The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The End of the Beginning
Because The End of the Beginning 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.
MarisaRose
I’m not a huge fan of sci-fI novels, so for that reason alone “The End of the Beginning” isn’t a book I would purchase blindly. Although the OBC review had a lot of positive comments, the general storyline just didn’t pique my interest; so the review didn’t sway my opinion in this case. After sampling the first ten pages, I found the writing to be professional and engaging. I didn’t notice any errors in the text, and the sample was relatively easy to read. However, I just could not get into the character or setting that we were introduced to. Again, I think this has to do with my lack of interest in the genre. I don’t plan to read any more of this one.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2018, at 7:13 am by MarisaRose.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Heidi M Simone
Without this program, I would not have sampled this book. I do enjoy the blue bird on the cover, but I am not a fan of the title. Generally, I also don't enjoy science fiction novels. Though there is a positive OBC review, it's the customer reviews are troubling since there is a fair amount of lower ratings.
Based on what I read, the book could use another round of editing. For instance, in the line, "I know you're scared but you can't let your fear...", there should be a comma right before the word, "but". I like the action sequence between William, Darrow, and the boy. There is much suspense as they save the boy on the bus before it tipped over the edge. However, the italicized transition paragraphs are a bit confusing right now. It was hard to tell who was speaking that part. Since I don't tend to like science fiction novels, and the fact that I was confused for a bit during the sample, I do not plan on reading the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2018, at 6:54 am by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
jwalker73
Sci-fi is not a genre I read. The cover immediately alerted me to the fact this was the category this book belonged to. The blurb did not interest me and, while the OBC review sings its praises, I was further turned off by the fact there were unanswered questions at the end. The first ten were engaging and appeared professionally edited. There was ample suspense early on as William attempts to save a child before the bus goes over the cliff. I also appreciated that the movement between first- and third-person perspective was clearly identifiable due to the first-person perspective being written in italics. Despite these positives, I still do not intend to read the book due to lack of interest in the genre.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2018, at 5:30 am by jwalker73.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Alice Heritage
I probably wouldn't have sampled this as I'm not looking for sci-fi or much new reading at present. However, I was sufficiently impressed with the quality of the first ten pages that I will read the rest of the book as soon as I can. One aspect of that impressive quality was the editing; I didn't notice any errors. I liked the tension of the rescue scene best. Nothing particularly needed to be improved as all worked well. The OnlineBookClub review I saw confirmed that this is worth reading.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2018, at 4:34 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Gravy
I do not enjoy this genre, so I would not have looked at it, and the sample did nothing to change my opinion.
I believe there was an official review, but my opinion would not change, regardless.
I did notice one error, a missing 'a', so in that regard, it seems to be well edited. However, the style, and the way the details are added into the story, really ruined the flow for me. The part with the child, especially, came across as inauthentic.
I won't be reading this, mainly because of the genre, but also for the reasons stated above.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2018, at 3:21 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
SPasciuti
I didn't really have much intention of reading this book prior to reading the sample. In truth, it doesn't really seem like my kind of book based on reviews and the premise. The sample didn't really entice me to change my mind. While there were a few interesting pieces to the book, and the initial scenes were well written and professionally edited, I just never felt connected to the story. The biggest suggestion I have for improvement would be to remove or rewrite a lot of the flashback bits in italics because I found them both annoying and distracting.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2018, at 2:57 am by SPasciuti.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
N_R
I thought that this book sounded like a really good read. However, after reading the sample, I was a bit disappointed with the formatting and found this distracting. Therefore, I am not going to buy and read the whole book. In the chapter, there is a lot of change to the font style and size and there does not appear to be any reason for this. I think that the author perhaps needs to have a look at this. There did not appear to be any spelling errors in the sample. I think that the part I liked the most was the heroics of the soldier who risked everything to save a boy. I think that there needs to be a bit more context added to the start of the book as it seems to whip right into the action without much information to set the scene of where you are and who you are going to learn about. I think that it is better to set the scene rather than have readers guessing as this often turns people off books. The review of this book was positive and I think that other than the formatting errors, I would probably have really enjoyed the sample if there was a bit of context added as well.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2018, at 2:39 am by N_R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bluecobia
I see that this is set in the future. By definition that indicates that it is science fiction. I enjoy science fiction and read it frequently. The amazon and book club reviews support it being science fiction but also indicate political overtones. I probably would have checked it out even without this program. Reading the first ten pages I found that I was not drawn into the story very much. I liked that the main character was being rapidly developed. I think though that it would be more realistic 20 or 30 years further into the future. Two years from now is not much time for changes to take place. I probably won't read the rest of this book because it feels more political than science fiction. This turns me off. I did not see any editorial errors in the first ten pages so I presume that it was professionally edited.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2018, at 1:36 am by Bluecobia.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bruin Dez
I would have been interested in this book based on the title and the high amazon ratings. After reading a few chapters, I was intrigued to find out what would happen page after page. The story is immediately interesting and I want to learn more about the characters. The book is well written and professionally edited. Military stories are not the genres I usually read, but the first few chapters were engaging to me and I would want to keep reading.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2018, at 12:42 am by Bruin Dez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb and OBC review. I don't usually read science fiction books, and the story of this one didn't change my mind. After reading the first ten pages, I won't be finishing this book. The war in it just isn't for me. I did like that the chapters start with locations and dates. I also noticed one error, a misplaced apostrophe. That was the only one I noticed.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2018, at 12:08 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
BookishCreature
At first glance, I wasn't very interested in this book. Although the reviews were positive, I'm not big into environmental/political thrillers. After reading the first ten pages, I could appreciate the well-written narration and the realistic dialogue. I found no errors, so I think the book has definitely been professionally edited, though I did notice that the formatting switches from double-spaced at the beginning to single-spaced later on - the double-spaced section is much easier on the eyes. Other than that, though, I don't see any room for improvement. I'm just not the right reader for this book.
First Ten review added on April 9, 2018, at 12:00 am by BookishCreature.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
NL Hartje
The cover of this book evokes the feel of a phoenix rising from the ashes. Since the book surrounds a downtrodden soldier who finds a second calling in life, I appreciate the imagery. The neon and vibrant color scheme read very fantasy, however, and (to me) misleadingly suggests a magical element which isn't present in the book. From the sample, I would note this book as being professionally edited; the writing was conversational with an easy flow. The dystopia of Earth failing and a new team of heroes working to solve and fix the problem makes for an engaging plot. Generally, I would be drawn to this story. The main character is a bit broken and suffers from PTSD though, so this isn't a character I could personally relate to. I think the author will be able to find a very interested audience in soldiers and vets. Since it isn't my cup of tea, I won't be reading this book but I think it will prove an interesting read for those who enjoy this genre.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2018, at 10:13 pm by NL Hartje.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb and review of this book, I may have read it. It sounded like an action packed book that mixes war and current environmental concerns. After readingthe first ten pages, it seems like I won't change my mind. I loved the action that the book started with and the writing style. I didn't see anything I would have changed. I will be reading the rest of this book eventually and it seems well written and edited. The official review didn't affect my decision ay all.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2018, at 10:06 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Afuglsan
I do like a good sci-fi/fantasy book, so I am intrigued right off the bat. The cover is mysterious, and I think the title compliments this as well. I would probably flip through this book based on that. The reviews are all pretty positive, but they don't really sway me either way. I really liked the first ten pages. The author jumps into a crazy scenario right away, drawing readers in. I did notice one error, but that doesn't mean that the book wasn't edited. I would love to read the rest.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2018, at 8:44 pm by Afuglsan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
ccrews0408
Based on the cover and review, had I not read the first 10 pages, I would not have read this book. The cover reminds me of an old school video game and just doesn't seem appealing as a book cover. Though the review made the book sound exciting, the overall plot didn't tempt me to want to read it. Now that I have read the first 10 pages, I still don't plan on reading this book. It started off very suspenseful; however, knowing what the plot would be, it was not enough to want to continue the book. I only noticed one typo where the author stated, "on piece" instead of "on a piece" (location 88). There was an official OnlineBookClub review.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2018, at 8:28 pm by ccrews0408.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
I like the title of this book, it makes me want to find out more. The cover is also cool. I felt like the blurb was a little too vague, I'm still not exactly sure what the book is about. The first ten pages were professionally edited. I liked that it starts with action and I also liked the somber feeling the writing gives off. Unfortunately, I did not read the OBC review and I think I should have because I would have liked a little more information about the plot.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2018, at 4:00 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emmanae
I think I would have started reading this book whether or not there was the First Ten program. I was a little put off by it being such a long book though. I liked that the characters acted like humans with real emotions while also being soldiers in a war zone, and that it would result in the invasion of North Korea. I didn’t like that the spacing was nice for the first two pages only to go away after that. It made me question whether the book was professionally edited, though I didn’t see other errors. I don’t think I’ll read the rest of the book, mainly due to the length. ~9 hours to read it according to my kindle. There was an official OBC review but it didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2018, at 3:36 pm by Emmanae.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
IsabelMay
The description reminds me of many other novels, so I wouldn't have sampled the book on my own (without this program). The first thing that caught my eye when I started reading the sample was the formatting. It's inconsistent and rather bad. Therefore, it disrupted the reading flow. The writing isn't much better, I have a feeling like this is a book by someone who's very new to writing. There's hardly any balance when it comes to the description and the dialogue. The storyline is a bunch of things mashed together into something that has potential to be exciting, but I was bored reading the sample. This definitely does not resemble a published novel, there's a lot of work to be done. I don't believe it's been edited professionally. In this case, no positive reviews can convince me into reading the rest.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2018, at 2:57 pm by IsabelMay.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mercelle
From this book's cover, I didn't intend to have it feature in my reading list. The review encouraged me when I read that it's about saving the planet and the sample, although beginning with a terrifying scene, was error-free. What I liked most about it is the display of kindness I witnessed when William was determined to save the boy at all costs. The length of the book is, however, a deterrent for me and for this reason, I won't read the rest of it. As it is there's nothing I would change about the bit I read.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2018, at 2:55 pm by Mercelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Cristina Chifane
The title of the book is enticing and easy to remember, promising a gripping storyline. Unfortunately, the cover is much too dark and sensational for my taste. I also think the Amazon blurb manages to catch the essence of a good climatic thriller, but I was sorry to spot a few writing mistakes such as the use of a singular instead of a plural ("terrorist" instead of "terrorists") or the use of a plural form of a verb instead of a singular one ("...take matters of change..." instead of "...takes matters of change..."). The OnlineBookClub review features as a positive editorial review suggesting the book is an exciting, crisp science-fiction novel which deserves a sequel. The customer reviews mainly appreciate the author's originality with respect to the climate crisis and possible solutions to this major problem. If it had not been for this program, I would probably not have chosen to read this novel because of its bad cover and some of its weaknesses highligted in the reviews. Amazon customers mention the poor editing of the novel, the limited depth of the plot and characters, and the infeasibility of the timeframe. Apart from the occasional missing prepositions and articles or lack of proper capitalization, the first chapter proved to be an alert preamble in the tradition of good thrillers. The scene with the bus hanging on the verge of the precipice and William's bravery in rescuing the 7 year-old boy reminded me of a typical action movie shot. Besides, the novel seems to address stringent global issues as the first chapter ends with William's team being assigned to participate in the final invasion of North Korea. Nevertheless, the flimsy dialogue at the beginning of the second chapter is inconsistent with the supposed ongoing drama of war although I could understand that the author wanted to release some of the tension of the rescue mission in the first chapter. In spite of my interest in environmental issues and the praising OnlineBookClub review, I feel like this novel is not one I would like to read right now especially because of its inconsistencies in terms of writing style and some editing problems.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2018, at 2:40 am by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jaime Lync
The End of the Beginning by Zachary Eichholz grabbed my attention due to its appealing name and book cover. I would have sampled this even without being prompted by the first-ten program. This is a very intriguing science-fiction story that follows William Emerson, a war hero with a troubled past (due to loss of loved ones). The book seems to have been professionally edited. I really loved Eichholz writing style; the main story was told in the third person but there were portions where William is contemplating his past in the first person. I would not read this because the official review by Kelebogile Mbangi here at onlinebookclub.org informed me that it has a cliffhanger ending.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2018, at 1:28 am by Jaime Lync.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb, I probably would pick this book up because I like the genre and premise. I've always been a huge fan of science fiction and I think the topic of climate change is extremely relevant, especially today. After reading the first ten pages, I didn't see any spelling or grammar errors. I think William's journey is an interesting one, however, I wasn't really hooked into reading the rest. Though I like science fiction, I just thought the book had a boring start and I wasn't really willing to read the rest.
First Ten review added on April 8, 2018, at 12:00 am by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Tbunde5
Nothing about the title or cover would have drawn me to read this book, but the OBC review made me curious. The first pages of the story led me to want to keep reading. The action and the setting-war in Korea but in 2020- made this a timely cautionary tale. The author's descriptions of the country of Korea and his exceptional military knowledge brought a sense of reality as well. I was less thrilled with the way he used flashbacks to tell William’s own backstory. They seemed too vague to be of much help. I would like to think that, as I keep reading, they will make more sense. There were a few typos and editing errors that I noticed. For example, he spelled the word sergeant “sargent” and says, “You’re the one in crunches” instead of “on crutches.” I have downloaded the entire book, and plan to read it. I am interested to know what happens after the nuclear attack in Korea, and what has made William the man he is.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 11:17 pm by Tbunde5.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
bookowlie
Science fiction is my least favorite genre so I wouldn't have sampled this book without First Ten. Although the OBC reviewer gave the book the highest rating for an interesting plot, great main character, and heightened suspense, my eyes glazed over once I saw the genre was sci-fi. Still, the Amazon summary is well written and gives a clear explanation of the plot. I liked the realistic dialogue between Darrow and William in the beginning pages. The sample appears to be edited professionally and the author has a nice, smooth writing style. I particularly enjoyed the action-packed scene where they found and rescued the young boy out of the bus. The action element didn't surprise me since the OBC review already mentioned that the book was suspenseful and full of action. That being said, the genre and subject matter of the story doesn't appeal to me so I am going to take a pass on this one.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 9:15 pm by bookowlie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ladycraic
I would not have chosen to sample The End of the Beginning as neither the title nor the cover appeals to me. Upon reading the blurb, I found the plot fairly interesting. Overall, the blurb did an effective job of letting readers know what to expect. When it came to actually reading the first ten pages, I found that my interest slipped multiple times. The setting did not appeal to me, and the glimpse of the plot in those first few pages didn't intrigue me. Seeing as this book focuses a great deal on the environment, I don't think this will be a suited read for me. I'm typically not interested in learning about environmental crises. Overall, I will not be reading this novel. The official OBC review didn't influence my decision.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 9:12 pm by ladycraic.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
I really like the author’s development of the main character. It was interesting to learn more about him simply by having him relate to a traumatized child. The cover is pretty; I like how it looks like a blue Phoenix. I also like how the author adopts a different perspective in the flashbacks to make you feel closer to the character’s experiences. The review said this is a great sci-fi novel. I don’t read a lot of that genre, but so far I like this book. I would consider reading it in the future. I didn’t see any errors, the editing looked perfect. I don’t have any suggestions for improvement. I probably wouldn’t have sampled this book outside of the program, because I don’t look for books generally. However, the reviewer really loved it, so that makes me curious to read this book for myself.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 8:41 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Snowflake
Based on the cover graphics and the Amazon blurb, I would not have sampled this book without the first ten pages program. The title, however, is interesting and the OBC review clear and positive. I found the wording of the Amazon blurb to be way over the top and not really indicative of the style of the book. I was greatly surprised by the style and tone of the sample, in a good way. The writing was clear and I immediately felt immersed in the story. The main character was easy to relate to and the story unfolded in an interesting way. I was expecting to have to “get through” the first ten pages and instead found myself wanting to read further. Also, I did not notice any obvious typos or grammar errors. To my surprise, after my initial reaction to the cover and description, I plan to read the rest of this book. Thanks for making it free today.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 7:48 pm by Snowflake.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
MsTri
I love the cover for "The End of the Beginning", and the title is intriguing, so I was very curious as to what the book is about. Unfortunately, the synopsis and review made me do a 180. I don't care for books about such concerns as climate changes and how they affect us. I'm also not interested in reading a book with terrorists in it. I will say that I'm glad that the sample was edited well. It also has a nice flow to it. My favorite part was when William rescued the child from the bus; I was especially amused at his conversation with Darrow and how it showed their loving brotherhood. Even though this is not the book for me, I have no suggestions for changes because it is written well.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 6:22 pm by MsTri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Seraphia Bunny Sparks
After reading a few pages of, The End of the Beginning by Zackary Eichholz, I have decided that I will not be finishing this book. When I first saw this book, the cover piqued my interest. When I saw that this book was a science fiction novel, I was eager to read it. If I had not read a sample of this book, I would have picked it up but would have ended up putting it back down. Where the cover piqued my interest, the blurb lets me down. The author doesn't engage my interest in the story. Based on the blurb, the book does not read science fiction to me. I feel this book is more of a political thriller about climate change. When I hear science fiction, I think advanced technology. Based on the blurb, this book sounds like the story of a man struggling to find his purpose in life after suffering a lot of loss. Who then is recruited by a branch of the government to combat the climate issue. This story idea intrigues me, but I don't feel it comes together how I imagined. As I read a few pages of this book, I am not engaged in the story. The author starts off with a clip that seems like it's from a different time, a different place. I'm curious to follow that, but the author shifts to where the story starts. The situation with the bus and Williams doesn't pull me in. I wanted some backstory on what has happened, and I don't get any. I'm disappointed that the author doesn't give us a prologue to give us some background on what has been happening leading up to where the story starts. I think that it would have helped engage me in the story while setting the stage. Based on what I have read this book appears to be professionally edited. This book does have an official OnlineBookClub review. The reviewer speaks highly of the book and how engaging it was for them. The reviewer does not change my decision concerning this book. I don't think that it will be a good fit for me, so I will not be reading this book.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 6:21 pm by Seraphia Bunny Sparks.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
va2016
The initial incident in which the protagonist
does an heroic part gives a great start to this
probably scintillating story! I totally liked
the narration and the writing style, and the setting
in which the story happens. The book has been
carefully proofread, which is obvious in the
sample of a few pages that I read. There are no
mechanical errors or grammatical errors. The title and
the cover are not indicative of the theme of the book,
so I had to sample the book to figure out what it is
about. May be something can be done about it in the
next edition.I found a 4 out of 4 stars review for the
book, but my decision to read the book is based on
my own sampling.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 6:13 pm by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
CataclysmicKnight
This cover really captured my interest when I saw it, so I was really excited to find out that it was free! The Amazon description didn't quite give me a solid feel for what the book was, and between that and the length of this book (over 550 pages) I ended up a little worried, but still curious about diving into the first ten pages.
So far the world has been set up in a very natural way - it's apparently 2020 and the main characters are in Korea, feeling like the war is almost over. The reference to "Drumpf" makes me believe this is based in reality, wherein the current US President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un have gotten into a war. However, the main characters are being pulled into a more dangerous area for "the final invasion", and things were already dangerous enough for this group of rescuers as it was.
I'm definitely interested in the book, and I didn't find any errors at all. The writing is solid and so far things are set up well. However, it's hard for me to consider reading the rest of it due to its length... I'm used to reading books that are 250 pages or less, and to read something over twice as long is quite a time commitment when it's not my preferred genre.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 5:47 pm by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
kfwilson6
This book has an interesting title and cover but the plot isn't one I care to venture into. The onlinebookclub review didn't really give me much to go on other than there is a lot of suspense, which I do enjoy. The Amazon reviews weren't very helpful either as the reviewers had mixed feelings. Based on all of these factors, but mostly the plot, I would have determined to pass on this book. The sample of the book gives the impression of a suspense novel which is very well written ( I only noted one small typo-a missing article). I greatly enjoyed the suspense of the opening scene and the author described the setting and events very well. However, as soon as it was mentioned that there would be an invasion on North Korea, I became bored. Books about war, terrorists, and government entities really do not interest me. I will not be reading this one simply due to the content but if the author ventures off into writing a different type of suspense novel, I believe I would be interested.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 5:43 pm by kfwilson6.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
micoleon13
This is a great cover page which immediately got my attention. I was eager to find out more. The OnlineBookClub review was very complementary and outlined a story I was interested in. I liked the fact that it centered around saving the planet from human destruction. The pages which I read were well written and edited. The story is immediately gripping with William's rescue of the young boy off the bus. This is a book that I would like to continue reading. I have no ideas for improvement.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 5:34 pm by micoleon13.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ritah
Based on the title and genre, I would have sampled the book because I love the Sci-Fi genre and the title made me curious about the book's content. I read the official review, and I appreciated that the reviewer mentioned that she felt her views being challenged as both sides of the arguments were substantiated (this made me want to read the book more). I liked the setting of the novel. I was happy that Micheal and the little boy were able to make it out of the bus before it plunged down (that scene was intense). Because I enjoyed reading the first ten pages and I'm interested in the storyline of the novel, I'm happy to say that I will be reading the rest of the book. I did not spot any obvious errors in the pages I read.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 4:54 pm by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
DancingLady
When I first read the title, The End of the Beginning, I was interested because that is also the title of a Christian song I absolutely love. After reading the review, I was still interested but would not have bought it based on that information. The first 10 pages were very exciting. I admired William's courage and determination to rescue a child when others might have turned away. The book seems to be very professionally edited and I didn't find any errors. I can see a great deal of value in this book, particularly for people who are also struggling to overcome PTSD, but I was not interested enough in the book to want to finish it.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 3:19 pm by DancingLady.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lavellan
I probably would have read the sample of The End of the Beginning if it had not been a part of The First Ten program. The Book of the Day review made the book seem exciting and well-written. The book seemed like it was professionally edited and I did not notice any errors while reading. I really enjoyed the action scenes. Additionally, the war between North and South Korea is realistic considering current global events. To improve the book, I would have liked to have known more about William. I probably will read the rest of the book due to its relevance and action-packed scenes.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 2:44 pm by lavellan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
desantismt_17
The title of this book struck me as interesting. After seeing it was science fiction, I was eager to see what it was about, and upon reading the blurb, I decided not to read the book because it is military in nature, which is not the type of science fiction I enjoy reading. After reading the sample, I will not read this book but not because it is badly written. The writing is solid. I only noticed one missing comma. The best part from what I read is the pacing. The book starts with action but does not drag out the suspense of the action too long. The story seems to be told by the main character when he is older and looking back. There was a slightly jarring switch from present to past tense as the main story took over. Though the 4-star OnlineBookClub.org review is in line with the quality this book seems to possess, I am not interested enough in the military angle to finish reading.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 1:02 pm by desantismt_17.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Helen_Combe
I’m afraid I wasn’t attracted by either the book cover, title or the blurb. Although the book cover is pretty, I felt it didn’t tell me enough about the book to make me want to pick it up. The top Amazon positive review mentioned editorial problems and that is enough to put me off any book. The Official OnlineBookClub review mentioned unanswered question at the end. I prefer loose ends to be tied up. The blurb is very serious and I personally like a book with a bit of humour.
I read the sample and though it was very exciting, it reinforced my view that this isn’t the kind of sci-fi that I would normally read. I therefore am not inclined to buy or read the book.
Despite the editorial problems mentioned in the reviews, I didn’t find any in the sample. However, “William took one of the soldiers’ place” had me struggling with singulars and plurals and I finally decided that the line would read better as “William took the place of one of the soldiers”.
The part I liked best in the sample was the introduction which described “humanity’s storm” and the “thump, thump’ of helicopter rotors.
I felt that the book’s cover could be improved to depict the ecological problems rather than what I guess is the UNIRO emblem.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 12:16 pm by Helen_Combe.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ScoutWrites
Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program I would have been interested because of the cover, title, genre, and the blurb I saw on the Amazon page. The official OnlineBookClub review also makes this sound like something worth reading. I enjoyed the first ten pages, and what I like about what I know about this book is its environmental message, because I think we need more awareness about that these days. I did notice a couple errors, including the multiple misspelling of the word "carabiner" (as "carabineer"), a small error which could be easily overlooked. What intimidates me about this book is the length. Because it is in the neighborhood of 500 pages, I don't think I would have time to complete it along with all the other books I plan to read this year. That, and the fear that the typographical errors could only get worse as the book progresses, is why I will not be reading the full book.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 11:35 am by ScoutWrites.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yoli García
I would not have sampled this book without this program because I do not like the cover. The OBC review did not convince to read the book. I like science fiction but I am not into reading about PTSD. After I read the sample pages, I thought the book needs further editing because it has formatting issues. I liked that William saved the boy before the bus fell to the cliff. However, I will not read this book because I am not into the story.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 11:07 am by Yoli García.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vickie Noel
I'm not attracted to the cover page but the book title made me pause. I may or may not have bothered checking it out without the program. Now that I've been exposed to its contents, I've reached a decision. I liked the tone and the fact that conversation between characters was free flowing and natural, even somewhat humorous. I think the book was professionally edited, although I observed some errors including word omissions like "a" and "is," conflicting line spaces in the format at the beginning, and incorrect plurals in the case of "...the two aircraft... " instead of "aircrafts." Still, I'm undeterred in my quest to read up the book. I don't have any recommendations for improvement. The OBC review I saw was very encouraging and I was further convinced after reading the sample.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 10:07 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
BriennaiJ
The book begins with a description of William's job in the war. I wasn't planning on reading this book before I read the first ten pages, because I read the review on Online Book Club. Even though it was 4/4 stars, I heard that this book ends on a cliffhanger. I hate books that end on cliffhangers because I feel as if they are unfinished and I don't feel satisfied by reading it. Now, after I read the first ten pages, I have been completely drawn in and I want to actually finish this book. This book seems like it was professionally edited and I liked what I read. My favorite part about what I read was that the readers get to see Williams' personality from the beginning and see what kind of a man he is. The only thing that I think could be improved upon was the changing fonts. At the first two pages of the first chapter, the font is really large. A bit too large in my opinion. Then, it shrinks to its proper size for some reason. If this was fixed, it would be perfect.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 9:39 am by BriennaiJ.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
RebeccasReading
This is not a book I would have normally read. I found the cover and description pretty overwhelming. It seems like too much for me. After reading the sample, my opinion is the same. I'm not really a fan of dystopia style novels. I did like the action and excitement in the sample. However, I just don't think the story is my cup of tea. I would recommend the cover be improved a bit. It was hard to even read the title with the current font. I didn't notice any typos or errors. It seems to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 9:16 am by RebeccasReading.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gali
I may have sampled the book on my own, as I love the genre. The cover is nice, and the blurb gives a good sense of the plot. After reading the sample, I decided not to read the book. The sample started rather slow, with scenes from a futuristic Korean War, and failed to grab me. The beginning read more like an action book than a science fiction one. I didn't notice any errors as I read, but I wasn't blown away by the opening chapters. I didn't care for the writing either. The many dialogues in the first chapters didn't feel natural. The book explores a good idea, a climate change, but it fell short for me. Although the concept is good, the story didn't hook me enough to keep reading. The OBC review further steered me from the book by mentioning the cliffhanger ending.
First Ten review added on April 7, 2018, at 7:01 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 25%
The End of the Beginning earned a score of 25%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 25% 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 End of the Beginning
