The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for A Child Left Behind
Because A Child Left Behind 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.
Vickie Noel
I wouldn't have read this book outside the program because I don't like the cover, and the title sounds sad. I prefer reading books that are lighthearted. Reading the sample didn't change my mind much. The story contains more narration than character conversations, and this is a peeve of mine. The writing style is engaging though, but I enjoy books more when there's banter being traded back and forth early on in the novel. I liked Alicia's description of the type of couples who come into the restaurant she works, but I recommend that words like "mierda" and "gringa," which aren't English words, should have their meanings traceable for easier understanding. I saw a few comma errors and unhyphenated compound adjectives as found in the sentence fragment, "...done your best to be bright and shiny polite..." "Bright and shiny" should be hyphenated. I saw an OBC review, but it didn't influence my decision.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 4:57 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
evraealtana
The cover is a little confusing to me. From what I know from the first ten pages, the child makes sense (although the baby on the cover is white while the book describes it as caramel-colored), but the other little pictures don't make sense to me and feel a little distracting at this point. I'm not sure what I expected the first ten pages would be, but what I read wasn't it. I liked the sound of Clara from Alicia's point of view and really wanted to love her, but Clara's own voice irritated me, and I was glad to be able to stop reading partway through Clara's first appearance. I think I was expecting Clara to be a little better-spoken, a little wiser, a little less... trashy? Alicia herself felt abrasive and defensive, which was probably the point, but it didn't make me like her, either. Honestly, the only character I wanted to know more about was the baby's mother, whom we will probably never see again. I do think the characters - like the man in the cafe - were realistic and the scenes well written, so I have to give the author credit. In the end, though, I think I will not continue to read the book because I have no attachment to any of the characters and I don't really care what happens to the baby. Consistent with the official OBC reviewer's assessment of the book's professional editing, I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 4:53 am by evraealtana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jeremie Mondejar
The cover photo may look like a children's tale, but it has a great impact into different people. I read the sample as part of the program. The sample deals with an abandoned child. To cut the story short, there were people who were sympathizing, got intrigued and wanted to help. What I like in the sample is the author's plot. Phil perfectly portrays the real situation in the world, especially if the skin color is black. I will read this book because the theme seems interesting as well the OBC review has a good synopsis about it. I didn't notice any typos nor anything for improvement. The book looks well-written and professionally edited.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 4:42 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
va2016
The cover and the title are indicative of what the book is about. There are 41 Amazon customer ratings with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, which is great. The Amazon summary gives a clear description of the story, which is about how the society reacts when a child is left behind unattended in Stockton, California. As I am intrigued about what the book has to offer, I would have sampled the book even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing the scene when a baby is left in Clara's restaurant by its mother, and Alicia, the waiter, finding the baby in the bathroom. As I liked the narration very much, I am going to read this book in full. I didn't find the book professionally edited. There were grammatical errors, for example, "she borned into" should be "she was born into" in Chapter 2. What I liked most about the book is its witty narration. As an improvement, I would recommend thorough proofreading of the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 4:36 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rodel Barnachea
Poring over the book's official OBC review and Amazon page, I realized I might not want to read the title. Its premise did not interest me, and I don't think I'm ready to read stories that feature such heavy subjects and themes (like child abandonment and drug use). Reading the title's sample did not change my mind, as I still wouldn't purchase the book. My primary reasons are the similar ones I stated above and that nothing in the sample had me wanting to read the rest of the story. The first ten pages cover Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and the first few pages of Chapter 3. My favorite part is reading Alicia's father's advice that when you are doing something, give it your best even if others are not looking because you are the one who is doing it. I didn't note any errors in the text; I believe the book is professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 4:36 am by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
xsquare
The cover, title and blurb of the book didn’t really catch my attention – I don’t think I would have sampled the book if it hadn’t been part of the First Ten program. After seeing the high rating from the official OBC review, I was more curious about the book. I liked the interesting start to the book and how the characters had very distinct personal voices. However, as a non-Spanish speaker, I didn’t really understand some of the phrases used – I wish the author could have added translations as a footnote. I did not see any typos. I won’t be reading the rest of the book as it’s not really my cup of tea.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 4:20 am by xsquare.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Howlan
The cover is good. The synopsis gives us a general introduction to this book. The first ten pages start from the point of view of Alicia, who is an aspiring doctor and working in a run-down diner for Clara. One day she finds a baby girl in their bathroom. The second chapter has the point of view of Clara, she urges Alicia to call the police, but Alicia wants to take the baby home for the night, but someone calls the police anyway. The third chapter has the point of view from the policeman who arrives at the diner. He talks about how society is flawed and about unplanned pregency. The narration is good and easy to understand. The plot is kind of intriguing, and switching the point of view of characters is interesting. However, I am not interested in the main characters, and the story did not catch my interest. So, I am not going to buy and read this book as I am not interested in the story. No typos were found in the first ten pages. I found nothing to improve in the first ten pages. The Official Review is present, and the reviewer rates it highly.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 3:59 am by Howlan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nikolas Farmakis
This is a fictional book about an immigrant woman working in the US studying to become a doctor. I would not have read this book based on the title, the cover, or the genre, as I do not like fictional books related to social injustice. I will not read this book because it seemed slightly cliche to me. I found no objective grammatical errors in the sample I read, which means that this book was exceptionally edited. What I liked most about this book was that it had plenty of drama, tension, and suspense due to the emotion displayed by the characters in the text. To improve, the writer should make this book more original with a more authentic storyline. This book has an Official OnlineBookClub review that did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 3:04 am by Nikolas Farmakis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
I didn’t really care for the cover or the title, but the blurb interested me, so I would have sampled this book even if I were not part of this program. The difference in the delivery and perspective of the first two characters in the sample pages was interesting. The featured OnlineBookClub review covered this aspect well. I don’t know much Spanish, and I found it mildly distracting having to look up the words in Spanish in Alicia’s first chapter, but Google Translate made it quick and easy. I wasn’t expecting such a drastic switch in Clara’s voice in the subsequent chapter. Initially, I was undecided about finishing this book, but the OBC review convinced me. I am curious about what happens to the baby and the characters, so I will finish this book. Allowing for artistic license in the presentation style for the characters, I did not notice any grammatical errors in the sample pages. The Amazon ratings had no bearing on my decision. I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 3:03 am by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Aditi Sapate
As I mostly prefer reading non-fiction books these days, I wouldn't have chosen to read this dramatic, fiction book based on the title, cover and genre. The official OnlineBookClub review gave me a brief summary of the book and really made a case for it. When I started sampling the book, I was drawn into the story with such myriad characters. I liked Alicia's no-nonsense attitude and Clara's funny demeanor. I also realized the story deals with important topics of abortion and adoption. I will continue reading this book. I haven't found anything to dislike about it so far. The sample did not contain any grammatical errors.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 12:53 am by Aditi Sapate.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
AvidBibliophile
The cover art is certainly eye-catching, but certain illustrated elements (e.g., shotguns, an infant in the crosshairs, an attack dog) suggest that I probably won't find this book personally appealing. The Amazon product description entices prospective readers with mentions of five college students facing humanitarian crises. While the chosen flavor of narrative language might help complement the chosen characterization of some of the named individuals and patrons in Clara's café, I honestly found the content crass and unenjoyable. Mentions of murder, alcoholic exes, DUI fatalities, and gun violence paired nicely with the insulting insinuations. Some sentences also felt like borderline, run-on statements. An example from page 5 --> "Tori's always talking about asshole bosses who can't wait to chew you out for the slightest slip-up, but Clara has seen enough crazy days go by that she can shake her head and smile when you do something careless or dumb, which I admit I used to do a lot when I was just learning, although now I pride myself on doing a good job and keeping mistakes to a minimum." This book appears to have a few editorial errors as well. On page 6, there should not be hyphenation present in "her make[-]up is a mess..." On page 8, there is a comma missing between coordinate adjectives in "a tiny(,) new(,) caramel-colored baby." On page 9, there is a duplicate word typo in "She's thinkin' the mama might've cut the cord right in there [in] and flushed it..." The one published OBC review provides a wealth of honestly analytical points of reflection, and the majority of the 41 currently posted Amazon user ratings offer positive recommendations. Since novels with gritty vignettes featuring socio-political themes don't fall within my preferred reading genres, I will be passing on this one. For readers prepared to take on layered mentions of abandonment, abortion, adoption, immigration, corruption, poverty, and profanity, this title promises to offer all that and more.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 12:29 am by AvidBibliophile.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. It seemed like an emotional story that I didn’t want to get into. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. The first chapter did a lot of background on Clara from Alicia’s point of view before the “gringa” ever came in. This could use some improvement. I thought this could have been condensed. It also didn’t really explain why they thought the gringa was trouble. I did like the use of Spanglish. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on December 16, 2020, at 12:18 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shrabastee Chakraborty
I fount the title intriguing, although the cover did not appeal to me. The official OBC review rates it a full 4 stars. Based on the review and the premise, I would have read the book. I did not notice any errors in the first ten pages. They feature Alicia, a student who works at a restaurant to cover her expenses. She describes her experiences with the patrons, the love and respect she feels for the owner, and gives some of her own background. One day, a young girl leaves a child in the restroom. I loved the flow of the story and the peeks into Alicia's thoughts. The book made me feel eager to find what happens next. I have no suggestions for improvement and will definitely read this book.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 10:43 pm by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Juliana_Isabella
I might have chosen this book because I enjoy realistic fiction. The review I read was very positive, which also made me want to try the book. I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages, and I was amused by Alicia's sassy comments about the patrons of the cafe. I felt like the inclusion of the Spanish was a little forced, as I don't know many bilingual people who randomly throw Spanish words into their English thoughts or speech. However, I was pretty entertained by Alicia's spunky personality, and I liked the themes mentioned in the review, so I plan to finish the book.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 10:23 pm by Juliana_Isabella.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Manang Muyang
The title and cover are touching; the blurb adds to the intrigue. My maternal instincts would have pushed me to read the sample. The sample was a good read, with very realistic reactions from the narrators (I read four points of view). But the official OBC review reveals that the book deals with societal ills and doesn't have a clear ending. The discussion questions at the end of the book point to this being a "what would you do for your country" book. I am not in the market for such right now, so I will not read the book. The author is an educator with a doctorate, so the good editing is not a surprise. I feel that these sentences are not quite right, though: On page 6, "she's not moving too well any more" seems to need "anymore." "They always tell me do not put myself in this position" on page 7 seems to need "to" vice "do." I like the different angles shared by the different narrators. The unique voices are very effective. I like that one of the characters is Filipina like me. Apart from the minor errors that I mentioned, I cannot pinpoint any other need for improvement. The official OBC review awards the perfect rating. From what I have read, I cannot disagree.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 10:12 pm by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gabrielle Sigaki
A Child Left Behind by Phil Hutcheon is a fiction novel that brings various perspectives people have about one abandoned kid. If I didn't sample this book, I wouldn't read it based on its Official OnlineBookClub review and customer reviews that I saw since the plot didn't catch my interest. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind, and I won't read the entire book since I didn't find the story about the abandoned child interesting. However, I liked the fact that the author constructed different characters with unique personalities that made each persona original. Besides, the book seems professionally edited, and there's nothing to be improved in it.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 7:53 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
I like the cover and title of this book, they make me want to find out more. I would have sampled this even without the First Ten program because the plot is intriguing and relevant. I did notice the word "Just" capitalized after a comma (Her husband is sitting there with this dazed look in his eyes, Just kill me now). I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed Alicia's observations about the customers at the restaurant. She seems like a character I would really like. The OBC review was positive. I don't mind cliffhangers and this story seems like one that is begging to be read. So, I look forward to reading the rest. I do not have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 5:49 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sonya Nicolaidis
This doesn’t look like the kind of book I would ordinarily pick up in a bookshop. Although the coloration of the front cover is bright and attractive, the idea of the story being centered around an abandoned baby doesn’t really interest me. I noted very positive comments from the OBC reviewer and other reviews which appear in the preface. One speaks very highly of the superb dialogue in this book. The first ten was quite enjoyable, although I did feel the story’s narrator labors her point a little too much. I really like the strong sense of character that each person exhibits very early on. I believe this can make the story very powerful indeed. This book is clearly well-edited as I didn’t see any errors at all, and the writing flowed well and was easy to read. I would follow my first instinct and not read the whole book as the central theme is the abandoned child and I still am not very interested in it. Having said that, it will appeal to many and there is nothing I would suggest to change it.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 4:12 pm by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Hazel Arnaiz
The cover and title did not attract my curiosity, so I will not sample this book outside the program. The title was straightforward. It gave an idea about the book. But the elements on the cover were unclear. At first glance, it was not easy to connect the images of the crosshair and the other items surrounding the baby. However, the blurb, editorial, and customer reviews were interesting. The story was thought-provoking. I was curious about the different perspectives of the characters on the topic. After sampling, I knew I would finish reading the book. I liked the approach of presenting different views of the characters. It was easy to tell which character was speaking because each has a unique personality. I was curious about how the child influenced the lives of the people around her. As for editing, I noticed some errors. Here is an example from page 3.
“I know that sounds mean, but if you’ve never worked in a restaurant, you have no idea how much it sucks to be stiffed after you’ve put yourself out there, [done] your best to be bright and shiny polite, forgetting whatever mierda you’ve been through so far that day to give the customer a big smile and show some interest in lives that led them to our little hole-in-the-wall café in, let us just say, not the finest part of town.”
I think it should be “do” instead of “done.” Also, it is a run-on sentence. Other than the editing issues, I have no further suggestions for improvement. The official OnlineBookClub review was insightful and gave more encouragement to make me finish the book.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 1:11 pm by Hazel Arnaiz.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
briellejee
Based on the cover and title, I think I wouldn't have sampled the book. Maybe the colors used should be tone down a bit since I find them distracting and I can't pinpoint what the book is about. The title sounds good though, and it can actually attract readers to open the book. However, the cover stumps that curiosity hence they'd choose to put it back on the shelf. As for the first few pages, I immediately fell in love with the author's writing style. The way Alicia was describing the customers and Clara. There is no need to lay down the boring facts in introducing the characters because the writing style is really superb. I also love how fast the plot is going. One thing I didn't like I guess is that the author tends to go overboard in his descriptions, like the first couple Alicia described. Nonetheless, the characters are interesting, the humor is spectacular, and the storyline makes you want to go on. With that, I will be reading the rest of the book. I found no errors since the ones that might appear as grammatical errors could be attributed to the narrator's language or race. The official OBC review was persuasive and good enough to tell me to sample this.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 6:55 am by briellejee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Maria Esposito
I was interested in this book before I sampled it. The cover design and title are quite intriguing. The blurb made me interested in what would happen to the baby and to the college students who found it. The book has twelve customer reviews on Amazon, but this had no impact on my decision. Reading the first ten pages further encouraged me to read the book. It starts with Alicia's perspective. She talks about what it's like to work at a restaurant and have to put up a happy face even when you hate working there. Alicia is Mexican and migrated to the United States when she was fourteen. Since then, she has been working at Clara's cafe. When a strange-looking gringa customer suddenly abandons her table and runs to the toilet, Alicia knows that something is wrong. When she checks the toilet, she finds a baby. I was extremely captivated as I was reading the first pages of this book. The author did a good job of telling the story from Alicia's perspective. There is nothing about the book I dislike. It seems professionally edited as I did not come across errors. The book has an official review on this website, which further encouraged me to read it.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 6:30 am by Maria Esposito.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kirsi Cultrera
This book had an intriguing cover and title, and given the topic related to some serious real-life issues, I found myself looking forward to reading the sample pages. I would’ve sampled this book in any case as I always was drawn into this type of story. The characters introduced in this book were interesting and relatable, and I enjoyed the way the author used every character’s point of view to tell the story. However, at the same time, I found the speech-patterns of some of them quite challenging to read, and that was somewhat taking away from the enjoyment of reading. The book seemed professionally edited. The speech-patterns were, of course, created purposefully to give some more personality to the characters. Even so, this detail gave me a slight headache and affected my decision about whether to read this book further or not. The Official OnlineBookClub review was praising, and I agreed with most of what was said by the reviewer. However, the slight annoyance about the language made me decide against reading the whole book. The review could not alter that decision.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 3:39 am by Kirsi Cultrera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stephanie Runyon
The title and cover are eyecatchers. The OBC review revealed that there were many controversial topics discussed. I would have sampled the book from just the what the review and title. I liked how the viewpoint of various individuals was used. I didn't like the intermixing of Spanish that was used by Alicia as I did have to pause to look up some of the terms and found them distracting.
The editing was professionally done and overall I liked the story. Other than what I stated about Alicia's language, I wouldn't have any suggestions to improve the book. I plan on finishing the book.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 3:07 am by Stephanie Runyon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kelyn
If I had not been a member of this program, it is doubtful that this book's genre (centrally mystery/crime thriller) would have attracted me to this book. As that is not an area I generally peruse, it is unlikely that I would ever have even seen the book. However, if I had run across it, the title and possibly the cover would definitely have attracted my attention. Stories about children 'in trouble' often draw me in, and the title says that clearly. Although somewhat of a gimish otherwise, the cover has the baby front and center, which would have drawn my eye to the book. The author is unknown to me, so that would not have influenced my decision. I think the blurb would be more effective if it said a bit more about the book in question than about how popular the author's previous books were. For those of us who do not know the author, that means next to nothing and serves no purpose in drawing us to read the book. There were many customer reviews on the Amazon site, almost all of which were positive. Although I did not see a review on the Amazon site explicitly identified as being from this program, if I had, I would have been interested in what the author had to say. The review on this site was highly complimentary of the book. That, together with all of the positive reviews on Amazon, built rather high expectations going into the sample. I enjoyed reading the sample, but it was not nearly as enthralling as the reviews led me to believe it would be. I do have to say that the author was effective in helping the reader feel Alicia's determination to take care of the child as well as her pain at having to give it up to the police. I liked the fact that each character got their own voice. I was particularly amused by Officer Santos and exactly what she thought about her partner, Officer Mason. Oh, if only he knew! Maybe that would take some of the hot air out of his arrogance. However, despite the fact that I became especially engaged with some of the characters, the fact remained that the book is in the mystery/crime genre, which is one I typically end up not enjoying. Given this, I have decided not to continue reading the book. The book seemed well-edited. I found no 'countable' errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 3:05 am by Kelyn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sou Hi
To be frank, the cover doesn't look so attractive, though it showcases the title well. With the intriguing summary and the good responses from the official review and Amazon's customers, I decided to try it. The sample consists of many POVs, from the waitress to the cafe owner and the police officers. Each of them harbors different thoughts about the child suddenly abandoned at Clara's cafe.
I like how the book addresses the story of child abandonment. Each of the characters has their own reason to regard the case, especially Alicia and Clara. Alicia is a caring and kind-hearted girl who wants to take care of the kid. Meanwhile, Clara is wise and realistic, as she realizes that adopting the child may expose Alicia's being an illegal immigrant. Both of them are correct, and it's hard to pick sides. The editing seems good, too. However, there are too many foreign words used by Alicia. I wish there are translations or explanations for those. Clara's segment is full of grammar errors and accent (though I don't consider them as mistakes given that it's her trait). Some characters' narrations don't seem to be too related to the main plot. These are quite tiresome to read, so I lost interest. For now, I don't think I will buy the book.
Error example: Alicia say, "I'm takin' her home with me. Just for tonight." -> Should be [Alicia says,]
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 2:14 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
The author definitely captures the essence of actual people. The first chapter is from the point of view of a waitress who crossed the border from Mexico. She has worked at Clara’s since she was 14, a dumpy restaurant run by a woman who practically raised herself and is a blend of many races. The review said the book is about a child that gets abandoned in the restaurant and the book features a multitude of perspectives and opinions. So far, the author makes the scenes and players relatable. The cover image is really neat. However, the genre and subject matter is definitely more appropriate for a college class where the issues presented can open up a discussion among students. I’m not particularly interested in reading a book about social and racial issues, but the audience for this book will definitely appreciate the care he took to make the story interesting. The editing looks professionally formatted and I didn’t see any errors. I can’t suggest improvements since the book is complete in my view. I would not have found this book outside of the program because it doesn’t pertain to my interests.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 1:29 am by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ari Martinez
If it wasn't for the First Ten program, I would not have sampled this book because I was not attracted to the cover or title. The guns and overall images used in the cover made me feel like the book might be a bit political. I liked the Official OnlineBookClub review, but it also gave me the impression of being a book with a political statement. I listen to a lot of politics in my spare time, but when I read a book, I want it to make me forget about all of that. Therefore, I don't like reading fiction books that deal in any way with political issues. After reading the first ten pages, I won't be reading the rest of the book because of the reasons stated above - I was still left with the same original impression of the book. From what I read, my favorite part was the way Alicia's thoughts were written. I am Hispanic living in a Hispanic neighborhood and I am impressed at the realistic thoughts, feelings, and experiences of Alicia. I cannot think the book can be improved, and it seems well edited.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 1:27 am by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
It was quite clear from the cover and the title that this book has a story of an abandoned child. I considered reading the official review of this book before buying it because I was interested to know the premise of the story. The official review helped me to know that this book focuses on the story of little Brianna and the people who adopted her. The book highlights issues like child abandonment and adoption. This idea piqued my interest to sample the book. After reading the first ten pages, I found that this book is not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors. For example, the sentence, "Along the way I have to twist out of reach when Maximo grabs at me. ". The sentence could have been, "Along the way, I have to twist out of reach when Maximo grabs at me. " The thing l liked the most in this book is the description of the old aged couple in the restaurant, which was hilarious and it amused me. The writing style was not helpful for fast reading. My suggestion to the author would be to go for a round of professional editing. Looking at all these facts, I decided not to purchase and read this book today but wait until the author could help by addressing my suggestion so that I could effortlessly enjoy reading the book.
First Ten review added on December 15, 2020, at 12:10 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
I likely would have skipped A Child Left Behind had it not been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day. The cover art is interesting though, especially with the images surrounding the baby. I like Alicia's character the most in the sample, as she seems to have a great heart. However, I am not the biggest fan of Clara, as she is too negative for my liking. To be honest, I did not need to read the OnlineBookClub review to decide about the book; Clara was enough for me to decide that I was no longer interested. I cannot think of any improvements that can be done to the book based on the sample. None of the first ten pages had any grammatical errors either, but there is some dialect from Clara that may confuse readers. The best audience for this book is the one who enjoys drama and suspense.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 11:58 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Verna Coy
Had I not sampled this book through the First Ten program, I would not have chosen it because the title and cover both have a negative feel.
For this reason, I don’t intend to read the whole book.
Reading the first ten pages didn’t change my first impressions, but I can see that there is a great wealth of diverse characters in this work.
Based on what I read, the book seems professionally edited.
I didn’t see errors in the first ten pages.
What I liked most about what I read is how the author’s descriptions paint the mood of the first scene location. The characters are vivid and expressive.
I know that readers who enjoy dramatic plots, will like this novel.
As far as improvements, considering author-intent, I can see no need for any in what I read today.
I did read the Official Online Book Club review and found it insightful. It didn’t affect my views of the book.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 11:37 pm by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MeganDJ
From the bright colours of the cover to the first 10 pages, I was invested in the plot line. The first chapter introduces the premise of the story perfectly, and from the Online Book Review on it, I already knew what parts certain characters would play in the story. With that being said, I would love to read the rest of the book. I did not find a single error during my read. I like that the characters were relatable and had their unique perspective, and there is nothing that I would improve upon with this book. I read the Online Book Review, and I think it helped me with the decision to read the book.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 10:36 pm by MeganDJ.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I would not have read this book. The book sounds like it was charged with a few too many political and difficult issues for my tastes. 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 liked how the book starts off with a bang and shows the reader exactly what they are getting into. With the opening sentence being, "I see the porky gringa with the badass tats on her neck..." you know the style of book this is going to be. That being said, I'm just not interested enough in this story-line to pick this one up. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read and the book looked well written and edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 8:56 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
The title reminded me of the educational program called No Child Left Behind, so this seemed like an "oops", one was left behind. The picture of the baby in the middle of guns, and flags, and books was pretty confusing. The blurb used a phrase, "hilariously inappropriate" which was also confusing. I thought that there were too many pages dedicated to glowing remarks and that the page of quotations from other pieces of literature was unnecessary. I liked the dialogue and the relationship between the waitress and the cook. I did not see any errors in the pages that I read. The review was very positive, but I will not finish reading the book at this time because of the coarse language, I suggest that the cover be made less confusing.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 8:24 pm by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jorge Leon Salazar
The story is narrated in the first-person perspective from the point of view of various characters, at first Alicia, then Clara Birdsong, and at last Officer Mason. And I suppose it is the same in the rest of the book. I consider this an attractive quality. In the first ten pages, the book stands out the character of Alicia working in Clara's café, who had supported Alicia a lot since she was fourteen. The descriptions of Alicia and Clara are quite complete and form an overview of their main traits and personalities. Plus, the character of Tori is attractive and somewhat comical. The plot highlights the discovery of the baby in the restroom of Clara's café. Alicia wanted to keep the baby but since other clients called the police; it seems she could not keep her. The principal expectation is about what will happen with the baby. From the official review, it is obtained that the baby, little Brianna occupies a leading role because of the impact she causes on the people around her. The cover is striking and expressive, in tune with the title and content. The editing seems outstanding as I didn't see any errors or typos. Although the story and the plot are interesting, it did not completely capture me. Ultimately, I think I will not read the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 7:18 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mary WhiteFace
Without the first ten program I would not have been interested in reading a story about how finding an abandoned baby affected a diverse group of people. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. The OnlineBookClub review did not influence my decision.
The book seemed to be professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvements. I liked how each chapter was told in the first person narrative, from a different person's perspective. Each chapter had a different tone to the speech that gave the characters individual personalities. I could feel Alicia's pain when the police officers took the baby from her that she had found in the diner's restroom.
I could see the appeal that the book would have for readers who enjoy stories that have a true to life feel, but a story of how an abandoned baby affects different people is not one that I would enjoy immersing myself in. I will not be reading the whole thing.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 6:32 pm by Mary WhiteFace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
Without The First Ten program, I would not have read the book based on the genre. As I am not interested in reading contemporary fiction novels, I did not change my mind after reading the OBC review and the first ten pages. The story follows the lives of five college students and a few other characters as they push through adversity to achieve their goals; however, their lives take an unexpected turn when a baby girl is found abandoned on the floor in a diner restroom. The writing style was descriptive, with a touch of humor thrown in. What I liked most, however, was the author's choice to tell the story from multiple perspectives. The dialogues were also realistic and engaging; furthermore, the inclusion of Spanish words made Alicia's character more believable. Considering the book has great Amazon ratings, it will surely appeal to those who are interested in reading thought-provoking novels that highlight contemporary social issues. However, as I found some errors, I would suggest another round of editing. For example, it should be written "anymore" in the following sentence: "She’s not moving too well any more." (page 6) There should also be a comma after "plate" in the following sentence: "When you bring him his plate he practically grabs it out of your hands..." (page 3)
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 4:35 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
This cover is simply terrifying. It looks like a book with a lot of action, which wouldn't appeal to me. However, I was intrigued when I read the description made by the OBC reviewer. Such a diverse set of characters combined with a touchy story is everything I'm looking for. What bothered me at the sample was the amount of praise that was shoved right from the beginning of the book. I would've kept only one or two small comments. Also, the praise for the author's other books should simply be erased, as it was clearly too much. I enjoyed the author's attention to detail. I liked Alicia a lot, especially because of her comments on the customers. I simply like the idea of this book too much to let it pass by me, so I will continue reading it. I didn't find anything wrong with the editing.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 3:03 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Odette Chace
While I like the title, I cannot say the same for the cover. The premise of the book doesn't interest me. I also disliked that the synopsis on Amazon drew parallels between this book and the works of Dickinson and Faulkner. The Online Book Club reviewer gave the work a perfect score of 4 out of 4 stars but lamented that the author left some plotlines open-ended to make a point. The official review gave more details about the plot of the work, and I don't think that I would enjoy this book. I would not normally sample it. The dedication does not have a header and there is no table of contents. There are four quotes before chapter one begins, which seems slightly excessive. I thought the inclusion of Spanish was well-executed. I enjoyed the sample more than I anticipated. There were a couple lines that made me actually laugh out loud. However, I still don't plan to finish reading the book. It is too political to read for fun.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 1:17 pm by Odette Chace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Brenda Creech
This book's title caught my attention and made me curious about the story within its pages, so I would have checked it out for that reason, even without having reviews to read. After reading the official review, I found the story's concept intriguing, but I was not sure if I am currently up to the emotional impact it would probably have on me. I have never been able to comprehend how someone could abandon a helpless infant. When I read the first ten pages, I found only one error in the following sentence at Kindle page 9: "She’s thinkin’ the mama might’ve cut the cord right in there in and flushed it..." the second 'in' should be deleted from the sentence. Other than that one error, I believe the book was professionally edited. I did not find anything that needs improving in the pages I read. When Alicia found the abandoned baby in the diner's bathroom where she worked, she wanted to take the baby home with her. I could see right from the beginning Alicia was going to get very attached to the infant. To read books of this type, I have to be in the right frame of mind so emotions won't overwhelm me. Therefore, I have decided not to finish reading this book because I don't believe I could emotionally handle it at this time.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 12:30 pm by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
he cover of the book is appropriate, but it didn't catch my attention. The blurb didn't attract me so much. I think it's too concise for the reader to have enough information. The ratings are mixed (mostly good), but I wouldn't have bought the book based on first impressions because I feel like I don't have enough information.
The first ten pages are amazing. I easily related to Alicia because I'm Mexican too, although I don't live in the US. I very much liked her reflection on how America is built upon a melange of cultures, which she embodies in Clara, who's not only part Cherokee but also "part black, part white, and part Mexican, and she thinks she has a Chinese ancestor somewhere along the line as well." Her speech feels very natural, with a few exceptions. I understand she saying "tamale" and not the Spanish word "tamal" because she lives in the US, but, for example, we say much more often "güera" than "rubia" (position 109). I chose to read the book based on how well built her narrative is, on how the reviews call the book politically incorrect in a refreshing way, and on the opening quote that says: “It’s all a matter of ideas, and God is just one idea I don’t accept. It’s not important. I am not going out and be immoral or commit crimes because I don’t believe in God."
I didn't find editing mistakes, but I would suggest expanding the blurb. The official review furthered my enthusiasm for the book.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 10:21 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Timothy Rucinski
I wouldn't have picked this book up based upon the cover, simply because I tend to shy away from books that focus on children in trouble. That is the sense of the book I got from the cover with its image of a baby in crosshairs. I also would not have considered this book based on the Official Review, which, although very good, indicated that the author chose to leave a lot of loose threads unanswered. I truly don't like going through the usually pleasant effort of reading a book only to find that it's up to me to complete the story as I see fit. I understand that this was done for educational purposes, but it's not for me. So, no, I won't be reading this book. Nevertheless, I found the writer's style to be very good. I particularly enjoyed the way in which he was able to differentiate between the characters through internal monologues, each unique. What I disliked most was the cover, for the reasons above. I did, however, notice one error so I question as to whether or not this book was professionally edited. On page 4, the author begins the paragraph that starts "Then why..." with quotation marks for Tori's dialogue. The dialogue continues throughout the rest of the paragraph, but the quotation marks are abandoned. My only suggestion for improvement: change the cover!
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 9:15 am by Timothy Rucinski.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
The cover of this book looks interesting. It seems busy, filled with several different images and varying topics. The title is unique and caught my eye. I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages, so I believe the book was professionally edited. I also didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon. The book begins with descriptions provided by a waitress at Clara’s Mexican Diner. She describes the customers vividly and explains her disdain for them. She also describes the owner and cook, Clara. I enjoyed the author’s writing style. The Online Book Club review rated the book 4 out of 4 stars and was very complimentary about the book which made me want to read it. I didn’t read any additional reviews. I decided that I want to finish reading this book based on the first ten pages and on the OBC review.
First Ten review added on December 14, 2020, at 8:51 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Total ~ 36%
A Child Left Behind earned a score of 36%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 36% 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 A Child Left Behind
