Book Review Mini-Critique
Below you will find ratings (scale of 1-5) with descriptions for the major parts of this book followed by the Readers’ Favorite review. Although these are general ratings we hope they will give you an insight into how others may view the different components of this book.
These are the opinions of the reviewer, and although the reviewer is not an expert literary critic or professional editor, they are at the very least, an avid reader of books just like this.
Book Details
Title: Phone Life
Subtitle: A Career Tale from Lifestyle Learning® Publishing
Author: Paris Gamble
Genre: Young Adult – General
Book Rating
Appearance: 4
The appearance of a book can make a significant impact on the experience of a reader, whose enjoyment is often enhanced by an enticing cover, an intriguing table of contents, interesting chapter headings, and when possible, eye-catching illustrations.
Plot: 5
The characters of a book should be well defined with strengths and flaws, and while they do not have to be likable, the reader does have to be able to form a connection with them. The tone should be consistent, the theme should be clear, and the plot should be original or told from a unique perspective. For informative books–those without plot and characters–this rating refers primarily to your concept and how well you presented it.
Development: 5
Development refers to how effectively you told your story or discussed your topic. The dialogue should be realistic, the descriptions should be vivid, and the material should be concise and coherent. Organization is also a key factor, especially for informative books–those without plot and characters. The order in which you tell your story or explain your topic and how smoothly it flows can have a huge impact on the reader’s understanding and enjoyment of the material.
Formatting: 4
Formatting is the single most overlooked area by independent authors. The way in which you describe scenes, display dialogue, and shift point of view can make or break your story. In addition, excessive grammatical errors and typos can give your book an amateurish feel and even put off readers completely.
Marketability: 5
Marketability refers to how effectively you wrote your book for your target audience. Authors may include content that is above or below the understanding of their target reader, or include concepts, opinions or language that can accidentally confuse or alienate some readers. Although by its nature this rating is very subjective, a very low rating here and poor reviews may indicate an issue with your book in this area.
Overall Opinion: 5
The overall starred rating takes into account all these elements and describes the overall reading experience of your reviewer. This is the official Readers’ Favorite review rating for your book.
Book Review:
Reviewed by Roy T. James for Readers’ Favorite
Phone Life by Paris Gamble begins when David, a young and successful software engineer, is led to reminiscing about the past with his present companion. He recalls his childhood, growing up, vagaries of classes, a feminine (cute) attraction and more. After the reluctance David felt to ask his classmate Carlie, out, he describes how great was the romantic attraction he felt, how he always chickened out at the last moment in taking her out, and how they used to meet for tutoring as he couldn’t bring up any other question other than their lessons – these are some of the tales of his romantic past and the memories. Even an audacious plan devised by his close friends and classmates to unite them amorously – happened to backfire, ultimately ensuring that the two did not meet until they graduated. However good luck is waiting for them as they enter in the world of independent living…
Phone Life by Paris Gamble contains autobiographical elements from everyone’s adolescence. Every twist and turn reveals some event from one’s own school days. The fears David has in choosing between his pals and his flame could have been there with any of us. However, the allegory of the old cell phone held safely for years succeeds in showing the true feelings that were always kept hidden in David. A novel made for the age of dreaming, this is a good read for all those who would like to have sweet memories.
