the first few pages, but the subsequent pages in the first chapter seemed too fast-paced and summarized. If I have any recommendation, it would be that the pace of the book is unified, and it would be better if there were more 'showing' than 'telling'.
I noticed only one error, so I guess this book was well edited. The instance of the said error is a missing comma after 'outgoing' in the sentence: " She was Colombian, beautiful, outgoing and incredibly kind." What I liked most about this book were the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. One humorous quote read, "The light at the end of the tunnel may be an oncoming train."
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 8:28 am by AnnOgochukwu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
kperm
I don't find the cover and the title of the book very appealing. I would not have chosen to read the sample based on the cover and the title. However, the blurb, genre, and reviews interested me. I was not able to find an official OnlineBookClub review, but it did not affect my decision. I enjoyed reading the sample very much. The main character, Skylar Haines, is well-developed and relatable. After a collision with another plane, Skylar was guided by a mystical voice that helped her to land the aircraft safely. However, Skylar was transported to another time. I am going to read the rest of the book. I am looking forward to reading about how Skylar deals with the situation and how she attempts to save her father from murder. Based on what I read, the book seemed professionally edited, and I did not notice any mistakes. Most of all, I enjoyed the way Skylar's character was portrayed. It is evident that the author put a lot of effort into character development. I don't think there is anything that should be improved.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 7:12 am by kperm.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Maria Esposito
I knew I would not be interested in this book before I sampled it. The main reason is that I do not like reading thrillers. The title is interesting, but I find the cover design too dark for my liking. The book has over sixty customer reviews on Amazon, but this had no impact on my decision. Reading the first ten pages did not make me change my mind. The book begins with a poem. The story picks up in 2013. Skylar uses self-harm as a coping mechanism to deal with her problems. As she is cutting herself in the bathroom, her grandfather unlocks the door and discovers her self-harm habit. Skylar decides to get out of her comfort zone and make new friends at her high school. The author left some details unanswered. She mentions that Skylar "reaches out" to Adrian, a band member. However, how exactly did she reach out to him, and how did they become friends? I felt that the transition between Skylar committing self-harm and her going out of her way to reach out to people was awkward. There was nothing about the book I particularly appreciated, as I am not a fan of thrillers. The first ten pages appear professionally edited, as I did not come across errors. The book has an official review on this platform, but this had no impact on my decision.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 5:40 am by Maria Esposito.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rodel Barnachea
After I pored over the contents of the title's Amazon page, I decided not to purchase the book. My prime reasons are that it does not have any OnlineBookClub review (official or volunteer) and that I did not find myself interested in the story's plot or characters. I believe it is a matter of personal preferences. Sampling the book did not help to change my mind. I still wouldn't purchase the title for similar reasons I stated above. The first ten pages include the first chapter and some pages of the second chapter. What I liked most about the sample is reading the parts where Roxy and Skylar are together. My reason for this is that the tone and mood of the story are mostly depressing, but when Roxy comes in, the atmosphere and mood of the story become lighter, and everything about the story feels better. I didn't note any errors in the text, so I believe the book is professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 3:54 am by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gen_g
Based on the title and cover, it seems like a non-fiction/motivational book, which I am not in the market for; hence, I would not have sampled it. I have not come across an OBC review of the book, but this would not have changed my decision not to sample, since this book does not belong to a genre that I am looking for. After sampling, there are a couple of errors present. For example, at 33%, there is a missing hyphen to mark a compound adjective: "...were similar, lightning(-)fast one after...". I suggest more editing. However, I appreciate that the story has been started with a bang. For example, right from the beginning, we learn that Skylar is cutting herself in a bid to control her fear and anxieties. Skylar feels like she has an "inability to fit in, to seem average and to do the things "normal" people do to overcome disappointment". This cutting stemmed in part from Skylar's argument with her best friend over a boy, which she feels is stupid. However, as I am not in the market for time-travel and psychological fiction, I will not be buying the book today.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 3:45 am by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shrabastee Chakraborty
The cover and the title were both appealing. There wasn't an official OBC review, though. Based on the genre, I wold have read this book. I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages. The book started with a poem foreshadowing the contents. Later, we find Skylar cutting herself only to find the wounds healed. The writing style was fetching and I found myself hooked. I have no suggestions for improvement and will read this book.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 3:41 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sou Hi
This book has a nice cover that matches well with its title. There's an official review, but I can't view it. However, the summary and Amazon's customer reviews look good, so I opt for the book. It begins with Skylar trying self-harm to relieve herself from depression. It then switches to how she meets Roxy, the one who becomes her bestie shortly after their first encounter. However, when Roxy has a boyfriend, their relationship takes a wrong turn until Skylar's birthday.
To be frank, there's nothing I like in the sample I read asides from the good editing. The timeline and the plot are confusing, while the main character's personality doesn't sit well with me. As Skylar slices her arm, she thinks about her best friend. But then the plot shows that Skylar would only meet Roxy several days after that. In this case, who is this best friend and where are they now? Another thing is the meaning of Adrian's existence. Skylar ditches him because she values her friendship with Roxy more, and she only reaches out to him when she herself is ditched. And if it's not for the gossip, she may never know what happened to Adrian, as it doesn't seem like she tried to find out at all. That's some friendship they have there. Since I don't enjoy the sample, I will not buy the actual book.
Error example: It was a remake of an old classic and according to Adrian it was getting outstanding reviews. -> Should be [according to Adrian, it was]
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 2:16 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ari Martinez
If I hadn't sampled the book for this program, I would not have chosen to sample it based on its title or cover because even though the cover is nice, I would be afraid it's another stereotypical book about something going wrong in a plane. There was no Official OnlineBookClub review linked alongside the book which is a shame because it would have helped me know if my impression of the book was wrong. I've decided not to read the rest of it because it did not leave a big impression on me after I finished reading the first ten pages. I do believe if there was an official review that spoke highly of the book, I would be a lot more tempted to read it. I don't really know what the book is about, but I liked the beginning the most. It was interesting to read about what this young girl was doing before knowing her motive or her background - I felt it added a bit of suspense. The book seems professionally edited and there is nothing I would do to improve it.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 2:01 am by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
The cover and the title indicated to me that this must be a science fiction book. Just knowing so much, I decided to read the official review before deciding about buying because I wanted to know the premise of the story. I felt stranded when I could not find the official review. It is the official review that makes me decide whether or not to buy any book. However, I thought of looking at the sample of this book. When I read the first ten pages, I realized that this book is not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors in the sample. For example, the sentence," At least in the country she came from. A country—no—a planet that no longer existed...". The sentence could have been, I guess, " At least in the country, where she came from. No country nor that planet exists now...". The thing l disliked the most is the starting scene where a girl is attempting suicide by cutting herself. The only thing I liked in this book is the premise of the story where Skylar goes back in time by time travel and finds out the people who killed her father. My suggestion to the author would be to go for a round of professional editing to make the book easier to read. Considering all these facts, I decided not to purchase and read this book today, but wait until the author could help by looking at my suggestion so that this book gives me a pleasurable reading experience.
First Ten review added on November 25, 2020, at 1:55 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Verna Coy
Had I not sampled this book through the First Ten program, I would not have chosen this book because the cover seemed a bit edgy to me.
For this reason, I don’t intend to purchase and read the whole book today.
Reading the first ten pages confirmed my first impressions. The first scene is edgy and a bit on the dark side.
Based on what I read, the book seems professionally edited.
I didn’t see errors in the first ten pages.
What I liked most about what I read is how the author is able to connect the reader into the main characters thought right away.
I know that fans of a dramatic storyline will like aspects of this book.
As far as improvements, I could see no need for any in what I read today.
I did not see an Official Online Book Club review, but that didn’t affect my views of the book.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 10:23 pm by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
Based on the title, cover, and genre, I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. The blurb was informative but did not interest me.
The sample pages drew me in immediately. I was stunned by the author’s description of Skylar in the bathroom. I have known people who self-harm, but I have never seen it described so vividly. The author did a good job of letting the reader into Skylar’s thoughts. It appears to be a well-written book; I did not notice any grammatical errors in the sample pages. I will not finish this book, however. I am not interested in going on this journey with Skylar. I hope she finds what she is looking for.
I did not notice a featured OnlineBookClub review, but the absence of a review had no bearing on my decision. The many positive Amazon ratings did not influence my decision either. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 4:56 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jsovermyer
The cover is interesting, but I can't tell what kind of story this is. I would not buy it from the cover alone. I would need to know more about the story. There wasn't an official review, so these comments are from my reading of the ten pages. I found no spelling or grammatical errors and believe this book has been professionally edited. I didn't like the part about Skylar cutting herself to feel pain. I don't understand why people do this. Then the boy she likes as a friend commits suicide. This story is too depressing. I didn't like any of the story that I read so far. I will not be finishing this book.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 4:52 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Twylla
I would most likely sample this book based on the dramatic book cover.
After reading the sample text, I would NOT BUY or READ this book. The main reason is it is more of a YA book for high school age kids. I thought it was disturbing the way Skylar was cutting herself. But I appreciate the dramatic growth in Skylar, transforming herself from a sad teenager to a stunt pilot. It sounds like a good story, especially with the time travel twist. The book cover is stunning - I love it. It is my favorite thing about the book. I have no suggestions to improve it. There was no OBC review. I didn't find any errors in the first 10 pages. The book is very well written and professionally edited.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 3:53 pm by Twylla.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
Although the cover captured my attention, I would not have read the book without The First Ten program. As I am not interested in reading time travel thrillers, I did not change my mind after sampling the book. Of course, the lack of an official OBC review did not influence my decision. The story follows a 16-year-old girl named Skylar Haines, who self-harms and struggles with anxiety after losing her parents. As the story unfolds, she becomes a stunt pilot, but her life suddenly changes when she is involved in a mysterious incident that sends her back in time to a week before her father's murder. Although I had a hard time reading certain scenes because of the sensitive topic of self-harm included in the story, the writing style was descriptive and pleasant to read. Also, I found the characters believable and particularly enjoyed the realistic, engaging dialogues. However, as I encountered some distracting errors, I would suggest another round of editing. For example, there should not be a comma after "therapy" in the following sentence: "Needing distractions, she tried a technique she learned in therapy, and drew red lines on her arms." (location 248 of 474 • 52%) There should also be a comma after "Adrian" in the following sentence: "And according to Adrian it was getting outstanding reviews." (location 229 of 474 • 48%) All in all, the book has great Amazon ratings and will surely appeal to those who enjoy fast-paced, time travel stories filled with action, suspense, crime, and unexpected twists and turns.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 3:44 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sonya Nicolaidis
My first instinct upon coming across this book was that I wouldn’t be interested in reading it. The plane on the front cover and the rather flat title were of no interest to me and I would definitely not have paused for a closer look. There was no OBC review today which is always disappointing as I rely on the reviewer’s comments to guide me as to what the book is broadly about. The sample did start very well, and the writing was excellent. I liked the way the story began; it captures the interest of the reader from the outset. The relationship between the two girls is interesting and promises something quite adventurous further on in the book. The only thing about the sample that I didn’t really like was that there was no real background to Skylar’s disorder, and I found the references to AI friends and forays into space a bit confusing. When the story was earth-bound it was great. I didn’t see any errors at all which indicate a professional edit. However, in spite of these positive points, I am not going to read this book as it seems to be aimed at a younger age group than mine and has an element of the fantasy genre about it which I never read. I cannot suggest any improvements apart from providing Skylar with a stronger background in the story.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 3:18 pm by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
aacodreanu
Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would have chosen to read or sample this book based on the cover, which contains the key elements of the story, the title, with the mysterious explanation ”ten minutes to survive the past” that pushes the reader into the plot before they even open the book, the genre - psychology and sci-fi combined is a recipe I cannot say not to, and the Amazon customer review that I saw, that shed a little more light into what I was about to read or not. I am going to buy and read the whole book, as I need to know how the main character manages to fly into the past. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind from my original guess. Based on what I read, the book seems like it was well edited. I noticed one error in the Acknowledgements: „”Lastly I’d like to thank the follow people ...” - ”ing” is obviously missing, but there were no other mistakes in the ten pages that I read. I like the vividness of the account, creating immediacy and closeness to the characters and what is happening to them. Nothing could be improved. The book did have an Official OnlineBookClub review, but I had no access to it, at least this is what the system told me when I tried to click on the statement. So I can say that not being able to see the OnlineBookClub review frustrated me but it did not affect my decision to read the book.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 3:15 pm by aacodreanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
AntonelaMaria
This book doesn't have an Offical OnlineBookClub review, but there are some raving reviews on Amazon. Thriller is not my genre, but with the added factor of time travel, and I get disinterested in reading the book. I am not the best audience for this book. However, I enjoyed the sample. Skylar seems like an engaging, and colorful character. I am curious about how she overcame her childhood traumas to become a pilot. I didn't notice any grammar errors. I wouldn't change anything about the book, because all my reasons for not reading the book are subjective. I am sure that the readers who enjoy this kind of storyline will like this book.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 2:43 pm by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stephanie Runyon
The cover and title are nicely done but I would have passed this book over based on them. There was no OBC review on the book either. When I started reading the first pages, it appeared to be poetry with a science fiction twist to it. When the story began, the scene of Skylar cutting herself was graphic. The pacing of the story seemed extremely rushed and while I didn't encounter any editing errors, I think the timespan should be described better. I didn't like the death of Adrian since Skylar had found him to be a person to connect with. I won't be reading the rest if the book due to my personal sensitivity to the psychological aspects in the story.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 2:42 pm by Stephanie Runyon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'High Flying' is written by Kaylin McFarren. Skyler Haines lives a sad live. Whenever life becomes hard, she resorts to cut herself. She befriends Adrian. Through him, she meets Roxy. They become great friends. One day, Adrian is found hanging. This pushes Skyped to the brink again. I like the way the book started off with a beautiful poem. The writing style is pretty engrossing. There were no errors. I believe that it is professionally edited. The title, book cover, OBC review, and the Amazon reviews are apt. He will read this book as Skyler's story interests me.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 2:02 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Odette Chace
I like the cover but not the title. The title is just a bit too on the nose. The synopsis on Amazon was interesting. I want to know how Skylar investigates her father's murder and if she saves him. There was no official Online Book Club review. I would be concerned about spoilers for this book, so I am not upset that there isn't a review. Also, I'm not on the fence about whether or not I want to sample the book, so I doubt a review would change my mind. "In addition, the main character uses self-harm to combat her anxieties and fear..." (0% of sample). It should be "additionally" instead of "in addition." I only noticed a couple minor errors while reading, so I believe that the work was professionally edited. I was not expecting the book to open with such an intense scene. Unfortunately, the long paragraphs of summary following this scene were not nearly as effective. Skylar's relationships with Adrian and Roxy fall flat because the reader isn't present for any of their bonding. Skylar is able to stop cutting herself and cope by drawing red lines on her arm, but the reader isn't there for her growth. I was so removed from the plot of the book that I lost any desire to continue reading. I won't be finishing the book.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 1:12 pm by Odette Chace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
I liked the title of this book and the cover reminded me of my own terrifying experience while flying in a small, private plane during a thunder storm. The blurb mentioned time travel, which I realized was alluded to in the subtitle. I was not able to access the OBC review, but I read the ones on SPR and Goodreads. I also watched the YouTube trailer. Reading the first ten pages made me realize that I did not want to finish reading this book because of the disturbing "cutting" scene in the beginning. I also noticed profanity in the third paragraph, which I did not like. I didn't notice any errors in the pages that I read. I liked the list of other books by this author and the reviews by a wide variety of people, I will not read this book because of the content in the first part.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 12:59 pm by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Brenda Creech
The cover of this book is eyecatching, so that I would have checked this one out. As there wasn't an official review to read, I went on to the sample. I found the portion I read to be well-written and error-free. I managed to understand the basic concept of the storyline by reading the sample, and I was able to determine that I would not be reading the rest of the book. I didn't find anything in the portion I read that needs improvement, but I found the story to be depressing. I liked the part about Roxie and Skylar becoming friends and how Roxie brought Skylar out of her shell for a while, but that was the only happy part there was. Skylar's low self-esteem, cutting herself, living with a grandfather who did not show affection, and her best friend being killed all within the first two chapters was too discouraging to me. I couldn't help but wonder how much worse it would get. I am not a fan of psychological thrillers or time-travel, so I decided not to read any further. I am sure those who do like this type of novel will enjoy this book.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 12:46 pm by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
This cover looks cool. It seems like an action-packed book. I would've liked to check out an OBC review to convince myself if this book was worth it. In its absence, I was left to check out the book for myself. The sample starts with Skylar Haines cutting herself. Her grandfather catches her, calling her "sick", just the way her mother was. I liked that the author insisted on describing how Skylar felt. The book seems to be professionally edited, but I suggest the use of a comma in enumerations, like in the case of "music, drama, photography, yearbook, chess and debate team." A lot happens later on in this book, but the first pages lacked any action, focusing on Skylar's demons and her teenage problems (school, friends, boys). Without a taste of that action, I'm afraid I'm not convinced that this book is worth it. Aviation is also a subject I'm not deeply interested in, so I don't mind skipping it.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 11:09 am by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Juliana_Isabella
I might have chosen this book because I enjoy reading fiction involving time travel. I couldn't find a review for it on this site, so I wasn't able to be influenced by one. I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages. I didn't expect the story to start with such an intense scene, and I was immediately turned away from the book because of it. It felt like the author had the protagonist self-harm for the shock factor, and I didn't feel like I had enough connection to her to react appropriately as a reader. Because of this, I won't be finishing the book.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 10:42 am by Juliana_Isabella.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
The cover of the book is intriguing. The blurb made me hesitant because time travel can be such an interesting narrative tool when it's used properly, but it can also end up in a wild, far-fetched sci-fi narrative, which I don't care for. The ratings are mixed and, lacking an official review, I feel like I don't have enough information, so I wouldn't have bought the book based on my first impression.
I loved the opening epigraph: "In the beginning, God created man, but things didn’t get interesting until man created the airplane and a strong-minded woman to fly it." It's both enticing and brave because most people feel offended if you use religious elements liberally. I also liked the opening poem, especially the part that says, "But karma is based on the rules we abide, On the friendships we earn and love we provide. As guardians of time, we’re given one voice, One door to walk through to make the right choice." It's a lovely way to sum up why we should get the most out of the one life we have. What I didn't like are parts that are "told" instead of "shown", for example, when Skylar "...reached out to one of the band members at her school—school—more out of desperation than anything else."
I found a couple of minor mistakes. The first one is on the acknowledgments (position 60) where it should say "following" instead of "follow": "Lastly, I’d like to thank the follow people that have managed to keep me sane, on the plane, and out of the pouring rain..." I would suggest fixing these minor mistakes and adding a genre in the blurb because the reviews oscillate between "erotic thriller", "psychological thriller" and many more categories.
I liked the sample enough to read the whole book, but I would've benefited greatly from an official review to make a faster decision.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 10:25 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Theresa Moffitt
It was a very interesting way to start a book with a long poem. It was very creative and I enjoyed reading it. The cover of this book caught my eye right away. I like the title and the cover art. It looks like an novel full of action and adventure. I haven’t read a customer review or an Online Book Club review of this book yet. However, the first ten pages drew me right into the story and I would like to finish reading this book. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages, so I believe the book was professionally edited. I also didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon. The first ten pages begins with a poem about flying and then the story starts with a young girl who is a cutter. She takes a box cutter into the bathroom and cuts her arm. The author vividly describes the cutting experience and the relief Skylar feels after she does it. I enjoyed reading the first ten pages and would like to finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 9:11 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Timothy Rucinski
As I could find no Official Review for this book, I checked out several on Amazon. The reviews tempted me to take a look at the book as did the unique and appealing cover. Although the book sounds very interesting, I won't be reading it at this time as my internal tank is full up with stories involving teenage angst. In addition, from the first several pages involving cutting and teenage suicide by hanging, I am reluctant to go any further. It's just not for me. However, what I most liked about the book was the author's writing style. It's riveting, highly descriptive, and immediately set the tone by creating a memorable, though self-destructive, lead character. There wasn't anything I disliked about what I read but the subject matter. As I could find no errors, my assumption is that the book is professionally edited.
First Ten review added on November 24, 2020, at 8:41 am by Timothy Rucinski.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 33%
High Flying earned a score of 33%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 33% 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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