The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Hearts You Give Lift Our Voices Eternally: Thug Love
Because The Hearts You Give Lift Our Voices Eternally 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
This is a non-fiction book by Gregory Hebert in which he recounts his experience of getting into an accident when he was a child and how he coped with Traumatic Brain Injury. I liked the premise but wouldn't have read the book as I wasn't into the genre. However, I do find the book to be exceptionally inspirational. The thing I liked the most while sampling is that the author is candid about his feelings and childhood memories. I also like that the narrative moves steadily and is engaging and vivid. However, I did find an error while sampling in this sentence, "I liked making new friends in different places, and experiencing different things". I don't think a comma is required before 'experiencing'. But I won't be reading the whole book as I don't think I'll enjoy the genre and the plotline. I did see an official review before sampling and do not have any other recommendations for improvements apart from the editing error.
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 4:59 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
va2016
The title "The hearts you give lift our voices eternally" indicates that the book is about faith. The title has pictures of family, which shows that the book is about a family. There are no Amazon customer ratings, so it is difficult to decide whether to sample the book or not. The Amazon summary clearly mentions that the book is about faith. As I am not interested in faith related books, I would have skipped sampling if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing the author jay-walking across the street and a car coming towards him. The sample content is really short. As I am not interested in overall theme of the book, I am not going to read the book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. There were no grammatical or mechanical errors. I didn't like anything specifically about the book. I don't have any recommendations for the improvement of the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to not to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 4:57 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Aubrey Lewis
The overall appearance of the book seems too simple and 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 fond of reading non-fiction books, especially inspirational ones. 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 few pages, I decided not to read the rest of the book. The contents seemed professionally edited so far, and the author's writing style was straightforward and casual. The narration was easy to follow and it was also fast-paced enough to my liking. However, due to the shortness of the book, I only managed to read a small part of the first chapter — where the author recalled how his accident happened in the past — and it ended there. Because I didn't manage to read more of the events and my immersion was broken too early, I am not curious enough to read any further, so I will have to pass on this one.
Since my reason is due to my own personal preference, I don't think there are any improvements the author needs to make.
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 4:48 am by Aubrey Lewis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Manang Muyang
I am confused by the "our" in the title because the book is an autobiography. The blurb talks about the importance of faith and family; both helped the author conquer his challenges. The cover on the book's Amazon page has pictures of the author's family, presumably. None of the title, cover, or blurb impressed me much, so I would not have sampled the book outside of the program. The sample was short because the entire book had only 33 pages. I found an error at 75% of the sample: "I really don't remember what lead me up to doing it" should have used "led." While I liked the first-person narration for its sincere tone, I was not compelled to read the rest of the book. I could not relate to the author. The official OBC reviewer found the book very inspiring and gave it full marks. I was not convinced to change my decision, though. The author may want to rethink the title of the book. It is too long and lacks energy. Since the author is a hip-hop fan and his target readers are teens, something snappy seems more appropriate.
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 4:40 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Maria Esposito
I knew I would not be interested in this book before I sampled it. The main reason is that the blurb does not mention what the book is actually about. Furthermore, the cover design does not catch my interest. The book has no customer reviews on Amazon so far, which further discouraged me from buying the book. Reading the first ten pages did not make me change my mind. The author starts by explaining the accident he had as a kid, and how he never let it affect him that much. I liked the fact that the author wrote very short paragraphs, as that helped me focus on the book and created a pleasant flow. When the author mentioned how Tupac and hip-hop changed his life, my interest was piqued. However, the sample was too short for me to actually change my mind. I think that the author could work on a more intriguing and descriptive blurb that is similar to the prologue of the book. I did not come across errors, which makes me think that the book has been professionally edited. I did not come across an official review of this book, but this had no impact on my decision.
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 4:38 am by Maria Esposito.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jeremie Mondejar
I like the colorful vibrant of the cover photo because it looks alive. Though the sample had a few pages, I easily grasped the plot. This is a memoir of the author and how the car accident when he is still a child affecting his life. The sample ends with a suspense, yet it's a sad part of the author's life. When I read the OBC review, I understand the author's point. The review is helpful, but it doesn't pique my interest because a memoir like this isn't good for me. Fortunately, I didn't pick up any typographical errors. The sample looks professionally edited. I'll skip on this one because of my own traumatic experience when I'm still young.
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 4:32 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rodel Barnachea
Following my perusing of the book's Amazon page and official OBC review, I decided not to purchase the biography. I'm not really interested in reading about how the author dealt with life now that he's diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury. However, I will save the book for future purposes and keep it in mind in case I encounter similar circumstances. Reading the memoir's sample did not change my mind. I wouldn't acquire it because nothing in the Amazon sample piqued my curiosity, engaged my interests, or convinced me to read the rest of the memoir. The first ten pages cover a prologue and some pages of Chapter 1. What I liked most is reading the part when the author said he didn't feel he was different compared to his siblings while growing up. Since I didn't note any errors in the sample, I believe the book is professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 4:06 am by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Hhannahh
I doubt I would have sampled this book outside this program. The title and cover are okay, but they didn't catch my interest. Besides, I don't read nonfiction often.
After reading the sample, which was engaging and touching, I have decided to complete this book. The brevity of the book also makes it encouraging to read. I liked the simple and friendly manner in which the author wrote, and I loved his outlook on life. I only wish the pictures on the cover were more visible.
The editing of this work would have been perfect were it not for several unnecessary commas I noticed. One of such is after "so" in this sentence: "So, there I was crossing the street, but..."
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 3:58 am by Hhannahh.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sou Hi
The cover is simple but not very eye-catching. The official review looks alright, but there are no ratings on Amazon. Since the blurb is promising, I decided to give the sample a try. The memoir tells the story of the author, who was hit by a car when he was nine. Many things had changed after that accident.
I like the family love featured in the bio. It looks like the author has a good relationship with his brother, and his parents seem to treat him fairly. The editing is good, and I have no suggestions for improvement. Still, the sample is too short. I will need more of the content to see if this book is worth reading. For now, I won't buy it.
Error example: I really don't remember what lead up to me doing it, but I ended up crossing the street, and not in the crosswalk. -> Since the author mentions what already happened, I think it should use the past tense, as in [what led up to].
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 2:39 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mutai Marshal
The author talks about his past in this read. The accident he encountered in the past had an effect on him. He also touches on the relationship with his brother. I loved most the simple language deployed by the author, which makes the information fathomable. The title hinted at a self-help book, a genre I love, and I would have read the book without sampling. Having read the OBC review and sampled the book, I will buy it since I love inspirational books. It seems exceptionally edited, and there are no suggestions for improvement that I can offer.
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 2:01 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Nikolas Farmakis
This is the author's memoir about his horrible accident, which caused a brain injury to him. I would not have read this book based on the title, the cover, or the genre, as I do not like memoirs about accidents and injuries. I will not read this book, as it seemed cliche and dull. I did not find any editing errors, so the book was professionally edited. What I liked most about the text was that it was original and authentic, as the author shared his personal experiences in a unique way. To improve, the author should make this memoir more interesting by adding more emotion and tension to the text. This book had an Official OnlineBookClub review, which did not influence my decision.
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 1:17 am by Nikolas Farmakis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, cover, title, and OBC review. I don’t read non-fiction, and I couldn’t figure out why “thug love” was a part of the title. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. The author talked about how he got through with Faith, including his Faith in God. Books with any type of religious aspect just aren’t for me. I also didn’t like the way the author jumped around when telling his story. He talks about the accident but jumps to things his brother said and how they moved around. This type of storytelling could use some improvement. The book did seem to be professionally. There wasn’t anything specific I liked so far.
First Ten review added on March 29, 2021, at 1:14 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. The title was so long that I would have just skipped it. The sample pages were clearly written, and the author described his family well in bits and pieces. His approach to using different kinds of music sounded interesting too. I learned the history of “cater-corner” (which I learned as “kitty-corner”) by looking up that unfamiliar term. I noticed a minor grammatical error in the sample pages. [Churches] and [Church] were unnecessarily capitalized at loc 11: “I went to different Churches, even going so far as to visit a Christian Church for a little while.”
I will not buy this book because I don’t think I’ll be satisfied with the completeness of the story given the writing style and the fact that it’s only 33 pages. The featured OnlineBookClub review was very favorable, and even the reviewer mentioned that they wanted to know more about the story after finishing the book. I noticed that OBC has a different cover of the book than what is on Amazon. Maybe the pictures could go inside the book as part of the story. Another suggestion is to have a shorter title. The OBC review was helpful, and it reinforced my decision not to buy this book.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 11:48 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mary WhiteFace
I found the title a little confusing. "The Hearts U Give Lift Our Voices Eternally: THUG LOVE" gave the impression of being about how someone found love while in a gang. The synopsis said that the book was about faith. I would suggest that the author may want to rethink the title to reflect that the book is about faith, so it would appeal to a larger audience.
Without the first ten program I would not have been interested in reading this book based on my first impression of the title. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. The OnlineBookClub review did not influence my decision.
The book seemed to have been professionally edited, although I did find one error at location 81: "I’d attended this school prior to my accident, so I a lot of the kids that were in my class had familiar faces." The word 'I' after 'so' should be removed.
The part I liked best was when he told about how his mom encouraged him to do his best and to not limit his dreams because of the injury he sustained when the car hit him. I liked how he didn't let anything get in his way of achieving his goals. I believe that this book could be motivational for someone struggling to believe in themselves. I don't really relate to the subject matter, so I will not be reading the whole book.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 10:11 pm by Mary WhiteFace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
evraealtana
The "cover", or at least the representative picture on OBC, is colorful and eye-catching but does absolutely nothing to inform a reader about what the book contains. It doesn't even capture the mood of the sample, and so I'm wondering if it has any relation to the book at all. I was bored by the author's disclosure of what exactly he would be telling me in the book; that, more than anything, is why I will not read on. I might have read about his accident and his life in coping with the aftermath of that accident, but I really don't care about his musical tastes: Tupac, Guns N Roses, and the rest. Why would any of that matter? Why would you bother explaining your likes and dislikes to a reader? The reader is there to hear a story. Please just tell your story. Adding onto that, when the story actually began, I found it to be told in an abrupt fashion. I knew from the official OBC review that the author was hit by a car as a child, but the actual accident was told along the lines of "I went swimming, then I got out of the pool, and then a car came"; there was no discussion of who the child was prior to the accident, just a sudden disclosure of factual events. It made me not really care as much as I might have done if it had been told in a more character-focused way. I believe the author has an interesting and heartstring-tugging story to tell; I just wish it were told differently. I found no errors in the first ten pages, but I still will not continue reading.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 9:48 pm by evraealtana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mbrooks2518
I'm not a fan of memoirs, so this book just didn't interest me, and I would not have read the sample without The First Ten. I did like the writing style. The language flows in such a way that it felt like I was listening to someone speak, which made for a fast and easy read as I read the prologue and the lead-up to the author's accident. However, reading the sample and the official review did not make me any more interested in reading the rest of the book, so I am not going to buy it.
There were no editing mistakes, and there is nothing that needs to be changed or improved.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 7:53 pm by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
xsquare
I don’t usually read memoirs, so I don’t think I would’ve sampled the book based on the blurb, cover and title. The official OBC review did not really convince me. I like that the author is very candid about how he doesn’t actually remember much of his childhood as well as the description of his relationship with his brother. I did not see any typos, and I don’t think that there was anything the author could have done better. However, I found the sample of the book available on Amazon too short to be compelling. I won’t be reading the rest of the book since I’m not really a fan of memoirs.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 3:18 pm by xsquare.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
The title is intriguing, which is why I likely would have read the sample of The Hearts You Give Lift Our Voices Eternally even if it was not the OnlineBookClub's book of the day. I was amazed at how short the sample was, as I enjoyed listening to the simple way that the author wrote his book. However, upon reading the official OnlineBookClub review, the book is only 33 pages long; this is the reason why the sample was so short. I am finding the author's story inspirational so far, which is why I will be reading this book in the future. I did not see any grammatical errors, and I cannot think of anything that can be done to improve this book. Reading the official OnlineBookClub review for this title did not impact my decision in any way. Readers that like inspirational and truthful memoirs will likely enjoy this one.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 2:07 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Diana Lowery
This is not a book that I would have chosen to read. I felt that the title was too long, and I have no idea what the term 'thug love" refers to. The cover was too busy, and the old-fashioned photos did nothing to inspire me to read the book. The blurb had some distracting errors which made me not want to read the book. The review mentioned that this book had a good message of hope, but the comments made did not change my mind about reading the book. There was an error in the prologue as the word church is incorrectly capitalized. I saw several other errors in the pages that I read. I did not like the style of using so many short paragraphs. Really, there was nothing about this book that I liked. I think the author should change the title, the cover, and have the book edited.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 1:50 pm by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Iva Stoyanova
If I wasn't part of this program I wouldn't have chosen to sample or read this book. I wasn't attracted to the genre, the cover, and the title. They all seemed to be boring. The cover is not very special or eye-catching. The same goes for the title. It's too long for a title and that makes it sound too complicated and definitely not catchy. This genre is something I wouldn't mind reading. However, I prefer reading fiction. After reading the official review, I got a better idea of the book. It seems like an inspiring book that many people would benefit from. We can also learn a lot from the author - to be stronger and not give up easily. However, I will not buy and read this book. Memoirs are not my favorite type of book. Also, I don't think I will enjoy reading this book much. I also didn't change my mind after reading the first ten pages.
I think the book is well-edited and written. I'm not sure if I liked something in particular in the bit I read. I'm sure, though, that many readers will be inspired by Hebert's story and character. Finally, I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 12:22 pm by Iva Stoyanova.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gabrielle Sigaki
The Hearts You Give Lift Our Voices Eternally by Gregory Hebert is a non-fiction inspirational book that brings the story of a man who overcame various difficulties in his life. If I didn't sample this book, I wouldn't read it based on its Official OnlineBookClub review since I'm not interested in reading non-fiction inspirational books right now. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind because of the reason I stated before. However, the book seems professionally edited, there's nothing to be improved in it, and I liked the fact that the author started narrating his story giving a short explanation of what happened to him and how those events affected him.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 12:05 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Justine Ocsebio
I wouldn’t have sampled this book based on the genre, as memoirs rarely pique my interest. I liked that the author summarized all that a reader should expect in the prologue. He mentioned how his Traumatic Brain Injury affected his life, the people around him, and his community. However, I will not read the book, as I’m not interested in inspirational autobiographies. The official review did not affect my decision. I disliked nothing, and I didn’t see anything that needed improvement. The text is well edited.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 7:38 am by Justine Ocsebio.
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 also come across a positive 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 1% in the sample, there is a missing conjunction "and" to mark the second and third items in a list of items: "...affected me, how Tupac is one of my favourite rappers, (and) how rap helped..." I suggest more editing. However, I appreciate that the author chose to give a short introduction; this will help the reader to better understand the author's reasons for writing the book. To illustrate, we learn that the author had suffered a pretty serious car accident when he was 9 years old, and he sustained a traumatic brain injury. However, his family did not treat him with kid gloves just because of it, and he was also raised with the same expectations as his brother and sister – it seems as if the author benefitted because of this. In addition, he found rap music to be something that helped him get better, and Tupac is his favourite rapper. However, as I'm currently not in the market for non-fiction/motivational writing, I will not be buying the book today.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 4:20 am by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
It became obvious to me that this should be a spiritual book when I saw its cover and its title. With this idea, I considered reading the official review of this book before buying because I was curious to know about the takeaways from this book. I learned from the official review that this book guides us in having faith and hoping for the best despite setbacks in one's life. This idea piqued my interest to sample the book. After reading 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, "I know the name of my brother’s friend was Eric, but I was supposed to meet a friend of mine after swimming that day...". The sentence could have been, "I know the name of my brother’s friend was Eric, but I was supposed to meet a friend of mine after my swimming that day... ". The thing l liked the most is the author's way of observing how the miracle of faith works, which was quite inspiring. My suggestion to the author would be to go for a round of professional editing and make the book easier to read. Anyway, I am very happy with this book for its important content for me. After looking at all these aspects of it, I decided to purchase and read this book today.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 4:06 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Shrabastee Chakraborty
The title, with the acronym-cum-subtitle, THUG LOVE, immediately caught my attention. The cover indicated a memoir, but didn't seem too appealing. Based on the official OBC review, that rated the book 4 stars, I decided to read it. I found only one error in the first ten pages (location 92%: "lead" should be "led"). The author expresses his intents in writing this memoir and briefly talks about things that have influenced his life. Next, he launches into the story of that fateful day when he met with a car accident. I loved the simplicity and honesty, palpable even in the initial pages. I couldn't find anything I disliked nor did I have any suggestions for improvement. I would love to read the book.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 4:00 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
smolbird
Based on the cover and the title of the book, I would not have picked it up. Frankly, I thought that the cover did not match its content. Since the sample was very short, I was still a bit hesitant to continue reading. However, after reading the official OnlineBookClub review for this book, I was intrigued and just knew that I had to buy the book to read the rest. Judging by the sample, it seems that the book is professionally edited, as I did not catch any errors. What I like most is that the book is written in a simple way, making it easy and enjoyable to read.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 3:44 am by smolbird.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
J_odoyo
After reading the sample, I’ve realized that The Hearts You Give Lift Our Voices Eternally by Gregory Hebert is a seemingly well written non-fiction book. It is an easy to read book; there are only a few pages, making it a possible one-siting read. In the opening pages, the author pens a captivating prologue narrating about an accident which landed him on tight spot—he ended up coming out of it with a Traumatic Brain Injury. He narrates how his faith made him to curve out of many effects of the accident. I think I had no problem with the cover page; it was okay. The title was also attractive. The book seems to be professionally edited, and I could not find anything to dislike about it (in the pages I've read). Impressively, the book also had an official OnlineBookClub review, which gave insight into what the book entails. The book’s description on the Amazon website was likable and informative enough to allow for an accurate guess of what the book is all about. Sincerely, there is nothing I can recommend for the improvement of this book. Having read the sample and the OnlineBookClub review, I’m going to finish reading this book; I believe I'll learn something from this author's life story.
First Ten review added on March 28, 2021, at 1:17 am by J_odoyo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb, I wouldn't pick this book up because I don't typically read non-fiction so I'm not the target audience for this. After reading the sample, I didn't see any spelling or grammar errors and it appears professionally edited. What I liked best about the book so far was how the author emphasized how faith was what pulled him through and allowed him to move forward with his life. I really enjoy his message of optimism, faith, and hope because these are lessons that so many people can really benefit from and live life to the fullest. I do not have any suggestions for improvement. There was an onlinebookclub review, but this genre is not for me so I won't be reading the rest.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 11:25 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jorge Leon Salazar
The cover and title seemed overloaded to me. The images are small and hard to distinguish. I would not have selected to glance or read this book based on the cover and title. The sample is quite short, in the prologue, it is mentioned that the author was hit by a car and got a Traumatic Brain Injury.
It captures my attention that he refers to rapper Tupac, hip hop, and the musical groups that he listened to during his convalescence. In the bit I read, the author expresses relevant aspects such as how frustrating it was to reach a goal. I found it curious that even though his memories of that time are fuzzy and sparse, he remembers in detail the day when the car knocked him.
The official review is flattering and provides more details. I find this reading interesting. Indeed, it already conveys inspiring messages. For example, to have faith and try not to let such a difficult situation affect you. However, this book did not motivate me enough to read the rest of it. I think I have already taken advantage as it has inspired me without having to read it.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 10:10 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
After reviewing the title, genre, cover, blurb, and review of this book, I would not have read this book. I've read some good memoirs, but I'm not interested enough in reading about adversity after an injury. After reading the first ten pages I didn't change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. I liked the straightforward narrative style. The book really sounds like the author is just comfortable telling us a story. That being said, this genre of book and subject matter doesn't interest me enough to buy. Although the book looked well written and edited, there was one thing I would have improved from the sample I read. Even in the short sample, it seemed fairly repetitive. He kept repeating what he remembered, and in those words, to the point that it was noticeable. There was an official OBC review that I read, and it did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 9:29 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jsovermyer
I like the cover on my Kindle copy with the family pictures. The cover shown above is very colorful, but I prefer the photographs. The title is too long and would be better if shortened. Because of the title, I would not buy this book from the cover alone. The official reviewer liked this book and gave it a high rating. I found one error at location 11 where it says "I went to different Churches, even going so far as to visit a Christian Church for a little while, and even testifying for the first time." The word church should not be capitalized. I commend the author for writing his story and telling what happened. I also liked that he took some of the blame for the accident and admitted he wasn't in the crosswalk when it happened. I didn't see anything I disliked in the small sample. Because there were only a few sample pages, I didn't get invested in the story. I will not be finishing it at this time.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 9:13 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Verna Coy
The cover of this book is eye-catching. I’m sure that will draw many readers. The story’s tragic beginning sets the readers up for the suspense of the rest of the book. Although it’s not my type of story, and I don’t plan to purchase it, I can see how readers who enjoy books that feature stories about success against tough odds will like this book. What I liked best is the positive message this book delivers to readers. The sample seems professionally edited. I see no other need for improvement on this book. I enjoyed reading the 4-star Online Book Club review. Nice job, it isn’t easy to achieve the best rating!
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 8:49 pm by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Odette Chace
I don't like that "You" is stylized as "U" in the title and on the cover of the book. I would not pick this book up if I saw it at a store. The synopsis on Amazon did not give the reader much information to go on. From the synopsis, I thought that the work would be about how the author's religious beliefs got him through a troubled time in his life. After reading the official Online Book Club review, I have a better idea of what the book is actually about. The reviewer gave the work a perfect rating of 4 out of 4 stars, but it still does not interest me. I did not notice any errors in the sample and believe the work was professionally edited. The writing came across as very authentic, which was my favorite aspect of the sample. There was nothing I disliked about the sample. It was incredibly short, but I think it was representative enough for the reader to get the gist of what's to come. I don't plan to finish reading the book because I'm not invested enough in the story to buy the book. Perhaps I would have gotten more invested if the sample was a bit longer.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 8:41 pm by Odette Chace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ari Martinez
If I hadn't sampled this novel for the First Ten program, I would not have sampled it based on its title, cover, or Official OnlineBookClub review because I am not very fond of non-fiction books, especially when they are a type of self-help book. The first ten pages of the book did not interest me enough to make me want to continue reading. My favorite part of the sample was when the author briefly talked about his brother. For some reason, it seemed very honest, and it left me with a good impression about their relationship. The book appears to be professionally edited, and it does not need improvement.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 8:08 pm by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Timothy Rucinski
From the Official Review, I knew that this book was not for me. I don't care for memoirs, nor do I enjoy books about the reaffirmation of faith. I would never have snapped up this book based on the cover on Amazon as it looks as if it were put together in a slapdash sort of way. It's hard to say what I liked about the book given that the sample on Amazon was so sparse. I guess I would have to say that I admire the author for putting down his story so that others may benefit. What I disliked most was the cover. My recommendation would be to consider using one that looks more professional. I don't believe the book was edited by a competent editor, but it's hard to tell from limited sampling. But I did find at least one error in which there was a needless use of a comma. In the next to last paragraph of the Prologue the author writes, "I know I was just doing my best to have a good time, and be a kid." In addition, the formatting in the sample was a bit awkward.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 6:08 pm by Timothy Rucinski.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
At first glance, I thought the cover and title of this book were average. I would not have picked this up without the First Ten program because I do not read memoirs or non-fiction. This book is professionally edited. The free sample was short. I have to say I really liked the author's writing tone. It felt like I was listening to a friend tell me about his childhood. I thought it was cute that Gregory was surprised that his brother could be jealous of him because he was the younger one. I really appreciated the official OBC review. The reviewer mentioned that this book is only 33 pages long which is probably why the free sample was so short. I was surprised to learn that the author had a disability. Overall, I can see how fans of memoirs would like this book. Personally, memoirs are not my cup of tea. Therefore, I will not be reading the rest. I do not have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 5:52 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
TheMazeRunner
I wouldn't pick this book for sampling because I don't find that cover attractive. It is a bit crowded with pictures. I would like to see it in a different light. The sample was okay, but I wasn't hooked by it. The writing is okay, I find it perfect for a light read. I usually don't read memoir-like books, and that is probably the reason why I am not going to read the rest of the book. I can tell this book is edited professionally with no errors to be seen. This book has the official review.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 4:40 pm by TheMazeRunner.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'The Hearts You Give Lift Our Voices Eternally' is a memoir. It is written by Gregory Hebert. On 1st July, 1987, Gregory was hit by a car while crossing the road. He was only nine at the time. The accident changed his life. It resulted in a brain trauma. Nevertheless, the author never gave up his faith. I like the way the author talks about his life without cribbing. He recognizes the way his family helped him. This is admirable. The editing was professional. There is nothing that can be improved. The title is a tad long. The cover is great. The OBC review and the Amazon reviews are appreciative. I will skip this book as I am not in the mind-frame to read memoirs as of now.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 4:37 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mariana Figueira
If I hadn't read the sample I wouldn't be interested in the book because I'm not really into non-fiction and I'm not religious, and the summary gave the impression that this novel was about overcoming obstacles through faith; having read the sample didn't change my mind, though it was too short to form a true opinion about the book. What I read seemed professionally edited, and the book has an official Online BookCLub review. I didn't read enough to actually find something I really liked, though I appreciate that the story started right away, to the point, with the author's accident. About what needed improvement, I think the sample is a little too short.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 4:30 pm by Mariana Figueira.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
I can't say I was pleased with this book's appearance. The cover looks plain and the title is too long, making me lose interest. It also seems cheese because of the words "hearts" and "eternally". The OBC review made me somehow interested because of the way it described the book, but I was still reluctant because of the genre. This book brings back a lot of memories about my own car accident and how scared I was for my own health. However, I can't say that I connected with the author because his accident took a different turn. We also don't have the same belief or the same music taste. Another thing is that I would've liked it if he acknowledged the reader in the Prologue instead of simply talking about himself. As far as I see it, the reader should be persuaded somehow, so it's better if the author gives a serious reason why someone should read his book, especially in non-fiction. That being said, I don't see any reason to continue reading this book, so I will simply say no. The editing didn't present any issues.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 4:21 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kirsi Cultrera
As a big fan of true stories, I would have checked this book out even without this program. I am amazed, how our way of dealing with issues in our lives is affected by how our families treat us. In this case, a supportive family pushed the author through enormous challenges. I appreciate the author sharing this inspirational story. If anything was to be improved, I wish this book could have been a bit longer. I would also have hoped for a more inviting cover picture. As far as I can say from the short sample, the editing seemed satisfactory. I read the Official OnlineBookClub review, and it confirmed my thoughts of wanting to read the whole story. I look forward to reading this extraordinary memoir.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 3:29 pm by Kirsi Cultrera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Yvonne Monique
The book title does not make much sense to me, initially. The book cover shows real pictures, which makes it safe to assume that this is a memoir. The blurb and OBC review confirm this. As I normally do not read memoirs, I would not pick this book up in a book store. However, the story does appeal to me emotionally. I admire the author for showing so much strength and faith to overcome his horrible car accident. Hopefully, his story will serve as an example for many. The sample was a bit short but well edited and free of errors. I liked the down-to-earth vocabulary that the author uses. However, some aspects of the sample did not appeal to me, such as the immediate reference to God and to rap music. I honestly hope that the author will reach many people with his story, but I am sorry to say that I will not buy this book. As an improvement, I would suggest to mention on the book cover that this book is a memoir.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 2:38 pm by Yvonne Monique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sonya Nicolaidis
The title and cover of this book were quite busy, and there was a lot of information therein. This made me think I wouldn’t ordinarily have picked up this one from off a shelf. The OBC seemed to really enjoy this account, giving it a four star rating with many positive comments. From the blurb, I wasn’t convinced this one was for me. Upon reading the short sample on Amazon, I noted that it was quite easy to read and written in a conversational style. However, this writing style was a little clumsy and awkward at times and lacked fluidity. It’s always nice to read of people overcoming great odds to succeed in life and this aspect was most appealing to me. Not being a fan of such music myself, I am doubtful about how the author’s love for hip-hop music and rap would help him, but will give him the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t notice any errors in grammar and think this book has been professionally edited. If I were to suggest changing anything, it would definitely be to cover illustration and title. Something less wordy would be more appealing. I wouldn’t read the whole thing simply because I don’t have any connection with the musical styles this author enjoys, and feel I’d lose patience with the writing style before very long.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 2:08 pm by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rayah Raouf
I would not have chosen to sample the book because of the cover and genre. The cover did not entice me. The genre is also not something I would be interested in. I will not buy and read the whole book. The sample did not cover any content. It covered people's reviews only. I also know that I would not read a memoir or a biography. As I was unable to read the content, the cover page and reviews had no grammatical errors. However, the official review claims there are a few minor errors. Therefore, I believe the book has been professionally edited. I like how the book starts off with reviews from people. I cannot suggest any improvements to be made. There was an official review, and it did not affect my decision in wanting to read the book.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 2:07 pm by Rayah Raouf.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Brenda Creech
I was intrigued by the cover and title, so I would have checked this book out without a review so I could satisfy my curiosity. After reading the official review, I wanted to read a little of the book for myself. While reading the short sample, I was pulled into the portion of the book I was reading. I did not see any errors, and I did not come across anything that needs improvement. The sample stopped just short of the author's accident when he was nine. I am curious about the rest of the book and want to find out how rap music helped the author. I have decided to read the rest of the book to see how the author got through all that he had to face.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 1:01 pm by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Emy Katherine
Although the beautiful cover caught my attention, I would not have read the book based on the genre. As I do not read non-fiction books, I did not change my mind after reading both the sample and the OBC review. Throughout the book, the author shares how he was diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury after being involved in a car accident when he was only nine years old. After the accident, he faced adversity and overcame obstacles thanks to his faith, courage, and resilience. The author used an easy-to-read writing style to share his story. I particularly appreciated the conversational tone; I could easily feel the love and gratitude he felt for his family. All in all, I found nothing that needed to be improved. I only found two minor errors that did not distract me from my reading. For example, there should not be a comma in the following sentence: "I liked making new friends in different places, and experiencing different things." (location 14 of 28 • 48%) I am not the target audience, but those who enjoy reading inspirational stories of perseverance and faith will enjoy this one.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 12:55 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Lisa A Rayburn
As memoirs are not one of my favored genres, it is unlikely that I would have ever run across this book. Given that, even if I had discovered it, neither the cover nor the title would have interested me enough to look at it knowing it was a memoir. I am unfamiliar with the author, so that would not have affected my decision. The blurb was interesting, especially since I have worked with children with TBI in the past and I know the value of support systems. There were no customer reviews on the Amazon site to help form an opinion of the book, not even one from this program. However, the review on this site was quite complimentary of the book. This raised my expectations for the sample. The sample was very short which made it difficult to form an opinion of the book. I am somewhat confused by the "thug life" portion of the title. There was absolutely no indication of that type of content in the sample. I like the frank way Gregory tells us about the curcumstances surrounding his accident (short though that reference was) in the sample. He tries to be very objective about his situation, even though I know not only the accident but the aftermath of it when he realized that he had lost memories and things (such as social ease and math) were slower than before the accident had to have been highly emotional. I don't know that I had a favorite part of the sample, unless it was being grateful that he had a strong support system through his Dad and brothers. With the book being a memoir I don't think there is anything needing change. Ultimately, I had to weigh my empathy with Gregory against my hesitation to read memoirs. I'm afraid caution won the day in this case. I will not be continuing to read the book. The book seemed well-edited. I found no 'countable' errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 12:34 pm by Lisa A Rayburn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
Well, it’s really terrible that he had his accident on the exact year and day of my birthday. The preview sample was brief, but I did like that he shared what little he could recall of his life before the accident. It’s a shame he didn’t go with his brother and Eric when they left the pool, but I’m glad his faith has brought him healing and peace. I didn’t see any errors, so I agree with the reviewer that the book appears to be professionally edited. I like the title and the subject of faith, but I don’t often read memoirs so I wouldn’t have found the book outside the program very interesting. I guess the only improvement I could suggest is to get a proofreader to correct the few errors there are and maybe make the ending less abrupt.I’ll pass on the book for today because I’m not really into memoirs.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 12:27 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bertha Jackson
I would not have checked out this book based on the title, book cover, or genre because I do not care for most memoirs. There were no customer or editorial reviews, but the blurb made the book sound interesting. After reading the first ten pages and the OnlineBookClub review, I decided to read the book. I had already downloaded the free copy to read the first ten pages, and I like how the author has written the book. I am curious as to how Gregory overcomes his disabilities. I did see one error at Loc. 3 where the author did not follow the rules for writing numbers under 10. The sentence is, “When I was [9] (nine) years old, I was hit by a car, and it was a pretty severe thing." I did see other errors like “bed time” and “room mate” that should be one word. I have my doubts about whether a professional editor has edited this book. Other than the editing, I did not see anything I would change. Since I have downloaded the book, I will read it.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 11:36 am by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
The first thing I noticed is the spelling on the cover, which bothers me. The blurb doesn't reveal much about the plot. A "story about faith" could be about how someone found God, or about faith in ourselves, or a thousand other topics. So, with little information, a cover that I dislike, and no Amazon ratings, I wouldn't have bought the book based on my first impressions.
The only thing I enjoyed from the sample was how intriguing I find that some who seems so conservative talks about "why I chose to listen to Guns N Roses, Luther Vandross, Tears for Fears, and the importance of gangster mentality." Other than that, some parts come across as arrogant. For example, the disregard for the feelings of jealousy the author's brother had. I didn't find editing mistakes. Unless there's a great reason behind it, I would suggest fixing the spelling of the cover, improving the cover in general, and broadening the blurb. The official review didn't change my decision to not read the book.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 11:09 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
I would not have picked this book up based on the cover alone. The title doesn’t really tell me what the book is about and the cover art didn’t attract my attention. The Online Book Club review increased my interest in the book. It gave the book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars and was very positive. I didn’t read an additional customer review. The first ten pages were interesting. The author described swimming at a community pool with his brother when he decided to cross the street. He was nine-years-old and didn’t use the crosswalk. As a result, he got hit by a car. He suffered from a brain injury. 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. I wasn’t drawn into the story enough to want to finish reading this book. For that reason, I will not finish reading this book based on the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on March 27, 2021, at 11:07 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 20%
The Hearts You Give Lift Our Voices Eternally earned a score of 20%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 20% 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 The Hearts You Give Lift Our Voices Eternally
