The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for War Serenade
Because War Serenade 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.
briellejee
Based on the title, I think I would have sampled this book. I like how it used two contradicting words. How could you put "war" and "seranade" side by side and expect no one to be curious about it? It intesifies the mystery within the book too. As for the cover, it's a bit cliché but is eye-catching nonetheless. I design book covers and I think the font for the title is not keeping up with the tone of the book. And as for the first few pages, I was already surprised when I saw that the epilogue is on the first page. It intrigued me even more. I liked that part and I think it is a good start to push the reader to turn more pages, especially when the girl had finally opened the box. I was frustrated,a good kind of frustration, when it was never mentioned what was inside, which eventually led me to the first chapter and I met Iris. She is a quirky character that I can instantly relate to. However, I have opted to read this in order to know more about WWII on a different perspective, country-wise, but I was disappointed because it is more inclined to romance. The author made sure to make it clear for the readers when Iris met the eyes of this bird's savior, as dubbed by her. I knew I wouldn't want to finish this book when Iris said non-verbatim: "How come it is dangerous when I felt perfectly safe just now?". It was cheesy enough for me. I am not into this kind of romance, though I think it is really a good romance book. I would recommend this to people who like this kind of stuff. I found no noticeable errors and the official OBC review managed to convince me to sample this.
First Ten review added on September 28, 2018, at 4:52 am by briellejee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gravy
Historical fiction is not something I enjoy, especially, for lack of a better word, "plain" historical fiction (give me some historical fantasy and we'll talk). As this is "plain" historical fiction, it would not have peaked my interest, nor did the sample change my mind, so I won't be continuing.
Overall, this seems to be well edited and readable, but was a little dry for my taste. The beginning, outlining the discovery and opening of the box, didn't catch me (I, personally, just couldn't sympathize with her), and the jump back in time didn't help. I'm sure many people will be drawn directly into the story, it just didn't work that way for me.
As for something I particularly enjoyed, or something I would improve upon, I have nothing to offer. This isn't a genre I enjoy, but everything about the book leads me to believe it is a good example of its genre. Because of that, I did not particularly enjoy it, but believe that others will and that nothing I could suggest would improve it.
I believe there is a review for this book, but it having one or not in no way affects my opinion.
First Ten review added on September 28, 2018, at 4:09 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sahani Nimandra
War Serenade by Jillwallace is a historical romance inspired by a true story that took place during World War II. It was delightful when I found out that this story is based on true events. I have heard of love stories during at that time. Some were successful and some weren't. The official OBC review was beautifully drafted the reviewer provides an interesting premise. There weren't any hindrances while reading. The start was based on a little girl whose father treated her as a son, and whose mother warned her of not opening the box until she reaches a understandable age. For this 8-year-old, the understandable age was when she became 9 years. It was beautifully drafted read.
First Ten review added on September 28, 2018, at 1:59 am by Sahani Nimandra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Vickie Noel
I love the cover of this book; it drew me in like a magnet. I would have sampled it outside the program. The first few pages were just as captivating as I thought. I love the natural way the author described eight-year-old Iris who was so excited upon discovering the shoebox, that "for a magical instant, she saw an outline of shimmering yellow around the box, like a halo..." such that "she shivered and smiled at the same time." Her excitement was contagious. I didn't spot any error while reading so the editor certainly did a great job. I'd like to keep on reading to know the outcome of Iris opening the box at nine years of age, after telling herself that she was now "old enough" to do so instead of getting specific details from her mother. The OBC review was encouraging and piqued my interest in the book.
First Ten review added on September 28, 2018, at 1:04 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sicily Joy
The cover doesn't seem to match the title or the seriousness of the story. However, the description and official review peeked my interested in the book because the book uniquely focuses on South Africa during WWII. Since I don't know much about the effects of the war on South Africa I would have been interested in sampling War Serenade even without being a first ten reviewer. However, after reading the first ten pages I decided to I wouldn't be reading the rest of the book because of some of the characterizations of the People of Color in the book. I was enjoying the book until I read about Zulu nanny whose body was described as " ebony folds". It feels like an objectification of this character. I did like how the beginning was about a little girl just wanting to open a treasure box. I found that part to be endearing and mystery of the box drove the story forward. I didn't find any errors in the book and I think it was professionally edited. Therefore, the only thing I think needs improvement is the writing of People of color.
First Ten review added on September 28, 2018, at 12:45 am by Sicily Joy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kat Berg
The book cover is beautiful. I am not particularly fond of war books, but the cover might be enough to make me be a little curious. The book seems to be beautifully edited, which is always a relief to see. I did not notice any errors in the sample that I read. The author does a good job of detailing the logic of nine-year-old girl. I could see a young girl justifying opening a hidden box in just that way. The only improvement I can see is to make the timeline a little clearer. At first, I did not realize the young girl was actually thinking back to an incident that happened the year before. I don't always appreciate prologues, but it is short, and one would assume that what is in the box relates to the story that is begun in chapter one. One thing this book has going for it is that I have never read a WWII book that is set in South Africa, so that is a unique POV.
This book, if I were interested in books set during wartime, would be very appealing. It is one that I have put on a list of "maybe if my mood is just right," but at this time I will not be purchasing the book. I did not read the official OBC review.
First Ten review added on September 28, 2018, at 12:06 am by Kat Berg.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
RebeccasReading
This is not a book I would normally read. I'm not a fan of romance novels. After reading the sample, my opinion is the same. I like the historical components,but I just don't have an interest in a love story. I really liked the concept of the young girl going on a "treasure hunt" as a type of exposition of the main story. There were a few run on sentences that could be improved. For example, the sentence that begins with "she thought of Lena"(4th paragraph of chapter 1) would be much better as two separate sentences. Other than that, it seems to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 11:11 pm by RebeccasReading.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mercelle
This book's cover didn't entice me to sample it, but the OBC review swayed me in the opposite direction when it mentioned that this is a story about POW camps in South Africa during WWII. When I read the first ten pages, I liked that amidst the turmoil, Iris remained positive and was willing to help others. As I noticed no errors, I'll conclude that the text underwent professional editing, but I won't read the rest of the book as I didn't find the story appealing. As it is, there's nothing I would change about the bit I read.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 10:39 pm by Mercelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
KRay93
Although the design of the typography does not convince me, the illustration is appropriate for the theme proposed by the blurb. The official review highlights the unique perspective around WWII and the romance story. The book begins with a girl desperate to open a shoe box in which there is something related to the story of her uncles. Then, the beginning of said story is narrated, where the female protagonist is assigned to a POW camp to provide medical assistance. The prose is fluid and very immersive in the fictional universe, while the editing work looks acceptable at first glance. While I like the stories set in WWII, I tend to read those with a warlike/humanitarian tone and not as civil/romantic as this one seems. I will not continue reading this book.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 9:41 pm by KRay93.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
micoleon13
This is a great eye-catching cover page which immediately got my attention and made me want to read it. The OnlineBookClub review was very complementary and outlined a story that I would be interested in. Like the reviewer, I also really enjoy stories set during the War, but it always are those set in Europe or Britain. The fact this was set in South Africa got my interest even more and I was looking forward to reading the book. The pages which I read were well written and edited and I really liked the start how it focused on the girl and her innocent anticipation for opening the sealed box that she'd found in the garage. It was a great way to merge back into the past and to start the main story. I have no ideas for improvement and I would like to continue reading this book.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 8:40 pm by micoleon13.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
kfwilson6
Although I do love romances, I tend to veer away from anything set during a war, as I don't really care for war-based historical fiction. However, the cover of War Serenade is incredibly appealing and the number of 5-star reviews on Amazon had me convinced I should read this particular romance which is based on a true story because that just makes it more intriguing.
After reading the sample, I am completely convinced I will enjoy this romance. Wallace writes beautifully. I was as intrigued by the mysterious box as the little girl, and I doubt I could have waited a couple of hours, let alone a couple of years to take a peek at its contents. I cannot possibly imagine how Iris will get to know Pietro given their current situation as volunteer and prisoner of war. However, that is exactly what makes me want to keep reading. The odds seem impossible, so I want to know what will happen. What an excellent start to a romance with not a single error. I greatly look forward to reading War Serenade.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 8:34 pm by kfwilson6.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
va2016
The title and the cover indicate the theme of the book. The Amazon summary of the book gives an overview of the story, but not motivating enough for me to sample the book. There are 29 Amazon customer reviews that gave an average 5 out of 5 stars rating for the book, which is impressive. Based on the Amazon summary, I would not have picked the book for reading, as it does not raise my curiosity to sample the book. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration refreshingly good. Especially, the first chapter in which a girl goes through her mixed feelings about opening a shoebox, and how she eventually makes her decision to do it or not has been narrated pretty well. The narration about the prisoner who climbs a dangerous prison wall fence to set a pigeon free, and how his eyes meets Iris and make a deep connection has also been done excellently. As I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style, the expression of feelings, and the overall plot, I am going to read this book in full. I found the book to be professionally edited. I didn't find any grammatical or mechanical errors. What I liked most about the book is its fantastic narration. I could not find anything that could be improved with the book. I found one OBC review that gave 3 out of 4 stars rating for the book, but my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 8:29 pm by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
JuliaKay
I like the cover of this book. I think it will draw attention, and the lady in the red dress really pops. The title does make the book sound like it will be a historical romance, which I am pretty sure is the case. I did enjoy the blurb and the reviews, and this is a genre that I am drawn to on occasion. I would have at least chosen to sample this book even without this program. The book begins in South Africa in 1960, and this is an interesting place and time in my opinion. A girl is excited about a shoebox that had fallen off an old bookshelf. When the girl asks her mother if she can open the box, her mother harshly tells her that it may only be opened when she is older. The box belonged to her aunt and uncle, and her parents were keeping it until it's safe from the authorities. When the girl turned nine, she decided she was old enough to open the box. The next chapter takes place in 1943 in South Africa. The impression that I got was that this is the story that was contained in the box - the story of the girl's aunt and uncle. Iris is on the road to a prisoner of road camp. She volunteered at a hospital, and apparently, her assignment for that day was at the camp. I know from the review that a love story will occur, but I think that the start to the book is a little slow here, so initially, it isn't quite clear where the story is going. Aside from this, I thought the first ten pages were interesting and made me curious. I did not notice any technical errors, and it does appear that this book has been professionally edited. I do not intend on reading this book simply because I have other books that I want to read that seem more interesting to me.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 5:05 pm by JuliaKay.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
I really enjoyed the frame narrative of the little girl who decided to open the box her mother told her not to when she turned nine years old. That was very clever and made me even more interested in the story of the couple and what they go through during the war. I love the cover image, it definitely captures everything iconic about that period. The only misgiving I might have is the erotic scenes mentioned in the review. I’m not a big fan of books that delve into that, but I really enjoyed what I read so far. I really didn’t see any noticeable errors, so the editing looks great. I love historical fiction, so I’m definitely interested in sampling more of this book. I will keep it on my list for future consideration.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 4:37 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kourtney Bradley
War Serenade sounds like a historical fiction novel that readers who are also music lovers would enjoy. Although I did like the enchantment start to the story with the girl asking about what was inside the box and being told that she would know when she was older, the book seems like something I would pass on for now. I like the cover of the book very much, and found the contrast of the woman's dress against the "war-like" backdrop to be fascinating. Fortunately, I did not find any editing errors while reading the first ten pages, so I feel like the book has been professionally edited. I definitely feel like as the story goes on, we will find out that the young girl in the beginning is actually Iris, who works in the hospital and is mentioned in the first chapter. At this time, I'm going to pass on the book, only because I have yet to finish my September First Reads with Amazon.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 4:14 pm by Kourtney Bradley.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Alice Heritage
I wouldn't have sampled this without the program as I don't normally read historical fiction or books about WWII. However, the first ten pages convinced me that this is a good read so I will buy this book today. Plus I want to know what's in the box - that intriguing opening worked! I did not see any errors so the book seems professionally edited. I liked the surprising moment when the prisoner rescued the bird best, as well as the South African setting with details about the wildlife, the Afrikaans language and the Zulu maid. Sometimes Iris seems to step outside herself to be too reflective in a way that doesn't seem entirely natural - for example when she felt ashamed about thinking that the men were charging towards her. However, in general, her inner monologue was well done. I didn't see an OnlineBookClub review but that didn't affect my decision.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 3:59 pm by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Azeline Arcenal
After reading the first ten pages, I decided not to finish reading the book. The sample wasn't interesting enough for me. While reading the sample, I noticed how the shoebox reminded me of Pandora's box. I do like the book cover and title so if I were to sample the book based on just the cover and title, I probably would have chosen to sample it because they both look interesting. While reading the sample, I didn't notice any grammatical errors either. I also did not see an official OBC review for this book which would have been helpful in making a decision on whether I should read this book or not. There isn't anything I would change anything about this book.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 2:41 pm by Azeline Arcenal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Christina O Phillips
The title and cover are simple and did not catch my eye. I read the summary and was torn: while I like books that take place in WWII, I do not like romance. Without this program, I probably would have skipped this sample. I had more questions than answers while reading this sample. I am assuming that the story that starts once the little girl opens the box is related to what she finds in the box, but there was no clear transition to be sure. Then we follow Iris and she mentions Lena, but does not say their relationship. Then we go to Lena and Sofie. Each section I read followed different people rather than a clear cohesive story. Other than that, there were no errors that I noticed. But the jumping from characters made it hard for me to get into the book.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 2:22 pm by Christina O Phillips.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
OloladeO
I find the cover very attractive, so based on it, I would have read the sample. From the sample, it had been 365 days, 2 hours and 11 minutes since she had found the shoebox in the garage. It belonged to her aunt and uncle. It contained secrets that she was only supposed to learn about when she was old enough. Now she was nine, she decided she was old enough to gift it to herself, though she knew her parents would not approve. The sample really sparks my interest and I'm looking forward to reading it once I get the opportunity. The book seems professionally edited as I did not find any error in the bit that I read. The OBC reviewer spoke well about the book, but pointed that some scenes dragged out. Despite that, I am pinning this book to read in the future.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 12:23 pm by OloladeO.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
ritah
Based on the cover and genre, I would have sampled the book because the cover appealed to me and also because I often read books in this genre. I read the official review and then sampled War Serenade. I liked the young girl's curiosity and that she decided that at age nine she was mature enough to peak in the box that held secrets. I did not find any errors in the pages I read. The review mentions that the narrative takes a while to pick up - the pacing of a novel is important to me, which is the reason why I won't be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 11:10 am by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
desantismt_17
This book’s title made me curious. The description informed me this was historical fiction, which didn’t hook me. Though this involves music, I’m not too interested in historical stories. Before sampling, I wasn’t thinking about reading. After sampling, I’ll pass. The book appears professionally edited. I noticed no errors. The author did an excellent job of immersing me in the story once chapter 1 began. I could feel Iris’s apprehension and fears in the early pages. The setting also feels real. I’m not sure how necessary the prologue is. Without reading further, it feels like a vehicle to open the box that starts the main story. If it doesn’t play a bigger part later on, I’m not sure it needs to be included. I didn’t see an OnlineBookClub.org review and wish I had. One may have given more information and hooked my interest. As of now, I’m not intrigued enough to read the rest.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 9:51 am by desantismt_17.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Camille Turner
I wouldn't have chosen to sample this book based on the cover, title, genre, etc. because it looks like a war romance, which I'm not really fond of. Based on what I read, the book looks professionally edited, and I didn't notice any grammatical errors. My first impression and my thoughts after reading the first ten pages are the same. Based on the first ten pages, the book lives up to what it has promised to be from its cover and blurb on Amazon. It begins with a young girl opening a secret box that her parents have told her contains the dangerous secrets of her aunt's story. When the prologue ends, the novel switches to the (presumed) story of the aunt, Iris, a volunteer nurse in South Africa who is off to the prisoner of war camp. I wasn't crazy about the prologue, and think maybe it would improve the book to start with the stronger chapter one which features Iris. I won't buy and read this book because like I said, it's just not my type of genre.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 9:03 am by Camille Turner.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ObsessedBookNerd
Had I not read the first ten pages of the book I would have found the title, blurb and cover interesting and wanted to read the story. The reviews and genre make me on the fence about reading the story because I don’t usually enjoy historical genre novels and the reviews make it sound hard to get into the story. I think I might try to give this book a chance because I enjoy romance novels even though I might not enjoy the historical genre of the book. After reading the first ten pages of the book I decided I would give this book a chance because the introduction chapter made me want to know what the little girl found in the box and why she couldn’t look at it until she was older. In the next chapter, I found Iris to be fascinating. She is a nurse, her brother Gregg is fighting in the war, and she has sworn off men. I also enjoyed how the characters Iris and the prisoner meet in this chapter. The prisoner is climbing up the barbed wire fence to set a bird that was caught in it free and on the way down he catches Iris standing on the other side. I like when their eyes meet you can tell it’s love at first sight. I think I am going to read the whole book because I want to know how Iris and the prisoner story ends and if they get to be together in the end. The only thing I had trouble with the story is the prisoner of war camp and the treatment that the men were receiving. The book seemed professionally edited with no grammatical and spelling errors. What I enjoyed most about what I read was that the love story between Iris and the prisoner and how obvious it was when their eyes met. I also like how Iris is a British nurse and volunteering in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. It must be hard for a woman at this time period and she didn’t know the African language well. I also want to continue reading to find out what happened between Iris and Julian.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 6:12 am by ObsessedBookNerd.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Fu Zaila
I love historical fiction but I was reluctant to read this book at first glance. The cover makes it look like an exotic romance. But once I started reading the sample, I couldn't stop. The prologue was very engaging and compelling. I was curious to learn more about the contents of the shoebox. The writing was great and I didn't find any mistakes, which means it was edited professionally. There wasn't anything I disliked. I am adding it to my reading list.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 5:19 am by Fu Zaila.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Samantha Simoneau
Prior to sampling the book, I immediately loved the cover. The title is interesting, but the cover is visually striking. I thought, "Historical fiction ... Romance?" I love both genres, mostly when they overlap. The Amazon page knocked my socks off. Love the premise, love that it's based on a true story - wow. Speaking of wow, 29 perfect scores? I'm impressed. What really got me is the bit of review in the blurb that says someone felt a sense of loss when they finished the book. I know that feeling - that's a good book. Can't wait to sample! This is extremely well written and professionally edited. The flow is smooth. The style is highly engrossing - I feel like I'm in the room with the characters. The only error I saw was "Lord" wasn't capitalized in phrases like, "Thank the lord." A question did spring to mind: Did people use the phrase "suck it up" in the '40s? Shouldn't "jeep" be capitalized because it's a proper noun? Really, though, these are very minor things that I don't care about in relation to what is obviously a very well-executed book. The characters feel real. They have enough depth. There's a lot of "show" not "tell," which is the best kind of exposition. I loathe a fact download at the beginning of a book. I want it to feel like this book; like I've arrived in the middle of events and I have to get caught up through observation. I've already added it to my Amazon wish list. I can't order it today because I budget every penny and I can't make an unplanned purchase today. However, I really want to buy this next payday - and I'm not even all the way through the sample. I have a feeling that I will want this one in a hard copy for my shelves. There should be a comma after "every now and then." There should not be a comma between "them" and "might." "Pity one could never un-see human depravity." Oh, that's a good line! This book is great. I like Iris and I'm emotionally invested in her already, but I appreciate that she's not perfect. She has flaws. She's a bit vain and self-absorbed. Rather than putting me off, I identify with her because of these flaws. Wallace understands that a good character is never perfect. Perfect is boring. I've read far too many novels (or rather, started and abandoned them) which had a flawless, morally upright, fearless protagonist for whom nothing was a challenge or a temptation - usually women. While I strive to be upright and more selfless in my own life, I often fail, and I find characters like those unrelatable. Iris is definitely relatable. What an intro for the prisoner! I knew he was freeing the bird, but I appreciate the surprise of everyone who witnessed it. The description of their eyes meeting and the upsurge of emotions related to that moment would have, in earlier days, made me roll my eyes, but I'm married to the love of my life, and when I first saw him, it was like that. It was as if we'd always known each other and our lives were always coming to that fateful moment. I get it. Anyway, loved the sample. I am sold but I simply can't buy this book today. That is the only reason I'm choosing "No." Congrats to Jill Wallace on her wonderful work.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 5:07 am by Samantha Simoneau.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Cristina Chifane
I wouldn't have read this book without the first ten program. I like the title, but I'm not so enthusiastic about the cover. The Amazon blurb is very well written and it reveals just the right amount of details to trigger the readers' interest. Considering the 29 five-stars reviews, I thought Jill Wallace's novel must be quite an amazing historical romance. However, the sample did not impress me too much. Although I am interested in reading war stories, the moment Iris saw Pietro and fell in love with him seemed so unrealistic that I felt no need to continue reading. Iris's reflections on her brother Gregg or colonel Julian in charge with the POW camp were frivolous and lacked credibility. What I did like was Lena and Sophie's story about how they gave up their traditional life for servitude to the white man in the colonies, but still used their native tongue Zulu to criticize the world around them. I couldn't find any editing errors in the sample although the OBC reviewer mentions some problems there. I will not pick up the book for now, but I may have it in mind for later.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 3:26 am by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sharill Rasowo
If I had not read the sample, I probably would have read the book for the beautiful cover and interesting title. The official OnlineBookClub review made me less certain, as it hinted that the book had too much detail which could be condensed. However, the sample made me want to read the book. The prologue is set in 1960 where we meet a curious little girl who is the catalyst for tge story being told. She discovers a box which contains secrets about the main characters and opens it leading to the beginning of our story. I really love it when stories are set up in such a manner as it provides a sense of excitement. I was also really drawn to the main character as she seemed like a very happy person despite the war. Her avid interest in fashion was great to see and her inner thoughts were very amusing. I would buy and read this book as it is very interesting. I only spotted one error "She fathomed the war regardless of Lena's headlines." This sentence does not make sense and seems incomplete.
First Ten review added on September 27, 2018, at 1:23 am by Sharill Rasowo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Catherine Hsu
If I had not read the sample I would not have read the book. I think the cover could be more integrated, as the blocky title and calligraphic author name seem contradictory and make me confused about the genre of this book. After reading the sample, I have changed my mind. I think the figurative language is powerful, especially when the author was writing about the pigeon that was set free. The writing was also very interesting, and I loved this line: "The crowd roared with delicious anticipation." It was professionally edited. I did not read the official review but that did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 11:24 pm by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
ladycraic
I would not have chosen to sample War Serenade apart from First Ten due to my disinterest in both the cover and title. I don't typically go for stories focused on war, and both cover and title gave me the impression War Serenade fell under that particular category. The blurb piqued my interest. It seemed to have many elements of a compelling read, including one of my favorites: "forbidden love." I was a bit hesitant though, seeing as this blurb seemed to paint a heavy emphasis on romance, more than anything else. I am drawn to books with balance on several ideas, especially when it comes to romance. I felt that the first few pages didn't give me much guidance in making my decision. I thought the scenes leading up to where the readers met Iris were interesting. The element of suspense was so strong and it held my interest! After that point, my interest began to wane. The official OBC review made my decison-making easier. Firstly, it confirmed the idea that this book would most accurately fit under Romance. Secondly, the review informed readers of the erotic aspect of War Serenade. In my case, that's a major deal breaker. Overall, I will not be reading the rest of this book. War Serenade seemed professionally edited and I didn't notice any grammatical errors.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 11:01 pm by ladycraic.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
LV2R
The book cover and title gave a hint that the book was about a romance during wartimes. I was not very interested. The Amazon Blurb was well written. I liked the phrases: “divided by war, united by music, endangered by passion”. I also liked the descriptions used like, “heart-wrenching, sometimes funny and always dramatic”. Based on this blurb, I wanted to read the sample. The first ten pages opened up about a girl who found a sealed box on her eighth birthday in 1960 and was not permitted to open it up until she was old enough. She decided that she was old enough to open the box on her ninth birthday and the story shifted to 1943. Iris was a volunteer at a hospital, who assisted a doctor at the POW camp in South Africa. She noticed the stink and the double-fenced camp with a prisoner climbing a fence bare-footed to retrieve a pigeon. The best part of the sample was when, Iris thought the prisoner was hungry and was going to eat the bird, but to her surprise, he set it free. I could not decide about the book after reading the first ten pages. After reading the OBC review, I decided not to read the book because it has a lot of historical background on WWII and there are drawn out erotic sex scenes. I am not really a fan of historical war stories, and I am looking for something lighter to read at this time. The book seemed to be well edited, as I did not notice any errors. The OBC review had a note that the errors found at the time of the review were found and corrected.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 10:47 pm by LV2R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
revna01
The sample reading of War Serenade revealed a South African girl of nine years old, opening a box filled with her aunt and uncle's secrets while her mother is away. I like that the author started the book with a mystery to draw the reader in. I thought the writing style was flowy and engaging. I didn't notice any editorial mistakes and there was nothing about the sample that I would improve upon. I think the author chose a lovely cover illustration, and the title is intriguing as well. I read the Online Book Club review and learned a few important things about the book, such as it needing another round of editing and getting off to a really slow start. There are also a couple erotic scenes. These factors are each deal breakers for me when determining whether to purchase a book or not, so I will not be reading this book.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 10:43 pm by revna01.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mary WhiteFace
Without the First 10 program, I would not want to sample "War Serenade". I am not interested in a romantic war story, especially when it includes WWII concentration camp scenerios.
Even though reading the first ten pages did not change my mind, I enjoyed the humorous way the author would occasionally describe things. Iris was speaking with a nurse and "...was fascinated by the nurse’s thin nostrils flaring." As they continue talking, Iris sees that the nurse's "...nostrils were now flapping faster than a Venus flytrap." (location 315).
The book seemed to be professionally edited. The narrative had a good flow, and it was easy to get pulled into the story. The character of Iris was already becoming interesting within the first few pages. I will not be reading this book because of the topic. I have no suggestions for improvements. There was an Official OnlineBookClub review. It did not influence my decision.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 9:56 pm by Mary WhiteFace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
FictionLover
I would not have read this book based on cover or title. It looks like a romance and that is just not a genre I read. The Amazon blurb and the OBC review did not change my mind because they made it sound like a typical romance. However, the first ten swayed me. I have to admit, I was going to say 'no' to reading this, but I kept finding myself going back to read just a little more. The narrative is well written, the female lead is a sympathetic character who is not completely obsessed with love from page one, and the setting is unique and compelling. I am going to continue reading. . . The book seems professionally edited, I did not notice any grammatical or formatting errors in what I read. . . . I love how the author sets up the romance as almost an anti-romance where the male lead is not handsome but disheveled and starving. The author skillfully shows his humanity shining through right from the beginning as he frees a pigeon while causing himself pain on the barbed wire. Very beautiful. I also like the suspense of the nine year old opening a forbidden treasure. . . . I'm not sure anything could be improved. If you get me to read a romance, you are doing a lot right.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 9:45 pm by FictionLover.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Dolor
I would've chosen to read this book because aside from I am into this book's genre, the blurb and the official OBC review had added to my decision to read the entire story. I was also captured by the awesome combination of the cover and the title. Reading the first ten pages made my hunch rotate by 180 degrees. I was discouraged by the very slow pacing. The story did not take off. All the first ten pages talked about Iris and her observations on the people around her - nothing spectacular happened. Iris was chosen to assist the doctor in the POW camp. When she arrived there and realized the charging masses weren’t even looking her way, she blamed her dull-blue uniform. I was like, "OMG!"
Here are the minor errors I found:
lord => Lord
for gosh sakes => gosh's sake
fashionable in the grainy, black and white photographs => black,
The pictures confirmed London’s elite were, luckily for Iris, exempt from the ravages of war. => exempted
over the cut, flow, patterns and nuances of hem length => patterns,
her sharp pencil, taffeta, chiffon and silk were ruched , gathered and twisted, => chiffon, gathered,
the feeling of fast wheels, wind and freedom outweighed the need => wind,
design dreamed up, penciled, patterned, cut, sewn and debuted. => sewn,
She sniffed. Surely this stink hole, filled with khaki tents surrounded by moats— for the rain, she supposed— was in violation of the newly set Geneva standards? => standards.
But not for long . => (clause treated as a sentence)
I consider this book professionally edited despite the errors. I suggest making the first ten pages a gripping read. As of now, I'll bypass reading this book. War Serenade by Jill Wallace is a #HistoricalFiction inspired by a true story about a congealing #Romance and forbidden #Love between Pietro (an Italian opera star-turned-pilot who is shot down during the #WorldWarII and taken as a prisoner of war in #SouthAfrica ) and Iris (a British woman).Get mesmerized by a love story that crosses the barbed wire, risks the deadly charge of treason, and confronts worst fears.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 9:38 pm by Dolor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kendra M Parker
I’m not a huge fan of war novels, so I usually avoid them. The official review on this was interesting, but did not really change my mind about the book. As I read the first ten pages, I did not see any major issues with editing. I appreciated how Lena had an eye for fashion, even while in the middle of the war. The way that she kept thinking about how to modify her volunteer uniform made me smile. Still, I’m not drawn into this book enough that I will read it. I think I will pass on this one.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 8:44 pm by Kendra M Parker.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lesler
Looking at the cover, I am not interested in this book. Reading the sample, I liked the story setting of being in South Africa during World War II, but the story of the prison did not interest me enough to keep reading. This book appears to be professionally edited, with no grammatical errors or typos that I noticed. I liked the story of the prisoner rescuing and releasing the hurt pigeon the most-the story was very moving and powerful. I did not like how the book jumped around so much in setting and characters-it was hard to keep track of.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 6:03 pm by lesler.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Seraphia Bunny Sparks
After reading a few pages of, War Serenade by Jill Wallace, I have decided that I will not be purchasing this book. When I saw the cover for this book, it looked like a war story. As I read the blurb, I learned that this book is a war story with romance. The blurb does not pique my interest. The blurb headliner mentions that the two characters are united by music, but in the blurb, there is no mention of music. The author points out that Pietro has lost his passion for music. How do the two characters become united by music? For me, it doesn't make sense. If I had not read a sample of this book, I would not have picked it up. The reason I say this is because of a review I read. The reviewer warns that this story is a slow burn/build-up. I appreciate romance novels, but novels that take a long time to engage me in the story are not ones I want to read. I want a book that is engaging, from the beginning. This book sounds like it would be a trial to read. As I read a few pages of this book, I find myself confused. The author starts the book with the epilogue. I'm not used to this as the epilogue ties up loose ends. The scene with the little girl is both sweet and morbid. The author having the child compare the red sealing wax to congealed blood is disturbing. I wonder...has she encountered a scene of where she'd have seen something like this at her young age? It seems strange for a child to think of this. Based on what I have read this book appears to be professionally edited. This book does have an OnlineBookClub review. The reviewer speaks positively of the story but does point out its issues. The reviewer points out that the story takes a long time to become interesting. This warning decreases my interest. I want a book to engage me from the beginning. I don't think this book will. I will not be purchasing this book or adding it to my to-be-read shelf.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 5:35 pm by Seraphia Bunny Sparks.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bianka Walter
Iris seems like a fantastic protagonist. She has humour in her thoughts and the narrative suggests that she is, in fact, highly intelligent. I feel like this type of female lead is rare these days, and it was refreshing to read about her trip to the prisoner of war camp. This is, unfortunately, not a genre that I usually read. I have also read my fair share of WWII books and am not looking to read any more. This book seems professionally edited; I found no errors. Being a South African and having learnt about our detention camps in history classes, this was definitely an interesting sample for me. But not a book that interests me enough to want to read further.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 5:34 pm by Bianka Walter.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb, I think I would check this book out because it sounds like an interesting WWII story with a fresh perspective from South Africa and I haven't ever read about WWII from that angle before. After reading the first ten pages, I didn't see any spelling or grammar errors. I thought it was well-written so far and very descriptive. I like how things were described such as when Iris was opening the box. I could easily imagine her eagerness and anticipation as she eyed the box covered in wrapping paper. It's a simple scene but I thought it was well written. I also like how her father's quote about making eye contact with someone special was a good segway and foreshadowing about how Iris will meet her future lover Pietro. However, I don't think I'll be reading the rest. Thought the story sounds interesting, it also seems heavy on romance and instant-love which I'm not really a fan of so I don't think this is for me.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 4:51 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kareka88
I could tell right away from the cover and the title it was going to be a historical fiction novel involving romance, and I enjoy historical fiction/romances. Reading the first ten pages was a letdown because the writing style did not capture my interest in the story as I had hoped it would and I will not complete the book. I enjoyed the epilogue with the story of the girl and the shoebox. Lena helping the doctor with medication explains why she was in the POW camp and how she met Pietro made the story plausible. The book seemed well edited, and I found no blatant grammatical errors. I read a review on OnlineBookClub, and the reviewer too stated the book was slow going at the beginning.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 4:48 pm by Kareka88.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yoli García
I really like the woman’s red dress in the cover. It is eye-catching. However, I would not have sampled this book without this program because I am not interested in reading about war. The OBC review did not convince me to read the book. I liked the idea of forbidden love in the midst of WWII, but I do not want to read about war. After I read the the sample pages, I thought the book was professionally edited. I liked that the girl is very curious about the secret box that contains important information about her aunt and uncle. I opened my eyes big when she opened it. I liked that Lena teaches English to the gardener and Iris. I think this is a good story for those who enjoy historical fiction about WWII. I will not read the book because I have no interest in reading about war at the present time.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 4:21 pm by Yoli García.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Allyseria
The book cover looks very interesting. I like that it is a girl running with a red dress as it contrasts with the 'war' concept. I also like the book title because it fits the cover. When I read the blurb, I was not very interested in the book because I don't particularly like war stories and the forbidden romance theme has been a bit overdone for me. The OnlineBookClub review was interesting as it mentions that the book offers a unique perspective on World War 2 since it focuses on the war's effects on South Africa. However, as I still dislike the genre, it did little to interest me. The sample starts out with a curious shoebox that the young girl wanted to open, but was forbidden to. It is an engaging start because now I am interested in finding out the shoebox's contents. I like how vivid the descriptions were. It felt like I was pulled back into history. However, it would have been better if there were more dialogue in the book. So far, the reader could only see the main character's thoughts and saw her actions. Overall, I would not continue to read the book because I still do not particularly like the war genre.
Note: The book had been professionally edited.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 2:59 pm by Allyseria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
"War Serenade" is a historical fiction and a love story set in South Africa during War World II. The main protagonist is a British woman named Iris. The book starts with a little girl who is shown a shoebox. Her parents told her she will open it when she will be old enough, and that the box contains her aunt and uncle's story. At nine years old, she can't help herself, and she opens the box without permission. The part I read seemed professionally edited, although I know from the OBC review that the book needs editing. I liked the writing. It simply captured all my attention. I wouldn't have tried this book in the first place and I won't continue reading it because war stories are not for me.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 2:59 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I wouldn’t have read it. I’m not really a fan of romance novels, and despite the attractive WWII backdrop, the forbidden love story behind this wasn’t enough to attract my attention. 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 absolutely loved the descriptions that Iris gave about the POW camp on her arrival. Particularly, I liked the descriptions of the multi-layered security. Beyond that, the horrors of the camp were apparent when the prisoners caught sight of a plump pigeon in the razor wire. That being said, there isn’t enough in this story to keep my attention. I was hoping for a sign of more action within the sample that I read, but I feel that the emphasis of the book is going to be more on the drama than the war. 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 September 26, 2018, at 2:45 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Julie Green
I would be tempted to read the book based on the cover image, though the title suggests the story might be too much of a saccharine romance for my taste. Having read the opening pages, I will read the rest of the book.
I was impressed by the storytelling ability of the author. The opening chapter offers an interesting mystery with the secret of the shoebox. The second chapter is equally compelling as we witness Iris watching a prisoner of war help a trapped pigeon to fly free. Iris's inner voice is set up well e.g. we hear her thinking that the prisoner was planning to capture the pigeon for food. There is good use of description to bring scenes to life e.g. the ghastly stench when the prisoners open their mouths. I did not spot any grammatical errors.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 2:38 pm by Julie Green.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
CinWin
I would not have chosen "War Serenade" by Jill Wallace by its cover. I don't enjoy reading books in the romance genre, so I won't be finishing it. I did read the first 10 pages. It begins mysteriously with Iris, our protagonist on her 9th birthday. She had found a shoebox belonging to her aunt and uncle and her mother would not let her open it until she was older. Iris was turning 9 so she was planning on opening it today. The chapter then ends and in the next one we find Iris as a grown up nurse working in a prisoner-of-war camp. The book flowed very nicely and there were no typographical errors. I didn't see anything that I would improve on in the first 10 pages. I liked that it was inspired by a true story. There was an onlinebookclub review that helped me understand what happens next in the book.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 2:02 pm by CinWin.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lavellan
I probably would have read the sample of War Serenade even if it had not been a part of The First Ten program. The Book of the Day review was positive and left me interested in the book. The book seemed like it was professionally edited and I did not notice any errors while reading. I really enjoyed the scene where Pietro freed the pigeon from the fence. I think that the cover could be redesigned to be more reflective of the book's topic. I also didn't like how the epilogue at the beginning of the book spoiled its ending. Due to me not having enough time to take on another book, I will not be buying the book today.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 1:32 pm by lavellan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsTri
When I saw the title and cover for this book - both of which are just semi-attractive to me - I was fairly certain that it wouldn't interest me; the combination indicates genres I dislike. Upon reading the Amazon synopsis and OBC review, my initial feelings were confirmed. I don't like romance novels OR historical fiction on the best of days, and I don't want to read one "set in South Africa during World War II", as those are both backdrops that I do not care for, especially if there are POWs involved. With that being said, I was glad to see that from the sample, the book appears to be professionally edited. I liked the Epilogue, Part I the most since it just featured a little girl before all the rest begins. Aside from that, I liked the part where the prisoner captured the pigeon and let it go. Even though I will not finish this book, I have no suggestions for changes because it's very well written for its particular genres.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 12:29 pm by MsTri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
At first glance, I would not have picked up this book because the plot does not seem unique. The cover of this book is pretty average, but I like the title. The first ten pages were professionally edited. I loved the mystery of the first few pages before the little girl opens the box. I thought it was a cool way to introduce the other timeline. Unfortunately, the first ten pages were not interesting enough to make me want to read the rest. The OBC review did not change my mind.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 11:50 am by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nelsy Mtsweni
I am going to read the book because the story in it is set in South Africa, where I reside. Having read the review and the sample, I am planning on reading the whole book because it is based on World War 2 and the effects it had on South Africa (S.A.) at that time, when S.A. was colonized by the British. The main characters of the book include Iris and Pietro, who in the middle of the war chose to love each other romantically. Their love is forbidden as they are on the opposite sides of the war. I want to read the whole book and find out what happens to their love in the end? Does it overcome all the strong barriers fenced around it? I did not notice any editorial errors. Thanks
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 10:53 am by Nelsy Mtsweni.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
cpru68
I liked how this book opened in 1960 with the young, curious girl wondering what was in a sealed box, and being reprimanded by her mom that it contained information regarding her aunt and uncle. She is instructed not to open it “until she is older”. As she turns 9, she decides she is “older” and opens the box. I liked how that then took me back in time to 1943 to meet Iris, a young nurse during World War Two and is sent to volunteer as a nurse in a POW camp. She fears for her brother Gregg who is fighting in the war, and the camp’s rough treatment of the men there make her worry even more. The unexpected happens when her eyes fall upon an Italian POW, and they both feel an attraction for one another. This was a nice set up to this historical romance. I did not find any errors in punctuation, spelling or grammar in the portion I read, but the reviewer did mention there were a few, so I am not sure if it was professionally edited. I am not going to keep on reading this as my reading list right now is full. The author seems to have put together a rather unique perspective of this time period that many historical romance fans should find inviting.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 10:40 am by cpru68.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gali
I wouldn't have sampled the book on my own, as I am not fond of war stories. The cover is eye-catching. While the blurb gives a good sense of the content, it is too busy and didn't pull me in. I didn't change my mind after sampling the book. The story follows the forbidden romance between Pietro, an Italian war prisoner, and Iris, a young British woman living in Pietermaritzburg. While the premise of a true love story set during WWII in South Africa
is intriguing, not to mention unique, the pace was too slow for my taste. According to the Editor note on the official review, the errors were fixed, but another round of editing won't go amiss. I noticed a couple of errors such as: "…and her red mane get wilder" (should be "gets") – Loc 513; "Knowing her brother, no matter where he was, he would be making them all laugh." (the second he is unnecessary) - Loc 320. I liked that the story opened in the present, the freeing of the pigeon by Pietro, and the alternate perspectives. However, I won't read the book, as it didn't engage me enough for that. The official review didn't sway my decision either way.
First Ten review added on September 26, 2018, at 10:33 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 27%
War Serenade earned a score of 27%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 27% 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 War Serenade
