DIRECT BOOK REVIEWS
SAMPLE BOOK TITLE by Jane Doe
​
The Hook
In SAMPLE BOOK TITLE, author Jane Doe subtly lures readers into the story’s depths with compelling prose, an intricate plot, and fully-formed and believable characters. Her writing style skillfully conveys the story elements with creative precision.
Plot Summary
Twenty-six-year-old Leonard Smith feels like an outsider in his own family. Confused and emotionally bankrupt after suffering a troubled childhood, he leaves his dysfunctional, upper-class family to find his true self. Determined to cultivate a meaningful life, he discovers a world poles apart from the one he had left behind and an assortment of unforgettable characters to go with it. But just when things start falling into place, he is made aware of an alarming familial secret that causes Leonard to question who he is and where he’s going. When he realizes the few people who he had trusted during his formative years were the same ones responsible for turning his world upside down, he wonders if he can ever again trust his own judgement.
Assessment
Jane Doe skillfully weaves together multiple story line elements in SAMPLE BOOK TITLE while still maintaining a straightforward and fluid narrative. Vivid descriptions with expressive detail make the scenes easy to visualize, pulling readers right into them. Doe’s writing style is fluent and engaging with word choices that create clear images that are persuasive and powerful.
A good balance of action, dialogue, description, and background information keeps the story moving forward. But while the sub-plots in this book are interesting and entertaining, they have little to do with the main plot and risk being skipped over by some readers.
Strong, faceted characters are created with layers of personality and complexities that adeptly define them. The main character in particular is well-developed down to his core. The author doesn’t tell readers what to think about him—they will learn of the character’s goals, fears, and what motivates him by his actions, inner thoughts, and dialogue.
A thorough proofreading of this book would eliminate spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors.
Rating
On a scale of 1 to 5, SAMPLE BOOK TITLE is rated 4.2 stars by Direct Book Reviews.
​