The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Chrome Mountain
Because Chrome Mountain 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.
Alice Heritage
I have seen a few OnlineBookClub reviews of this book that suggest that it wouldn't be my cup of tea, so I wouldn't have sampled this without the program. I also won't buy and read it on the basis of the first ten pages because they included a lot of violence, which I don't like to read about. The book does seem well edited as I did not notice any errors - assuming that the spelling "Screamon" Demons is deliberate. The thing I liked best was that the book seems to have a strong female protagonist - Sonya is an accomplished rider and able to get one of Brock's pistols and escape from him. Something jarred about the detailed descriptions of her appearance - there was now a reference to her hair, now her eyes, now her height - it just seemed over-the-top somehow. So that's maybe something that could be improved.
First Ten review added on January 5, 2019, at 4:34 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bianka Walter
I struggled to stop reading this book after the first ten pages. It's not something that I would have sampled without the program because the cover led me to believe the book was about some sort of conflict. The story about Sonja trying to get away from a situation where most people would be stuck for the rest of their lives was riveting. The chase had me glued to the pages wanting to read faster. And as it ends, we are thrown into the story of Trey, with just as much bloodshed and horror. I am excited to learn how these two stories intermingle, and to see where the story goes especially after Trey destroyed his prototype. I found no errors in the sample, so the editing is superb. I look forward to reading the rest of this book.
First Ten review added on January 5, 2019, at 3:42 am by Bianka Walter.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Gravy
I didn't notice any grammatical errors, though much of the sentence structure is very simple, and therefore comes across as younger than I believe was intended. The characters also, at least in what I read, seem one dimensional and unlikable. Even her worrying about a crashed bus seemed forced and unconvincing.
I also find the situation a little far fetched. Between the bus crash with apparently no one willing to help, to the murder/highjacking, all seemingly within sight of road workers? I just can't buy into that.
That said, the cover is actually compelling and conveys the genre well, and the action itself is fast-paced and entertaining enough to keep the reader's interest.
As the genre isn't one I often read I would not have sampled this without the first ten program. I can't say that the sample changed my mind, and I do not intend to read this.
There was (I believe) a review for this book, but that does not affect my opinion of it.
First Ten review added on January 5, 2019, at 3:34 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Dolor
Without The First Ten program I would have chosen to read this book because the blurb, the official OBC review, and the first ten pages had piqued my curiosity. The cover looks interesting, too, despite its black and white photo. The first ten pages was about Sonya McCall trying to escape from the claws of the outlaws she was with. Levi, the leader of the gang, had every last one of the Screamon Demons looking for her. Here is the only sentence with a grammar error: Why’d you leave town…and where you headed? I would like to know if Sonya could successfully flee away from the gang. What will happen to her? How will the story unfold? I will read the entire story. Chrome Mountain by Ben Schneider is a perfect blend of #Dystopian, #Romance, #Suspense, #Humor, #Thriller, and non-stop #Action. It is partly technological thriller and partly old-school action movie screenplay written down as a book. The story revolves around the results of the invention of a scientist named Trey and Sonya's (the former girlfriend of a biker gang leader) escapade.
First Ten review added on January 5, 2019, at 3:24 am by Dolor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sahani Nimandra
Chrome Mountain by Ben Schneider is a thriller read about an ex-gang's girlfriend who decides to move away from all this wreck to start her life a new, but what she didn't know was that it's a run that she will have to do for a life time. This story has a capital storyline that most readers find enraptured. Thanking to the reviewer for the review, I note a lack of necessary information for me to decide if I wish to read it further. Gang related stories, or mouse hunt stories doesn't entice me at the present moment. Reading the sample, the author provides a good visualization. It's about Sonya traveling toward north to meet her friend Becky. I didn't encounter any grammatical or typo hindrances while reading. When it comes to deciding to read this further, I rather set it a side since this book doesn't entice my interest, nor is compelling me to read it further.
First Ten review added on January 5, 2019, at 2:42 am by Sahani Nimandra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
briellejee
Based on the title and the cover, I think I would have sampled the book. The black and white background emits that sense of mystery and danger. The title is simple yet is suitable for the genre and the cover. As for the first few pages, the author sure knows how to grip the reader's attention in every word. Sonya's character and her background as part of the biker gang made me want to know her more. She seems to be a strong woman, and we all k ow we need more female characters like her. The plot is still unclear after the first ten pages, but it still makes you wonder about Sonya's story. I would want to read the rest of the book, therefore I took it for a review. However, I would like to suggest that it could've been better if the scientist guy was introduced first. At least by then, people will be curious as to what will happen to him and attract more readers to go on. I found no noticeable errors and the official OBC review is persuasive enough to tell me to sample and review this.
First Ten review added on January 5, 2019, at 2:30 am by briellejee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sharill Rasowo
If I had not read the sample, I probably would not have read the book. This is because I am not really interested in thrillers. The official onlinebookclub review did not change my mind. Reading the sample, I found it interesting that one the main characters was almost immediately caught in the beginning by her pursuers but managed to get away. However, I am not interested in reading the rest of the book so I would not buy and read it. I did not spot any typos so I think it was professionally edited.
First Ten review added on January 5, 2019, at 2:02 am by Sharill Rasowo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vickie Noel
Chrome Mountain is not a book I'd have been attracted to by virtue of looks and title, the chief deciding factors (for me) of any book choice. Having read the sample, I'm, once again, reminded of the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover." I not only enjoyed the plot, but also the author's writing style. His use of compound and complex sentences in building descriptions, Sonya's and her current environs, as well as displaying suspense was a pleasure to read. For instance, these sentences are good examples of "show, not tell": "Beneath her German half-helmet with a maroon paisley pattern, Sonya's raven-black curls flew in the wind as her head spun to see behind her." & "She gazed over emerald tree-tops to feast her eyes on the expanse of azure water that sparkled beneath the high noon sun." If I'd written a book, these are the kind of descriptive sentences I'd have employed, that's why I'm so taken by this author. To the best of my knowledge, the book is practically flawlessly edited, although in chapter 2, I noticed one small error in a sentence on the first page, "...she slowed her Harley to a stop, scarce believing what was downhill a quarter mile ahead of her." "scarce" should be "scarcely." I also appreciated the fact that the action in the book started right away, and especially liked the scene showcasing Sonya's maneuvering skills such that Brock stared down the barrels of his gun and hers. The OBC review highlighted the pros and cons of reading this book in terms of the plot and character development; thus, I made provision for the book sample to serve as a deciding factor for reading more or not. I will be concluding the tale.
First Ten review added on January 5, 2019, at 1:30 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book without this program based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. I don't really like science-fiction/fantasy books, and the review and blurb didn't change my mind. After reading the first ten pages, I won't be finishing this book. I didn't like the amount of violence that showed up in the first chapter alone. I wanted to stop reading when Sonya pulled the guns on Brock. I really didn't want to read more when Brock killed the trucker without a hint of remorse. This added to the fact that it was mentioned that the biker gang had been torturing and killing people was just too much for me. The book did seem to be professionally edited, and I liked the writing style. It just isn't my type of book.
First Ten review added on January 5, 2019, at 1:17 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ReviewerDiksha
The cover of this book looks good and promises some action. I am more into the fantasy genre, so I wouldn't have bought this book. Also, I didn't read any reviews so I didn't know much about it. As I read the sample, I could tell that it was a story about a biker gang. The author didn't take any time to start the action and the story picked up at a point where there were a lot of questions. However, I couldn't keep myself interested in it. Maybe because I am not used to reading such stories. The writing style was okay and I didn't find any grammatical mistakes. I just think that someone who likes this genre might appreciate it better.
First Ten review added on January 4, 2019, at 9:39 pm by ReviewerDiksha.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
KRay93
The design of the cover is appropriate for an action thriller like the one described by the blurb, although the title's typography could have used some extra work. The official review speaks of an exciting, intense and thrilling story, although the dialogues between the characters are overly expository and lack realism. The first ten pages start with the female deuteragonist meeting with the head of the motorcycle gang to which she belonged. After a tense moment, she manages to escape and apparently leaves that part of her life behind. The prose is fluid and appropriate for a thriller, while the editing work looks acceptable at first glance. While I did not detect the drawbacks mentioned by the official review, I usually look for thrillers that have a more military vibe, and there are no particular elements in the premise that capture my attention enough to give it a chance. I will not continue reading this book.
First Ten review added on January 4, 2019, at 8:30 pm by KRay93.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I might've read it. After reading the first ten pages I didn’t change my mind and therefore will be buying and reading the rest of this book eventually. I loved how the action and excitement started immediately. Brock and Sonya's spat gave both an alluring history to lead off the book, and also gave the reader a promise of plenty of action and conflict to come. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read, but it did seem well written and edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on January 4, 2019, at 1:41 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
MarisaRose
After reading the book blurb for 'Chrome Mountain,' I didn't feel particularly compelled to read the book. The blurb was confusing and all over the place; I wasn't really sure what the 'prototype' was that was being described or why it was so important. Based on the blurb, this isn't a book I would purchase blindly. I've read multiple OBC reviews for this book, and none of them made me want to read this book either. I don't think the storyline or characters are really up my alley. After sampling the first ten pages, there were a couple things about the book that solidified my decision not to read more of 'Chrome Mountain.' First, the opening scene introduces Sonya and her Harley. I'm not a fan of motorcycle culture or 'lawlessness' in general, so I was quickly put off by her character. The first few pages go on to describe the 'malicious biker gang' Brock is a part of, who just so happens to catch Sonya on the road as she is trying to get away. I was not intrigued by either of these characters; actually, I found them both distasteful. Similarly, I wasn't a fan of the writing style. The narrative is written in choppy, basic sentences. The narrative definitely lacked flow. However, I didn't notice any grammatical errors in the sample, so that was a plus. Based on my reaction to the first ten pages, I don't plan to read any more of this book.
First Ten review added on January 4, 2019, at 1:20 pm by MarisaRose.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
I would not have picked up this book because the plot does not seem unique. The first ten pages were professionally edited. Even though the book seems professionally edited, I was actually a bit bored while reading the first few pages. The beginning had a lot of descriptions which slowed down the story and made it easy to forget that Sonya was actually on the run. For these reasons, I will not be reading the rest. I doubt an OBC review would change my mind.
First Ten review added on January 4, 2019, at 12:29 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
OloladeO
Based on the cover and title, I would not have read the sample because I am not a fan of the action genre. From the sample, Sonya McCall was travelling on her Harley-Davidson from the lawless life in Sacramento to live with her friend, Becky Lugo. Brock Laxdal, third in command of the malicious biker gang she'd once been part of and desperately wanted to desert, came after her on his bike. He told her that Levi, their leader, had every Screamon Demon looking for her. She had stolen some money and taken Levi's License plate with her. She was able to outsmart Brock and got his gun. She told him to tell Levi that she was done with him and the gang. The book seems edited. The OBC reviewer gave it a perfect rating, so I am sure that those that favor its genre would find it entertaining. As for me, I would not be reading the rest of the book because I prefer the romance genre.
First Ten review added on January 4, 2019, at 4:51 am by OloladeO.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
va2016
The title and the cover are indicative of the theme of the book. There is only one Amazon customer review on the book. The Amazon summary provides a concise description of the plot of the story. Based on the Amazon summary, I would have chosen to sample the book, even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration too thrilling with several spectacular twists and turns. Especially the scene when she is near the truck, when the truck's tire explodes and what happens next is really captivating. Since the book rose my curiosity about what is going to happen next, I am going to read this book in full. I found the book professionally edited. I didn't find any grammatical or mechanical errors. What I liked most about the book is its thrilling narration. I could not find anything that can be improved with the book. Although I found several OBC reviews on the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on January 4, 2019, at 4:23 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Cristina Chifane
I probably wouldn't have come across this book if it hadn't been for the first ten program. The title is intriguing, but I don't like the cover. Since I like reading thrillers, the Amazon blurb caught my attention with what seems to be the description of a fast-paced thriller. Although there were no editorial reviews, I appreciated the fact that the customer reviews were only 3, 4 or 5 stars. However, I didn't like the sample. The reasons why I was mainly put off were the casual references to sexual assault and lawbreaking. I could understand why Sonya did not want to be a member of the Screamon Demons anymore, but I could not understand why she stayed in the gang in the first place. The story is indeed full of action and dynamism. Regardless, the offensive language used by both Sonya and Brock at the beginning put me off for good. Besides, there's also the murder of the truck driver that didn't look either justifiable or realistic. Followed by Brock's death, it showed me the novel could include more unrealistic scenes. The graphic description of Trey's sisters' deaths in his nightmare convinced me the novel was not for me. The only editing error I noticed in the sample was the use of a double hyphen (for example, see loc. 1% of Sample: "It seeemed as if the cartoon clown found hilarity at his misfortune--being stuck at a red light [...]"). Despite the 4-star official OBC review, I will not be adding the book to my reading list because of the unrealistic scenes, offensive language and graphic violence.
First Ten review added on January 4, 2019, at 2:21 am by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sonya Nicolaidis
I had seen this book around online, and I had always just assumed that it would be the kind of book I wouldn’t be interested in reading. The helicopter on the front page suggested a war book, or something quite masculine, so I didn’t even try to read it. However, the reviews were quite good and made me think that I had pre-judged this book a little harshly. The invention of a device that imparts stealth capabilities is intriguing, and a wonderful idea. I read the book optimistically, and was pleasantly surprised. It was very well-written and there were no errors which pointed to excellent editing. The descriptive passages were really wonderful and set the scene well. I liked that there was little time lost in getting to the nitty-gritty of the story: the heroine and her dilemma featured in the first chapter and the hero shortly after. We are llaunched straight into the action of the book which, from the reviews, seems plentiful. This may be the one downside that I anticipate. I am not a huge fan of stories that progress at top speed, without a change of pace now and then. Also, the violence which is evident from the outset, is reported to be quite gratuitous which is not everyone’s cup of tea. I think this book has a lot of potential, and the general idea for the story is excellent, but I won’t be reading it as the overdone action and violence is not what I look for in a book.
First Ten review added on January 4, 2019, at 1:43 am by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mercelle
Judging by the cover, I wasn't going to read this book, but the OBC review urged me on when it mentioned that this is the story of a scientist on the run who gets entangled with a biker gang escapee. When I read the sample, I liked that Brock warned Sonya that Levi had every one of the Screamon Demons looking for her. Since I noticed no errors, I'll conclude that the text underwent professional editing, but I won't read the rest of the book because the story doesn't interest me. As it is, there's nothing I would change about the bit I read.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 11:37 pm by Mercelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
revna01
I really like the title and cover of this book, and was also impressed by the Online Book Club reviewer's impression of the storyline. I read the first ten pages about Sonya, who has fled a malicious biker gang in which her (ex) boyfriend is the leader. She is being accused of stealing a lot of the gang's money and has been tracked down on her way to her friend's house. I liked that the action got started right away, but felt the writing was a bit forced or too deliberate at times. I did not notice any editing mistakes during my read. This genre of book is not my style, as it's action, technological thriller, with some romance thrown in. For that reason I won't be purchasing this book today.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 11:09 pm by revna01.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsTri
When I saw the cover and title for this book, I suspected that it would be of a genre that I dislike. The Amazon synopsis and OBC review (the only one I read) confirmed my initial thoughts. The plot for this technological thriller just doesn't grip me. I also don't care for stories where the characters are either all good or all bad like in this one; I like gray areas in my protagonists and antagonists. The sample read did seem to indicate that the book was professionally edited. The part that I did like was when Trey had a nightmare about what could happen if his invention got in the wrong hands. Even though I will not be reading the rest of this, I have no suggestions for changes because it's written well for what it is.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 10:24 pm by MsTri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Fu Zaila
The cover and title doesn't seem to be in line with the blurb. The writing style of this book is compelling with no errors, which means it is professionally edited. I really liked Sarah's characterization even from the little I read of her in the sample. I like how she checks out vehicles when she's bored and how her thoughts are rather impulsive. There wasn't anything I disliked. But I did wonder how she "gaze over the emerald trees" and managed to see the ocean/sky, whichever it was? Since there wasn't much mention of the region she was in, I found it hard to picture. Otherwise, the story is interesting and I might read it too.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 9:44 pm by Fu Zaila.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Heidi M Simone
Without this program, I would not have sampled this read. Though the title is interesting, the cover isn't to my taste. Also, the blurb and genre do not grab my attention. The customer reviews do not affect my opinion of the book, but the OBC one does worry me a bit. I'm not a fan when people are not culturally sensitive, and since the OBC review states this book is that, I would not want to sample *Chrome Mountain*. While reading, I did not see any glaring errors. Sonya seems like a strong-willed woman and someone who can take care of herself as she got away from Brock, which is something I like. On the other hand, the talk about guns and some profanity are things I do not enjoy. I did find the invention that Trey came up with, disappearing and reappearing objects, intriguing. In general, though, since I know a lot of action and violence are coming up, according to the OBC review, I do not plan on buying and reading today's book as I do not enjoy either one of the things.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 8:53 pm by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
FictionLover
I'm not sure if I would have sampled this book on my own. The cover with the helicopter makes me think that it is a crime/mystery or maybe a thriller. The title does not say much, and Amazon categorizes it as Sci-fi, but the blurb calls it a Thriller with humor. I like thrillers, and I enjoyed the strong woman character of Sonya, but the first ten turned me off because of the amount of violence. There was no humor in those pages, and I will not be continuing on with this novel. I did not notice any grammatical errors.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 8:36 pm by FictionLover.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kendra M Parker
I do enjoy a good action and sci-fi novel now and again. This one had caught my eye previously, so I was glad to see it as BOTD. I did not find any errors in the first ten pages. They seemed well edited. While I enjoyed the action, though, I found that it didn’t quite pull me in the way that I had hoped. There were some things about the language that seemed slightly scrubbed, especially with the way Sonya spoke to Brock about how Levi had beaten and raped her. While I appreciate the cleaner language, for some reason it seemed out of place here. I enjoyed this book, but not enough for it to replace one of the others in my rather long reading list, so I will pass on it for now.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 8:27 pm by Kendra M Parker.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
LV2R
The book cover and title looked like the book could be about a rescue in the mountains or a manhunt. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read the book or not. The Amazon Blurb introduces Trey, the inventor and who gets mixed up with extremists and becomes the most wanted man. Sonya saw what really happened in the mix-up. This made me want to read the sample. The first ten pages were action-packed of Sonya McCall trying to get away from the biker gang she had joined. Brock, from the gang, caught up with her on the road, and there were shootings and a narrow escape for Sonya. I best like that Sonya is trying to leave the gang and her character, though tough, shows that she is a caring person, who has a conscience. The OBC review mentioned that the book was very fast-paced and action-packed, with some romance and humor. The book is well edited, as I did not notice any errors, and I read the sample very smoothly. The OBC review also stated that the book was well edited. I want to read this book because it is action-packed and fast-paced, with a little romance and some humor. I haven’t read a book like this before, but I want to give it a try.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 8:27 pm by LV2R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
HRichards
I normally wouldn't have picked this book up because the genre doesn't really interest me. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book, as the story was a little odd for me. The sample deals with a biker woman named Sonya who has ditched her club and is on the run having an encounter with one of the former bikers she ran with. Sonya steals his gun and leaves to continue on the run. Those who like bikers and thrillers might enjoy this book. I found some of the writing a little awkward, such as naming one of the bikers "Laxdal". I believe there is a grammar error in the like "saw five cars going the other way and hoped..." that I feel should have a comma after "way". I haven't read any other reviews of this book.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 5:47 pm by HRichards.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Catherine Hsu
If I had not read the sample, I would not have read the book because I do not really read this genre. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. I still am not that interested in the topic of the book, but I also was not a fan of the writing, which was sometimes too literal and straightforward, telling instead of showing, such as in this line: "...she asked in her typically forceful but weary voice." Maybe more figurative language would help. Other than that, the sample was professionally edited. I did not read the official review but that did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 5:41 pm by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nelsy Mtsweni
I love the cover of the book, so I would have chosen to read the book. Having read the sample and the review, l found the book to be undeniably interesting and suspenseful. Chrome Falcons is a terrorist group that managed to acquire a prototype of Troy's invention. Troy is a scientist. He was on the run after knowing that the terrorist group is after him. On his run, he met Sonya, who was on a run too. I am planning on reading the whole book so that l can find out if Sonya and Troy eventually get caught by those they are running from. I liked the bit of romance between Troy and Sonya featured in this action-packed book. Of the first ten pages that I have read, l did not notice any editorial errors. Thanks.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 5:34 pm by Nelsy Mtsweni.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
cpru68
Sonya is on the run trying to escape the life of being a gang member. As she makes her way to freedom, she is confronted by a fellow gang member named Brock who is demanding that she return with him and face the music. After maneuvering her way away from him, he continues to chase her down in an eighteen wheeler forcing her to shoot him and kill him. I liked the suspense of the chase right from the start. I thought that the way it was written would bring readers right into the action, and that is always a bonus when a book begins.
I did not find any errors in punctuation, spelling or grammar, and the four-star review seemed to indicate that this was professionally edited, so I would have to agree after reading the sample.
I will not be finishing this book because I generally read non-fiction, and this didn't keep me interested. I also do not care for books with a lot of violence, and from what the review said along with the description of Brock's death, I decided to pass on this one.
I probably wouldn't have found this book on my own without the help of the online book club, and I appreciate the chance to give it a look. I will send it out on my social media for others to take a peek at it as well.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 5:19 pm by cpru68.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
sarahmarlowe randomeducator
I have looked at the cover of this book for months now, and I thought it was a tale of some sort of military operation, and I just wasn't interested. Apparently, I need to learn more about the different types of helicopters. After reading the First Ten I see it is about Sonya, who is trying to escape from a biker gang and an abusive boyfriend. Sonya doesn't make it far before she is confronted. I don't plan to read this book because the beginning just didn't catch my attention. I wasn't pulled into Sonya's character enough to want to know what happens next. I was glad to see a book with good editing, though. I found no errors. I have not read an OBC review of this book.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 4:06 pm by sarahmarlowe randomeducator.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yoli García
The cover of the book reminds me of scenes in films about Vietnam, so I would not have sampled this book without this program. The OBC review indicated the book is a science fiction and thriller novel with some romance rather than a war book. It did not convince me to read it as I do not like stories with extreme violence. The book seems to be professionally edited. I did not like that Sonja’s ex-boyfriend, the gang leader, raped her. I was glad she was finally trying to get out of the gang life. The beginning of the story is too heavy for me. I will not read this book because violent stories are not my thing.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 3:59 pm by Yoli García.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'Chrome Mountain' by Ben Schneider is an action-packed novel. The title, blurb, the OBC review, and the customer reviews in Amazon did a good job of convincing me to give the book a try.
The first ten pages of the book leads me to believe that it is an action-packed thriller that follows the lives of two persons who are on the run. The book is fast-paced. I liked this about it. The book also contains some violence. I have to mention that I found a few errors in the first ten pages. For example, the author had written, “..recalling experience..” instead of “..recalling the experience..” This leads me to believe that this book was not professionally edited. I will skip this book as I am not in the mind-frame to read a book with too much violence.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 3:34 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
"Chrome Mountain" is an action screenplay written as a book. I find that interesting even if action-packed books are not my thing, making me not want to try this book without the program. But Sonya's story does interest me. The ex-girlfriend of the leader of a biker gang ran from her gang and stole some money from them. The problem is that the gang is for life, while her dream is to go back to her grandma's house, where she grew up. The book opens with Sonya running into Brock, a member of the gang. The male protagonist, Trey, has also a fascinating story involving technological inventions and terrorist groups. The author connects the two stories of the protagonists. The plot sounds really good, but because I am not a fan of action books, I will say no to the book. I found no typos.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 2:49 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lesler
Looking at the cover, this book does not interest me at all. Reading the sample, I liked what I read, but not enough to keep reading. This book appears to be professionally edited, with no grammatical errors or typos that I noticed. I liked the development of Sonya the most, and her journey from Western America to Australia, to find a new life for herself. I did not like how many characters were already introduced-it moved too fast and was confusing. I will not be reading this book.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 2:23 pm by lesler.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Camille Turner
I don't think I would've sampled this book without the program because it's evident from the cover, title, and Amazon blurb that it's a science fiction novel with military themes, and that genre/subject doesn't appeal to me so much. After reading the first ten pages, I believe the book to be professionally edited as I didn't see any grammatical errors. My impression has changed a bit because I didn't see any science fiction or military elements in the first ten pages. Instead, it was a story about Sonya leaving a gang and being chased by Brock, one of the gang members, on behalf of the leader, Levi, who happens to be Sonya's ex-boyfriend and a violent, horrible man. I still don't think that storyline interests me personally, so I won't be buying the book, but I was surprised by it since I was expecting a different type of story beginning based on the Amazon blurb. I wouldn't improve anything necessarily, as the book might appeal to other readers. I did like the way the book started off with action, with Brock catching up to Sonya, but I just don't think it's a story for me.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 1:57 pm by Camille Turner.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Julie Green
I would choose to read this book based on the title and cover; I like the black & white image and the title has a certain intrigue. Having read the opening pages, I will not be reading the rest of the book.
On the plus side, there is a lot of action in the first few pages - and I was caught up in the scene with Sonya as she escapes the clutches of a fellow gang member, with a dramatic road chase and shoot out. Unfortunately, the next scene was disappointing as we see an inventor called Trey deliberately destroy his invention; it doesn't feel realistic that he would smash such an incredible invention, despite his fears for how it might be used for evil purposes - especially without too much apparent contemplation. We then return to Sonya as she contempates the choices she has made in her life and I'm afraid I'm not sufficiently engaged by her character to want to continue reading.
I did not spot any grammatical errors.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 1:42 pm by Julie Green.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ritah
Based on the genre and title, I would have sampled the book because I often read books in this genre. I read the volunteer review and then sampled Chrome Mountain. I liked that right from the start, the narrative captured my attention - so much happened within the first few pages. I was surprised that Sonya was suspected of stealing thousands of the gang's hard-stolen cash from the safe, but when I heard of the abuse she went through the previous night at the hand's of Lev...I understood her motive and her need to get away from him. I did not spot any errors in the pages I read. The plot of this novel has me intrigued, and the author's writing style is easy to read. All in all, I found myself turning pages, I will definitely be reading the rest of the book for all the reasons mentioned above.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 1:02 pm by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
gali
I wouldn't have sampled the book on my own, as it isn't a genre I enjoy reading. While the cover is very eye-catching, the blurb didn't appeal to me. I didn't change my mind after sampling the book. Although the sample was more exciting than I thought it would be, it didn't grab me. The book follows an unlikely pair who join forces to escape their enemies. Sonya is an ex's biker gang member on the run, and Trey is a scientist whose invention put him in the cross hairs of terrorists. The sample opened with Sonya running away from her psychopathic ex and his gang. What I liked most about the book is the author's ability to set the scene. However, I thought the storyline was a little cliché. While I didn't notice any glaring errors, I didn't care for the style of writing. I won't read the book, as it isn't my cup of tea. Although the premise of the book is interesting, I am not fond of Christian-themed books. The official review further steered me away from the book by mentioning its racist and religious overtones. The other volunteer reviews didn't sway my decision either way.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 12:07 pm by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
desantismt_17
This book’s title made me curious. The description didn’t hook me. I’m not much for full-on action books or technothrillers; though, some of the sci-fi elements sounded interesting. Before sampling, I wasn’t thinking about reading. After sampling, I’ll pass. The book appears professionally edited. I noticed no errors. The amount of description distracted me from the action. Sentences like “Over a tie-dye T-shirt with six shades of blue, she wore a multi-pocketed jacket of washed black leather,” while informative, are a lot of information to digest in one sitting. When multiple sentences like this appeared in a row, I got lost in all the descriptors and found myself having to reread to make sure I didn’t miss something other than description. The dialogue feels realistic, especially Brock’s speech pattern. There is plenty of tension from the first line, wondering if Sonya will get away from the gang. The story seems like it’s heading in a good direction, but the writing was just too distracting for me. The OnlineBookClub.org review told me there was more action scenes and violence in this book than I’d like. This coupled with the writing made me decide to pass.
First Ten review added on January 3, 2019, at 12:06 pm by desantismt_17.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 25%
Chrome Mountain 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 Chrome Mountain
