
The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Sophia Violet and the Fiery Orb
Because Sophia Violet and the Fiery Orb 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.
Aubrey Lewis

The overall appearance of the book is intriguing, but not very eye-catching, in my opinion. When I read through the official OBC review, I felt that I wouldn't be able to appreciate the book since I'm not very fond of reading fantasy books, especially science fiction. If I weren't a part of this program, I wouldn't have read the sample at all since the book's cover, genres, and summary didn't interest 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 liked how the premise was interesting already and set a sort of mysterious, thrilling pace. The author's writing style was even fast-paced enough to my liking which I appreciate a lot. I was intrigued when Byrun and his wife Sarah gave away their daughter and insisted to the new parents that they were not to tell their child anything and that they should not make any contact from now on. I am also curious as to why Byrun's family is chasing after him and as to what their intentions are with the Orb. I would like to know more, so I'm going to be reading the rest 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 September 28, 2020, at 4:59 am by Aubrey Lewis.
Rodel Barnachea

Considering the book's genre, official OBC review, and Amazon page, I learned I wouldn't want to read the book. Therefore, I will not be purchasing this book now or later. I appreciate the excellent world-building and admirable set of characters, but I am not interested in the book's premise. I will, however, sample the title to see if its first ten pages will change will my mind.
Unfortunately, reading the sample did not change my mind. The first ten pages comprise the first chapter and the first few pages of the second chapter. The first chapter elaborates on the events surrounding Sophie's birth; the second chapter begins fourteen years after the said events and focuses on Sophie Meriweather. What I liked most with what I read are the sci-fi elements the book contains: I find these a bit entertaining. I didn't note any errors in the text; I believe the book is professionally edited. I have no suggestions to offer to the author.
First Ten review added on September 28, 2020, at 4:59 am by Rodel Barnachea.
xsquare

I’ll admit it: I was a little sceptical when I first saw the cover, title and blurb of the book. However, after reading the fantastic official OBC review, I was definitely a little more keen to sample the book. The book appears quite interesting, and I really like the author’s vivid and descriptive writing style. However, I did see a minor typo in the first few pages, which is as follows: “[...], the sound echoing off the steel walls of the morgue, He flinched at the sound.” I’m still not sure that I will definitely finish the rest of the book, but I am certainly keen to read beyond the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on September 28, 2020, at 4:32 am by xsquare.
Sou Hi

The cover looks nice, matching the book's title. It has good responses from Amazon's customers and the official review, and the genre is my favorite, so I decided to read the sample. The book talks about Sophia Violet, a mysterious girl who was given to her foster parents right after being born. She had a peaceful life with her caring parents and her childhood friend. But one day, she suddenly could do things humans could not.
The book's best part is that it employs a strong cast of female characters. It's also an interesting combination of fantasy and mystery genres. The editing looks good, too. However, I think this book is too classical and predictable for my taste. Being the protagonist, Sophia is very lucky. Things that people are unable to find, she will find it with ease. Things that people find it hard to do, she will excel it. It might be related to her special identity, but that's why the book lacks creativity. Sometimes, the plot seems illogical. For instance, despite having a friend who can morph into different animals, Sophia does not believe a wolf can talk. It's as if she never suspects there are more people who are like her friend, even though she has just seen two beings who can do things her friend can. For these reasons, I don't think this book is appealing enough to buy.
Error example: She began to wail, the sound echoing off the steel walls of the morgue, He flinched at the sound. -> Should be [morgue. He]
First Ten review added on September 28, 2020, at 3:27 am by Sou Hi.
Samantha Gayle

The cover is beautiful, and I would have read a sample of the book based on that and the genre. The official OBC review gave it an excellent review, which I always look to for another opinion. The beginning of this story moves very well. You can feel the tension, and the writing is strong. I did find an error within the first ten pages, so I have to assume it may need another revision. “She began to wail, the sound echoing off the steel walls of the morgue, He flinched at the sound.” In place of the comma after morgue it should be a period or a semicolon. I wouldn’t change anything about what I read so far, aside from the revision. I won’t be finishing this book as it feels a little too young for my taste. It seems like an action-packed adventure that a young adult would enjoy.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2020, at 5:14 pm by Samantha Gayle.
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, as the wolf, the orb and girl’s face in the background are puzzling, the title: making a potential reader wonder about the connection between a woman’s name and such an object, the genre: sci-fi fantesy always relies on a vivid imagination and, mostly, the Official OnlineBookClub editorial review that I saw and that answered some of the questions I was asking myself before reading it. I hope to read the whole book. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind from my original guess; on the contrary, it confirmed it. Based on what I read, the book seems like it was professionally edited. I like the narration of a mother's separation from her newly born baby. After such sad an event one can only hope that what follows will be more joyful, and so it seems it will be. I don’t think anything can be improved.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2020, at 1:22 pm by aacodreanu.
Maria Esposito

I knew I would not be interested in this book before I sampled it. The main reasons are that I do not like reading into the young adult and fantasy genre. I like the cover design: the only element I would change is the title, choosing a font that would emphasize it more than the one being used. The novel has ten Amazon customer reviews, but this had no impact on my decision. Reading the first ten pages did not make me change my mind. Byrun and Sarah have to give their violet-eyed newborn daughter away because she cannot be safe with them. The book is well written and professionally edited, and I must note that the dialogues and the writing style are particularly captivating. There was nothing about it I disliked: I am simply not into these genres. I would buy this book if I had a teenage child or relative. There is an official review for this novel on Online Book Club, but this had no impact on my decision.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2020, at 12:11 pm by Maria Esposito.
Elvis Best

Because of the genre of the book, I would not have read it, as I'm mostly into nonfiction books. Further, after reading the first ten pages, I still would not read it because I did not like the fantasy aspect of the book. I believe it is professionally edited, though, as I found no errors in the first ten pages. The one thing I liked most was the sense of mystery and suspense in the first few pages. Consequently, I do not have any suggestions for improvement. I did read an Official OnlineBookClub review that I think presented the book very well.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2020, at 5:15 am by Elvis Best.
Mutai Marshal

The story buds with grieving parents, Sarah and Byrun. Sarah cannot bear the grief of giving up her daughter. That fateful night, after delivering their daughter, Byrun is greeted by an unwelcome, yet familiar voice at his garage. This book was crafted from the third-person perspective. I loved most it's suspenseful nature. It kept me guessing what would unfold next. The cover page and review (by OBC) dissuaded me from reading this book (because of its genre). Having sampled the first ten pages, I will not buy this book since I don't enjoy reading science-fiction novels. It was edited professionally, and I cannot suggest any improvements.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2020, at 4:40 am by Mutai Marshal.
Samgum50

Had I not sampled the first ten pages of this book, I definitely would have still read this book. My interest was initially drawn by the book cover. Once I read the official OnlineBookClub review, I realised how much I liked the story and wanted to read the book. Reading the first ten pages solidified my desire to read the story. Therefore, I'm definitely going to purchase the book to continue reading it. I really like the storyline and the way the story's written.
Based on what I read, the book was well edited. I did not come across any errors whatsoever. What I liked the most about the book is the authors writing. The way the book starts I could tell that this would be one of those hard to put down kind of books. The author sets up the opening scene very well. She uses very descriptive language that made me feel for the characters. It bettered my connection to the story and characters. I don't think that there's anything that needs to be improved about the story. I think it's fine as it is. The book does have an official OnlineBookClub review.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2020, at 2:09 am by Samgum50.
MeganDJ

The title and cover is absolutely stunning and I think I would have naturally gravitated towards this book without reading the first 10. I was instantly hooked by Sophia's unfortunate beginning and how her parents fought to keep her safe. With that being said, I will definitely be reading the rest of this book as it encapsulates one of my favourite genres. I believe it was professionally edited, as I did not find a single error during my read. What I liked the most was the gripping and emotional beginning of the parents sacrifice for their daughter, and with that being said, there is nothing in this book that I would improve upon. I did find an Online Book Review on this and I can say it deserves its 4 out of 4 stars.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2020, at 1:31 am by MeganDJ.
elisathelvarik

I would not have chosen this book based on its title, cover, and description. It looks like a stereotypical werewolf fantasy novel. I have read many books like this one, but the title and cover do not pop out to me. The official review convinced me to read the first ten pages. The review reveals that this is a coming-of-age story of adventure and action. The plot screams young adult fiction, and I love it! YA novels make up a great portion of my love for reading. I have a huge appreciation for authors who create novels like this. I also like the messages that the reviewer highlights from the novel. In the first ten pages, I love the author's descriptive writing. The book introduces Sophia Violet, a special baby who was given away by her parents to have no record of her. They also reveal this idea of a powerful orb that is related to Sophia Violet. The scenes are powerful and action-packed even in the first ten pages. The characters seem interesting from the first ten pages. The biggest thing I would say is that the book seems very cliche. They throw around the word "shapeshifter" and "Luna" a lot, which is a classic tactic in novels like this one. Despite that slight criticism, I will still finish reading the novel. I love the premise and the genre. Even though I do not count as the "target audience," I have no other notes of improvement. I still found the text interesting enough to want to know more. I did not find any errors or typos. This book seems well-edited.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2020, at 1:19 am by elisathelvarik.
J_odoyo

After reading the first ten pages of this book, I’ve realized that it’s an engaging story that seems to have been well written. The book’s title was relevant and could easily attract those who love mystery reads. I think the book’s cover page was well designed, and the author’s description on the Amazon website was likable; it was precise and informative enough to allow for an accurate guess of what to expect in the book. Its storyline is gripping and well written. The book also had a positive official OnlineBookClub review, which gave insight into what the book entails. I didn’t find any error, and I would say the book seemed to have been professionally edited. One can’t help but be engrossed by this mysterious story. Sophia Violet is born with ineffable physical features: her eyes are no ordinary, and on her right hand, her third and fourth fingers were fused by a thin web. Her parents are not in a position to raise her; they have organized to have her raised by somebody else. Byrun, her father, is the Orb Master, and they have never been at peace with his brother Rayson who is so envious about it. Byrun has woken up in shackled ankles, and his wife, Sarah, is gone. The story is promising, and I can’t stop guessing what is next. Having read the sample and the OnlineBookClub review, I’m not going to finish reading this book because I’m not a fan of this genre.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2020, at 1:02 am by J_odoyo.
CrescentMoon

After reading the blurb, I don't think I would pick this book up because it is very similar to a book I just read. I read the sequel to the Letorian descendants and the premise is also similar in that there is a young teenage girl whose life changes drastically and she has to save her coven and loved ones. I'm in the mood for a different genre. After reading the first ten pages, I spotted a few grammar errors. In chapter one, "...the sound echoing off the steel walls of the morgue, He flinched at the sound." After morgue, the comma should instead be a period. What I liked best about the book so far was the author's ability to build suspense. At the beginning, I was so entranced by why Byrun and his wife would want to abandon their newborn daughter Sophia. I could feel Byrun's despair and anguish at having to leave his daughter, and also his urgency and firmness in making sure she is safe and that he and his wife can run away. The author did a great job of showing in these scenes, rather than telling because I could easily imagine the scenes and they were descriptive. I do not have any suggestions for improvement. There was an onlinebookclub review, however, I still wouldn't pick this book up because I'm in the mood for a different genre.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2020, at 10:51 pm by CrescentMoon.
evraealtana

Based on the cover and OBC reviewer synopsis, this book is clearly for children or young teenagers, which doesn't appeal to me. In the first ten pages, I found myself confused by Rayson not realizing that Sarah had already given birth; even a human can usually tell just by looking, even without a panther's superhuman senses. The opening scene in which Byrun and Rayson have their standoff felt incomplete, particularly with respect to Sarah's crashing the car into the wall, which was left hanging. I found both the "young but beautiful girl with special powers and a tragic infancy" and the "wolves just love me for some reason" premises to be cliché. I also feel that having a protagonist's main conflict be not fitting in at school is overdone and therefore uninteresting. This book probably has a target audience that would enjoy it, but I am not part of it. I will pass. I noted no errors in the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2020, at 9:53 pm by evraealtana.
Hazel Arnaiz

Outside the program, I would not sample this book because of the genre. It is not within my area of interest. The cover related to the title. The images of the girl and the orb, and the selected colors, gave the cover a mysterious air. However, the wolf looked a bit out of place. The title was straightforward and hinted at the adventure and fantasy to come. The reviews gave positive feedback. After sampling the first ten pages, I found the book promising. The story-telling was smooth and even got me hooked. It was also neatly edited. I liked that the author made the story relevant to the current concerns of teens, despite the fantasy. I have no suggestions for improvement. Although I did find the story interesting, for now, I will not finish reading the book. I would prefer something that is more age-appropriate and timely. There was an Official OnlineBookClub review, which was insightful. I will let this book pass for now but will consider finishing it some other time.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2020, at 7:01 pm by Hazel Arnaiz.
Jorge Leon Salazar

The story begins telling about Sophia's birth and the following moments when her parents Byrun and Sarah give her to another family to raise her. Next, it is described about the confrontations between Rayson, a panther, and Byrun, who shapeshifts into a jaguar.
In the first pages, two great mysteries are exposed, one around the Orb, which was held by Byrun. The other one is around Sophia. The plot is little developed in the first pages. The official review expresses a little more progress; it reveals Sophia has to undertake the search for the missing Orb. Plus, she makes a fabulous team with her friends Luna, Darva, and Brill.
The story is interesting and so far well told. However, it didn't capture me. The science fiction and fantasy genres are not my favorites. The editing seems remarkable as I did not observe any errors. The cover displays what looks like Sophia's face and a wolf, to which she transmutes. Hence, it is in keeping with the title and content of the book. Ultimately, I don't think I'm going to read the rest of the book, at least not in the near future.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2020, at 6:07 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
moowshiri

First and foremost, I must applaud Greene for the impeccable cover. It would have made me read this book had I not even been part of this program. On sampling its first ten pages, I fell in love with the plot. I enjoyed reading about both Byrun and Sarah giving their new-born baby up for adoption. The storyline was so sweet. Consequently, I'm going to read the book to its very last page. The book also seems professionally edited as I didn't come across any errors in the small bit I read. I also didn't see any sections in the book that require improvement. There's also an official review from OnlineBookClub for the book.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2020, at 6:05 pm by moowshiri.
Mallory Porshnev

The cover of this book looks somewhat like a Disney movie to me. I wasn't initially attracted to it. The OBC review gives it a high rating, but it is my understanding that it is a young adult novel, and I don't usually find those too interesting. After sampling the book I still don't think I would read it. I like that it has the theme of animals, and it seems professionally edited without errors. However, the story of a special child with powers who is given away by her parents at birth is one that feels to me very similar to many done before. I can see how this tale would appeal to younger readers, but not to me.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2020, at 5:35 pm by Mallory Porshnev.
Tonika632

I am a fan of sci-fi books, and I really enjoyed this one. I am going to read it. Unlike other books of this genre, the author focuses on the protagonist's growth, friendship, and love while building the world in the same time. I really appreciate that. I would not change anything in it. I haven't noticed errors, and I can tell it is edited professionally. This book also has an official review.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2020, at 4:34 pm by Tonika632.
Gabrielle Sigaki

Sophia Violet and the Fiery Orb by Evangeline Greene is a young adult novel that brings the themes of fantasy, powers, shapeshifters, heroes, and a strong female protagonist. When I saw its Official OnlineBookClub review, I was curious to read the story and to know more about Sophia Violet and her adventures, so I was already willing to read it. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind, and I decided to read the entire novel since the story is gripping, unique, and fast-pacing. However, my favorite aspect was the author's ability to end each part on a cliff-hanging. Besides, the book seems professionally edited, and, in my opinion, there's nothing to be improved in it.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2020, at 4:20 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Rashida10

I decided to sample the book, Sophia Violet and the Fiery Orb by Evangeline Greene, after seeing an official review on OBC about its captivating storyline. The book seemed professionally edited, and I encountered no grammar errors/typos. Although if I hadn’t read the first ten pages of the book, I would still have sampled it in the first place based on its genre. I liked that the book involved a combination of human and alienated abilities. But because the worlds involved are strange to me, I will not be buying and reading the whole book. The author could increase the target audience by making use of well know planet names or locations throughout.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2020, at 3:40 pm by Rashida10.
LinaJan

I was instantly mesmerized by the cover of ‘Sophia Violet and the Fiery Orb’ by Evangeline Greene. Having read the official onlinebookclub.org review, I learned that this book belongs to the fantasy genre. I find both the mesmerizing cover and the title very fitting to the genre. I was pleased to learn that ‘Sophia Violet and the Fiery Orb’ seems to offer it all: a particularly good character development, a colorful world of mystery, and an exciting and engaging plot. Upon reading the sample, I found that this book induced quite strong emotions in me right from the beginning. If I had not read the review, I would find myself utterly confused, which would be a welcome state of being. The plot immediately pulls the reader in. Indeed, this book appears to be very well executed in terms of writing and story development, as well as professionally edited and proofread. I find myself turning page after page disregarding my repeated ‘just one more page, and I’ll put it aside.’
First Ten review added on September 26, 2020, at 2:34 pm by LinaJan.
Melisa Jane

I wouldn't have sampled this book based on its cover because I don't like thriller novels. After sampling it, I won't finish reading it because the first ten pages were scary. The fact that Sara gave birth to an abnormal child, with webbed fingers, made its contents seem scary. I liked how vividly the author described the events that transpired at the labor ward, I could almost see everything. Since this isn't my genre, I didn't have any improvement suggestions. I didn't find any grammatical errors while reading. This book has an official OBC review.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2020, at 12:28 pm by Melisa Jane.
This book appears to have been Book of the Day more than once. Only responses from the most recent Book of the Day focus group are shown. Older responses have been hidden by default to avoid confusion. If you would like to also view the older first ten responses, you can unhide them by clicking the button below.
Total ~ 42%
Sophia Violet and the Fiery Orb earned a score of 42%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 42% 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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