The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Girl with the Flat Tire: She wasn't looking for trouble, but he was looking for her
Because Girl with the Flat Tire 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 set in 1975 in a small town of Texas called Flat Mountain. The book begins when a man, John Brookner, flees after assaulting a drug addict girl, Angel. On the other hand, a young divorcee, Anna Nevin, leaves her hometown and is hoping to start a new life. A chance encounter makes her meet Travis and John. Now, will she stay with Travis or will she end up giving in to the mysterious charms of John? The storyline follows them as new secrets are unveiled. The entire story is set within a 48 hours timeframe. Well, I really liked the concept and the suspense of the plot. So, I would have sampled the book. The thing I liked the most while sampling is the narrative. Being a fast-paced thriller, I was hoping the narrative would be uncomfortably fast. But it is fairly well paced, and I find the story development to be just perfect. In fact, the narration makes me feel like this book can very well be adapted into a movie. As for the editing, I didn't find any errors and would rate the book as professionally edited. I did see an official review. I'll definitely read the whole book as I loved the suspense and intrigue of the sample. And I've no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on June 4, 2020, at 4:59 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Vickie Noel
I don't believe I'd have been interested in this book outside the program. The cover art is usually my biggest factor for consideration when choosing a book, but this one appears indecipherable to me. The title holds a bit of intrigue, but it still wouldn't have been enough to catch my eyes. Reading the sample has changed my mind. The outlook of the story is exactly the way I like it: titled chapters, a brief description of the settings using powerful adjectives, and undelayed action through dialogue. I was excited to find out the title of the chapter was a quote gotten from the second scene; It felt like I'd discovered a hidden gem. The title is, "A cloud of smoke and two lines of tire marks." After meeting Angel, the paramedic and the police officer, I then met John Brookner who "stomped on the gas pedal of the black-and-gold Oldsmobile 442, spinning out of the 7-Eleven parking lot. A cloud of smoke and two lines of tire marks followed." I found not nary one grammatical error; instead, I found my interest hooked as I watched the antagonist gloat after implanting himself as a bug in Angel's life and eventually hurting her for his selfish gains. I hate him already and will be reading the book to make sure he's properly dealt with. I have no recommendations for improvement. I saw an OBC review which initially made me uninterested in the book because of the presence of racism. Now, though, I think I'd understand its function in the story when I get to that section. Thus, it wouldn't be a deterrent to my purchasing it.
First Ten review added on June 4, 2020, at 4:59 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Aubrey Lewis
The overall appearance of the book is intriguing and seems professionally made. When I read through the official OBC review, I got the idea that this is a suspenseful crime thriller with dark, mature themes. If I weren't a part of this program, I wouldn't have read the sample since the genres aren't the type I usually like reading about.
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 appreciated the author's writing style which was fast-paced enough to my liking and not too detailed. The premise was already interesting and I took a dislike to Brookner as the story progressed. His attention seemed to be caught by Anna when she walked into the restaurant he was in and it made me feel sorry for her. So, because of my curiosity, I'd like to continue reading this one.
Since I enjoyed the book so far, I don't think there are any improvements the author needs to make.
First Ten review added on June 4, 2020, at 3:56 am by Aubrey Lewis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Chelsy Scherba
The author is very good at bringing characters to life in a believable way. I could easily picture Angel as the police interrogated her. Her druggie boyfriend Brookner hit her in the head with a picture frame and took off with her crack, adding a stolen license plate to his car so he can make a getaway from the cops and Julio, his dealer. The review mentioned the book has some sexual themes which are not really my favorite thing to read. Because of that, I’ll wait on purchasing this book because I’m generally not a fan of crime fiction. But, the book is well-written and professionally edited. I saw zero errors. The cover is beautiful. I would not have found this book outside of the program.
First Ten review added on June 4, 2020, at 2:53 am by Chelsy Scherba.
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 wasn’t really interested in this action packed book where one woman had to choose between two men. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I wasn’t really into the parts about drugs. This was more prominent than I expected. From the beginning drugs were involved since Angel was attacked due to drugs. There were also a lot of derogatory terms used such as “wetback”. I know these are a part of the story, but that kind of language just isn’t for me. There wasn’t anything specific I liked so far. It did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on June 4, 2020, at 12:49 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Catherine Hsu
If I had not read the sample, I would have the book as it looks really interesting from the title and the cover. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. The writing was really interesting and fluid, though I did find a few errors. For example, "Yeah, well, I bet you didn't get much education in the 'hood" was a line in the book that was missing an end quotation. So perhaps more editing is needed. I read the official review which also talked about an unexpected twist I would love to read, so it did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on June 4, 2020, at 12:44 am by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
unamilagra
Before sampling this book, I may have picked it up. The OBC review makes it sound interesting. I like divergent storylines. In reading the first ten pages, the book was well written and the time period of the book sounds fun. I liked the reference to Escobar. That said, I like characters that I can get emotionally invested in, and Brookner just isn't a character I want to keep reading about. I don't plan to keep reading the book. I didn't notice any errors in the pages I read.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 11:27 pm by unamilagra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ritah
Based on the cover and title, I wouldn't have sampled the book because it didn't appeal to me. I read the official review and then sampled the book. Just like the police, I wondered what happened and why Angel had been beaten up like that - it was sad that it was all about drugs. The novel appeared to be professionally edited and I saw no areas that needed improving. Though I liked the author's writing style, I didn't feel compelled to keep reading after the first ten which is the reason I won't be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 10:23 pm by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jeremie Mondejar
The cover photo didn't convince me to read this book, and the title looks weird, too. When I read across Julio and Escobar's name, I knew this book will be all about drugs, marijuana or cocaine. The sample failed in catching my interest since I don't like anything drug-related novel. The wounded woman in the entry scene doesn't sound appealing to me, either. Fortunately, the sample is neatly woven. I didn't notice any typos. I will suggest changing the photo because it looks dull.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 10:10 pm by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
moowshiri
I would have chosen to read this book had I not even been part of this program. This is because it has a very eye-catching cover page. I really never had a clear guess of what the book was like. Therefore, I can't really say that reading the first ten pages changed my mind concerning the book. I would like to know what happened to John Brookner in the end. That's why I'm definitely going to buy and read it wholly.
I found the book to be professionally edited as I never came across any error in grammar whatsoever. What I liked most about the book was the use of simple grammar. This made it a lot easier for me to understand part of the story's plot. The book had an official OnlineBookClub review that I both saw and read.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 6:00 pm by moowshiri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sarah_Khan
I like the cover and title of this book, they make me want to find out more. After reading the Amazon blurb, I would not have went ahead and sampled this book because the plot does not sound original. The first ten pages are professionally edited. The way John talked about Angel made my blood boil and to top that, he is a racist. The OBC review was favorable. Overall, I still do not think this book is unique enough to make me commit to reading the rest. I do not have any suggestions for the author. This book is just not my cup of tea.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 5:46 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Damis Seres Rodriguez
To begin with I really liked the cover of the book. The color choice was really attractive for me. The review that I read of the book encouraged me even further to read it. As for the sample that I got to read, the descriptions captivated me as soon as I started reading. The way the author described the aftermath of the attack made me feel like a witness of the scene. At least in the sample, the book seems to be professionally edited, and I didn't find any major errors. The book has a lot of potential, and I look forward to read it all.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 5:23 pm by Damis Seres Rodriguez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jsovermyer
The cover art is interesting, and I like the title, Girl with the Flat Tire. Both would make me pick up this book for a closer look. This exciting crime drama has a lot of action, romance, and suspense. Set in Texas, this story has a cast of colorful characters. At first I was not sure I would like this story. John Brookner is a hateful character, and I didn't like his use of racial slurs or his violence. The introduction of Anna Nevin changed my mind. She is a young attractive woman on a roadtrip trying to get over her recent divorce. I am worried about her now that Brookner has seen her. The official review rated this book high, and I would agree it is well written. I found no grammatical or spelling errors and believe it has been professionally edited. I am intrigued by the story so far and want to see what happens next.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 2:48 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sanju Lali
Nothing was evident to me from the cover and the title about the book because "Girl with the Flat tires "meant many things to me. Therefore, I read the official review to know more about the premise and setting of the story. The official review was helpful enough to let me know that this book follows the two divergent storylines that unexpectedly converge into one. One storyline focuses on Angel and John, who get involved in drugs. Another storyline follows a divorcee, Anna and a handsome man, Travis. This information motivated me to sample the book before making a buying decision. After reading the first ten pages, I found that this book was professionally edited with no grammatical errors found in it. The thing l liked the most in this book is the interesting premise where the two unrelated story-lines converge into one, making it more exciting. However, story-line focusing on Anna seemed too superficial because I found several actions that were contradictory to the situation. For example, Anna, a divorcee, who wanted to stay alone for self-healing, walks out of her home in an outfit that is suitable for dating or a picnic. My suggestion to the author is to consider the statement made by me in the above sentence. Noting all these aspects of the book, I decided not to purchase and read this book today. I decided to wait until the author considers my suggestion so that the story becomes interesting.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 8:50 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
The title was catchy and the cover was attractive. The first ten pages caught my interest. I liked the description of the room; it was easy to visualize. The review explained a little about who the title girl was. The book appears to be professionally edited. I did not see any errors. These are the kinds of books I like to read at the beach. I will add it to my "To Read" list, but I will not finish reading it right now.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 7:10 am by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Susmita Biswas
Girl with the Flat Tire by Leon Loy is a thriller. The cover of the novel is difficult to understand. Readers don't invest much time on covers. I don't know how the title is related to the story. Maybe, it will reveal later in the novel. I didn't find a blurb of the novel. There were not many customer reviews, but they were positive. People said that the story was unpredictable. Most of the editors said good things about it. This novel has an official OnlineBookClub review. I must say that the story was far better than the reviewer's illustration. I didn't want to read the whole book, but the first ten changed my mind. The story seems to has a lot of twists and turns. I liked the thrill and action. I also enjoyed the aroma of the 1970s. I don't think it needs any improvement. The novel is professionally edited. I found one punctuation mistake on location 58. The sentence was - One eye was already swelling and her nose had a nasty scrape running down one side. I am going to buy and read the whole book because I liked the thrill of this novel.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 5:21 am by Susmita Biswas.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mai Tran
This book didn’t seem very exciting to me until I've read the official review. It’s impressive how much the author has managed to pack into this book. I’d have checked it out even without The First Ten. Although I was a little worried that a love triangle story may get too cliché and melodramatic, this story is neither. It’s fascinating with all its different elements. I love how realistic all the characters appear, especially Anna’s parents. Jim and Wanda’s concerns regarding their daughter’s sudden getaway are very relatable. Given that the book appears both well-written and professionally edited, I’d love to purchase and continue reading it.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 2:07 am by Mai Tran.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Washboard
I sometimes enjoy books from this genre. The title and cover art are both eye-catching. The official review makes the book sound appealing. I didn't notice any errors in my reading. The book begins with a police officer responding to an assault, where he speaks to Angel about her assailant, John, who stole drugs from her. Although the writing is very descriptive, I did not like how Angel was described by her previous attractiveness, whereas the male characters were not. I am concerned that it sets the tone for all of the women in the book to be valued based on their appearance, whereas the men are not. I won't be continuing to read this one due to that, and the racial slurs.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 1:59 am by Washboard.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stephanie Runyon
I fell in love with the storyline just after reading the OBC review. I like this genre the most when reading new books and this one didn't disappoint me. I like the colorful description given of Bookner as a bigoted drug addicted thief, and Anna running away from the emotional pain from a divorce. I can envision the story easily with how well the author set the plot for beginning. I didn't find anything that I disliked, and I believe this is a very well edited book. I want to read the rest of this story and plan on buying the book for my personal collection.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 1:07 am by Stephanie Runyon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Lorraine De Vos
I would not have chosen to sample this book based on the title and cover. The first ten pages were very well written. The author paints a clear picture of the antagonist: John Brooker as a racist, drug addict, thief, woman beater and killer. It becomes very easy to dislike him as you flip through the first chapters. The book starting off so violent and negative did however put me off somewhat. The book does appear to be professionally edited. The official OnlineBookClub review was very informative and confirmed that I will not be adding this book to my reading list. I have no recommendations for improvements.
First Ten review added on June 3, 2020, at 12:20 am by Lorraine De Vos.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
I likely wouldn't have read the sample of Girl with the Flat Tire if it was not the book of the day. The description mentions violence and murder, and since I am naturally a peace-loving person, I will be skipping it. I love how the book has a country feel to it, as it hits close to home for me. I will say that there are no grammatical errors that could be found in the first ten pages, and I could not think of any improvements to it in the way it is now. There is an official OnlineBookClub review, but it was not enough to convince me to skip it. Readers that do not mind reading about violence and abuse may like it, but any one who is offended by such content should steer clear.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 11:57 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
edztan15
The review for this book got me interested. It gives me the impression that it is a fast-paced thriller with its page length and the 48-hour timeframe of the plot. I may have given it a chance due to these factors. The first ten pages are really good. It starts with a police investigation of an alleged case of domestic violence, but it turns out to be more than that. The book is well-edited as I did not find any typos in it. However, I got a feeling that this may not be for me. Though I like crime thrillers, it seems to have drugs as one of its central themes, and although I don't necessarily find the subject uninteresting, it is not something that will warrant me in buying the book. I think I'm going to pass on this one, but I still acknowledge the book's merits.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 10:59 pm by edztan15.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb, I think I would check this book out because there is an interesting mix of genres and I feel like there are elements I like such as the suspense, mystery, and apparently a shocking twist at the end. After reading the first ten pages, I did spot a few punctuation errors but they were very minor. In chapter one, "From a few steps away he watched the paramedic inspect..." there should be a comma after away. What I liked best about the book was the writing style. It was like I was reading poetry, the words and sentences flowed so well together in my opinion. There was a lot of showing and not just telling which I appreciated. The beginning scene with the cop interrogating Angel and her being cleaned up by the paramedic was very well described and I could easily picture the scenario. I do not have any suggestions for improvement. There was an onlinebookclub review and I definitely will buy this book and read the rest.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 9:45 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
HRichards
I normally wouldn't have picked this book up since the summary didn't appeal to me and the OBC review revealed that there is a lot of content in the book I don't think I'd like. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book since I didn't really enjoy or connect with the content. The sample deals with a woman named Angel being checked by police after a violent incident in her home. A man who has been living with her attacked her and drugs are involved. Brookner is on the run with drugs he took from Angel. The writing is fine and I didn't notice any grammar errors and the writer seems to have a complex plot. Those who like crime thrillers might like this book. I don't really like the rough content of the book.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 8:37 pm by HRichards.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Brenda Creech
I would not have checked this book out based on the title and cover. After reading the official review, I was a little intrigued. However, when the reviewer mentioned there were derogatory and ethnic slurs, I became very hesitant to think about reading this book. After reading the sample, I was even more indecisive due to the violent scene at a truck stop. And the problem occurs because of the protagonist, who had just beaten his girlfriend up, stole all the drugs the two shared and was running from the police and a drug dealer. I could detect the violent tendency of the story immediately. The violence, along with the derogatory comments Brookner spat at the truck driver, let me know I did not want to pursue reading the rest of the book. With protests and riots going on en almost every city in America right now, I don't need to read about protests and riots. I did not find any errors in the portion I read as a sample, and nothing I felt needed improvement, I just don't believe the book is for me at this time.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 7:31 pm by Brenda Creech.
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 it because the title seems to have a creepy edge to it. For this reason, I don’t intend to buy and read the whole book today.
Reading the first ten pages confirmed my impressions of the book. The early part features a girl who has been beaten being attended to by medics.
Based on what I read, the book seems professionally edited, although I noticed that the Official Online Book Club review mentioned that it does contain a handful of minor errors in the book. I didn’t notice errors in the first ten pages. What I liked most about what I read is the way the author communicates the girl’s confusion in answering the medics questions. It was realistic. I know that fans of thrillers with a fast-paced plot will enjoy aspects of this novel. As far as improvements, considering that the Official OBC review mentioned a few minor errors, another round of light proofreading would be good. I did read the Official Online Book Club review and found it insightful. It didn’t affect my views of the book.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 6:32 pm by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kelyn
If I had not been a member of this program, it is unlikely that the cover, title, genre, or author would have enticed me to pick up this book. The genre would have been the main reason. Crime/thrillers simply is not a genre I enjoy. The cover is reminiscent of "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo," but since I did not read that one either, it would not have made much of an impression. The cover is confusing. I can't really tell what the picture is showing. The author is not familiar to me, so that would not have been a factor in my decision. There was a review from this program, as well as a few other reviews. All of them were positive, although two did mention that it was something of a 'pleasure read.' Since this genre isn't one I enjoy, that did little to raise my hopes for the book. The fact that the reviewer from this program enjoyed it piqued my interest a bit because I trust our reviewers to be objective. The sample was mildly interesting. I was immediately worried when Anna and John 'encountered' each other in the diner, and that was before I even knew Anna's background! John would be bad news for any woman. I wish the sample had gone on a bit further so we could meet Travis (he was mentioned in the reviews). Even with this interest going for it, I had to balance that against my prior experience of not enjoying books in the genre. Ultimately I decided not to continue reading the book because of this general disinterest. The book seemed well-edited. I found no countable errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 6:20 pm by Kelyn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
The title was interesting, and I was pretty sure there was more to the story than just a flat tire, so I would have read the blurb even if I had not been part of this program. The sample pages were engaging, and the pace took off immediately. I enjoyed how well the author painted a scene. It was an exciting start, and I don’t think it will slow down in this 241-page read, but I will not buy this book. I’m not invested in the story enough to finish it. I did it notice any grammatical errors in the sample pages, and I have no suggestions for improvement. The featured OnlineBookClub review was awesome, but it did not convince me to read this book.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 5:58 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Odette Chace
I'm not a fan of the title as it is like "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" but less exciting. I don't like the font of the title on the cover, but otherwise like the cover. The premise on Amazon leaves me a little skeptical of the book because the protagonist develops two love interests in 48 hours. The official Online Book Club review gave the book a perfect 4 out of 4 stars and did not offer any criticism of the book other than to point out a handful of typographical errors. I would not normally sample the book, as the premise doesn't thrill me. The sample far surpassed my expectations and I did not notice any errors while reading. I will finish the book at a later date.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 5:13 pm by Odette Chace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jorge Leon Salazar
The story begins with a battered woman, Angel, while the police searching in her house. The man who did that was John Brookner. Next, the book describes how he escaped with a sack of drugs that he kept at Angel's house and that belongs to Julio, a drug dealer. The rest of the book sample is told about Anna and her disappointment at the separation from her unfaithful former husband, Spencer.
In this sample the plot does not develop considerably, however, attractive stories are visualized like Brookner, Angel, and drugs and that of Anna and her former husband. However, the story did not capture me as it unproduced enough curiosity about what I read so far.
The book is well-edited, I only observed a detail when writing a phrase in Spanish "el hombre mal" the correct thing would be "el hombre del mal." I also detected the word sipping written with an "s" in a miniature size. From what I have mentioned, I will not read this book.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 5:01 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nikolas Farmakis
This is an action-packed fictional crime thriller about drug cartels and police. I would not have read this book based on the title, the cover, or the subject, as I do not read crime thrillers. I will not read this book, as it was cliche and I found it contained too much violence and profanity. The book did not seem professionally edited, as I encountered an error in the sample I read ('The source was some dude in Columbia', while it should be 'The source was some dude in Colombia'). What I liked most about this book was the fact that it was fast-paced and full of suspense and action, which grasped my attention. To improve, the author should remove some violent scenes and profane words that distract the reader from the main plot of the story, while he should also be more creative to make the novel more unique and original. The book had an Officiai OnlineBookClub review, which did not affect my opinions.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 4:58 pm by Nikolas Farmakis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Juliana_Isabella
I wouldn't have chosen this book because I don't really enjoy books about violence, especially violence against women. The review, though positive, didn't really change my mind about the book because it reinforced my thought that there was a lot of violence against women in the book. I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages, but the fact that the book opened with a wounded woman being questioned by a police officer immediately turned me away from the story. Although I think this could be a good book for people who enjoy the genre, I just can't get past the violence, so I won't be finishing the book.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 4:57 pm by Juliana_Isabella.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
Leon Loy's 'Girl With The Flat Tire' is a book set in the 1970s. The title, cover, and Amazon review did a good job at convincing me to give this book a try.
The book starts off with John running away with a stash of drugs after assaulting a woman named Angel. The book then shifts to Anna. Anna has recently divorced her cheating husband. Ever since then, her mom has been trying to set her up with a guy. I like the fast-paced nature of the book. I found some errors. For example, there should have been a comma after “away" in “From a few steps away he watched the paramedics..” I do not think that it is professionally edited. I will give this book a try as I like reading books of this genre as of now.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 3:34 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
aacodreanu
Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages, I would have chosen to read or sample this book based mostly on the title and the editorial review that I saw, but not sampling is not very likely because I sample all the BOTD books as part of the Twitter contest. I am going to read the whole book, even if I will have to buy it, because I feel well reading it and looking forward to what will be happening next. Reading the first ten pages convinced me that I had to. What I read was professionally edited. I liked the style of the narration, things happen at the right pace, characters are presented in the right light.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 3:32 pm by aacodreanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Howlan
The cover is great. The synopsis provides great insight into the book. The first ten pages presented crime and some thrilling action. The story starts with an officer at the home of one Angel Hopper, a drug addict who was assaulted by a man named John Brookner. John made away with all the drugs in the house and fled the city. On his way out he burned down a gas station. Then comes in Anna Nevin and we see her emotionally unstable state after her divorce with her husband. Well, the story has interesting characters at least. With the plot basically about drug smuggling and bad romances, I am not much interested in the plot. Though it is far early to tell, John as a character does not make a good impact, and well Anna does not leave a mark either. The concept of the story is fairly unoriginal and so, I am not going to buy and read this book. For improvement, I would have loved to see some humor in the story that was missing. No typos were found in the first ten pages. The Official Review was present, and the reviewer rated it highly.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 3:26 pm by Howlan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
I found the title to be interesting, but not enough to check the book out. After finding out about the plot from the OBC review, I was sure that I didn't want to try this. Domestic violence (or at least that is what it seems at first) is a huge trigger for me. Angel Hopper was attacked by John Brookner, and paramedics and police officers have to intervene. The writing was simple, which I liked, but the sample just gave me a bad vibe. I already had a bad vibe going into this (because of something unrelated), but the book surely made it worse. I also wasn't convinced by it. I don't wish to know anything more about the characters or why John Brookner actually attacked Angel. I'm going to stop here. I haven't found anything wrong with the editing.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 2:55 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Caffrey_19
Girl with the Flat Tire by Leon Loy is a book that portrays crime, thriller, mystery and history. Having read its obc review, I decided to sample a few pages, and low and behold, it was as intriguing as the review said. I enjoyed the writer’s descriptive prowess but there was a part I didn’t really like or understand - the part where Brook was trying to sell Hard Drugs to a race he never liked. I think he had no business provoking the driver since he hated Blacks and Mexicans.
The book was professionally edited and I rarely encountered any typos/grammar errors. Although I loved the novel from the bits I read, I don’t intend buying and reading the whole book as I don’t have interest in drug trafficking or drug abuse stories.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 2:50 pm by Caffrey_19.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
I like the cover of the book, especially the catchphrase which is very compelling. The blurb is great too, and the author captures the whole story in a few sentences. Even though the book has mixed ratings, I would have bought it because I enjoy realistic stories and the plot is intriguing.
I enjoyed the first ten pages a lot. My favorite asset is how congruent the characters and their actions are. For example, obviously, a girl involved in drugs, such as Angel, would act reticent towards the police. Johns's demeaning attitude towards his Mexican contact is, although infuriating, congruent with a guy like him. I also liked how the author used the Zippo lighter as anchoring to explain Johns's behavior based on his childhood. The fact that the author introduces real-life characters like Pablo Escobar is interesting too.
I did find some editing mistakes. I'll mention just the first one. On position 107, it says "off" where it should say "of": "The plate on the 442 was off a Mercury station wagon parked on..."
Other than a second editing round to correct these mistakes I don't think anything needs improvement. The official review hyped me up even more.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 1:48 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
gen_g
Based on the title and book cover, I would not have sampled the book, as it seems like a piece of realist fiction, which I am not looking for at the moment. However, I have come across a positive review of this book. After sampling, there are a couple of minor errors. At 0% in the sample, there is a missing comma to mark the introductory clause: "From a few steps away(,) he watched...". I would suggest more editing. I like how the author started off with a bang, we see Angel being stitched up by a paramedic, and the policeman interviewing her is trying to get as much information out of the incident as possible. He believes that she is definitely high, and after a bit of pressing, Angel reveals to the policeman that she was beaten up by John Brookner in the latter's search for drugs. However, as I'm not in the market for fiction where drugs take centre stage, I will not be buying the book today.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 1:28 pm by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shrabastee Chakraborty
The cover is not that interesting, but the blurb caught my attention. The official OBC review rates it a full 4 stars. The first ten pages were without editing issues. They show Angela, a drug addict who was badly beaten by her partner. The partner ran away with all the stored drugs and kept traveling in a car with stolen license plates. The premise is intriguing and promises a thrilling read. The author's writing style was swift and did not require any improvement. Also, this is my favorite genre. I am going to read this book.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 1:12 pm by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Maria Esposito
I knew I would not be interested in reading this book before I sampled it. The main reason is that I do not like the thriller genre. The cover design and title intrigue me, but I know I do not enjoy thrillers. The book has only one positive customer review on Amazon, which further contributed to my lack of interest in the book. Reading the first ten pages did not make me change my mind. The book begins as Angel is visited by the police. She has been badly beaten by John Brookner, a man that has been staying in her house. What I liked the most about this book was the author's writing style, which is engaging and captivating. I did not come across anything I disliked: I am simply not into this genre. The book seems professionally edited since I did not come across any errors. I came across an official review of the book on this website, but this had no impact on my initial decision.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 12:58 pm by Maria Esposito.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
J_odoyo
After reading the first ten pages of this book, I have noticed that Girl with the Flat Tire by Leon Loy is an engrossing crime novel. The story begins after John Brookner had busted Angel Hopper’s head open, and he had stolen a few items from her—including some cash and drugs. As Angel is being taken to the hospital, John Brookner flees from cops and Julio, the owner of the drugs he is making away with. Brookner had been introduced to Angel by Julio—a drug smuggler. Brookner followed her home and stayed for a while before the incident. On the other hand, Ann Nevin is considering getting away from home, to get some fresh air, after her divorce. Her parents are concerned about her getting remarried; however, she isn’t willing to fall in love with her new suitor, Lance. The progress of this novel promises a lot, and I can’t stop guessing what is going to happen next.
The book’s cover page was wonderfully done, and I think the title was relevant and could easily attract the attention of many readers. His storyline is gripping and well written. The book seems to be professionally edited, and I could not find any error or anything else to dislike about it (in the pages I've read). As for me, reading a sincere editorial review is very necessary, and I can’t buy any book before finding an editorial review. Thanks to the OnlineBookClub review for such a detailed review. 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. Moreover, I don’t like books involving drug stories.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 12:57 pm by J_odoyo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Lee
I was impressed, very impressed, with how the author jumped right into the action. With a minimal use of words, he painted a very vivid picture. Without a doubt, this is a very well-written book. I agree with the book review, based on the sample pages, this book deserves a four out of four stars based on the quality of writing alone. That's what I liked best. Also, the editing was very well-done.
That said, I knew as soon as I read the Amazon blurb that I would be taking a pass on this one. I loathe love triangles, so that's always a no-go trope for me. The vivid opening, while well-written, turned me off more. I don't care for stories about low-life druggies. If that doesn't deter you, though, give the book a try. Although I dislike the subject matter, the book itself is well-written enough, I'm going to check on Amazon to see if anything else the author has written interests me.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 12:44 pm by Laura Lee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
daphne_asir
The idea was interesting and the reviews were impressive. But when I started the book I found the prose to be extremely descriptive which I didn't enjoy. However, the dialogues were realistic and crafted beautifully. I didn't notice any grammatical errors but I won't be reading this book because it didn't capture and hold my attention. It would be better if the book was concise.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 11:50 am by daphne_asir.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
After divorcing her cheating husband, Anna moves to Texas to start over. Her life, however, takes an unexpected turn when she meets a handsome man named Travis, who helps her fix a flat tire. Unfortunately, she also gets into trouble after meeting John Brookner, a cocaine man on the run. I liked the story was told from multiple perspectives, and the writing style was descriptive and engaging. I also found the characters imperfect and realistic. Although I enjoy reading crime novels, I would not have read the book without The First Ten program. Sadly, I did not find the plot intriguing, so I did not change my mind after reading the Amazon blurb, the OBC review, and the sample. Furthermore, as I found some punctuation errors, I would suggest another round of editing. For example, it should be written "olive-colored duffel bag" instead of "olive colored duffel bag." (location 108 of 395 • 27%) There should also be a comma after "bowl" in the following sentence: "After setting them by her bowl he put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head." (location 310 of 395 • 78%)
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 11:30 am by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Melisa Jane
I wouldn't have read this book based on its cover because it doesn't give a clue on what the book is about. After sampling the book, I'm not going to finish reading it because its pace is way too slow. Maybe the lack of grammatical errors is the only likable thing within the first ten pages. I recommend that the author improve the book cover to something suggestive. At the moment, I haven't seen any OBC reviews if this book. I'm, therefore, not sure whether or not they exist.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 10:49 am by Melisa Jane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Twylla
I would not buy this book on Amazon. There are too many bad things happening to bad people. But I appreciate the fact that it is well written. The official review from onlinebookclub.org was just excellent! This book definitely has an audience. The artwork on the cover is very good. It captures the spirit of the book. The book is well written and professionally edited. I didn’t see any errors in the sample text.
I don’t have any ideas for improving the book.
My favorite thing about the book was the realism of the characters. They seemed to come alive on the page.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 10:22 am by Twylla.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I may have read the book. The praises behind this book were endless from the review and I love a good crime thriller. After reading the first ten pages I didn't change my mind and therefore will be buying and reading the rest of this book eventually. I loved the carefree and homely attitude that the beginning of the book portrayed. Something as simple as escaping a certain area of the country, getting gas in a small town, and hitting the open road (prior to everything going awry I assume) is a perfect example of literary tension being built. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read and the book looked well written and edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 10:14 am by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Theresa Moffitt
The title of this book is intriguing and caught my attention. I also like the cover art of the book. I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. I haven’t read a customer review of this book but I did read an Online Book Club review that was very positive. The OBC review gave the book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars and provided details about the overall themes of the book that I wouldn’t know by reading the first ten pages. The OBC review made me more interested in finishing the book. I didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon. I also didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages, so I believe the book was professionally edited. The book begins with police officers investigating an assault of a girl named Angel by a man who was living with her. The man took drugs from her place after beating her. He then robbed a store and was on the run. I enjoyed the author’s writing style. I would like to finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on June 2, 2020, at 9:22 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Total ~ 37%
Girl with the Flat Tire earned a score of 37%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 37% 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.
Go to main Bookshelves page for Girl with the Flat Tire
