The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Tookie Before Tim
Because Tookie Before Tim was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Ekta Kumari
I wouldn't have read this as I was not expecting the story to be engaging. But I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the story and the author's portrayal of Tookie's character. Author's knowledge of a woman's thoughts and feelings shines through this book. Plus, his depiction of the people in the period of 1950s-1960s is impressive. I didn't find any significant errors, and it seems like the book is fairly well edited. Sampling this book is enough for me to decide that I want to read it. In fact, I'll try to get my hands on other books in the series, too. Of course, the absence of an official review does not impact my decision here.
First Ten review added on April 21, 2019, at 4:26 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Gravy
I wouldn't have sampled this for several reasons: not my taste, haven't read the novel it's a prequel to, etc. The sample did not change my mind.
I didn't notice any errors. Personally, I think the cover could be better, but it's not the worst I've seen.
I'm not really a fan of the writing, but that is just personal preference. If I had to make note of one thing, I would have to admit to being annoyed at the fact that a female character who has apparently just gone through labor would be worried about how she looked. I'm sure there are those out there who are, but I would have to question the stability of their relationship, and it makes me think I wouldn't like the character(s) very much.
As this is a short story prequel to a novel (one that doesn't interest me), I can't say that I plan on reading this. I'm sure fans of the original book would get a kick out of it.
I do not believe there was a review for this, but my opinion would not change if there were.
First Ten review added on April 21, 2019, at 4:24 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bianka Walter
This is not a book I would have sampled before the first ten program. I read the Amazon blurb, and I have no idea who Tookie or Tim are, and this is a prequel to their stories. I have never read their stories, so I would not have read this one. Nowhere in the Amazon blurb did it mention autism, so I was suddenly interested when, in one of the last sentences of the book, the author mentions Asperger's Syndrome. The sample, for me, was neither here nor there. There was really nothing interesting about it. Tookie has nothing noticeably unique about her, and I was not intrigued at all. I noticed a few comma errors. In the first line, it says, 'Ann Woodstream still loved her husband Robert when she gave birth to their second daughter.' Robert is not a restrictive appositive, and therefore needs commas on either side. This happens twice in the sample. I will not be reading this book further. I had no interest in the characters, and this could be due to the fact that I have not read the rest of the series.
First Ten review added on April 21, 2019, at 4:14 am by Bianka Walter.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
va2016
The title and the cover indicate the theme of the book. There are no Amazon customer reviews. The Amazon summary is short and succinct, but many won't be familiar with Tookie or Tim, so I doubt if people would be interested in reading the book based on the characters. I would have skipped sampling the book for the same reason if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing Tookie's life in her childhood along with her sister Beth, and how she managed sharing her toys, clothes, and other stuff with her elder sister. As I read the book, I lost interest in reading further, and so, I am not going to read this book in full. Also, a family story is not my genre. I found the book professionally edited. I didn't find any grammatical or mechanical errors. I didn't like anything specifically in the book nor did I find any opportunities for improvement. Although I didn't find any OBC reviews for the book, my decision to not to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on April 21, 2019, at 3:07 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vickie Noel
Nothing about this book would have given me the idea that I'd enjoyed it as much as I did. The book title and the cover art give no real clue as to what to expect so I most likely would have gone past it outside the program. Now after reading the sample, I'm not going anywhere until I'm through. For someone very averse to reading more of narration than dialogue, Tookie before Tim sure had me in its clutches. I could relate to Tookie's love for reading and inability to get boys' attention. I can't wait to read more of her experiences and how she deals with her Asperger's Syndrome. I didn't even find a single grammatical error and my reading flow was seamless. I also didn't read an OBC review on the book, but I'm quite glad to say that its absence has got nothing on the book; I can't wait to conclude it.
First Ten review added on April 21, 2019, at 3:07 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
unamilagra
Before sampling this book, I may have been interested in it, because I have a personal connection to a girl on the spectrum, and the topic is always interesting to me. I enjoyed the first ten pages of this book. Having never read the original novel, I don't have any background information on Tookie, but I really like her character. Despite her lack of social skills, she has a love of books and seems to be happy with her life. I love the simple but illustrative writing style. I do believe I will finish this book, and I might check out the other novel as well! I did not note any errors in the section I read.
First Ten review added on April 21, 2019, at 1:26 am by unamilagra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, cover and title. There also wasn’t an OBC review, and I don’t read books that don’t have a review. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I thought it was a little disorganized. For example, in one paragraph it talked about Tookie and how she liked to sit in her father’s lap and be read to. Then it switched to talking about her lack of talking and Asperger’s. Then it switched back to reading. I had to reread the paragraph because I thought I skipped something. I also noticed a couple of errors. For example, “to older sister’s” should be “to her older sister’s”. The errors tell me that the book probably wasn’t professionally edited. I liked the length of the book and it would probably be a quick and easy read. Unfortunately it just isn’t a book I want to finish.
First Ten review added on April 21, 2019, at 1:21 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Fu Zaila
The cover could have been better but it looks nice. The writing was really compelling and engaging. It is also edited professionally. I really liked reading about Tookie, and I love that she was a middle child who loved green and kept to herself most of the times, with little interest in fashion or style. It reminded me so much of myself. There wasn't anything to dislike. The sample was short and I would love to read more and know how Asperger's was dealt with in those times. The reviews are also positive which has got me interested further.
First Ten review added on April 21, 2019, at 12:46 am by Fu Zaila.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I wouldn’t have read it. I'm not really interested in reading a story about Asperger syndrome. 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 appreciated the dynamic between the sisters of Beth and Tookie, especially when their mom announced that they were to be sharing a room much to the chagrin of both of them. That being said, this is both book about a topic that I wouldn't read and something that doesn't really interest me personally. 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 April 20, 2019, at 10:57 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Samantha Simoneau
The cover confuses me. Who is this woman? Tookie, I guess, but who is Tookie? The blurb doesn't really clear this up for the uninitiated. It sounds like there's a book series, and this is a "prequel" of sorts, but the blurb doesn't explain what the book series is in any way, and since I have no frame of reference, I'm annoyed. On to the sample. Shouldn't "Robert" have a comma on either side of it in the first sentence? There should be a comma between "stupid" and "and" because that sentence is a compound sentence. Wow, the sample is really short. I was just getting interested in Tookie and Asperger's Syndrome when it came to an abrupt halt. Tookie seems sweet and interesting, but the brief sample didn't contain enough to make me want to bother downloading the book, even if it is free. I do think, for the most part, it's well edited.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 10:14 pm by Samantha Simoneau.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ritah
Based on the cover and title, I wouldn't have sampled the book because it didn't appeal to me. I didn't see an official review for Tookie Before Tim. I liked that I got a sense of who the characters were in the first few pages. I wished that the two sisters (Beth and Tookie) got along more even though I totally understood why Tookie felt the way she did. I did not find any errors in the pages I read. I'm curious about what Tookie's relationship will be with her sister when they get older, which is why I will be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 4:27 pm by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Delaney35
Since this book is a prequel, and I never read the original I would not pick this book to read. There also wasn't an official review, so I would have no real idea what I would be getting into. After reading the first few pages, I still hold that I don't want to read this book. I feel like it jumped into things without explaining the characters. This is probably because I never read the original, which I assume explains everything a bit more. It did appear to be professionally edited though and it was well-written. All things considered, I will not be finishing this book. It's just not my genre and the beginning wasn't compelling enough to change my mind.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 11:01 am by Delaney35.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
"Tookie Before Tim" by George Kaplan is the prequel to "Only Tim Sent Flowers." The author narrates the story of both Tookie and Tim before they crossed paths. I would not have read the book based on the cover, blurb, and genre. After reading the sample, I did not change my mind as I am not interested in the story. The lack of an official OnlineBookClub review did not influence my decision. In the first ten pages, the author narrates Tookie's childhood and how she struggles with social skills because of Asperger's syndrome. While reading the first ten pages, what I liked most was the author's writing style; it was simple, clear, and pleasant to read. However, I am not sure this short book was professionally edited as I found some missing commas. For example, "Tookie feared that glasses would make her look geeky but she had no choice if she was going to be able to read" instead of "Tookie feared that glasses would make her look geeky, but she had no choice if she was going to be able to read."
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 8:14 am by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sahani Nimandra
Tookie Before Tim by George Kaplan is a memoir of an individual suffering from Asperger syndrome. Unfortunately, I didn't see any official review: Asperger syndrome isn't a common issue, therefore, an official review would help in deciding if the reader wishes to read this book. First and foremost, the page numbers needs to be re-arranged. I noted few punctuations missing: The leader, who was holding one end of the rope, looked her up and down and pointed (p.73) - The leader, who was holding one end of the rope, looked her up and down, and pointed; She had heard older girls at her last school talk about going out for pizza with boys after football and basketball games and wondered what it would be like.(p.201) - She had heard older girls at her last school talk about going out for pizza with boys after football and basketball games, and wondered what it would be like; Neither showed any obvious effects. For that she was grateful.(p.210) - Neither showed any obvious effects: for that she was grateful. This read seriously needs a punctuation editorial round. I love the storyline from the start, but I still don't understand what has this got to do with Asperger syndrome. The subject isn't stated clearly. The starting point reflects on Mary Louise's life having trouble with copping up with children in her age, and by chapter 3, on Tim before meeting Louise. Interestingly, while writing this short review I successfully finished reading this book. Looking forward to the next installment.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 4:58 am by Sahani Nimandra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
gen_g
I have not come across reviews of this book. I found 1 grammar error: Location 45 - "...toys to clothing to hair dryer(s)..." - "Hair dryers" should be in plural according to context. Other than this error, the book seems professionally edited. Learning more about Tookie's childhood as a child who is undiagnosed with Asperger's is interesting, as I do not have any experience interacting with people with this syndrome. However, I would like to suggest that the author improve the flow of the book; the story seems to jump from event to event. More elaboration and word count spent on developing each plot point before moving on to the next would be better, I feel. I will not be purchasing this book, as the writing style is not my cup of tea.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 4:23 am by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nisha Ward
This is a rather short book that I picked up because the idea of a protagonist with Aspergers seemed interesting. I rarely see that in the young adult fiction that finds its way to me, so even without a review I was willing to read it. It's a bit of a stilted book, but I do enjoy the fact that the author doesn't make Tookie seem "special" but rather, a person with a condition who still functions in life. It's also mostly professionally edited since I didn't find any errors, so there is that as well. This is definitely a book I'll finish.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 3:26 am by Nisha Ward.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Lorraine De Vos
I would have sampled this book to see what it is about, because I’m not familiar with the Tookie and Tim books. After sampling the first ten pages, I could not stop reading and ended up finishing the whole book. The character of Tookie was shaped amazingly well and the author covered many years in one chapter. I felt like Tim’s chapter was much shorter and did not give as much background as Tookie’s did. I am however very interested to read the Tookie and Tim books after reading this book. The book appears to be professionally edited as I did not find any errors. There was no official OnlineBookClub review, but in this instance, it did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 3:12 am by Lorraine De Vos.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mercelle
Judging by the cover, I wasn't going to read this book, and the absence of an official OBC review didn't influence my decision. When I read the first ten pages, I liked that Mary Louise felt that she was her father's favorite. Since I noticed no errors, I will conclude that the text underwent professional editing, but I won't read the rest of the book because it doesn't appeal to me. As it is, there's nothing I would change about the bit I read.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 3:11 am by Mercelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Alice Heritage
I wouldn't have sampled this without the programme because it is described on Amazon as a prequel to other books that I'm not familiar with - I also couldn't see them on Amazon, strangely. I will read the rest of it because it was enjoyable to read, and it is so short that it will not take me much longer to finish. I liked the cleanness of the text, which may have been professionally edited as I didn't notice any errors. The descriptions of some of Tookie's characteristics were interesting. For example, she is described as having first started speaking when she memorized a story that was read to her. I liked that she isn't portrayed according to stereotypes about autism. Her love of books clearly means that she has a good imagination, for example. There wasn't really anything that I didn't like. The book sometimes seemed like a memoir, but it is listed as fiction. This was slightly confusing but isn't a major issue. I didn't see an OnlineBookClub review, but that didn't affect my decision.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 2:41 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mbrooks2518
I thought it was okay. I would not have read this book if not for The First Ten because it is not the type of book I normally read. So, it is very doubtful that I will decide to buy and finish this book unless I was to read the other book about Tookie. Also, I did not see an official review for the book, but it probably would not have affected my opinion of it.
This book also needs more editing. I saw a few sentences with missing commas. The most obvious one was the lack of commas before and after Daniel on the third page.
One thing I did like though was the writing style. It flowed well and made it a very quick read.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 12:14 am by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CataclysmicKnight
I really didn't know what this book was before I checked out the Amazon description, and as such, I probably would've passed it up if it wasn't the book of the day.
I was intrigued by this prequel-ish novel, especially since it's so short (less than 40 pages). So far the book is detailing Tookie's life, from her youth to middle school, and she seems like a super cool little girl. I didn't see any errors, and I didn't see any negatives either. I found myself relating to Tookie's social issues, sight problems, and brevity with conversation.
If this was a longer book, I probably wouldn't finish it, but with only 20+ pages left to complete it, I don't see any reason not to.
First Ten review added on April 20, 2019, at 12:09 am by CataclysmicKnight.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
revna01
Mary Louise, dubbed Tookie by her father, was the middle of three children. She had Asperger's in the 1950s, before it was diagnosed in people. She preferred to be alone, was sensitive and loved reading. She was intelligent in reading and comprehension but slow in communication. Her sister Beth consistently harassed her. I liked the author's description of the girl, setting up her character early on. I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages and can't think of anything to improve, save the cover, which I don't think does the book any favors. The title isn't too bad, though. I didn't notice an OBC review, although I saw the author was an award winner. This storyline and the sample did not entice me, so I'll pass, but thanks for the free download.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 11:09 pm by revna01.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jaime Lync
Tookie Before Tim by George Kaplan has an intriguing title so I would have sampled this book even without being prompted by the first ten program. From the first ten pages, I noted that Tookie is a nickname for Mary Louise, a girl born with Asperger's syndrome in the early 1950s even before the syndrome was recognized. The author illustrated some of the symptoms of the disorder by showing us how Tookie learned to talk way after her contemporaries did, as well as her fascination with the same stories and preferring to play by herself. I enjoyed the author's writing style and noted that the book seems to have been professionally edited as I did not find any grammatical errors. Unfortunately, I learnt that the author has a series of books featuring Tookie as the protagonist. This book seems to be a stand-alone book, but I find it hard not to consider it as part of a series of books. After reading the descriptions of the other books I realized that the series does not appeal to me, so I will not continue reading this book. I would still recommend this novel to persons who can view it as a stand-alone novel or are interested in reading all the books in the Tookie Series.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 11:05 pm by Jaime Lync.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AA1495
Had I not sampled the book, I would not have read it. I usually read pure romance books. However, the image of the woman on the cover made me curious about the content of the book. Having read the sample, I liked how the author began with positive reviews of the book. As a result, I had a good impression of the book even before I read the actual content. Further, I felt like the author introduced Tookie's character well. However, I would have liked an introduction to the author and a prologue. Further, I would have liked more spacing between paragraphs. I found no major grammatical errors in the book. Since I do not read the genre usually, I will not be reading the book further.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 9:38 pm by AA1495.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
LV2R
The book cover and title were both OK, but I did not know if I wanted to read the book or not. The Amazon Blurb was very short, stating that the book would be about Tookie and Tim before they met and would explain why they act the way they do. I wanted to read the sample to find out more. The first ten pages introduced Mary Louise (Tookie) and her parents, Ann and Robert, as well as her sister Beth and brother Daniel. Tookie had symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome, but not known at that time. I best liked that Mary Louise had red hair and that she felt that she was her father’s favorite, though he made all the children feel like his favorite. I think that Tookie must have felt loved (she “forgave him for dubbing her Tookie”) and that this fact could have helped her to be strong in character. The book seems to be edited well, as I did not notice any errors. There was not any OBC review. I would like to have read a review on the book, but I decided that I would go ahead and read the short book to find out more about who Tookie and Tim were and about their personalities.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 9:37 pm by LV2R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
CinWin
"Tookie Before Tim" by George Kaplan begins at the birth of Mary Louise, aka Tookie. Having Aspergers Syndrome, she was a sensitive girl, and socialization skills were difficult for her. I did not notice any typos in the first ten pages. There was not an onlinebookclub review, and the Amazon review was concise. This fact did influence my decision not to finish the book. I don't know who Tookie and Tim are because I haven't read any previous books about them, and it is not my genre. I believe many people will enjoy this novel. It is an easy and cute read. Also, it is very character-driven. I would not have chosen the book by its cover because I am not familiar with the "Tookie" series.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 8:29 pm by CinWin.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
sarahmarlowe randomeducator
I wouldn't have picked this book up based on the cover because I can't tell what kind of book it is. The sample was well-written, though, and moved fluidly. I didn't know anything about these characters prior to reading the sample, so I was interested to see that Mary Louise would find out in her adult life that she has Asperger's Syndrome. I'm sure this is an interesting look at what she went through in order to try to fit into society. In the first ten, there were already signs of social issues like being clingy and not getting along with her sister. I found no errors, and I have not read an OBC review. But, I will not be reading this book. It is not a genre I am interested in.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 7:51 pm by sarahmarlowe randomeducator.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
HRichards
I normally wouldn't have picked this book up as it seems like a prequel to a different series. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book as it is part of a series I haven't read. The sample deals with the birth of Tookie and her older sister's dislike of her new sister. It turns out that Tookie has Asperger's syndrome and is different from other children. The writing is pretty good and I didn't notice any grammar errors. Those who have read other books in this series might enjoy a closer look at this character. Having not read the other book, I wasn't interested. I have not read any other reviews of this book.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 5:12 pm by HRichards.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
This book is cute, but mainly for people who are already fans of this book series. I don’t know Tookie or Tim, so although it’s not necessary that I do, I feel like I’m missing out on something to do with these characters that would make me want to read more about their behavior. So, for that reason I’ll pass on this book. I liked the description of Tookie being born and getting a nickname from dad that she hated. Being named after her grandmothers was nice too. It seems extremely well-edited overall because I didn’t really notice any errors. There was no review, so I’m not sure what the story is about exactly, apart from revealing more about Tookie and Tim. The cover image is nice and it does provide some awareness of aspergers, which I like.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 4:42 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'Tookie before Tim' is a book written by George Kaplan. The title, cover, OBC review, and Amazon review did a good job at convincing me to give this book a try.
The first ten pages leads me to believe that it is the prequel of ‘Only Tim Sent Flowers’. It talks about Tookie aka Mary Louise and Tim's life before they meet in Milltown. Cookie has Asperger’s Syndrome. The book is set in the 50's and 60's. I like this about the book. I did not find any error. Hence, I consider it to be professionally edited. I will give this book a try as it is pretty short, and also I like the writing style.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 4:24 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jsovermyer
The girl on the cover is so cute, I was immediately drawn to the book. I was not familiar with the Tookie and Tim series, but this book was so interesting, I will have to find the next one. This short book, Tookie Before Tim, is the prequel to the novel, Only Tim Sent Flowers. It gives the backstories of Tookie and Tim, from childhood to the moment they first meet. My favorite part was when Tookie was trying to get the boys in her school to notice her by wearing see-through underwear under her skirt when she knew they were looking up girl's dresses. It was very funny. I didn't find any spelling or grammatical errors and believe that this book has been professionally edited. There wasn't an official review, and so I had to make up my own opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed Tookie's story and since it was a short book, I have already finished reading it.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 3:11 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jessacardinal
Upon first glance, I would look further into this book, even though I have not seen a review for it, because I am curious about who or what "Tookie" is. After briefly sampling the story, I look forward to reading Tookie Before Tim in its entirety. One can't help but feel strong emotions for Tookie and the experiences a lot of us can relate to when reminiscing upon our childhood years. I specifically enjoy Tookie's humorous response when her mother chastises her for the way she is sitting while wearing a dress. I think the cover would look better without the face edited over top of the background. The book would also benefit from a round of professional editing. An example of one of the errors is visible in the following sentence, which is missing an article: "When teacher asked a question, Tookie gave the correct answer with a minimum of words." Nonetheless, the story is captivating in an adorable way, and I look forward to exploring it further.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 2:47 pm by Jessacardinal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Cristina Chifane
I wouldn't have sampled this book without the first ten program because I wasn't impressed with either the title or the cover. In addition, the Amazon blurb is too short and ambiguous. I only understood that the book was part of a series. Apart from the information that the book belongs to the one-hour teen and young adult short read, there are no editorial or customer reviews. The pages I've read run smoothly and I easily got engaged into Tookie's story. Since the narrative perspective focuses exclusively on Tookie, I think it would be interesting to discover how a girl with the Asperger's Syndrome lives while her family and teachers are totally unaware of her developmental disorder. I didn't notice any editing errors in the few pages I've checked. Although there's no official OBC review, I'd like to give this book a try considering it's a short read and the topic is quite interesting.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 2:39 pm by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Juliana_Isabella
Although there wasn't a review posted, I was interested by the summary, even though the cover art didn't seem to advertise the story well. After reading the first ten pages, I am thoroughly engrossed in the story. The author has a tendency to use a similar sentence structure throughout the story, which can make it repetitive. I also found a grammatical mistake in the following sentence, which is missing the comma after "age". "Being shy, this nomadic life limited Tookie's opportunities to bond with children her age and she had not learned how to interact with others before she started school." In spite of these small issues, I am planning to finish the book because the characterization of Tookie is very well done.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 1:40 pm by Juliana_Isabella.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Renu G
Tookie and Tim were unknown to me; so, the prequel to them was unnecessary in my context. I had no intention to read the book after going through the description on amazon. Although I read the first ten pages, I still see no point in reading the whole book because I have never read books in the Tookie series. The book seems to have been professionally edited and I did not find any typos. I liked the personality of Tookie as a little girl sandwiched between her siblings, but this book is not meant for me.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 12:51 pm by Renu G.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lisalynn
It's obvious right from the start there's something a little different about Tookie. As a child, she keeps her colored pencils sharpened and lined up, but doesn't color with them. She doesn't speak as soon as others her age. Both are classic signs of autism. Many people in today's society are affected by Asperger's to some extent and still live largely normal lives. It's good to see a book about someone like that.
The cover and the title didn't really grab me, but the sample is lyrical and is written more like a memoir than fiction. It definitely caught my interest. I didn't know there was another book about Tookie and Tim. This novelette is a prequel. If the quality is the same, I'd like to read that book too.
I did not see any errors. I did not read an OnlineBookClub review but that did not influence my choice to read this sample.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 12:46 pm by lisalynn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sarah_Khan
I would not have picked this book up if it was not part of the first ten program because the cover looks unprofessional and the Amazon blurb is too vague. I had no idea what to expect when I started this book because the blurb references another book series and there is no summary or introduction in the beginning to clarify. The first few pages seemed well-edited. The writing and characters were average. The young sister having to move into her older sister's room when a new child comes along is a rite of passage I think many people will be able to relate to. Unfortunately, the overall plot of this book does not interest me. So, I will not be reading the rest. I did not read any OBC review.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 12:25 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
When I saw the cover, I didn't want to know what this book was about. I strongly suggest to change it. Because the book is short, I didn't feel the need to read a review. This book tells the story of Tookie's life up to the moment she meets Tim. Tookie was born as Mary Louise. She grew up in a loving family with a big sister and a little brother. It was a known fact that she had problems with communication, but it wasn't until she reached adulthood that she learned she has Asperger's syndrome. I was glad to learn more about it. I want to read the first book before I read this one because I think it will have a bigger impact. I will say yes to it because I will eventually get to reading it. I didn't find any typos.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 12:18 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sonya Nicolaidis
It’s amazing how a smiling woman on the cover of a book can be so appealing and attractive! I liked what I saw from the outset and even though I didn’t really comprehend the backdrop - a puddle on a road - I would have picked this book up for sure. Not being familiar with the series prior to today, I didn’t know what the sample was about, and there was no OBC to give me a summary. However, the author’s blog on Amazon told me that his writing has a unique and attractive style of its own. I loved this sample, and feel it ended too soon. The birth and early childhood of this girl sounded quite charming, and the writing was very entertaining. I did notice one small error: the condition is known as Asperger Syndrome, not Asperger’s Syndrome as the author writes. It is only given the possessive apostrophe when the word ‘syndrome’ is dropped, as in Asperger’s. Aside from this, there were no other mistakes I noticed. My favorite part is how the author gives us a protagonist with a condition like Asperger’s. I think it makes the character so much more interesting and multi-dimensional. There is nothing negative I can say about this book, and certainly do not think I can suggest anything to improve it. It’s a lovely book and one that I would definitely read - the sooner the better!
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 11:35 am by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mai Tran
I’m not interested in this book because it’s the prequel to a series that I’m unfamiliar with. I wouldn’t have read this book if it wasn’t for the program. I think Tookie grows up well despite her Asperger's Syndrome, and there’s room for more character development once Tim gets into the picture. Unfortunately, I won’t continue to read this book due to a lack of interest. The book seems professionally edited.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 10:44 am by Mai Tran.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
cpru68
Born as Mary Louise but given the nickname Tookie, readers are introduced to the main character right after her birth. What follows is a snapshot of her childhood as she tries to make her way through the public school system. That arena isn’t always so nice as she was teased by the other children when she had to wear glasses. But, the payoff is wonderful because the improved eyesight helps her to engage in her favorite pastime of reading even more. And, her grades skyrocket. It is mentioned that she has undiagnosed asperger’s, but it’s the 1960s, so this has not been the focus of medicine during that time period, so her social skills are lacking. However, her intelligence comes to the forefront when her dad suffers a heart attack. She calls 9-11 and administrators a baby aspirin as taught in her health class. By the end of chapter 1, the family is preparing to move again, and she is hoping to find a boyfriend in the new town as high school looms.
I was disappointed to see that an official review was not done on this book to give a bit more insight. While it has its good points and reads like a memoir, I am not going to be finishing it. It totally didn’t grab my interest, and without a review to give me a bit more insight, I don’t want to invest my time in it.
The cover threw me because that picture looks too modern for the time period the book is set in. It just didn’t fit what I was reading on page 1. So, I would suggest a revamp of that. I did not find any errors in punctuation, spelling or grammar so it seems that this was professionally edited. Without a review, it’s difficult to determine fully, but I found no mistakes in the first part of the book.
I probably wouldn’t have found this one on my own search without the online book club because the market is so full of titles. I appreciate the opportunity to have read this, and I will send it out on my social media for others to look into.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 10:42 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 haven't read the first book. This short novella revolves around Tookie, a girl with Asperger, and Tim, her mate.The cover isn't very appealing, and the blurb didn't give enough info about the pair. I didn't change my mind after sampling the book. As I am not familiar with Tookie and Tim, I have no interest in their backgrounds. Recapping the first book, either in the blurb or in the sample, would have improved it. I like the way the author drew Tookie's character. Although I didn't notice any glaring errors, the writing was a bit dry to my taste. I won't read the book, as it isn't a topic I am interested in. There wasn't any official review or any other reviews. The lacks of ones didn't affect my decision not to read the book.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 9:37 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
The title and cover of this book didn’t grab my attention. I would not have picked this book up based on the cover alone. The main character’s nickname is Tookie and she is described like the photo of the girl on the cover, so in that way it relates to the story. The muddy dirt road photo doesn’t attract me to the book or relate to the first ten pages. I haven’t read a review of this book yet. The first ten pages are well-written and interesting. It describes the main character, Tookie, growing up. Nothing in the first ten pages seem out of the ordinary for the girl growing up and going to school. It describes life with her parents and siblings. I would like to read a review of this book to see more about what the story involves. I believe the book was professionally edited because I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages. Based on the first ten pages I will not finish reading this book. It was well-written, but did not pique my interest.
First Ten review added on April 19, 2019, at 9:35 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 42%
Tookie Before Tim earned a score of 42%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 42% 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.
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