The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Discovering Twins: No secret is safe forever

Because Discovering Twins 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.

Gabriella H

I liked the book cover, and I was curious about the title. I became more curious after reading the OBC blurb. So I would've sampled this book without this program. However, there wasn't any standout feature I noticed about the book in the OBC official review. So my interest started declining. I thought the first ten pages were well written, but nothing extraordinary or gripping occurred to make me feel I needed to keep reading. I won't be completing this book. I liked the realistic portrayal of the Wijnschenk family. I actually felt bad for Schoontje, who suffered a stillbirth and lost another baby after two and a half weeks. That made me sad. My decision not to continue reading this book was influenced by the first ten pages, the OBC official review, and the book's Amazon description, which didn't give me much to look forward to, as I feel I already know the secret based on the title. I wasn't influenced by the customer or editorial reviews. I believe the first ten pages were professionally edited because I didn't notice any errors. I don't have any suggestions for improvements.

First Ten review added on February 22, 2023, at 4:38 am by Gabriella H.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Jeremie Mondejar

I sampled this book based on the title and the interesting photo frame in the cover image. Though I sampled the book right away, I'm still looking at the Amazon or customer reviews that provide a short synopsis of the book. I rarely read books about the Nazis' cruelty because I can't imagine such brutal stories. The OBC review and the customer reviews are correct about the author's style of writing, especially in blending past events with the present. She is good at presenting the timelines of her family. I like the way she retells the story, especially the birth of the triplets. I also appreciate the fast-paced tale. I don't see any errors. The only thing I don't like are the Dutch words, which would be good if those few words had an English translation. This is my recommendation. I will not read this book because I don't like to read books about the holocaust.

First Ten review added on February 22, 2023, at 4:25 am by Jeremie Mondejar.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Shrabastee Chakraborty

Based on the unique premise revealed in the official OBC review and other published reviews, I decided to read the book. I found no errors in the first ten pages. The author talked about some components of the book such as the dates and the historical accuracy. She started the story with a remark from her mother that twins run in their family. Then she went on to describe her first experience with and amazement at a pair of fraternal twins she met in her childhood. I liked the steady flow of the story. While reading, I felt that there was more to the story than the author let us believe at first. I had no suggestions for improvement. Based on my reading experience, I would read the whole book.

First Ten review added on February 22, 2023, at 3:23 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sou Hi

Without this program, I wouldn't have read this. The official review from OnlineBookClub, the cover, the blurb, and the ratings on Amazon are fine, but the book's premise is not my cup of tea.

I like nothing in the bit I read. The editing is alright, and I have no suggestions for improvement. However, the author's story is not very impressive. Aside from the topic of twins, it's not different from other memoirs or historical books. Besides, I'm not fond of the rough transitions between the 19th and the 20th centuries. Since the plot can't pique my interest, I won't buy the book. The OBC review was helpful in making my decision.

Error example: Although the tragedies presented are heart wrenching, the fact that I am here to share them, and able to preserve those shared with me, gives them a new, almost victorious life. -> It should be "heart-wrenching" instead.

First Ten review added on February 22, 2023, at 12:59 am by Sou Hi.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Jennifer Garcia 555

I like the cover and title of this book, but I am not a fan or historical fiction. After reading the description and an official OnlineBookClub review, I would not pick this book to read. These stories are usually slow moving. I read the sample pages and saw no editing errors, so this book seems professionally edited. I appreciate how much research the author seems to have done for this book. I like the author’s description of the children sitting on the floor eating out of small wooden bowls. I have no suggestions for improvements. This seems like an interesting story about a family’s difficult past. I like the idea for this story but I struggle to stay engaged with historical fiction, so I will not buy or finish reading this book.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 11:43 pm by Jennifer Garcia 555.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Heidi M Simone

Without this program, I would not have sampled this book. The cover and the title isn't appealing to me. Though it is based on the Holocaust, I'm afraid that would not have been enough to convince me to sample this book. The positive OBC and customer ratings do not affect my opinion of the book. I did not see any glaring errors while reading.

Even though I am not currently pregnant, I was less than a year ago, and I enjoyed reading about Schoontje's pregnancy because it reminded me of my last one. I, too, had severe pelvic pain toward the end of my pregnancy and felt every painful contraction. One of the parts of the sample that I enjoyed the least was the amount of Dutch language and words are a bit distracting for me, as I do not know the language. Due to not being invested enough in the story and the amount of Dutch words included, I do not plan on buying and reading today's book.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 9:55 pm by Heidi M Simone.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Shanesha Sammerson

After reading the OBC review and Amazon summary, it was interesting enough to make me want to read them. The title and genre weren't the ones that piqued my interest. I would buy it after reading the first few pages because I enjoy the part with Schootje and her birthing process. I love her diligence to create new life and her opinion on how having children means you get to live on through them. I am also excited to read and find out the family secret. I did not find any errors. I did not dislike any part or want to change any part.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 8:59 pm by Shanesha Sammerson.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Annelore Trujillo

I would have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover, title, customer reviews, and editorial reviews. I like books surrounding the Holocaust, so this seemed like something I might be interested in. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. The first chapter talking about twins was a much slower start than I expected. It did introduce the idea of the lost secret of twins, but it didn’t pull me in the way I expected. I think the initial suspense could use some improvement. I did like that the book revolves around dates. This is helpful to understand the timeline. The book did seem to be professionally edited; I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 8:46 pm by Annelore Trujillo.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

OTrain Disene

‘Twins run in the family, you know,' this is what the narrator's mother told her in 1982 The narrator talks about how she was always fascinated by the twins ever since she could remember. Seeing people who are so alike but are not one was something that blew her mind. Then she goes on to talk about her family’s history, about how they all scattered throughout the globe and lost touch with each other. This separation later affects the narrator in ways she has never imagined. I loved the first ten pages of the book. They were written in concise sentences that were easy to read. They were flowing, and the narrator’s story was something poignant that I couldn’t prise myself from it after reaching the first ten pages, as this programme demands. But that’s how gripping and inviting the text was. It was all written in a way that was inviting, and as soon as you were there, it was flowing to some unknown destination that would surely leave you surprised. This is what I loved from the few bits I read of this book. Had it not been because of this programme, I genuinely think I would have picked this book judging by the cover and the title. They are both enticing enough and left me wanting to know more about them. The bit I read was exceptionally edited because I did not see any errors. But I am currently not into reading this type of genre. I have read the OBC review, and it didn’t persuade me otherwise.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 6:43 pm by OTrain Disene.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mayang Bature

The amount of research this author put into this book is admirable. It wasn't just a hazy Holocaust story, but one with actual family history. I particularly enjoy the author's dialogues during the flashbacks to her family history. They seemed appropriate for the time period and added some flavor to the story. Based on the description and cover, I would not have read this book if I wasn't in this program. The official OBC review said this book showed how the author displayed her curiosity about the number of twins in the family. That didn't appeal to me, however, so I wasn't interested in reading. Even now, I wouldn't finish the rest of the book because it's not something that interests me. I found no errors or anything I didn't like about the sample I read.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 4:51 pm by Mayang Bature.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Diana Lowery

Both the title and the cover aroused my curiosity. The blurb mentioned that this was historical fiction, a genre that I enjoy. The OBC praised the extensive research that the author had done. I liked the description of the family with seven children living in a 3 room house. I did not see any errors in the pages that I read. I do not have any suggestions; there was nothing that I disliked. I am not going to keep reading because I just finished a WWII novel, and I need a break from that era, but I will keep this book on my "to read" list for later.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 2:24 pm by Diana Lowery.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Chelsy Scherba

I like that this book combines true history with a fictional story, but it’s also a tad perplexing, ha ha. I’m not sure if it’s a real story or fiction because it’s apparently both. The story about the twins was interesting, but it’s a little sad the narrator apparently didn’t have twins. I like the cover picture, such a lovely photo of mom and baby. I have no suggestions for improvements. I don’t often read historical fictions nor memoirs, so this book probably wouldn’t have caught my eye outside of the program. The OBC review seemed to enjoy this book though. The book has won some awards and seems well liked by customers and editorial reviewers. I didn’t notice any blurbs. I may read this book when the mood strikes me, but it doesn’t immediately grab me at this time.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 1:26 pm by Chelsy Scherba.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Owuamanam Eberechukwu

The book opens with the author presenting her pregnancy experience and her mother prophesying that she would give birth to twins. The author flashes back on the family and the distant relationship in the family. The beginning pages were dry and less dramatic. However, it's a memoir. I like the dating and tone of the writing. The author wrote in a way that could help the reader imagine what the author is thinking. The pages I read were exceptionally well-edited. The cover design and title are great fits for a memoir and convincing to make me buy and read the book. I will not buy and read this book because its content is not suited to my current reading interest. This is my opinion and was not influenced by comments, blurbs, or reviews on OBC.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 1:13 pm by Owuamanam Eberechukwu.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sanju Lali

I could not find any customer reviews of this book, but I found a few editorial reviews that praised the book. I got all the necessary insights into this book from the OBC official review. Since I found some grammatical errors in the sample, I think that this book needs a round of professional editing. For example, the sentence, "Forget internalizing the concept of two humans developing from two distinct eggs, or the spontaneous division of the same egg." The correct sentence would have been as follows. "Forget internalizing the concept of two humans developing from two distinct eggs or the spontaneous division of the same egg." I liked the heartwarming scene where Israel nabbed both of his children. From the sample, I learned that Israel had a stocky and muscular physique due to working hard in the Amsterdam shipyards. Sadly, I will not buy and read this book today because the unusual irony used in the narrative made reading a bit uncomfortable for me. My suggestion to the author is to consider using widely used irony appropriately in the narrative. I could make only a few guesses about this book from its cover, title, and genre. Therefore, I would not have read the reviews of this book outside The First Ten program.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 12:59 pm by Sanju Lali.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Rodel Barnachea

Following my reading of the title’s Amazon page and official OBC review, I opted not to acquire the book. I am not fascinated by the fact that there is an "unusually high number of twins" within Stella's extended family. I am not intrigued by how Stella's search for closure led her to buried secrets. I am not interested in learning about Stella's mother's "horrifying" secrets. Perusing its sample did not change my mind. I would not purchase it because nothing in the text convinced me I would enjoy poring over the rest of the title. The first ten pages contain Chapter 1 and some pages of Chapter 2. My favorite part is when the author said that she wishes she had a twin because she was dominated by two older brothers and eclipsed by a younger sister. I did not identify 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 February 21, 2023, at 4:37 am by Rodel Barnachea.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kendal Low

While the cover of this book doesn’t necessarily draw me in, the blurb definitely does. Therefore I believe I would have read the sample even if I had not been a part of this program. The OBC review made it sound even more interesting and captivating. In the sample, I really enjoyed that there were no errors and the fact that she highlights how important the dates are in the book even though ‘other authors tend to shy away from dates like the plague.’ There wasn’t anything I disliked in the sample, and I would very much enjoy reading more of the book.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 3:03 am by Kendal Low.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Vidhi Adhikari

The book makes a decent first impression with its attractive cover design, straightforward title, detailed description, and scarce customer and OBC reviews. Since the plot based on holocaust and family caught my attention, I was excited to read the sample. That said, I loved the simple writing style of the author. There were some minor grammatical errors, but nothing that would affect my reading experience (It is the story of family, the discovering of family, and the discovery of secrets, hidden, {remove comma} but hoping desperately to be found.). Unfortunately, since the story seemed a little slow to me, I will not be finishing this book. I would suggest that the writer start the book with a fast-paced incident to better grab the reader's attention.

First Ten review added on February 21, 2023, at 2:15 am by Vidhi Adhikari.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Anna_Hernandez

If I hadn’t been a part of this group, I wouldn't have chosen this book based on the words "true stories" on the cover, as nonfiction is not a genre I typically read. After seeing that 'Discovering Twins' by Stella Claire ter Hart discusses a time period that hurts my heart too much, I would have put it back on the shelf. However, I found the writing style in the first ten pages to be superb, with a mature, descriptive, and alluring design meant to pull the reader in. Despite the quality of the writing, I won't be buying or reading the book due to its subject matter.

Nonetheless, I would recommend it to readers who enjoy books about the Holocaust, its victims and survivors. I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages and do not believe anything needs to be improved. The Official Featured Review on OBC confirmed that the book wasn't for me due to its focus on the Holocaust, which I find too intense to read about.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 11:27 pm by Anna_Hernandez.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sushan Ekanayake

Discovering Twins: No secret is safe forever by Stella Claire ter Hart belongs to the Historical Fiction genre, which I usually do not read. The title and the cover page were self-explanatory. But they were less intriguing. The blurb revealed that the book contained the secrets that the author uncovered while she tried to uncover her extended family tree. The editorial reviews and the customer reviews spoke highly about the book. Based on the above facts, I would not have sampled this book if I had not been a part of this program.

Then I read the first ten pages, which included the author's notes on her findings and the details of the time when she was expecting her first babies. I liked how the author had woven what she had found into her historical story. But since I do not prefer the genre, I decided not to continue reading the rest of the book after reading the first few pages.

I saw neither any errors nor any area that could be improved. I saw the official OBC review which spoke highly about the book. But it was inadequate to change my mind.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 11:25 pm by Sushan Ekanayake.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Stephanie Runyon

I am not a fan of historical fiction or memoirs; therefore, I wouldn't sample this book. The transition from the past to the present was easy to follow. I could tell ter Hart's upbringing was based on old tradition because, nowadays, children who are left unattended in a department store are likely to be taken away from their parents for neglect. I believe this book is professionally edited; I encountered no errors. I have no suggestions for improvement. The OBC review did not influence me to read the story. I did not read anything online to alter my decision. I am passing on the BOTD based on my general avoidance of memoirs and historical fiction.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 11:15 pm by Stephanie Runyon.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Surabhi Rani

Had I not been part of this program, I would not have read or sampled this book based on my information about its cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, or customer reviews. Learning about the tradition of the birth of twins in a family is not one of the major topics I want to concentrate on presently. After reading the first ten pages, I am not going to buy and read the whole book. I could not very much connect with the theme of the story. I am waiting for the right moment to read the book. I found no grammatical mistakes in the sample of the book.

I learned about new events and phenomena occurring over the world through the book. Also, I enjoyed reading the anecdotes about the author's grandparents in the book. I hated to learn about loss and grief in the family saga. The OBC review of the book presented complete details related to the author's work, and I contemplated my reasons for not attempting to read the book.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 11:05 pm by Surabhi Rani.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Ari Martinez

If it wasn't for this program, I wouldn't sample this book based on its title, cover, genre, blurb, OnlineBookClub review, or other reviews because I don't tend to like books that take place around WWII. Since I read many of them in my youth, I don't like them nowadays. After reading the first ten pages, I will continue reading it because I really enjoyed the author's storytelling abilities. I couldn't help but be engrossed by the story of Schoontje and her "bustling family." My favorite part of what I read was the fact that the author didn't seem to translate any of the Dutch text. It might seem weird to most people, but I've never liked it when an author writes in a foreign language and then translates the text immediately after. I've alway felt like it interrupts the flow of the story and snaps me back to reality. I can't think of any way to improve the book. In Location 268, the phrase "one a friend of my brothers" should be "one friend..." or "a friend..." ("My mind wandered to the first twins in my life—one a friend of my brothers—half of a set of fraternal twins.").

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 9:39 pm by Ari Martinez.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Emy Katherine

Because I am not interested in reading stories containing elements of history, I would not have read the book based on the genre, title, cover, and blurb. Furthermore, I believe it is too intense for me to read, so neither the OBC review nor the sample motivated me to buy the book. Throughout her book, Stella Claire ter Hart shares how she uncovered family secrets that led her to know more about her extended family members and their tragic fate during the Holocaust. I found nothing to dislike about the sample. The writing style was descriptive, and I especially liked the author's choice to include personal photos in her touching story. Considering the positive customer reviews and editorial reviews, those interested in knowing more about the Holocaust in the Netherlands will find this book informative. I only found three minor errors that did not disrupt the flow of the story. For example, there should not be a comma after "yard" in the following sentence: "Determined to prove himself and master new tasks, he worked as hard as any man in the yard, and was gaining a reputation for his natural ship-building skills." (location 365 of 451 • 64%) All in all, nothing needs to be improved.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 7:12 pm by Emy Katherine.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

MsH2k

The cover of this book was relevant, the title intriguing. I read historical fiction occasionally, and after reading the blurb, I would have sampled this book even if I were not part of this program. The author’s story sounded riveting in many ways. The sample pages were vividly written, and I could easily picture all the children scurrying around the kitchen, some standing while eating dinner, as was their custom and necessity. The love Israel and Schoontje shared with their family was palpable. I appreciated the author’s clear delineation in the introduction between fact and fiction in the story. That understanding is critical for me to enjoy a historical-fiction novel fully. And her rationale for including all the dates (“this story exists almost exclusively because of the dates”) was perfect. I will buy this book and look forward to learning more about the author’s family and others at that time in history. It appeared professionally edited; I did not notice any countable grammatical errors in the first ten pages, but some sentences were rather long, and on a few occasions, em-dashes used in succession required me to reread the sentences to understand them properly. An example was at loc 286: “A favourite challenge—fill a cart of groceries via coupons and buy 1 get 1 free specials. Come to think of it, twins would be rather like that—buy 1 get 1 free.” Although I needed to reread the sentences, it was not a distraction. The story was exceptional and captured my attention. I have no suggestions for improvement. Neither the featured OnlineBookClub review nor any other ratings or reviews influenced my decision.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 4:40 pm by MsH2k.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Nemanja Jankovic

The book's title would inspire me to read it because it sounds interesting. In my humble opinion, the book's cover does not correspond to the title. I read the blurb, customer reviews, and the Official OnlineBookClub review, but they did not influence my decision. It was mentioned in one editor's review that the book is a collection of more than 20 short stories, which in some ways affected my decision. Because I'm not in the mood to read family histories or biographies right now, I won't be reading the book. As I couldn't find any errors or typos, the book seemed to have undergone competent editing. The Dutch home in Amsterdam from the middle of the 19th century is described in great detail and feels quite real. I don't think anything in the book needs to be improved.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 4:21 pm by Nemanja Jankovic.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kajori Sheryl Paul

"Discovering Twins" is a book written by Stella Claire ter Hart. Stella ter Hart chronicles her own life, along with her ancestors' story, in this book. Stella was pleasantly surprised when her mother told her that twins ran in the family during her pregnancy in 1982. Though she didn't have twins then, she was fascinated by the prospect. Stella's parents were Dutch immigrants in Canada. While her father's relatives remained in Holland, her mother's entire family had relocated to Australia. Stella's mother takes her on a trip to Holland as a graduation present. We also get to know about Israel and Schoontje Wijnschenk. In 1840, Schoontje gives birth to triplets. With eleven children, Schoontje finally feels that her dream of having a big happy family is realized. I like how Stella saved up money to buy a Silly Putty. I also like Stella's dedication toward bringing to us her family's story. As I want to know her story, I will definitely read this book. I did not find any errors. There is nothing that I dislike. The OBC review and the Amazon reviews are helpful. I would read this book based on the cover, title, genre, customer reviews, editorial reviews, and blurb as I like reading books of this genre.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 4:12 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Amy Luman

The editorial and customer reviews of this book were good. The OBC review made mention of the fact that some people deny that the Holocaust happened. I wasn’t there, but I don’t agree. I will not be finishing this, though, because I don’t like historical fiction or memoirs. The cover is very soothing, but I see no reference to twins like the title says. I think one of them needs to be changed. I liked that Ms. ter Hart says that many Dutch words that she used to hear are included in a glossary at the end of the book. I also liked the vivid description of Israel and Schoontje’s apartment at the beginning of the story. I’m not sure which is my favorite. I came across no errors. There was really nothing that I disliked.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 1:09 pm by Amy Luman.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Olga Markova

But for the First Ten programme, I would have sampled the book out of curiosity because the title suggests that this book is about twins, and we have twins in the family. The cover also appeals to me as it suggests a story about a family. Sampling this book, I enjoyed the language, the style, and the story of the happy family of Schoontje and Israel Wijnschenk. I did not find any errors, and I have no suggestions for improvement. Just I learned from the sample and from the OBC review that this brilliant and appealing book is also about Holocaust, so I will not read the whole book because the horrors of Holocaust are mind-shattering.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 12:32 pm by Olga Markova.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda

Usually, I wouldn't say I like personal pictures on the covers of books, but it makes sense in the case of historical fiction. I also liked the blurb because I've always been interested in WWII and the Holocaust. Also, the ratings are mostly high. Therefore, I would've bought the book based on my first impressions.
The first ten pages helped me ratify my decision. I love that the author has an original voice and her own quirks (for example, her idea that having twins was an efficient way to have an "instant family"). Some passages are also very insightful and almost lyrical (i.e., "I assumed these genetically connected people were all the family that existed beyond ourselves.") There was nothing I disliked. The editing mistakes are minor. For example, "heart-wrenching" should be hyphenated in the following sentence: "Although the tragedies presented are heart wrenching, the fact that I am here to share them..." (position 250). I suggest fixing these minor flaws. The official OBC review furthered my enthusiasm for the book

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 12:00 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Theresa Moffitt

I would not have picked this book up based on the cover alone. It looks like a nonfiction book about families. The cover art is interesting and the title tells me exactly what the book is about. This type of book doesn’t usually interest me, so I wouldn’t have picked it up based on the cover alone. The onlinebookclub.org review that I read said that it is a book about the holocaust. It gave the book a perfect score and recommended it to readers with an interest in the holocaust. The review increased my interest in the book. I didn’t read any additional customer reviews or blurbs. 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 first ten pages discuss the prevalence of twins in the author’s family. She recalled that her mother mentioned it to her when she was younger. The first ten pages also mention some of the history of the holocaust and its victims. After reading the first ten pages and the OBC review, I think this would be an interesting book to read to learn more about why the author’s family has so many twins and the connection she has to the holocaust. For those reasons, I would like to finish reading this book.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 11:48 am by Theresa Moffitt.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Bertha Jackson

I would have skipped over this book based on the cover and title because few memoirs interest me. Blurbs, customer reviews, editorial reviews, and OnlineBookClub reviews do not factor into my decisions to read books. I base my decisions on my enjoyment of reading the first ten pages. To my amazement, I enjoyed reading the first ten pages of this book. I liked the picture of Stella and her mother, and I enjoyed the humoristic style of the author's writing. For example, comparing twins to a buy one get one special. I can only imagine the surprise one would have at the miracle of giving birth to triplets when you only expect one baby. I decided to purchase and finish reading this book because I am curious about Stella's secrets about her family. I recommend the author perform another round of professional editing because I found an error in the first ten pages. At 26% of the sample, the sentence, "The meanings are transparent enough to be understood, but for those needing guidance, a translations list can be found at the end of the book," should be "The meanings are transparent enough to be understood, but for those needing guidance, a translation list can be found at the end of the book." There was nothing I disliked about the first ten pages of this book.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 10:40 am by Bertha Jackson.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Julie Gebrosky

If I had not been part of this program, I still would have sampled this book. The genre and cover appealed to me. The OBC review also made me want to read it. After reading the first ten pages, I plan to finish the book. I did not find any errors, and I felt drawn into the story. I liked how it had quotes near the beginning and how it had flashbacks to the 1840s and 1980s. I was especially captivated by the story of the triplets.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 10:40 am by Julie Gebrosky.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Timothy Rucinski

I gathered from the Official OBC Review that this "non-fiction novel" was a memoir. As I don't read memoirs except for rare occasions, I didn't think I'd be reading this one. I didn't read any other blurbs or reviews. From reading the first ten pages, I saw that the book combines memoir and speculative fiction, providing stories of the past with ties to the present. The writing was very good, but the story didn't engage me all that much. Perhaps reading "The Diary of a Young Girl" this past year has made me want to stay away from any Holocaust-related books for now. Therefore, I won't be reading this book. The author has a fine command of the written word, and some lines were terrific, as was this one about expectant fathers at 59% into the sample: "The beginning of the creation of new life was more to their liking than the end result of it." I had to laugh when I read it. What I liked most was the characters' uniqueness, their individual personalities that came across quite realistically, especially Israel's rather large family. There wasn't anything I disliked; it's just that I can't embrace this topic at the moment. I may in the future, but not now. I believe that the book was professionally edited, as I found no errors. And I have no recommendations for improvement.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 9:01 am by Timothy Rucinski.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kelsey Roy

I was initially intrigued by the cover and title of “Discovering Twins.” From these details, the book appears to be historical fiction, my favorite genre. The blurb confirms the historical aspect and further identifies the connection to the Holocaust. I am fascinated by this period of history. The OBC review discusses family secrets and one person’s journey to uncover her mother’s past as a Jewish person during the Holocaust in Holland. I am excited to read this sample.

I found no errors within the sample pages. I appreciate the author’s commitment to keeping her account historically accurate to provide a realistic look into the past. My favorite part of the story is the shifting POV to past periods. I appreciate the perspective of Holland in the 1840s with the inclusion of the Dutch language. I found nothing to dislike about this book. I will purchase and finish this book. I have no recommendations for the author.

First Ten review added on February 20, 2023, at 8:55 am by Kelsey Roy.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Total ~ 32%

Discovering Twins earned a score of 32%.

In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 32% 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 Discovering Twins