The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Cruising Through The Teens, Easier Than It Seems
Because Cruising Through The Teens, Easier Than It Seems 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 author offers a helpful resource for teenagers to help them navigate the challenges that come up with parental expectations, body image, unorganised thinking, and other mental blocks a teen has to sort through. I liked the premise but wouldn't have read the book based on its blurb and the official OBC review that I read. The reason is that both of these helped me understand the topics within the book, and I didn't think I was the ideal target user. However, I would say that reading the sample was engaging for me. The thing I liked the most was the use of illustrations. The bright colours on every page look attractive. I also like that the language and tone used by the author are sympathetic and relatable. I particularly liked the part where he explained how your thinking can control you even before you get out of bed. Some of the examples discussed are, in fact, relatable for adults as well. I wasn't able to find any grammatical errors in the portion sampled and would rate the book as professionally edited. I wouldn't suggest anything for improvement. I can easily recommend this book to teenagers as an insightful read based on the eye-catching illustrations and the straightforward content with titled subheadings. While I did see a useful official OBC review, I've decided to not read the book any further as I'm not much into the themes.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 5:31 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rita Nuncia
I would not have read this book without being a part of the first ten programs because of the title. It made it seem like it was for teens only. I do not have any problem with the cover, title, customer reviews, and the official OnlineBookClub review. Some were praising the book. I found no blurb. After reading the first ten pages, I would say it seems like a good read for teens and adults. I will like to read this book. The first few pages seem professionally edited because I didn't see any errors in them. What I like the most are the illustrations in the book. I have no suggestions for improvements. The OnlineBookClub official review gave a detailed look into the book, and it did not affect my opinion of the book.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 4:53 am by Rita Nuncia.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Soraya Bayah
I cannot express my gratitude for OBC for inviting me to sample the book. If not for it, I would have disregarded this book for believing it to be another self-help book that I do not need. Although the title, cover, genre, reviews, and blurb are well done, I have trouble picking up books solely for those reasons. Yet, after reading the first few pages, I found that I related extremely well to what was discussed. The exact train of thoughts occurred to me or still occurs, which was a huge surprise to me. I never thought someone else had the same train of thoughts like me. I felt encouraged to know that I already completed step one, which is acknowledging that I already overthink. I did not find a single mistake in the book. The illustrations are an added bonus and were perfectly done. I find nothing negative to note about the book. Indeed, well written! I will surely continue the book and give my inner self a chance to reveal itself.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 4:48 am by Soraya Bayah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Dzejn_Crvena
I'd have sampled this book outside this program because the cover looks colorful and dynamic, and the title sounds catchy and informative. The blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews convinced me to sample it when I learned that it had informative content on how to cope with the changes in life as a teenager. Moreover, the OBC review and the sample introduced me to the specific dilemmas the teens encounter, so I was also convinced to buy and read it. The book is organized into topics that start with awareness of the transitions of every stage in life. I learned that some uncomfortable things that are considered normal and common are indeed suffering. There's also a section about the pressure of fitting in and the usage of social media. I like the colorful illustrations that help visualize the feelings and struggles of the teenagers, and I'm looking forward to reading more about the tips on how to deal with them. The book seems professionally edited, and I don't have suggestions for improvements.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 4:33 am by Dzejn_Crvena.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
va2016
The title "Cruising through the teens, easier than it seems" and the cover that shows some teens indicate that the book is about lives of teens. There are eleven Amazon customer ratings, which is a sufficient number for me to decide to sample the book. The Amazon summary states that the book is about addressing the perception about oneself. As I am interested in this topic, I would have sampled the book even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found that there is no content available to review. I just found the title page and the table of contents. Since I am not interested in this theme, I am not going to read this book in full. As there is no content, I am not in a position to state if the book has been professionally edited. I am also not able to state what I liked about the book or about any improvements that can be made on 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 November 4, 2022, at 4:32 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Asma Aisha Ansari
I'm not a part of the book's target audience so I wouldn't have picked this book up based on the cover and title. The OBC review, however, convinced me to sample the book, as the advice in this book can be applied by anyone of any age. The book is well-written and worth reading. The part on awareness is an eye-opener. Because of the good writing and the message of the book, I'm going to read the rest of the book. I didn't need to read the Amazon blurb, other editorial reviews or customer reviews to make this decision.
There's nothing that I disliked about the bit I read. The book seems professionally edited, as I didn't encounter any errors so far. My only suggestion is to publish a version of the book in a different Kindle format — without the illustrations because they made the reading experience a little distracting for me. There's a good reason why this format was used, as many people prefer images. But an additional format will attract a wider audience.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 4:30 am by Asma Aisha Ansari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Adrian Rondon Salazar
I have a problem with the cover; it's supposed to be a book for teenagers, but there are children on the cover (or at least they look like children to me). Therefore, I would not be interested in reading this book outside the program. I really enjoyed reading the sample; I would love to buy this book. The author perfectly exemplifies what it is like to feel as a teenager: the millions of concerns that are had for things that are so silly. Errors: none. I liked that the author did not pressure me to continue reading the book; he accepts that it is not a book for everyone and invites those who felt a connection to stay. Nothing that I did not like. The official review on OBC helped me decide to buy it.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 4:30 am by Adrian Rondon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jeremie Mondejar
Yes, I'm a part of this program, and I sampled this book based on the title. Though the title is for teens, it reminds me of my teenage life. I can't imagine how I'll overcome my struggles when my parents aren't around. I already have the book, and it deals with coping with emotional crises as a teenager and how to handle them properly. I like the simple techniques of the author in helping teenagers understand themselves. I'm also familiar with the author's other books, and I cherish and enjoy reading his works. I don't notice errors, and I don't have any recommendations for improvement. The OBC review gives a brilliant idea about this book, but it doesn't affect my decision.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 4:29 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Shrabastee Chakraborty
Based on the premise, the official OBC review, and other published reviews, I was interested in the book. However, since the target audience is mostly teens, I decided not to read it. Reading the first ten pages made me change my mind. The author talked about how the conscious part of our mind does not stop chattering, making us lose focus and feel overwhelmed. They emphasized how even to think, one needs some brain space. I found these discussions helpful as I often feel similarly overwhelmed. I could relate to what they discussed and would love to find out how to be more mindful. I had no suggestions for improvement. Based on my reading experience, I will definitely read the whole book.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 4:27 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rodel Barnachea
After perusing the title’s official OBC review and Amazon page, I decided not to acquire the book. I am not fascinated by the different issues that the author will discuss in the title. I am not intrigued by what makes this book difficult to read for some readers. I am not interested in finding out if the information contained in the title could really have helped me when I was a teenager. Sampling the book did not change my mind. I would not acquire it because nothing in the sample compelled me to pore over the rest of the title. What I liked most are the cute illustrations found on the different pages of the book. I could not identify any errors in the Amazon sample; I believe the book is professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 4:14 am by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Manang Muyang
The title seems self-explanatory, but the cover shows younger children, not teenagers. The blurb tells the reader, presumably the teenager, to look within (not to adults or peers) "for advice on handling their myriad problems." I was a teenager once, but I would have rolled my eyes after reading that blurb. I am not a mother and have no teenagers in my life, so I would not have sampled the book outside the program. After reading the sample, which was very challenging because of the tiny text and the subject matter of self-examination, I decided not to read the rest of the book. Apart from the tiny text, the book's lessons are not applicable to me. Sadly, I could not identify anything to like, except that I was unable to find any errors in the bit I read. The author needs to use bigger text, though. The cover also needs work; the inside illustrations look more appropriate. The official OBC reviewer took a star off their rating because of the foul language used by the author. I did not notice any profanity, but I would also not like foul language in a self-help book for teens. The reviewer also said that the book was not an easy read. I agree, but the review did not influence my decision.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 3:38 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kirsi Cultrera
I was not thrilled when I first saw this book. Another guide for teenagers or for their parents, perhaps, I thought. The book's Amazon page, with its blurb, customer reviews, and other information, did not raise my expectations, and I probably wouldn't have sampled this book without the First Ten program. However, it all changed when I opened the sample. Firstly, I loved the illustrations that were supportive of the message. Secondly, I loved the layout, which, together with the illustrations, made reading easy and pleasant. Thirdly, I loved the author's way of delivering his message. I wish someone had given this book to me when I was a teenager! The author's ideas of getting a hold of your thoughts and his example of the empty room were easy to understand and piqued my interest to read more. I checked the Official OnlineBookClub review, but at that point, I had already decided that I wanted to read this book; it seemed like it could offer some food for thought also for a person who is already way past their teenage years. I found absolutely nothing to dislike so far. As said before, the layout pampered my visual eye, and it seemed as if this book was also professionally edited. I am confident to say this since I did not find any grammatical errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 3:37 am by Kirsi Cultrera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Gabriella H
The cover illustration attracted me to this book. However, the title made me skeptical because I'm not a teenager. I thought the blurb and the OBC official review were insightful, but they didn't make me feel like reading this book. I wouldn't have sampled it without this program. I really like the illustrations and feel they complemented the story beautifully. I also like how Jerry broke things down with relatable examples, especially the first example under "In the Grip of Thought." I felt the first ten percent of the book was well-written and professionally edited. I didn't see any errors. However, I'm not a teenager, and I'm not at this phase in my life anymore. I won't be completing this book. I think it would be a good read for teens, though. The editorial review and customer reviews didn't influence my decision. My decision was influenced by the cover, title, blurb, OBC official review, and the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 3:26 am by Gabriella H.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sou Hi
Without this program, I wouldn't have read this. The official review from OnlineBookClub, the cover, the blurb, and the ratings on Amazon are fine, but the book's premise is not my cup of tea.
I like the topic of teenage problems. Still, from what I read, the book sounds like other self-help books that try to convince their readers to find their inner selves. The same thing has been repeatedly addressed by many authors already, so I lost interest after sampling the book. Thus, I won't buy this book. I would also suggest another round of proofreading. The OBC review was helpful in making my decision.
Error example: Always say please and thank you and NEVER reverse the order (if you start with "thank you," you may not get anything!) -> There should be a period at the end of the sentence.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 2:25 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stellah Chege
I was quite disappointed that I couldn't access content pages for this book. This is because I was interested to know what the book contains as the book's title and cover page piqued my interest - they suggested the book addresses teenage issues, a subject I enjoy reading. The attractive nature of the two aspects mean that I would have read the book outside the first ten program. What's visible from the book's sample is the detailed table of contents. This will easily guide readers. Due to the brief nature, I can't declare what appealed to me from the pages I sampled. While the book has no OBC blurb, the OBC review encouraged me to pursue this book. I will buy and read this book to know more about teenage years. I can neither suggest any improvements nor comment on the book's editing quality because of the short sample.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 1:41 am by Stellah Chege.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Justine Ocsebio
I never would've chosen this book had it not been for this program. The subject matter is not something I usually read about, as it is a guide on how teenagers can navigate their life struggles. In the sample, I like the author's conversational tone. The first few pages are all about reconfiguring your thought processes by taking control of them. This is going to be a very useful book for teenagers. However, I don't think this book is for me, as I'm already past my teenage years. The OBC review was enlightening. It definitely helped me decide. The text also seemed to have gone through professional editing, as I didn't find any errors or aspects that I didn't like. I have no improvements to suggest.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 1:35 am by Justine Ocsebio.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
BruceP
I had a chance to read the first ten pages of this book, Cruising Through The Teens, Easier Than It Seems, after downloading a sample from Amazon for free. It is a nonfiction book. I read the sample, and the book seems to be well-written and relatable. In the opening pages of this book, the author starts by mentioning that as human beings, you must have two identities. These two identities are mentioned in the same section of the book. Moreover, he explains that the first identity causes you a great deal of suffering, while the second identity is beyond suffering. The feature that I loved the most in the first ten pages that I read was the cover. In my opinion, it was well-designed and appealing. There was no feature of this book that I didn’t like in the first ten pages that I read. The book seems to have been professionally edited, as I didn’t find any grammatical or spelling errors in the first ten pages that I read. This book has an official review on OBC. The review gives a detailed summary of the book. I don’t read non-fiction books. I’ll therefore not purchase and finish reading this book. However, I would recommend it to those readers who appreciate nonfiction, informative books. My decision not to purchase and finish reading this book was not a result of its cover or the official review, but because of its genre. In my opinion, this book seems to be well-written and edited; hence, no further improvement is needed.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2022, at 1:31 am by BruceP.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Heidi M Simone
Without this program, I would not have sampled this book. I do not have any teenagers in my life right now, so the title, genre, cover, and blurb would not have caught my attention. The positive customer ratings do not affect my opinion of the book, but the OBC one did. The OBC reviewer mentioned there is a good amount of profanity here. In general, I can’t read books with a lot of inappropriate/foul language, which means this book wouldn’t be for me and I would not have read the sample.
The sample only included the Table of Contents since the book is a short one in general. The Table of Contents appear to be edited well.
I really like some of the topic headings that the author included. For example, “A Look at Your Expectations” and “Your Body”. Those seem like very relatable topics for teens. To be fair, most of the topics seem relatable in the Table of Contents. I think the cover is a little misleading. The cartoons seem to be younger kids than teenagers. Therefore, if I had to pick one area of improvement based on the sample alone, it would be the cover.
Based on the fact that I don’t know any teens right now and the fact that the OBC reviewer stated there is profanity here, I do not plan on reading this book.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 11:59 pm by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jennifer Garcia 555
Based on the genre, title, cover, description, and the official OnlineBookClub review I read, I would not pick this book to read. The description and review make the book sound confusing. I read the sample pages and I saw no editing errors, so this book seems professionally edited. I like that the author suggests that teens are overwhelmed by their constant thoughts. I agree with this. This book could be improved with a less confusing beginning. If not for this program I would not have continued reading after the first page. I feel that this book could be more confusing then helpful to teens, so I will not buy or finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 11:55 pm by Jennifer Garcia 555.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Damian Keyes
I would have bought this book even if I was not in this program because the title spoke to me. Like everyone else in the world, my teenage years were difficult to manage. I was grateful to read in the OBC official review that this book covers everything that teenagers have to deal with. In the book, I love the conveyor belt example because it shows how we start as children and the evolution we go through until we become a teenager. I've already downloaded the book and I am going to finish reading it. I found no errors or anything I disliked.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 11:06 pm by Damian Keyes.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jorge Leon Salazar
The cover and title are creative, eye-catching, and in keeping with the primary theme. I think teens and other interested readers should be drawn to this book. The topic of adolescence seems interesting, although I passed that age a long time ago. The blurb mentions that the book offers teens techniques to go inside themselves and silence the nagging chatter in their minds. The customer reviews are flattering. The official OnlineBookClub review indicates that the book aims at helping teenagers to deal with struggles like fitting in a crowd, school stress, and bullying, among others. Based on these elements, I could try this book. The first ten pages positively surprised me since the book focuses on discovering that part of each human being that is usually hidden from consciousness, our inner self. I agree that we must control our thoughts to avoid suffering, as thinking about the past or future leads to worry. I liked how the author exemplified the two identities and stated the goal is for the secondary to become number one. Plus, I liked the author's approach that, in the book, there are no intellectual arguments at all but something to experience. I found the reasoning behind the stories we take for granted thought-provoking. They were taught to us but are not necessarily true. Although the book is aimed at teenagers, I believe, based on the first ten pages, the ideas and recommendations apply to anyone. Also, the direct and concise writing style of the author is appealing. In summary, I'll read the rest of the book. The editing looked remarkable, as I didn't see any details to comment on. In general, I did not see anything that I believed could be improved.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 10:25 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
evraealtana
I am neither a teen nor a parent/friend of a teen, so I would not have chosen this book for myself based on the cover, title, official OBC review, or blurb. Because I want to be able to form my own opinion about books rather than be influenced by others’ opinions about them, I choose never to read editorial or customer reviews other than OBC reviews, and so I did not read any about this book, either. I didn't like that the author stated in the prologue that "If [the book] seems like gibberish so far, there's no point in going any further"; the purpose of the book is presumably to help teenagers navigate difficult situations that they don't understand currently, so if the introduction doesn't make sense, then that seems like all the more reason for the reader to continue learning. What seems pointless to me is continuing to read a book that you already fully grasp, yet that seems to be exactly what the author is trying to suggest. I liked that the author talked about thoughts as though they are "playing you", which sets up a conflict between the reader and their constant stream of thought; since teenagers are often combative and do not want to be controlled, this seems like the perfect way to get the reader to want to act against their incessant thoughts, which is the author's purpose in that section. Overall I didn't dislike the sample as much as I thought I would, and I found the author's voice to be practical and relatable. However, the book's subject matter is still not relevant to my life, so I will not continue reading it. I found one error in the first ten pages: a missing word in "...the moment you start dwelling on the past or the future. can show you this by tapping into someone else's mind..." ("future. I can").
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 8:32 pm by evraealtana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mariana Figueira
Before reading the book's first pages, I wasn't interested in it because nothing on the cover or the title got my attention. After sampling the book, I don't want to continue reading it because I don't have a place in my life for this book. I like the illustrations in the book. I agree with the author that we have more than one identity, but I think we have more than two. This book seems professionally edited, and I didn't see any typos; plus, it has an official OnlineBookClub review, but that didn't affect my opinion about not reading the book. I didn't see anything that needed improvement.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 6:46 pm by Mariana Figueira.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kelsey Roy
I was not initially interested in “Cruising Through The Teens, Easier Than It Seems” from the cover, title, or genre. From these three items, I gather that the book is non-fiction and designed as a self-help book for teens or guardians of teenagers. I am neither a teenager nor a parent, so I am uninterested in this book. Neither the blurb nor the OBC review identified any topics of interest.
I found no errors in the book. I enjoyed the illustrations in this book. They increased my enjoyment of the topics. I certainly cannot see myself as a teenager reading this book. I’m not sure how the author could address how this book appeals to the younger generation, but I recommend an attempt to appeal to teen brains or to write this book for parents of teens. I do not need this book’s advice, so I will not continue reading.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 6:25 pm by Kelsey Roy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
The cover of this book is fun and I like that the title rhymes. After reading the Amazon blurb, I would not have sampled this book because I am past my teen years and I don't have children. The first few pages were well edited. I do agree with the author about the importance of expectations and the fact that it comes from many sources. The official OBC review, customer reviews, and comments were all positive. Unfortunately, this subject is not relevant to my life. So, I will not be reading the rest. I do not have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 3:51 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AntonelaMaria
I don't read books intended for young adults, especially self-help books. Besides this not being my genre, I am not in the target age range for this book. I hope it can help the younger readers sort things out for themselves regarding their relationships with adults in their lives. After reading the sample, I haven't changed my mind. There are no errors as far as I could tell. I would change the font because it makes it very difficult to read. There are some helpful reviews out there, especially the Official OnlineBookClub review of this book.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 3:38 pm by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
O-Brian
I would not have read this book were it not for the first ten program because, from the title and cover, it is appropriate for teens, which I'm not. After reading the sample, my mind remains unchanged. I did, however, like the illustrations the most as they make the message stick. Also, the editing was exceptional, as I did not encounter any errors. Nevertheless, I suggest that the concerned parties use a larger font. I found the one used straining to the eye. I read an OBC review of this work, but it did not influence my decision.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 3:27 pm by O-Brian.
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 don't have teenagers or know anyone that would be interested in this book. 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 really appreciated the section about expectations on parents. Regardless of what teens and children think, it is important that they know that their children's best interest is always at the forefront of their thoughts. That being said, there's just not enough in this book to keep me interested. The book looked well written and edited; there weren't any errors in the short sample that I read. The thing I would have improved from the sample I read has to do with the colour scheme. I found the orange, black, and white of the book's images/text to be a bit off-putting. There was an official OBC review, but it did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 1:37 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
I like the title of the book. I did not like that the characters on the front looked younger than teenagers. The blurb convinced me to read it because my children are now raising teenagers, and they could use some help. Even though the OBC review deducted a star for all the profanity, I decided to read the rest of the book. I did not find any errors. I like the way the author addresses his audience. I do not have any suggestions for the author. I am going to buy the book and finish reading it.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 9:21 am by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Danielle Briggs
Without the program, I do not think I would have sampled this book. Since I do not have any children and do not work with teenagers, the book would not have appealed to me. After sampling the book, I would not buy it to continue because I do not have a need to understand teenage development/ self-help. I liked the bright orange accents throughout the chapters and the cartoons to accompany them. I also liked that the chapters are short and to the point. One thing to improve would be that some of the points the author was trying to make might need more clarification for teenagers to fully understand the concept. I did not find any errors in what I read. The OBC review helped me learn more about the book overall, but it did not affect my decision not to continue reading.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 4:40 am by Danielle Briggs.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mutai Marshal
I would not have read this book without sampling it. The book's title and cover page suggest that it addresses issues faced by teenagers. The book has no OBC blurb. Since I am not looking for such kind of books, I wouldn't have read it outside the First Ten program. The sample provided is too brief that I could barely gather what the book is about. However, I liked how detailed the table of contents is. It highlighted that the book contains twelve chapters. Since I didn't access the content pages, I cannot comment on the book's editing quality. It's also hard to tell what needs to be improved due to brevity of the sample. Having read the OBC review, I will not buy this book because I am not looking for a teenage-based book.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 4:37 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
The cover, title, and genre of this book could not hold my attention because I could not guess anything about it. Outside the program called the first ten, I would not have read the reviews of this book. I could not find any editorial reviews of this book, and most of the customer reviews appreciated the book. Fortunately, the OBC official review provoked me to read the sample by telling me the good things about this book. After reading the sample, I realized that the book was not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors in the free sample. For example, the sentence, "Grade by grade you moved up the ladder." This sentence could be as follows. "Grade by grade, you moved up the ladder." In this sample, I liked the author's advice about the pauses between our thoughts. From this sample, I learned that this book helps us to know our inner selves and guides us to success. Sadly, I will not buy and read this book today because its inflexibly small font size strained my eyes. My suggestion to the author is to go for a larger font size or font size flexibility in the Kindle copies for easy reading. This book can be improved further by going for a round of professional editing.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 3:28 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vidhi Adhikari
The book makes a great first impression with it's attractive cover design, catchy title, detailed description, and multiple customer and OBC reviews. Since I am a fan of relatable teenage books, I was excited to read the sample. That said, I loved the colourful theme and illustratios. There were some minor grammatical errors, but nothing that would affect my reading experience (It's empty, {remove comma} but full of space.) Fortunately, since the genre is of my liking, I will finish this book. I would suggest adding a customer reviews section in the beginning to better grab the reader's attention.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 2:27 am by Vidhi Adhikari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
psychopathycathy
If I had not read the sample as part of the First Ten program, I would not have read the book. The Amazon reviews did not affect my decision. I am just not sure this topic is for me and I don't very often read self-help books about psychology. I also noticed an error in the blurb with "</h" at the end of the blurb so perhaps some editing is needed. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. I would not change anything necessarily, but the blurb is so short that it ends with the Table of Contents and therefore is not informative at all. I did like the bullet points under each chapter title, however, and I think I may want to read a little bit of chapter 5, "useful vs. useless thinking." Still, that is not enough for me to change my mind. I did not read the official review on OnlineBookClub but that did not affect my decision, nor did the unofficial reviews.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 1:43 am by psychopathycathy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
IconReviews
This book is aimed at teens and parents of teens. I think it has a creative cover and I would read it based on the cover, blurb, title, genre, and the official OnlineBookClub review. The book had some positive customer reviews and was professionally edited. What I liked about it was the author's theories about how our thoughts work. What I did not like was that it was a complex read and took great concentration to follow what the author was saying. Also, I would recommend making the font size larger. I won't be reading this book because I find it to be very complex.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 12:28 am by IconReviews.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ari Martinez
If it wasn't for this program, I wouldn't sample this book based on its title, cover, genre, blurb, OnlineBookClub review, or other reviews because I am not a teen, and I don't have any teens in my life that I could recommend this book to. After sampling this book, I will not continue to read it because of the same reasons mentioned previously. My favorite part of the book was the way it was divided. The sections were short enough to not be overwhelming. I also liked that the author clearly and succinctly stated who this book was for (instead of wasting the reader's time). The book seems well edited, and it doesn't need to be improved.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2022, at 12:03 am by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kira Bonita Reece
Teenagers go through a phase where they feel like they are misunderstood by their parents. I think this book is good for parents of teens. I would choose to read it based on the cover, blurb, title, genre, customer reviews, and the official OnlineBookClub review. I liked how the author explained how our thoughts work and how we can create space in our minds which will lead to us having peace. The sample was professionally edited and needs no improvements. I won't be reading this book because it feels like a psychological book.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 10:43 pm by Kira Bonita Reece.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
SweetSourSalty AndSpicy
The cover art looks like it is a book for young readers. The title and blurb hint at self-help. Customer reviews are positive. Self-helps are not my usual read, so I will skip this outside the program. Sampling did not change my mind. This is not my area of interest, so I will pass. But I like the illustrations. They seem appropriate for the target audience and enhances the visual experience. I have no suggestions for improvement. Also, I did not notice editing issues from what I sampled. The official OnlineBookClub review is insightful.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 9:37 pm by SweetSourSalty AndSpicy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
This book has a nice design that I love. I like the illustrations and the way the author speaks to teens on their level. Some teens may appreciate when the author is more blunt, but the OBC review didn’t like the infrequent language. The reviews on Amazon were fairly positive and had good constructive criticism. I’m not really sure how the author could approach the body issues without making the book for either just boys or just girls, since talking about the opposite sex is pushing it a bit in my opinion. Instead, I like that he keeps it focused on ideas all teens can relate to. The editing looks exceptional, so I have no suggestions for improvements. I didn’t notice any blurbs or editorial reviews. I liked books like this when I was a teen, so I’ll probably read the free copy I received just to relive those times! That being said, I wouldn’t have picked it out ordinarily since I’m no longer the target audience.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 8:35 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Stephanie Runyon
I would have sampled this book because I have a child that is entering high school next year; therefore, I think this guide would be worth reading. I like how the author made it easy to understand what a teenager's identity is. The moment was taken to remember yourself as a kindergartner, when things like popularity, what clothing to wear, and academic achievements didn't matter as much. Professionally edited, I wouldn't change anything about this book. The OBC review did not influence me to read the guide. Nothing online altered my decision. I found the guide interesting and will finish reading it. I hope that I will be able to get a better understanding of the teenage mind.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 8:24 pm by Stephanie Runyon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
MsH2k
I read children’s books occasionally, but I rarely read YA books, and despite the animated cover, I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. The title seemed to downplay the real difficulty of adolescence, even if you have a good attitude and all the right tools. The blurb did not entice me either. The first ten pages introduce the concept of the book thoroughly, but I don’t know if the writing style would be engaging for the target audience. I haven’t been a teen for some time, but I don’t agree that we can have a true identity without memories from the past. Where would our connection to our relationships be? I will not finish this book because I did not connect with the subject and I’m not in the target audience. It appeared professionally edited; I did not notice any grammatical errors in the first ten pages. Neither the featured OnlineBookClub review nor other editorial reviews or customer reviews influenced my decision. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 7:48 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Andrada Madalina
"Cruising Through The Teens, Easier Than It Seems" by Jerry Schaefer is a young adult book that offers advice for teens' problems. I liked the art design of the book cover because of the balance between orange and white, and I found its catchy title suitable for the descriptive blurb. I sampled it because of its excellent editorial and customer reviews and great Official OnlineBookClub review. The book seems exceptionally well edited since I found no single error while reading its first ten pages. I would not improve anything on the book because I loved its original artwork and appreciated how Jerry Schaefer organized the chapters. Also, I liked the most that he approached topics like the teenager's true identity and inner self. Nevertheless, I will not buy and read the whole book because it is not suitable for my age.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 6:17 pm by Andrada Madalina.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
Without The First Ten program, I would not have read and sampled the book based on the genre, title, cover, and Amazon blurb. Based on the many positive editorial reviews and customer reviews, it is a well-written, informative book that will help teenagers find their identity. Considering I am not fond of non-fiction books and am not interested in reading a book aimed at teenagers, I did not change my mind after reading the first ten pages. The OBC review was informative, but it did not change my decision, either. In writing this book, the author wants to help teenagers gain self-awareness and build self-esteem by encouraging them to listen to their inner selves, recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and understand and express their emotions. In all honesty, I found nothing to dislike about the first ten pages. I particularly appreciated the author's conversational tone and straightforward writing style as he encouraged teenagers to stop overthinking every little thing. The author explains how teenagers think all the time about things they can't control, so they feel constantly stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed. The inclusion of illustrations also made the book entertaining, and I only found two minor errors that did not disrupt the flow of the story. For example, I noticed a missing period at the end of the following sentence: "There you are, a shiny bundle of promise at the beginning of the conveyer belt" (location 24 of 82 • 20%) All things considered, nothing needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 5:15 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yvonne Monique
The book cover explains well what the book is about. However, I feel it lacks a bit of colour, and as an improvement I would suggest to make the cover a bit more colourful. As I am not a teenager anymore, unfortunately, I would not pick this book up if I would see it in a bookstore. The customer reviews, blurb and OBC review give a good description of the book, and make me want to read the sample. The first ten pages seem to be professionally edited and are written in an attractive way for youngsters. I liked how the author is able to express his thoughts and advice with an appropriate vocabulary. The mention of the two 'selves' is very accurate, as teenagers tend to ignore their real 'self.' I will personally not read this book as I am not part of the target audience, but I will recommend it to the teenagers I know.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 5:00 pm by Yvonne Monique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
I recently came across some teenagers that gave me a hard time, so I was interested when I saw this book's title. I checked out the book's OBC review and the blurb to find out more. The Amazon reviews were split between 5 and 4 stars, so I started to think that the book might have some problems. Overall, I was going to sample this book on my own because of the book's subject. The format of the book looks incredibly good. It's clear to me that the author and the publisher were very involved in this book, so it came out wonderfully. The examples that the author provides are effective and relatable (I remember thinking like that as a teenager). I also loved the exercises that the author suggested, especially to 'imagine you have no name' and no prior memory, which was very interesting to experience. It's also powerful, which makes me think the author is very good at this subject (psychology and the mind in particular). I would love to see more of this book because of that. After reading the first ten pages, I'm pleased to say that I want to read more. There is nothing I would want to change. Fortunately, the book exceeded my expectations. There was nothing wrong with the editing.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 3:58 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'Cruising Through The Teens, Easier Than It Seems' is written by Jerry Schaefer. The author aims to help teenagers by guiding them through the issues that they go through. I like the simple writing style. The illustrations are great. The editing is fair. Nothing is in need of improvement. I will skip this book as the subject matter is not relevant to me. For the same reason, I would have skipped this book based on the cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 3:05 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shelby Ayres
The cover makes the book feel like a children's book, especially with the kids that look around 8-10 years old on it. The title is great. The blurb is fantastic; it has just enough information for it to draw readers in. Unfortunately, there are not many reviews, which is slightly off-putting. Within the first ten pages, I found no grammatical or spelling errors. I liked the doodles throughout the book; I thought it was a fun way to engage and entertain teens as they read the book. There was nothing I disliked. The Online Book Club review I read spoke on the author's ability to connect with their audience. Based on the aforementioned, I will not be reading this book since I am no longer a teenager, though I think this book is great for kids in that age range.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 2:48 pm by Shelby Ayres.
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 and cover art of this book tell me exactly what it is about. It is a book for teenagers. It gives advice to teenagers to get through their difficult teen years. Since I am not in the target audience for this book, I would not have picked it up based on the cover alone. The onlinebookclub.org review that I read gave the book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. It also recommended it to teenagers or parents with teenage children. The review confirmed my belief that the book is intended for teenagers. So, it did not increase my interest in the book. I didn’t read any additional customer reviews or blurbs. I didn’t see any errors on the first ten pages, so I believe the book was professionally edited. I also didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon. The first ten pages include illustrations that are attractive and add to the information provided. The book explains to teenagers that they each have two personalities. One that they show to their friends one that is the true personality. Ideally, these two should be closer to the real person. The book walks the reader through steps to try to achieve this. It seems very helpful in explaining common issues teenagers face and providing helpful advice. I believe readers in the intended teenage audience will benefit from this book. However, since I am not in the intended audience, I will not finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 2:34 pm by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chinazo Anozie
I knew I wouldn’t be interested in this book from the title, cover, description, genre, customer reviews, and the official OnlineBookClub review. I’m not into non- fiction, so I will not buy and read this book. However, I loved the author’s idea of writing a book for teens who may be going through tough times and teenage angst. I also loved the illustrations in the book. I didn’t like the foul languages though; since the target audience of the book is teenagers, I felt it was a bit inappropriate. This book seems professionally edited because I didn’t notice any errors from the few pages I read. I don’t think anything needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 2:03 pm by Chinazo Anozie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ohna Martin
I would not be interested in this book whether I am part of this program or not. The cover has too much going on it. I like the wordplay on the name though. Other than that I am undecided about the likes and dislikes of this book. I would have to say that I am raising my teenage daughter and the likelihood of her agreeing with me about what is best for her is not a good one. She would rather have her toenails removed with pliers. I have no suggestions for the author. I found no spelling or grammar mistakes. No other review, OBC or otherwise, or blurbs influenced my decision. This is solely based on the first ten pages of this book.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 12:26 pm by Ohna Martin.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sushan Ekanayake
Cruising Through The Teens, Easier Than It Seems by Jerry Schaefer belongs to the Young Adult genre. But the title and the cover page suggested that this belongs more towards a self-help book, which I usually do not read. The blurb confirmed that, describing this book as a book which helps the teenagers to get through the change. I did not see any editorial reviews, but the customer reviews spoke highly about the book. Based on the above facts, I would not have sampled this book if I had not been a part of this program.
Then I read the first ten pages, which included the preface and a chapter named as wake up call that described the basics regarding awareness related to the changes. I liked the inspirational writing style of the author. But I did not like the content much. So I decided not to continue reading this after reading the first ten pages.
I did not see any errors in the first ten pages, and I did not see any area that could be improved. I saw the official OBC review, which spoke highly about the book. But it was not influential enough to change my mind.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 12:13 pm by Sushan Ekanayake.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Amy Luman
I didn’t have a favorite part of this book, so I won’t be finishing it. The print in what I did read, however, was so small that it made it very difficult to read. I had to enlarge it a lot on my Kindle app. There were no editorial reviews that I could find on this book, and even though the customer reviews were very good, this is non-fiction, which is another reason I won’t be reading it. I guess I did enjoy the cartoon-like pictures included within the text; they are much like the cover. The title is misleading, I believe, because there is nothing easy about being or parenting a teen. I agree with the OBC reviewer that this is a book that requires much thought and that it has probably been professionally edited.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 11:45 am by Amy Luman.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
I like the cartoonish style of the cover. It wouldn't have caught my attention because I'm not a teen, but I think it's pretty great. The blurb is well-explained, and I think the idea is original because instead of focusing on changing hormones and the like, it focuses on clearing our minds. I'm sure it deserves the great ratings, but since I feel the book does not apply to my life, I would not have bought the book based on my first impressions.
The first ten pages are brilliant, but the format annoys me to no end. I love that this is not a "How to Manage Life manual for teens" because we have enough of those. And I actually, for a moment, considered buying it, because I could use some advice on quieting my mental chatter, and because the opening question resonated with me ("Imagine, for a moment, that you have no name and that you have no memory of anything at all prior to right now. A bit scary? Definitely! What's left?") The problem is this kind of fixed format makes reading almost impossible. It might work great for paperback but it doesn't allow to make the letters bigger, and since I do most of my reading from my phone (and I assume most teens do) the letter is tiny, and reading becomes a hindrance. There are some debatable parts. Some teens could rightfully argue that their parents are not protective or don't want the best for them. Abuse and neglect exist. But I won't go there because I'm not a teen. I had great parents, and my main problem with the book is the format. That's the only reason why I won't buy this book. I didn't find editing mistakes per se, but there's room for improvement. The spacing between letters is sometimes odd, and in the above quote "How to Manage Life manual for teens" is not actually in between quotation marks but "I've been there and I know how it's done" and "Follow These Ten Rules and You'll be a Happy Camper" do have quotation marks. Uniformity is key when editing. My main suggestion is to fix the format. The official OBC review didn't change my mind.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 11:25 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bertha Jackson
I do not mean to sound insensitive, but I would not have looked at this book based on the cover, title, genre, blurb, customer reviews, or the OnlineBookClub review. There were no editorial reviews to read. I have no teenagers in my family currently, and those who went through those years did not have any issues related to this book. They enjoyed their teenage years. I appreciate that the author focuses on teenagers' expectations for themselves, their parents, and life. I am not fond of the author's font in the Kindle version. After I zoomed in as much as possible, the text was still so small it was hard to read. I recommend that the author use a larger font in this book. I did find an error in the Preface. In the paragraph beginning with "can show you this by tapping…," the word "can" should be capitalized. Or there could be a word missing. I will not finish reading the free copy of the book because I am not interested in the topic, and the font is too small.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 10:57 am by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Timothy Rucinski
From the title alone, I wouldn't have selected this book. Similarly, the Official OBC Review was not compelling enough to make me want to read it. My kids are well past their teenage years, as are my nieces and nephews, so I am not the right demographic for this book. I read no other reviews or blurbs, and after reading the first ten pages, I decided not to continue. What I liked most were the inner thoughts that the author inserted to make a point as to what goes through a teenager's mind when confronted with simple day-to-day activities. These work very well. The book, as a whole, is extremely well-written, and I found nothing to dislike about it. It seems to be professionally edited, as I found no errors and have no recommendations for improvement. Still, I've chosen not to read this book because my teenage years are way behind me.
First Ten review added on November 2, 2022, at 8:26 am by Timothy Rucinski.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 29%
Cruising Through The Teens, Easier Than It Seems earned a score of 29%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 29% 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 Cruising Through The Teens, Easier Than It Seems
